I need a new streamer.

[BoyScout]

My Innuos Zen Mini just died.

Suddenly, the motherboard and the 2TB disc, just refuses to work.
From the Innuos headquarters the answer was 500€ or a new one.
I prefer a new one... but not Innuos.
For now i´m using my Mac as a core but i´d like to have something dedicated and made just to play music and Roon ready.
Does anyone have suggestions that are not too expensive and work at least better than a Mac?

Thanks for the support.

[Yondu]

My Innuos Zen Mini just died.

Suddenly, the motherboard and the 2TB disc, just refuses to work.
From the Innuos headquarters the answer was 500€ or a new one.
I prefer a new one... but not Innuos.
For now i´m using my Mac as a core but i´d like to have something dedicated and made just to play music and Roon ready.
Does anyone have suggestions that are not too expensive and work at least better than a Mac?

Thanks for the support.

Hi,
WiiM Pro / WiiM Pro Plus ?
not expensive and now Roon Ready.

[Snoopy8]

A streamer does impact SQ and so does the cable. You will not gain the full of the 220 Pro by using a cheap streamer as a Roon end point.

[Yondu]

I've not tested it but this streamer (specs) is looking good : Eversolo DMP-A6 (and Roon Ready) 899€
https://www.eversolo.com/Product/index/m...3D%3D.html
https://youtu.be/pokEBmWlVIA

[Pim]

I'm in the process of acquiring a bit of gear and testing some more. I have tested the Holo Audio Red over AES/EBU against my Mac mini over USB. That USB cable is an MIT Matrix something rather cable that I found to be better than a Curious cable at the time. The Holo Red sounded identical until I went to pick up a Furman power conditioner. Now the Red pulls slightly ahead of the USB input. Hence I'm buying the Red and am looking to buy the Furman as well (It's 9k, so quite the investment)

That the Red sounds better than the USB inout is saying something. The MIT cable has a couple of little blocks in it that seem to clean up the signal or the power or whatever. In any case the MIT cable sounds great.

When I picked up the Furman, my dealer mate also gave me a Cary Audio DMS-700 streamer. It has a built in DAC but also puts out over SPDIF. That SPDIF didn't sound as good as the USB, so it's quite a bit worse than the Red over AES/EBU. I'm also going to test the analog output of the Cary, so it'll be an interesting exercise to see how transparent the Expert's DAC is.

All my testing has been done in the same way. I connect only the two components I want to test and then program the Expert to only use those two inputs. I make a group in Roon that has those two components in it and then play a 1kHz test tone to check whether there are any volume differences. If there are (THE MIT cable was 3dB lower in volume than the Curious) then I adjust Roon's output accordingly. After that I listen. I change the inputs a number of times, so I have no idea which input I am listening to anymore. Hence, it's a blind listening test. The component I like most is the winner and it stays. The other goes. Simple.

https://goldensound.audio/2023/02/09/hol...surements/

https://www.pursuitperfectsystem.com/car...ac-review/

[BoyScout]

Great work, Pim.
I´m here just waiting to hear some news from you.
Cheers.

[BoyScout]

I've not tested it but this streamer (specs) is looking good : Eversolo DMP-A6 (and Roon Ready)  899€
https://www.eversolo.com/Product/index/m...3D%3D.html
https://youtu.be/pokEBmWlVIA

Thanks, Yondu.
I´ll check it out.

[Pim]

Well, I've done an evaluation on the Cary DMS-700 streamer. This thing is quite a multi purpose box. It has a lot of ways to play music, but I'm a Roon user, so that was my preferred and only used input. It has upsampling and a DAC built in. I set it up to run into the Expert's analog inputs and, I must say, these inputs showed everything the Cary did. Every change in upsampling was pretty apparent. The Cary does PCM up to 705.6 Hz and DSD up to 256. I found the DSD to sound more natural with better bass definition. Upsampling PCM just gets worse the higher you go. It just adds higher frequency stuff that doesn't add to the music, but what it does do is make it more fatiguing. DSD up higher seems to do the same, but to a lesser extent.

So I decided on DSD64 as the best output. It doesn't better the Holo Audio Red in normal PCM though. I also tried DSD from Roon through the Red, but that just makes things worse. The Red getting normal PCM sounded more full, with less glare than the Cary. Of course it's important to keep in mind that the Cary's analog output still goes through the Expert's AD/DA conversion process, so it's not a proper comparison. Still, it's nice the know the Expert is transparent enough to show all these differences.

So, my conclusion; a NUC and a Holo Audio Red plus 14k of power cables and conditioner and I'm pretty happy. I wonder what impact a higher priced streamer would have. Does anyone have any experience with the Hole Red and compared it to others?

