Music Streaming for Dummies: DAC / Bluesound Streamer
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- čas přidán 20. 03. 2024
- I promised y'all I would do a video on my subjective experience with a few different DAC and streamer boxes. This is from a total digital newbie perspective and is covering the lower end of this type of audio gear. If you've never used streaming gear before, I hope this helps you understand better how to get started!
The topping E30II, a newer version from what I am using:
amzn.to/3TNBmF9
The dragonfly red DAC:
amzn.to/4a3ryfP
Bluesound Node-X
www.crutchfield.com/S-CqMgYva...
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+1 on the WIIM and in particular the WIIM Pro Plus
But not for the improved DAC
It is better all around and (possibly inaudible) but a cleaner audio signal when tested than the Pro model
I too use it for Amazon HD Music
The WIIM app is incredible
Easily the Pro Plus is best bang for the buck in streaming for $200-ish
As far as DACs go the expensive R2Rs are favored over the Delta Sigma chip DACs
I favor the AK 4499EX Velvet chip DACs as do many others
The best bang for the buck is the Geshelli J2 Socketed with the 4499 chip and Sparkos Op-Amps
Always better to get an external DAC that will increase your sound experience
Everyone streams as a general matter with or without a streamer or an external DAC
🙏🙏🙏 for a great Monday Monologue
I really appreciate videos like this with your listening impressions as you have spent the time necessary to refine your critical listening skills
Love Gesheli dacs
I was going through Skunkie withdraws without the Monday monologue. Glad you showed up twice on Friday!😊
More to come!
Very helpful. I got the same results in general, except that my Bluesound 2 died. But using an external dac (Chord) brought it closer to my turntable. The Topping, same results, and I carry my Draggonfly where ever I go. Thanks for the great work Skunkie.
I hear what LP playback can do uniquely well vs. digital: really good turntable setups sound very quiet and smooth yet allow a wealth of fine detail to be heard.
I would just add that Tidal has recently announced a price reduction, lowering its highest tier to approximately $12 per month (USD). I'd also mention that for best quality, Qobuz is the clear winner to me.
Yeah when I looked it was $20 a month.
I found this really helpful. I have an amp on order from Decware and have been exploring what my streaming solution will be (currently using Wiim mini). I’ve said this before but I trust your reviews over other CZcams hifi reviewers because you really seem to call it like you see it even if that goes against the grain. Of course, do what you want but a video like this is very helpful to people like me who mainly stream music and are into tube gear. I’ve had my eye on the Denafrips for a while because everyone has been so gaga over it but this has me reconsidering. I’m sure your system is plenty revealing enough to hear the differences in these DACs.
The Wiim Pro Plus with an upgraded power supply is a really good value. I added the Solupeak bought on Amazon with an upgraded power cable and it sounds great @ $300 for the pair.
I just got a new DAC/streamer, the Eversolo DMP-A8 that uses the latest AKM chips. I don't know if it is the DAC chip or the analogue output stages but it certainly sounds different to my old ESS chip Eweat DMP50 DAC/streamer. It has a very analogue sound with a silky smooth top end, excellent soundstage width and depth and extreme amounts of audio detail. It is also sympathetic to mediocre recordings making them tolerable to listen to. Well worth an audition if you get the opportunity.
Thanks for the info.
Nice video. Good to hear bluesound is improving the value in their streamers with a better dac. I owned a N130, the previous model to what you have. A very worthwhile upgrade for me was adding a linear power supply. It was from a company called LHY but there are many. About half the price of that denafrips. I would be very excited to see your reaction to this type of upgrade on your Node and for the people who go down this path as a result if you find it to be worthwhile :)
Thanks for the info! I will look into that. I honestly think I'm going to stay more focused on tube gear but may look into this.
@@SkunkieDesignsElectronicsSure! I understand wanting to stay focused, you have a great channel.
I've always just used a pc plugged into a dac, nowadays it's a little beelink plugged into a schiit modius dac, the advantages are numerous, you can plug in whatever size screens you want or even multiples (i have 2x 24" screens, one for tidal and one for spotify) you can freely use whatever dac you want, or multiples, as long as they're usb, it's plenty fast enough for whatever ultrasupermegahigh bitrate dsd or whatever you want to throw at it, the possibility of using professional audio interfaces....the list just goes on.
So yeah the little dac streamer boxes are cute (I would like to get a gustard r26 that i will drive over usb at some point) a pc is always going to be at the source of anything digital that comes into my system, other than the cd player.
