I’m a huge believer in I have to hear it, and really hear it to even consider spending the money. The biggest impacts are speakers and turntable carts for me, along with digital vs. analog. Pretty much everything else is negligible to my ears.

I had a Eversolo DMP-A6 show up the other day. I like this thing a lot, and the software is excellent. Compared to a few hours of use with some high end devices at my local dealer… it’s better in almost every way. Using local SSD for a 2000 album lossless library, have apple music high resolution, qobuz, sirius, and a few other streaming apps working great.

I’ve been playing it on my office system (BAT VK300xSE integrated with Harbeth P3ESRxd speakers) using the built in DAC over balanced cables to my amp, and it’s dead quiet. I’m using the amp in fixed volume mode and using the volume on the Eversolo.

About to bring it downstairs to plug the digital out into my bigger system DAC to do some a-b, will try analog out compare and digital out compare…

I fully expect to hear zero difference at all. These front ends are that good.

Now that I have it setup I’m going to haul it to my local dealer and do some A-B to an Aurender A20 :-) They have it setup on a big dollar DCS / Wilson system.

Vinyl Only. I just prefer the sound of classic jazz on it. I’ve been buying the blue note tone poet and other high quality issues like crazy the last couple years. Quality early releases are so hard to find and way too much $ I just can’t justify the cost and may not sound better… I haven’t bought a cd in 10 years or so, entire collection is converted to lossless audio (1600 or so cds) and i stream anything new / high resolution. My CDs are in boxes in garage storage. So for me, it’s jazz on vinyl, everything else is CD streaming or online streaming. I first started streaming when benchmark released the dac1 USB which was maybe 2006?

For me it depends, it comes down to the mastering. And sometimes the older versions sound better.

Beauty!

Your mind is playing tricks on you. If it costs more, it sounds better.

Please continue your audiophile training learning phrases such as: air, soundstage, spaciousness, dynamics, punch, clarity, and warmness.

It’s more about features, though die-hard audiophiles will try to say differently.

If the incoming stream is identical and of good quality, and it’s passing out identical to the dac, then it will be… identical.

Dacs due to their analog stage can have some differences, but most these days are transparent and unless they are coloring the sound, sound the same. I have a $3k DAC and a $200 DAC here, they sound the same.

I was at the local hifi shop trying some different streamers last week. Intent to use existing DAC.

They all sucked. I mean that to say the software and interfaces. They literally all sounded identical. The system was nice, probably a $50k setup. Aurender, Gold Note, and Rose. Aurender was the best software, and stupid money. Rose and Gold Note were not great. Some had better features, some were terrible. The Aurender had the best mix of local file playback, screen, and streaming service. But it was also $15k?

I use a Mac Mini and recently an Eversolo as streamers. I find computers the best. Audiophiles will say computers noisy. Well, i’m not that old and i have very good hearing and I do not year a damn thing other than the music.

Anyway, my take is that streamers, if you exclude the analog stage, are 100% about the software, and well, most hardware hifi makers suck at software. Aurender is pretty good, they invested there. Eversolo is pretty good.

So if you have a good dac, focus on the features you want. I don’t use a WiiM as it doesn’t do Apple Music high resolution or have local storage. Or a screen.

Maybe for classical or for certain audiophile releases… but I prefer to just stream high resolution.

A very common audiophile journey is integrated, then separated lots of specialized boxes, back to integrated as you realize the pursuit of perfection is fruitless and you just want to enjoy the music and keep it simple.

I’d say you’re there already. No need to separate.

I use a luxman integrated now. I’ll bet that Yamaha sounds on par with it.

Went through this earlier this year except had my gear packed away for almost 2 years!

Love the old Sony! Wish i had mine still fro way back.

I had an amp develop a pop (caps shot) on one channel on power up and it took out a tweeter

yes next time definitely get a more audiophile picture, like one with Diana Krall! /s

I have a 20 year old BAT vk-300xSE integrated here, just back from BAT fully services/recapped, clean bill of health. And a 1 year old Luxman 509x integrated. Now granted the BAT is hybrid, it has a tube pre-stage, but its not a ‘tubey’ sounding amp.

They both drive harbeth speakers, 30.2xd for the 509 and p3esrXD for the bat.

They both drive them well, and sound similar with that ‘harbeth’ sound. Both have similar output specs etc.

So like mentioned, staying in class A or Class AB type amp… similar.

Nope.

I use a MacMini with remote software/screen sharing. Works great. Steamer won’t be better SQ if you have a quality DAC hanging off your computer assuming same source files.

Streamer is more about convenience and source aggregation. And some of them look cool…

Speakers, Room/placement, then everything else. probably amp, then source if analog… May place cartridge higher up, they make a big difference.

I’ve used a Mac as my main streamer / playback device since… 2008. Currently is an m2 Mac mini. But I’m not using the analog out. I’ve used external dacs. Currently a benchmark dac3. I prefer it to the Mac native.

What is your typical source?

I have an older version of this amp from BAT (I have the VK-300xSE). This is 2 generations newer. I dont hear any noise, very quiet, this is a review of the newest version. My speakers aren’t near as efficient as yours however.

https://www.hifinews.com/content/bat-vk-3500-integrated-amplifier-lab-report

My main amp is a luxman 509x and it is dead quiet, measures very well.

I do feel fancy cables have a place, as hifi jewelry, and as a clever way to separate large amounts of cash from those willing to spend it for whatever.

But improve sound? Probably not.

I also like Canare and Mogami with good quality connectors.

I do get a good laugh out of the power cables that get sold. I don’t think most understand what is or is not in their walls or from their meter to the curb :-) Or that $2 Home Depot wall receptacle your track home builder used that you just plugged a $500 AC cable into!