Upgrade or better music server?

[Lincolnlad]

I would put it this way.  With my D800, adding a microRendu + Mutec MC3+USB gave a very nice uplift over AIR with respect to sound quality.  When the Pro series first came out, I did a direct back to back comparison between a D800 and a 1000Pro.  Both were fed with an Aurender N10, which is generally reckoned to be a very good source.  The 1000Pro with the Aurender N10 was a clear step ahead compared to the D800 with the Aurender N10.

I bought a 1000Pro, and comparing the microRendu + MC3+USB to AIR I found very little difference, the surprising thing was just how similar the sound quality was.

So I would have to conclude from this that whatever you use as the source for the D800, it will never be possible to exceed the sound quality obtained from the 1000Pro.

Thank you very much for your considered reply.  As I mentioned I am using a Melco N1A, which cost a very small amount compared to the 800 - just thought it seems unbalanced (though adding the dCS Network Bridge did wonders for the SQ and soundstage).  Hmmmm!