Yeah, I use a PC downstairs and got this streamer box for my living room out of convenience.
Try running a cd player/transport into the dac with optical or coax and tell me if you think it is getting closer to analog sound.
Or…“Use the $ to buy a turn table” 😉
Did that, didn't any huge improvement vs the DAC in my Yamaha CD deck.
On a budget I'd suggest a Wiim Mini or Wiim Pro with an $80 SMSL Su1 DAC. It's on par with or even better than the Bluesound you're using for less than half the money. The Wiim products have an excellent app as well.
I agree with you
Hi Skunkie, thank you again for your investigation and your experience. You spoke about different quality streamers, I'm a guy who tries to find a good balance between the quality and the price , did you try the wiim pro? I think it's a interesting streamer,
Given that unlike many other reviewers, I purchase the products I review, I do have to draw the line on how many things I can cover :) I have read good things about the streaming portion of it, not sure how good the DAC is.
I understand, and it's quite expensive in the end...take care😅
As an insane person who subscribes to all of Amazon HD, Tidal and Qobuz both T and Q are superior to Amazon (unfortunately). Interesting take on the Bluesound Node. I have a $6K streamer but started with Bluesound and there is a mega difference. Agree that you can't MP3 or bluetooth. If I was telling someone to start I would go with DMP 6 which is IMO way better than the Bluesound. Excellent intro for people just starting.
Have you listened to this new Bluesound-X? I'm not saying it's gonna sound as good as a $6K solution, but it's much better than the OG one IMHO.
@@SkunkieDesignsElectronicsI heard its a big step up but I haven't heard it myself. I found your take very interesting.
Stephe, your 300B amp looks absolutely beautiful, especially with those Tango transformers. I assume it sounds fantastic. Do you think you’ll ever eventually offer those as a product?
If it matters, my DAC is an old Adcom one from the 90’s. I think it sounds good, but not compared to my LP’s. It’s actually got through hole parts, which is nice for easy mods or upgrades. I hardly use it though, because I’d rather just put on a record, but I’ve also put much more $ into my analog rig than my digital.
Yeah, I am looking at developing some sort of 300B am with high end iron.
Will you be selling the 300b amp or only the El34 version? Thx
I will likely be selling a high end 300B amp later this year.
Bluesound Node sounds much better with linear power supply. The improvement in sound is significant. It is more open, there is more "air" between the sounds, it is more detailed. It is an additional expense, but I really recommend it.
Thanks for sharing this info!
@@SkunkieDesignsElectronics No problem Stephie. I've a question. Does Willsenton R8 mk2 sound better than R8 mk1? Is the difference audible? Do the improvements made only improve the longevity of the amplifier?
The grounding changes do make for a cleaner sounding amp.
@@SkunkieDesignsElectronics Thank you very much for reply. Have a nice weekend.
You really need to get a Tidal subscription, especially at the new price. More than twice as good as Amazon HD… BTW Lenbrook, the parent company that manufactures the Node X , recently took over MQA. Don’t know if that will make a difference.
I compared Tidal to Amazon hi res streamed through my Bluesound Node and couldn’t tell a difference in sound quality. Of course everyone’s system is different.
I use Tidal and love it.
I’m kinda new to streaming also! I picked up a Wiim Pro, which is going to my ancient Theta DAC. Are you familiar with the DIY Tube based Lampucera DAC? iiWi reviews has a video on his build, and he feels this is an amazing sounding DAC. DIY Tube DAC is kinda up your alley :)
It looks like it's a chip DAC with a tube buffer on the output.
@@SkunkieDesignsElectronics You got it! It was designed by the designer of the Lampizator line of DACs. Extraordinarily expensive units. When I get through all my other projects, I’m going to look more closely at the build. Seems like, with all the mods/upgrades, for a comparatively modest amount of $$$’s, one can end up with a very high performance DAC. And iiWi reviews, covers a lot of DACs on his channel. So very high praise considering all the experience he has listening to DACs. Could be a very interesting “crossover” build for you to showcase. Bridging the cap between SS/Digital/Analog. Just a thought…
My gen 3 bluesound nodes sounds great. Way better than the Wiim pro dac, better than Geshelli Lab Ak4493, better than the TI in my Rotel preamp, sounds amazing paired with my Willsenton R-8. Great, beautiful bass, detail mids, good sound stage. Wiim app integration is better, but only one output at a time can be on, while bluesound can output analog, coax and optical at same time, and has hdmi input. Happy I upgraded from Wiim to bluesound, but Wiim is better if you use Amazon music, but get an external dac.
great one . Side note on the dragonfly red they also sell a blue version and the biggest thing is the FAKE ones that they sell. Make sure it’s from the company.
