Highest Possible Sound Quality from iTunes

[GuillaumeB]

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.

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…..

Some interesting points there around CD v streaming. Allow me to digress... many audiophiles simply do not think that streaming sounds as good as CDs, and it seems as though high-end CD players have enjoyed a bit of a renaissance lately. I've always found this a bit odd, all the more so since I bought Linn's whole rationale for streamers being better than CD players back in 2007 (remember the CD player is dead headline!), almost 10 years ago. It's like I couldn't imagine myself playing CDs, for all the reasons you have noted above and more! And yet... the last few times I have listened to CDs on some high-end systems including a Meridian 808 and a top of the range Metronome Technologies Kalista I have been seriously impressed by the detail and musicality of the sound. There is a syrupiness and fluidity to the sound that just seems to be lacking with (high-end) streamers. I've discussed this with many dealers and distributors and yes there is a bit of a consensus here... 

It's almost like a bit of a repeat of the CD v tape/vinyl arguments we had before. On paper streaming should be the most elegant and effective system (no moving parts, lasers etc), yet in practice we seemingly run into millions of issues, witness the zillions of threads from networks to formats. There are just so many variables compared to CD replay, many of which are out of our control or are items we did not realise could possibly impact on the sound. 

I do believe the gap is closing, or at least I convince myself that it has! I am actually thinking about borrowing a really good CD transport and testing this for myself. 

I firmly believe that these all-in-one boxes (and I don't own one by the way!) are the latest development in bridging this gap, for the simple reason that every element: 1) storage, 2) network, 3) renderer and 4) control are optimised in such a way that the DAC is presented with something that is very low in jitter and is noise-free. If you think about it, much in the same way as a CD player! 

Guillaume