Prioritize Speakers or Amps

[brownbear]

There's a nice, like new D1100 for sale in the marketplace (not from me). If you go this route, you can save a few bucks.

[Cohibaman]

Speakers, speakers, speakers, then amp & preamp. Did I mention speakers?

[ufguy73]

Originally Posted by Cohibaman

Speakers, speakers, speakers, then amp & preamp. Did I mention speakers?

How would you prioritize DAC and source for digital?

[ufguy73]

Originally Posted by Puma Cat

For a streamer, the best bag for your buck by far is the Sonore microRendu. You can power it with a very clean ifI iPower power supply, go middle of the road with the Small Green Computer linear power supply, or go whole hog and get an Uptone Audio LPS-1. The Sonore is a Roon endpoint, and also works with other apps e.g. SqueezeLite, HQPlayer, etc. It decodes both PCM at 24/192 and DSD. The only constraint is the microRendu requires an Ethernet cable for the streaming input. I've used an Apple Airport Express, a TPLink Wifi Extender and am presently using a TP Ethernet-over-Power adapter running a Cat 7 cable into the microRendu. I use mine with Roon Core running on my Mac Mini at the other end of the house.

Getting my Mac Mini off my audio rack and into another part of the house and removing its very noisey and garbage-y high-bandwidth CPU, GPU and concomitant noise from the Mini's crap power supply, and going with the microRendu has been one of the biggest improvements to digital playback I've ever done. I can't emphasize strongly enough the importance of getting a computer out of your audio rack.

Don't let the low price of the microRendu fool you; Chris Connaker of Computer Audiophile says the microRendu also made one of the most significant improvements to his system he's ever made.

Link to Sonore: https://www.sonore.us
There are B-stock units there for with the iFi iPower power supply for $478.

Link to Chris' review at Computer Audiophile: https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/revie...Review-Part-1/
https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/revie...Review-Part-2/

The key thing is not to let the small size or price fool you. This device is one of the finest digital transducers I've ever heard, regardless of price. Its easy to set up, and once its up and running, you can forget about it.

The main issue there was i just prefered not to be hardwired, if i could avoid it

[ufguy73]

Originally Posted by brownbear

There's a nice, like new D1100 for sale in the marketplace (not from me). If you go this route, you can save a few bucks.

Thanks for the heads up!

[ufguy73]

Originally Posted by SuperDave

I would get speakers first. There are some threads here that discuss the different B&W models and how they work in different sized rooms. I never owned the v3 models but remember reading about 800 being difficult to tame in smaller rooms. If you know you'll want more power in the future and have a smaller room now, 803d3 and the 1.25kw may be the way to go. Then you can add an MC303 for center and rear channels. I don't like selling equipment, so I buy for the long term.

Dave

I read some of the same reports about overwhelming bass and the 800's...im hoping the fact im going to be placing them in a great room will compensate for that

[Puma Cat]

Originally Posted by ufguy73

The main issue there was i just prefered not to be hardwired, if i could avoid it

Practically and functionally speaking, its virtually no different than a pair of interconnects. My first setup was a $75 AudioQuest Cinnamon ethernet cable going from my Apple Airport express into my Sonore. The Airport Express was on the top shelf of the rack and the Ethernet cable ran from it down to the Sonore on the shelf below. Easy.

[Cohibaman]

Originally Posted by ufguy73

How would you prioritize DAC and source for digital?

That gets a little dicier. Great question though, and that really can make for a whole night of discussion.

It really depends on the equipment. A bad DAC, CD player, or streamer could make your whole system suck, while the best source ever won’t be revealing if an amp or preamp is colored. Assuming the source is adequate, speakers > amp > preamp.

In my opinion, find the sound you like in the speakers, preamp, & amp, then seek a better source (if needed).

[SuperD]

One thing I meant to mention, speakers, amps, and pre amps can stay in my system for longer periods, digital equipment becomes obsolete much faster IMO. I prefer the idea of a single box DAC that can be replaced as formats and technology change saving you from replacing a bigger more expensive item. I started with a Mac and B&W system 8 years ago and still use the amps with HT and use the 803d2 as rears. Enjoy for many years!

Dave

[Puma Cat]

Originally Posted by Cohibaman

That gets a little dicier. Great question though, and that really can make for a whole night of discussion.

It really depends on the equipment. A bad DAC, CD player, or streamer could make your whole system suck, while the best source ever won’t be revealing if an amp or preamp is colored. Assuming the source is adequate, speakers > amp > preamp.

In my opinion, find the sound you like in the speakers, preamp, & amp, then seek a better source (if needed).

I have to respectfully disagree, Cohibaman. The worlds best transducers cannot put back what have been lost from "transcription" at the source.

OTOH, very well-designed and exectuted speakers that are affordable will sound exemplary with 1st class source reproduction. I'm thinking here of speakers that are very well-designed but not necessarily "expensive" per se, e.g. the Harbeth 30.1 or Dynaudio Contour series. One of the best-sounding and most enjoyable systems I ever heard was a C-J ET3 and LP66 amp, Bricasti DAC and Harbeth 30.1's. That system was engaging, beguiling and in a word, wonderful. My audio buddy that was with me that had TOTL Shindo and Wavac gear was rather dumbfounded, and wondered if the system sounded "too beautiful". On the other hand, I've heard very big, pricey $100,000+ speaker systems that drove me out of the room in less than 5 minutes.