Enough said! (LOL).
Just curious, why did you add Aries G2?
- Is it because a Roon only solution was not viable for you?
- Or perhaps because the built-in Streamer degrades performance enough to warrant an external solution?
Thanks.
Hi David, I read in your previous post that you have a network switch in your system. May I ask which network switch youāre using? Is there a big difference without the switch? It seems like youāre following Bill Parishās advice but I donāt think Iāve seen a switch in his setupā¦
Is yourās the PRO? Iāve had the CA X45 Pro for about 3 years now. Great unit. The ESS 9038Pro chips do a great job. But, being an audiophile, Iām always looking for something better (and in my price range)
I auditioned the Gold Note and knew from the very first note it was the one for me. Silky smooth, elegant sound without sacrificing detail. GNās design & build is of the highest orderā¦beautiful yet functional. Optional upgraded Burr Brown chips sound lovely. Customer service in Italy is first rate! You need to audition one for yourself.
Hi Tony
Iāve tried several switches over the years. Much to my amazement and consternation switches have a sound. Just like if I were to change a phono stage in a turntable set up. And I certainly can not explain why. AudiophileStyle has been the best resource on the web for cutting edge ideas. So Iāve tried Netgear, EtherRegen, Cisco Meraki and for now Iām using a Buffalo Technologies switch with some mods that raise it to the level of a Melco S100. Iām happy with this switch but alas there are better out there, at as usual, a greater cost.
And yes Iāve known Bill and been following his advice for 20 years. Heās extremely knowledgeable and is a great guy to deal with.
I have a SimAudio / Moon 680D streaming DAC. Sounds amazing. Very pleased. But theyāre top of the line streaming DAC is the 780D V2 streaming DAC. MSRP is $15K right at your budget. dCS overrated and overpriced. Roon ready with decoding of all formats. Yes MQA too.
Check out the Simaudio 780D V2 streaming DAC hereā¦
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Anyone have experience with Antipodes K30 and K50?
Hi David,
Thank you for the detailed reply. Yes, Iāve been poking around all the forum sites, and Iāve been curious about the EtherRegen as well as the English Electric switches. Do you have any experience with optical solutions as well such as the Gigafoil? The reason why Iām uncertain I really need one is because I really donāt experience much ānoiseā; my backgrounds are already inky black. Another question for youā¦I only stream Tidal via Roon; did the addition of the Aries G2/2.1 improve streaming sound quality as well or was the improvement primarily through NAS, computer files, etc?
No problem
I have not gone the optical route. Itās mysterious enough that different digital / electrical devices change what I can very clearly hear. Adding the process of converting electrical to optical and back seems to add a number of new challenges and as well as debate on the best implementation.
Note that Aries G2 and 2.1 incorporates the concept of galvanic separation which might reduce the affect of introducing an optical stage.
I use my Nucleus - Aries - Tambaqui with locally stored high res files and with Qobuz. The Aries adds an instantly noticeable richness to the sound field, even when using a cheap Netgear switch.
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Sorry; just getting back to this thread; as the OP I did finally make a decision on the Cocktail Audio X45 Pro. It was around $5500 USD, and had all the features for which I was looking. It has a slot for a hard drive that I filled with a 4TB HDD. I have a very fancy Vinnie Rossi DAC but I almost exclusively use the DAC on the X45 with the analog outputs into my preamp, so that I can listen to MQA in its full unfold. I still have the digital outputs hooked up to my other DAC so I can compare pretty easily.
The sound of the X45 is very transparent. I can discern no significant difference in sonic qualities compared to my VR DAC.
Overall I am 10000% pleased with the X45 and would recommend it to any buyer looking at this price point.
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Thanks for letting me know about the improvements with the Ariesā¦Hans B, in his youtube video said he didnāt hear a difference, which I thought was unusualā¦Iām getting a LPS for my nucleus (HDPLEX) and upgrading the DC cableā¦so Iām hoping that will make a difference. Maybe, if budget permits, Iāll add on a Ariesā¦but I have to sell some equipment first!
I went from a NDX, Berkeley Alpha dac ā> Bartok. I have the version with the headphone amp and it is really a great product. For about half the $ Iād try the Weiss 505. If $ didnāt matter, Iād get the new Linn Klimax Organik streamer.
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The Lumin x1 is probably as good as the Linn Klimax DSM/2 (with Katalyst).
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If I had the money allocated for one, Iād buy the top of the line Aurender streamer server. I use a couple of the lower models, and they are fabulous.
Not Roon RAAT compatible. Theyāre about $22K.
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What did you end up with?
Antipodes K50 should be on the original list. Itās relatively new, which is why it isnāt. Also pricey but has full Roon support along with combinations like Roon server/Squeezelite player. Top sound quality.
Not an Innuos fan due to chronically buggy software and poor Tidal support.
For me itās the Grimm MU1 feeding directly into the Dutch and Dutch 8C - musicality and sound quality is simply stunning - coming from being a long term Linn fan - Linn Klimax (Katalyst)
I still wonder to this day if I did the right thing with the Roon journey.
Prior to trialing Roon on advice from a friend, I had an Aurender N100 and my memories of itās SQ are fabulous.
Then I found Roon and Aurender did not play nice together and Airplay was best that could be had with the N100.
Still muse over whether I should have stuck with Aurender and passed on Roon.
Maybe by now I could have afforded one of the big bad Aurender models.
Decisions, decisions!
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I have an A10 and an N100SC. The SC is great with user installable storage drive. Both units are fabulous. I wouldnāt buy the $22K job, since my system and hearing probably doesnāt warrant it. I still use Roon with Bryston BDP-2 and a Sonore microrendu via NAA HQ Player.
Aurender just came out with the N200 which is an upgraded N100. Had I not already purchased the A10 for my main system, Iād probably would have gone with that model. The N100SC was just acquired, but itās for my office system, so I went with the entry level model. Again, comes down to equipment matching my office rig.
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