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Post by jandl100 on Aug 28, 2020 10:23:35 GMT
I've another Bluetooth streamer thing on the way but this one has digital output (coax and TOSLINK), and also a new DAC. Well, actually it's an old DAC, but I often get on well with those.
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Post by John on Aug 28, 2020 11:00:00 GMT
A lot of the modern DACs and some streamers come with Bluetooth I tried the IFI Zen but to harsh for me but the Bluetooth on the Limetree is good as the Limetree is resampling the signal
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Post by jandl100 on Aug 28, 2020 11:17:47 GMT
A lot of the modern DACs and some streamers come with Bluetooth I tried the IFI Zen but to harsh for me ah, that's interesting, I was wondering about the Zen Blue. Mind you, my £20 pocket rocket was a bit bright and wispy to start with, after a few hours it settled down to being pleasantly a bit 'brightly lit' rather than harsh - a very vivid presentation with quite astonishing rez.
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Post by jandl100 on Aug 28, 2020 14:46:44 GMT
How does 10 volume steps work out for you, Jerry? Phweesh, going direct from streamer to MF buffer - it's like opening a somewhat murky window. It's a 3D holographic extravaganza. And I thought it was good before. Eee, there's always room for improvement! Re: Volume steps - 1 is silent, 2 is quiet, 3 is moderately loud, 4-10 go up in smaller steps. The highest ones overload the input on, I assume, my MF buffer. And that's with fairly inefficient speakers, probably 86dB/W in-room - higher efficiency would just exacerbate the problem. So, there isn't sufficient volume resolution - basically a choice of 4 or 5 levels. But - in conjunction with the volume control on my phone (also quantised, at 15 steps) it works out fine, a few twiddles on both controls can hit the desired volume. New/old DAC has arrived and is in quarantine. I also quite fancy another two DACs coming up soon on t'bay.
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Post by MartinT on Aug 28, 2020 14:50:11 GMT
Phweesh, going direct from streamer to MF buffer - it's like opening a somewhat murky window. Exactly my finding when I dispensed with the preamp and went with a simple buffer, with volume controlled digitally from the DAC. There's no going back!
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Post by jandl100 on Aug 28, 2020 15:29:13 GMT
I also quite fancy another two DACs coming up soon on t'bay. Whoops - one of the DAC models I fancied had a BIN listing appear for a new unit at a cut down price --- Snaffled! Now to watch today's eBay auction and see if I lost or gained. SMSL M200 Bluetooth DAC/pre.
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Post by jandl100 on Aug 28, 2020 16:47:32 GMT
Paul Slinger - I see what you mean about Bluetooth being heavy on phone power usage!!
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Post by julesd68 on Aug 28, 2020 16:56:13 GMT
Vintage box-swapping from the boy Jerry here!
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Post by jandl100 on Aug 28, 2020 17:55:35 GMT
I think I'm finding the limitations of my £20 WonderStreamer.
Fabtastic, and I do mean exceptional, on smaller scale works, it somehow doesn't convince on larger scale music. Maybe power supply issues, or maybe inherent limitations. Or maybe something to do with Bluetooth? Difficult to separate the possibilities.
I'll see how the rather more upmarket SMSL Bluetooth DAC gets on in a week or two, once it's arrived and done its 5 days.
I'll be staying with the 20 pounder in the short term, most of my listening is to smaller scale music anyway.
Vaughan Williams 2nd symphony? - nope. Haydn fortepiano sonatas? - exquisite.
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Post by jandl100 on Aug 28, 2020 18:09:42 GMT
"Now to watch today's eBay auction and see if I lost or gained.
SMSL M200 Bluetooth DAC/pre."... it went for £195 for a used minty one, I paid £200 for a new open box one. If I'd bid the final price would likely have been £200 or more as I would have upped the ante! I would have liked the auction one to go above £200, just so I could feel smug about getting a bargain, but there you go.
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Post by wannarock2 on Aug 28, 2020 18:38:34 GMT
The SMSL M200 gets fine reviews. With hearing threshold being around -115 dB, you are at transparency here. I say the odds are pretty good this one may finally replace your Lexicon. I will be interested in your listening test review.
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Post by jandl100 on Aug 28, 2020 19:15:47 GMT
I doubt that anyone has ever accused the Lexicons of 115db transparency, but to my ear their undoubted imperfections are tuned to how music should sound.
So it's not really comparing similar things. There is the picosecond-correct accuracy of the new tech, and there's just kicking back and not caring because it just sounds so damn real! The Lexicon inaccuracies to me mimic the 'cushion of air' between you and the musicians that you hear at a live concert venue and to me, at least, it gives a feeling of being there that 115db transparency often fails to do.
You suspend disbelief in different ways, for different reasons. But I would like to have both approaches available, so I can swap around according to mood and material.
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Post by MartinT on Aug 28, 2020 21:23:49 GMT
It's like Quad used to claim that their amps were like a piece of wire with gain. And yet, they are very far away from being transparent.
There are many different parameters to any hi-fi component. Measurements and listening don't always correspond.
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Post by user211 on Aug 29, 2020 8:59:01 GMT
Why pay for a CD quality or better streaming service and compromise it by using Bluetooth Jerry? Seems pretty bats to me. Just sayin' Also there is Bluetooth Low Energy to save on battery consumption so you could look into that if you must use Bluetooth. TBH I haven't looked into it and may give even lower data rates with audio. I dunno.
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Post by user211 on Aug 29, 2020 9:03:48 GMT
BTW the BubbleUpnp app supports Quobuz and streaming to a DLNA device will give better results.
A lot of modern televisions support DLNA or you could use a Plex TV app and use the TV digital out to your DAC.
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Post by MartinT on Aug 29, 2020 10:03:57 GMT
Volumio supports both DLNA and Bluetooth.
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Post by jandl100 on Aug 29, 2020 10:47:55 GMT
Why pay for a CD quality or better streaming service and compromise it by using Bluetooth Jerry? Seems pretty bats to me. Just sayin' A lot of my music sounds exceptionally good with the Bluetooth streamer gizmo. It's not a subtle improvement, either. Next level stuff. Who knows why? Not me. Maybe it's just the ability to bypass a conventional preamp. Although it sounded very good even before I did that. I just listen to things. If I like them I smile.
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Post by jandl100 on Aug 29, 2020 11:07:15 GMT
Lordy, lordy - this modern tech is cool. Lovely sunny day, so I moved to the conservatory to soak up some solar energy. Took my phone which was streaming Bluetooth (spit) to my main rig, and it automatically switched to the Bluetooth gizmo in the conservatory and continued playing music there. Wow, cool.
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Post by Slinger on Aug 29, 2020 13:05:29 GMT
Cool beans, Jerry.
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Post by julesd68 on Aug 29, 2020 13:09:06 GMT
It's amazing the kind of gadgets the youth of today play with!
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