Extremely impressed with Audirvana Studio. Worth checking out.

Psilonaught

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I've been happily using my Auralic G2 with the Lumin android app for about 18 months. The upgrade bug recently bit, and I bought an Aqua LinQ with UPNP card.

I was guided to Audirvana as a way of streaming Qobuz to the Aqua and applying parametric EQ. It also allows PCM (and DSD) upscaling. This has enabled me to fully replace the Auralic.

The accompanying Android app is also first class.

Sound wise, using a basic Lenovo mini PC from my home office, is really astonishing.

At £6 odd quid a month, I'm dead impressed and will be taking out a full subscription.
 

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tuga

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I've been happily using my Auralic G2 with the Lumin android app for about 18 months. The upgrade bug recently bit, and I bought an Aqua LinQ with UPNP card.

I was guided to Audirvana as a way of streaming Qobuz to the Aqua and applying parametric EQ. It also allows PCM (and DSD) upscaling. This has enabled me to fully replace the Auralic.

The accompanying Android app is also first class.

Sound wise, using a basic Lenovo mini PC from my home office, is really astonishing.

At £6 odd quid a month, I'm dead impressed and will be taking out a full subscription.

How are you feeding the DAC? It would be worth trying to upsample if the Lenovo is up to it.
 
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Psilonaught

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How are you feeding the DAC? It would be worth trying to upsample if the Lenovo is up to it.
Coaxial for now. I'm upsampling to 192.

@Juancho is going to be modding my DAC to accept i2s so I can try DSD on my Soekris based DAC. Aqua don't believe in USB so none of their kit uses it.
 

Psilonaught

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On a different topic, I have FOMA around the use of a bog standard PC. I feel a strong urge to buy a NUC to plug directly into the switch that the streamer is using, with a linear power supply.

I expect it will make zero difference but I feel a strong urge to try....

I also feel a strong urge to buy a fancy switch...

😶
 

tuga

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On a different topic, I have FOMA around the use of a bog standard PC. I feel a strong urge to buy a NUC to plug directly into the switch that the streamer is using, with a linear power supply.

I expect it will make zero difference but I feel a strong urge to try....

I also feel a strong urge to buy a fancy switch...

😶

This might be a better option:

https://www.sonore.us/endPoint.html
 

tuga

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Interesting, is this a NUC type unit ? Do you load Audirvana Studio onto it and connect it to the network?
No, it's an endpoint which sits at the end of your network and converts the data to "noise-free" S/PDIF.
You still need a computer to do the streaming and upsampling.
 

lazycat

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It would be worth trying to upsample if the Lenovo is up to it.
Although my kit is more downrange, I can recommend upsampling to DSD128. I use Roon/laptop to stream to my sotm.

TME it certainly sounds better than PCM. It's not a subtle difference either.
 

Psilonaught

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Although my kit is more downrange, I can recommend upsampling to DSD128. I use Roon/laptop to stream to my sotm.

TME it certainly sounds better than PCM. It's not a subtle difference either.
I've already experimented with DSD with Roon and it sounded worse than PCM for me, but that's Roon, which doesn't sound very good (unless you used HQP).

I'm keen to try Audirvana's SoX powered DSD by comparison. Just need my DAC modified to add i2s first.
 

tuga

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Although my kit is more downrange, I can recommend upsampling to DSD128. I use Roon/laptop to stream to my sotm.

TME it certainly sounds better than PCM. It's not a subtle difference either.

With Delta-Sigma DACs that has also been my experience.
I am currently upconverting to DSD256, it the highest rate my DAC can take and also that my computer can handle.
 

tuga

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I've already experimented with DSD with Roon and it sounded worse than PCM for me, but that's Roon, which doesn't sound very good (unless you used HQP).

I'm keen to try Audirvana's SoX powered DSD by comparison. Just need my DAC modified to add i2s first.
i2s between boxes is hardly ever well implemented so I wouldn’t keep my hopes too high. It doesn’t cope well will distances longer than 1 or 2 cm
 

Psilonaught

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No, it's an endpoint which sits at the end of your network and converts the data to "noise-free" S/PDIF.
You still need a computer to do the streaming and upsampling.
Sounds like you are suggesting I use this little box in lieu of my Aqua. Glad you have a healthy sense of humour.
 

tuga

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Sounds like you are suggesting I use this little box in lieu of my Aqua. Glad you have a healthy sense of humour.
Do you have an Aqua LinQ network bridge? If you do, then this "little box" will do the same, you won't need it.

If you don't have an Aqua LinQ then this "little box" will do the same for less money (but also less pride of ownership).
 

Cable Monkey

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Do you have an Aqua LinQ network bridge? If you do, then this "little box" will do the same, you won't need it.

If you don't have an Aqua LinQ then this "little box" will do the same for less money (but also less pride of ownership).
He has the LinQ in his sig so we can safely assume he has one.
It doesn’t do the same if it is limited to the maximum capability of AES and SPDIF. And it certainly can’t be a Squeeze device or act as an NAA like the LinQ can. So it lacks potential functionality too. It isn’t just pride of ownership.
 
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tuga

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He has the LinQ in his sig so we can safely assume he has one.
It doesn’t do the same if it is limited to the maximum capability of AES and SPDIF. And it certainly can’t be a Squeeze device or act as an NAA like the LinQ can. So it lacks potential functionality too. It isn’t just pride of ownership.

I didn’t realise he had a LinQ, can’t see his signature on the phone.
I suggested the Sonore Enpoint because it's an network endpoint for Audirvana and has S/PDIF coax out, presumably because his DAC doesn't take USB.

USB is the best choice for those upsampling or upconverting. AES, S/PDIF and Toslink are limited to 24/196.
An informative post about i2s here.
 

Cable Monkey

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I actually use i2S (LVDS) alongside USB. Both have their merits. Given a choice I prefer i2S but I’m happy to use both, especially now that USB is being adapted for the specifics of audio use.
 

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