iFi ZEN Stream

[Confused]

1. With good network and 100 Mbit/s limit on LAN port used by Devialet - I find it 100% stable for UPnP and Roon (RAAT and Air)

2. I understand usage of HQ Player with DACs which "like" DSD256 or DSD512 input, or maybe even upsampled PCM. I think Devialet is not one of them.

3. I fully understand this part , but in that case the next step is probably something else - other than Devialet. I think Devialet is not a good platform for this kind of "sport". That's one of the reasons why I bought it - to limit my options When I want somewhat different sound - I move my speakers or sofa or I play a little with subwoofer setting. So yes - this part is 100% true - we like to introduce some changes from time to time. Usually just different is good.

Yes I get that, and to be honest I think our views are not that far apart. 

I think perhaps that I might have a slightly different perspective though, for some fairly specific reasons.

In terms of having a Devialet, I currently have zero desire to swap the amp for something different, or for a "different" sound. In the past I tried many amps with the Blades, and I suspect that the general subjective preference for me between one amp or another was dictated by the subject amplifiers output impedance. So assuming two amps could drive the Blades OK and had reasonable specs, I tended to prefer whichever one had the lowest output impedance. 

So as a bonus question here, does anyone know of a decent amp with a lower output impedance than a Devialet?

I also like SAM. I know that some do and some don't, but SAM works for me in my system.

So as I said above, I have zero desire to change the Devialet for anything else, I suspect that I will keep mine for many more years.

This therefore leaves my current and quite specific quest, which is to extract as much performance as possible from my Devialet.

So far with the Mutec kit etc., I think I have achieved this, or achieved a very slight improvement over CI Board RAAT if you like.

I'm happy and the quest will continue. One interesting aside to my latest experiments with the iFi is that it will allow me to happily sell my SOtM kit, keep the iFi and this will also simplify my set-up a little. This will also place my hifi spending for the year in the negative, and I will also have a "spare" Paul Hynes SR4 to do something with. Which is quite a good result I think.

Some might think this is bonkers, and they might have a point! But I'm happy. I am very much enjoying my system and the music at least.

EDIT: There might be a good topic for a new thread here. "What is the point of an external streamer with an Expert Pro", or something like that.