Highest Possible Sound Quality from iTunes

[Hifi_swlon]

Well I am planning to listen to a few options - X100 vs CAD CAT vs N1Z vs N1ZH vs N10 anyone .....  I think getting some idea of the SQ deltas with this kind of kit will help my thought process.  (I'll need to be in OAC's good books to get though this lot!!)

EDIT:  Might as well do the N1A too while I'm at it ...

But Confused, of all your demo options, only one will allow you to use iTunes?

Personally, I really think this will be the year of some really interesting new products, and the start of the realisation that a digital music server doesn't have to cost £6K to sound good.

That could of course be wishful thinking, and I'm fully prepared to be back here before long eating those words. I just believe the current thinking - that of separating things into two boxes, a computer so you can do what you want with it, connected to a lightweight 'network renderer' than is solely responsible for handing the final bits over to the DAC - makes complete logical sense. Trying to build dedicated hardware from scratch just to host a music playback UI and at the same time avoid a computer (like an Aurender) will always be expensive. Trying to turn to general purpose PC and OS that was never design for audio will always be expensive too. Moving bits from one place to another in a way that doesn't do any harm, should be absolutely simple for a dedicated device. Thats my take on it anyway.

When I demo'd the Aurender N100 I liked it - I thought it sounded really good actually and looked tasty - but I didn't like the iOS control Ap or having to use software to scan NAS files - and from that point on I would be annoyed by it and feel frustrated being locked into Aurenders product cycles. So I couldn't go through with it. When I read about Melco and its 3rd party control Apps I know I'd be the same. Roon isn't perfect I know, but I love its UI more than anything else I've tried, and it combines streaming. And because it sits on a computer, if it goes south or something better comes out, I can install that. I also like there idea I can tinker with Dirac or whatever, which again, would be more difficult on custom hardware.

In a sense we're at a very interesting point in time. CD was simple, and worked, and was pretty obvious. I loved that about it. A stack of discs, and a play button. Simple. But could I ever find anything, no. Take them away when travelling, no. Play them at work or in the car, no. Skip between tracks on albums and make playlists, no. Rate, them ,etc etc etc yadda yadda.
Computer audio and streamed audio offers us nearly everything, but not necessarily all in the right boxes or software that talks together in the way that we want, and the bewildering array of options makes it all a bit 'pioneering'. Luxury problems. And exciting times in a frustrating sort of way.

Good luck! Please post your findings…..