Bought mine at Audiophonics by the way 
Simaudio 390 network player and pre-amp? A bit outside the price range but maybe there’s a pre-used around.
(I’m looking for the same thing to go between my turntable and active Meridian M30)
Concur with the NAD C658. Firmware has sorted itself out now and DIRAC is a game changer in my system.
1 Like
I also have a Naim Uniti Atom Headphone Edition and using it as a preamp for my Cyrus. I think it works brilliantly.
miniDSP SHD just got the Roon Ready certification. That would be a great option as well.
1 Like
I have used the PS Audio Stella Strata to great effect in my 2nd home system as well as putting together a system for my brother. https://www.psaudio.com/products/stellar-strata/
It is $3,300 but they have a very generous trade in program on their web site. It is clean, simple, very powerful yet lush and detailed. One box just add speakers! It has a streamer that works with lots of
sources but it is not roon compatible. For that I added a raspberry pi roon endpoint with a digi hat and connected to the Strata using the COAX input
Thanks a lot guys.
I read a bit about digital volume and it can be very good indeed, but it really depends on how it is done, if one doesn’t want bit truncation. I could ask the manufacturer if need be.
Regarding the NAD, I’ve read many reports about a so-so quality and even hardware problems.
I really want Roon Ready and juste one box.
So far, still the Elac, the Naim and maybe the Teac. I’ll try to find how the digital volume is implemented in the Matrix Audio.
I had better junk both of mine then or my cloth ears.
1 Like
Really pleased with my: Novafidelity X45, Roon Nucleus and Meridian M20 active speakers.
@Abolive I have had Blusound equipment for a few years which is basically NAD. The sound is great, connectivity is great (roon ready over wired or wireless), reliability is great, and the app just works when Roon takes a crap (which is currently my case). So thanks to Blusound/NAD I am never without music. I have only tried NAIM for their UNITI Core. Great looking hardware but NAIM core took a crap and i lost over 2000 CDs I hand ripped. So, I hear great things about NAIM, but I just must have had bad luck. I bought a Sonic Transporter and re-ripped my CDs. The Transporter recognized about 50 discs that NAIM did not recognize. I also have a Naim Muso and Naim QB which sound great but are really hard to connect (hard wired directly to router only). So sometimes hardware looks don’t relate to quality. Either way I hope you are happy with Naim, ELAC or TEAC. If you go with NAIM, I have put a new drive in my UNITI Core and selling soon.
General question: do you really need Dirac if you use Roon? My favorite Roon feature is the ability to do all DSP in software on core, for each room, without the need for expensive hardware in each room.
I haven’t really tried that but interesting question. Is it easy to do?
It’s really easy, and you have quite a few choices: parametric EQ, presets, even custom convolution filters (for each sampling rate and channel configuration). I haven’t used Dirac but I doubt it’s easier that this.
The Mytek products are great and do just what you want. I have the Manhattan II with a network card and it works flawlessly with Roon and I can even control the analogue volume control from within Roon.
However I understand your nervousness about buying from them right now, seems the fallout with HEM has caused a lot of problems and they are struggling to even make their products available right now.
I’ve been wondering what I would do if my four year old Manhattan ever goes awol. This is one of the few things I’ve found that fits the bill but it maybe over your budget
If you’ve got Roon there is no need to spend money on a streamer. Just a Raspberry Pi with hat straight into your DAC.
2 Likes
I wouldn’t spend money on a HAT either.
1 Like
Thanks guys.
In the meantime, I’ve fallen in the audiophile rabbit hole again and am currently changing a lot of things on my system (downstream, amplifier and speakers). I’ve come to the conclusion my interest was waning because my step up wasn’t up to what I want and was listening more and more rarely. Now it’s back, a sign that I’m on the right track.
So , sorry for the change of hearts, you’ve all been very helpfiul. I hope this thread has/will help the community.
Best,
Sorry to resurrect a thread, but I am looking to replace my streamer/DAC separates with an AIO solution.
I have an ifi zen stream connected via usb to a Brooklyn DAC+. I also have a CD transport via AES and a phono preamp via RCA to the DAC+. I then connect the DAC+ to an amp via xlr and I also have the RCA outs to a headphone amp.
I really I would like something that could combine the streamer/DAC with a display. It should serve as a preamp as well.
The closest I have seen that has similar inputs / outputs have been the Uniti Atom HE, the Auralic Altair G2.1 and the Auralic Vega G2.1.
The price range is a wild swing among those. I like that the Auralics (to the best of my knowledge) are analog from the analog inputs and feature no ADC. The Naim has a great remote and I love the volume wheel. Both have headphone outputs, but the Naim is more flexible with balanced as well.
Also high on my list is warranty/customer support and I have heard Auralics may be lacking. Part of my move on from Mytek is the total silence you get on any ticket.
Has anyone compared the Naim with the Auralics?
Curious as to people’s experiences.
I guess it’s a higher price point but a Lumin P1 would most certainly do the job - can certainly vouch for the outstanding quality of Lumin gear.
Can’t compare to Auralic but being a regular Atom owner I can only sing it’s praises. Roon integration is superb never any issues sounds superb and Naims support is excellent and it will have a very long life that will be still serviceable well after it’s been removed from the product lineup as that’s their way long term service on all products. I had their head of software help me with a firmware update issue on a bank holiday so I can’t say you can ask for more service wise. Their forum is a welcoming and supportive place to.
Don’t worry about the ADC side of the analogue input on the Naim Atom it’s great and I can’t tell at all I use it for my TT and can’t say I noticed a detriment to the sound. It’s there to allow multiroom across the range.
If your looking at the HE version it has an even better preamp and obviously the headphone stage is a whole different beast. Aurilac your not getting the benefit of a high end head amp as well as a streamer and pre it has a headphone socket but it’s not it’s primary purpose. You can’t go wrong with Naim and Roon they work very well together.
3 Likes