I had this 2012 one as well as the 2016, and ended up selling the 2012. I must’ve done it because I preferred the 2016 (and both were wet cleaned with a RCM). But now I’m not so sure… I do remember it was a very close call.
Wish they would do a proper audiophile version, it was my first and still my favourite PF album
sorry if I’m missing something, but your 4k player can play the music DVDs and blu-rays too, and it’s the AVR that does the audio processing. Why not use that for all AV discs (DVD, blu-ray) and get yourself a very good CD player or streamer/DAC for stereo?
Even though some blu ray players can be good with audio, they are never as good as a dedicated stereo component.
100% this. All I can add to this, is that in my experience it’s not so much about bass vs detail either (although it does play a role). There’s just music you can feel, and there are components out there that makes it easy possible. And not at the cost of detail either. Hard to describe until you hear it.
There does seem to be many reviewers who claim benefits to better and better streamers. It’s the equivalent of better disc transports or tonearm/cartridges.
In my experience, I used a quality USB cable from my laptop to iFi Neo. I added a Wiim Pro and there was a definite improvement. Less noise, more emotion. Then I played around with optical and two coax cables (Wiim to DAC), and one of the coax cables was the clear winner.
I guess it depends what’s most convenient. I love that the Wiim gives me straight access to streaming over my phone. And it’s the best streaming sound I have (as of now).
I don’t really trust TVs when it comes to streaming. I don’t know what they do to the signal. And if I take Tidal - which is my favourite on all other devices - it sounds awful over Apple TV on some lossless formats.
I can’t say for certain whether your tv would do a good or a bad job. But I do know that streamers and even cables can make an audible difference to the sound quality.