[Confused]

Well, I've done an evaluation on the Cary DMS-700 streamer. This thing is quite a multi purpose box. It has a lot of ways to play music, but I'm a Roon user, so that was my preferred and only used input. It has upsampling and a DAC built in. I set it up to run into the Expert's analog inputs and, I must say, these inputs showed everything the Cary did. Every change in upsampling was pretty apparent. The Cary does PCM up to 705.6 Hz and DSD up to 256. I found the DSD to sound more natural with better bass definition. Upsampling PCM just gets worse the higher you go. It just adds higher frequency stuff that doesn't add to the music, but what it does do is make it more fatiguing. DSD up higher seems to do the same, but to a lesser extent.

So I decided on DSD64 as the best output. It doesn't better the Holo Audio Red in normal PCM though. I also tried DSD from Roon through the Red, but that just makes things worse. The Red getting normal PCM sounded more full, with less glare than the Cary. Of course it's important to keep in mind that the Cary's analog output still goes through the Expert's AD/DA conversion process, so it's not a proper comparison. Still, it's nice the know the Expert is transparent enough to show all these differences.

So, my conclusion; a NUC and a Holo Audio Red  plus 14k of power cables and conditioner and I'm pretty happy. I wonder what impact a higher priced streamer would have. Does anyone have any experience with the Hole Red and compared it to others?

Slightly off topic here, so apologies in advance for that.

Pim - An interesting summary above. I have a suggestion. 

One advantage that Holo Red offers is that it can serve as an HQPlayer NAA endpoint. I see that you use Roon. With the Holo Red you have the option to run Roon to HQPlayer, then HQPlayer NAA to the Holo Red. Is adding this extra complexity to a system worthwhile? In my view yes, simply because to my ears replacing Roon RAAT with HQPlayer NAA provides a very welcome uplift in sound quality, akin to adding more expensive / higher performance electronics. Also, once HQPlayer is set up, it is 100% stable and works seamlessly with Roon. Highly recommended I would say.

Maybe this is of interest to you maybe not? If it is of interest, HQPlayer is available as a fully functioning free trial. Nothing better that listening for yourself, in your system.

If you happen find yourself with a free hour or so of time and fancy some tweaking, well worth giving this a try.

[Pim]

Well, I've done an evaluation on the Cary DMS-700 streamer. This thing is quite a multi purpose box. It has a lot of ways to play music, but I'm a Roon user, so that was my preferred and only used input. It has upsampling and a DAC built in. I set it up to run into the Expert's analog inputs and, I must say, these inputs showed everything the Cary did. Every change in upsampling was pretty apparent. The Cary does PCM up to 705.6 Hz and DSD up to 256. I found the DSD to sound more natural with better bass definition. Upsampling PCM just gets worse the higher you go. It just adds higher frequency stuff that doesn't add to the music, but what it does do is make it more fatiguing. DSD up higher seems to do the same, but to a lesser extent.

So I decided on DSD64 as the best output. It doesn't better the Holo Audio Red in normal PCM though. I also tried DSD from Roon through the Red, but that just makes things worse. The Red getting normal PCM sounded more full, with less glare than the Cary. Of course it's important to keep in mind that the Cary's analog output still goes through the Expert's AD/DA conversion process, so it's not a proper comparison. Still, it's nice the know the Expert is transparent enough to show all these differences.

So, my conclusion; a NUC and a Holo Audio Red  plus 14k of power cables and conditioner and I'm pretty happy. I wonder what impact a higher priced streamer would have. Does anyone have any experience with the Hole Red and compared it to others?

Slightly off topic here, so apologies in advance for that.

Pim - An interesting summary above. I have a suggestion. 

One advantage that Holo Red offers is that it can serve as an HQPlayer NAA endpoint. I see that you use Roon. With the Holo Red you have the option to run Roon to HQPlayer, then HQPlayer NAA to the Holo Red. Is adding this extra complexity to a system worthwhile? In my view yes, simply because to my ears replacing Roon RAAT with HQPlayer NAA provides a very welcome uplift in sound quality, akin to adding more expensive / higher performance electronics. Also, once HQPlayer is set up, it is 100% stable and works seamlessly with Roon. Highly recommended I would say.

Maybe this is of interest to you maybe not? If it is of interest, HQPlayer is available as a fully functioning free trial. Nothing better that listening for yourself, in your system.

If you happen find yourself with a free hour or so of time and fancy some tweaking, well worth giving this a try.

 Hi Confused. Great minds... HQ player was my next thing to try in my audio journey. I found out along the way about the Holo Red doing HQ player NAA, so it makes sense to try this out.