I listen to Amazon Music through the headphone jack of my Echo Dot (second gen) into my chinese tube amp.... sounds good to my field artillery ears....
I'm thinking of paying the $200 for the Echo Link as a lot of reviews say the audio is better than the dot...
Yep amazon HD is great, I mentioned it before but WiiM pro streamer, available on amazon offers hi res streaming with great app integration. Much cheaper than sonos or bluesound, plus decent on board dac with option of optical or coax out. It has been a game changer for me. I use mine with an external dac and good quality coax lead it sounds superb.
I second your recommendation of WiiM products, though the only one I have personal experience with is the WiiM Mini ($99). I bought mine when it was the only streaming product they offered, and, finding the onboard DAC a bit "thin" sounding, I added a Schiit Modi DAC for about $130, which is still, almost two years later, my only streamer. I find the pair of devices a highly satisfactory addition to my system. 👍👍 I still cherish my collection of LPs and CDs, which I started amassing in the late '60s, but find streaming a valuable addition to my music listening experience, one that has, mostly, taken over the place previously held by AM and then FM radio.
Yes, I went for the WIIM Pro Plus with one of my 4499EX chip DACs via SPDIF because WIIM works so well with Amazon Music HD
The WIIM app is excellent
For $200 the WIIM crushes it and it is worth getting the Pro Plus
None of the streamer internal DACs are worthwhile in my opinion
Very happy with the sound and integration with the app
Thanks for sharing
The pro 2 has a better dac, they also have coax out. The whole range is packed full of features and the amazon integration is great The mini is great vslue too at price. My one even sounds good with the onboard dac but its a bit more £££ still way cheaper than the alternatives.
I use streaming for convenience, CD’ for listening and LP’s for pops, crackles and skips. 😅
Then you need to buy some new vinyl... mine has none of that.
@@SkunkieDesignsElectronicsVinyl is ridiculous expensive today, CD ‘s are still affordable.
Sorry but I do have to snicker when I see people spending thousands on their gear, then freak out over $20 ($10 more than a CD) for a record.
@@SkunkieDesignsElectronics Sorry to break the news, but most people are not so fixated with hifi equipment or music formats, they just like listening to music. This is why streaming is so popular.
@@mattsynth I only buy postage stamps for mailing letters, yet I don't minimize Philatelists, nor do I go to their websites or youtube channels and take up bandwidth. That would provide nothing of substance and would waste my time. Why are you here?
Why are you using a Dac for analog things.
Because it's a digital to ANALOG converter? Kinda hard not to use it for analog things unless I just leave it unplugged.
Sorry but hi bit rate MP3s sound great. Sure if you have under 160 Mbps file they will sound somewhat crappy. Being at or above 256 Mbps does sound great and most likely sound even better than a CD. I think people get hung up on the early days of MPs when internet connections could not support the higher file sizes. Low bit rate releases back then no doubt sounded crappy. I challenge you to listen to a 256 or 320 Mbps 16 bit MP3 and tell me it sounds bad. I doubt you could even tell the difference from that to a stock CD WAV file!!!
Hi Skunkie, please keep the channel focused on valve amps.
Apologies for covering something else, I've had a lot of requests to do a video on this.
How are you harmed by this content ?
#Don’t listen to videos that you don’t want to listen to
I find the content useful and especially so based on the listening impressions
So any content like this is very much appreciated ❤️
Why??? when you have your own CZcams channel and sticking with ONE subject, then your channel will FADE away.
@20:16 Skunkie even says she’s not a solid state kinda person anyway, but regardless, what’s wrong with mixing it up a bit every now and then? I think we’re all pretty much looking for the same thing, which is quality audio. However we get there is a subjective pursuit.
Calm down chaps, no harm done really, just thought that Skunkie should stick to being outstanding in the niche of SET valve amps, that's all! 😊
Since this channel is all about tube related gear, maybe viewers are interested in tube dac / streamer like Musical Paradise MP-DX tube DAC / Streamer. Other famous reviewer liked it.
I honestly think I am done with this digital streaming stuff on this channel, seems it's a real hornets nest to even try to discuss!
@@SkunkieDesignsElectronicsit is!!! Lol