I use Nuc8i3 as Roon Optimized Core Kit with
fanless alminium chaiss and linear PSU.
Also I use lan isolator and usb noise filter for Tidal.
I am pretty satisfied with sound.
Roon Optimized Core Kit -topping D70 - Firstwatt F6 -
Alpair 10Pen in trapezoid Marken/Fostex Fe88sol in spear(bented TL)/Tang band w4-1320 in Tabaq/SB Satori 2way...Too much speakers to listen,not much time to listen.
fanless alminium chaiss and linear PSU.
Also I use lan isolator and usb noise filter for Tidal.
I am pretty satisfied with sound.
Roon Optimized Core Kit -topping D70 - Firstwatt F6 -
Alpair 10Pen in trapezoid Marken/Fostex Fe88sol in spear(bented TL)/Tang band w4-1320 in Tabaq/SB Satori 2way...Too much speakers to listen,not much time to listen.
My current set up depends on an Apple Airport Express Modem, which alas was discontinued in 2018. Its DAC is considered respectable. I stream from my iPhone or MacBook Air Youtube and Spotify, and I've been quite pleased: directly to an Aleph J + Blumenstein Thrashers, an 8" almost FR speaker (has a small twitter + capacitor as a hi-pass filter as I understand it).
(My reference is a Linkwitz LX-Mini driven by a miniDSP 2x4HD and Rotel RMB-1066, fed by TOSLINK from our new Sony TV, or via RCA analogue from the Airport Express. I haven't tried optical out of the Express to the miniDSP yet.)
And the sound is great- I listen all day now; completely drawn into it. Chesky has some nice tracks on Spotify. The cello here has that woody/reedy quality you can feel in your chest: Beethoven: Complete Cello Sonatas & Variations (Full Album) - YouTube
(My reference is a Linkwitz LX-Mini driven by a miniDSP 2x4HD and Rotel RMB-1066, fed by TOSLINK from our new Sony TV, or via RCA analogue from the Airport Express. I haven't tried optical out of the Express to the miniDSP yet.)
And the sound is great- I listen all day now; completely drawn into it. Chesky has some nice tracks on Spotify. The cello here has that woody/reedy quality you can feel in your chest: Beethoven: Complete Cello Sonatas & Variations (Full Album) - YouTube
I have NUC11, a linear power supply with low voltage regulators (6 of them paralleled). Furthermore, I firmly believe that for digital reproduction to be good, the lowest possible CPU voltages should be chosen. This can be achieved if the CPU is forced to work at let's say only 800MHz, or even better - only 400MHz. This is the result of many years of experimenting...
I also feed the original material (no oversampling or other DSP manipulations) straight to Holo May DAC L2. The fact that this NOS DAC works so well with the good old 16/44 material is a testimony to its designer's knowledge, experience and many hours spent tuning this DAC to make it sound soooo good - incredible!
The rest of the system is Aleph J, modified and Dynaudio speakers.
I also feed the original material (no oversampling or other DSP manipulations) straight to Holo May DAC L2. The fact that this NOS DAC works so well with the good old 16/44 material is a testimony to its designer's knowledge, experience and many hours spent tuning this DAC to make it sound soooo good - incredible!
The rest of the system is Aleph J, modified and Dynaudio speakers.