27-Feb-2015, 09:25
(26-Feb-2015, 21:56)Womaz Wrote: I have just posted this conundrum on another post, but this seems a good place to repeat it
If the 200 DAC and other DACs in other amps for that matter really are that good then why would anyone spend a lot of cash on a streamer/ network player. It all seems so much more complex now. You used to have source, amp and speakers. Now we have amps with DACs. Streamers with DACs. Both of those without DACs. Oh and of course standalone DAC
I think I can answer this. The Devialet cannot make music by itself, it needs something to feed it a file. This can be a computer, a streamer, or a smart phone or tablet. Using a phone or tablet will not give optimum sound quality. So it becomes a straight choice between a computer or streamer to facilitate sending those digital music files. Now my PC with JRiver / WASAPI sounds superb with AIR. However, I would like to listen to music without the hassle o turning the PC on, something I associate with early mornings at work! Furthermore, there is then the possibility that a dedicated streamer has the potential to provide superior sound quality to a PC. There are a number of reports on this forum that back this up.
Indeed the Devialet has an excellent DAC, so if you want a streamer and best sound quality for your cash, the logic dictates that this is most likely to come from a DAC free steamer. Why pay for something you will never use? Having said that, I was reading the other day that the Pioneer N-50 (£500 with DAC) shares much of its chassis with the Krell Connect (£2500 without DAC). So it remains possible that there may be the odd DAC equipped streamer that does actually offer value for money, a company like Pioneer will have massive economies of scale, which may negate the cost of the DAC completely. Having said that, I suspect that in a straight head to head test, something like the Pioneer N-50 or the new N-70 will not be a match for something like the Aries or 3Dlab Nano in terms of pure sound quality, but until someone tries this, we cannot be sure.
