No cables is not the best argument a tech can come up with. One can do stuff almost invisible/neatly finished. Avoiding RF and network dependance is a positive thing for quality despite all the beauty of technology.
The need of computers/TV screens may be appealing to some and absolutely appalling to others. Android on devices is a self inflicted nuisance. One learns when trying out an LG OLED TV with WebOS. Way more user friendly, certainly for the elder. The other manufacturers buy OLED panels from LG but add Android or other OSes on them so choosing LG seems optimal.
Anecdote: the Sony HAP-S1 is a nice older device that has some unique features, even in 2021. It also has Spotify Connect. It has a built in amplifier. Well I had guests wanting to use Spotify and use their phones all evening (gezellig as we say). Now these guests played back all the stuff they liked and obeyed their master the smart phone faithfully. They left later that evening. Next day I used the device and suddenly another stupid song was played back at very high volume.
It turned out that the last one that had access to my wireless (one can not do without when one has guests) and had controlled the Sony was "master" in controlling the device and this went on when he was 160 km away cross border and via the web..... Now this funny guy turned up the volume to very loud which could have damaged the speakers. To my surprise this is being sold as a useful "feature" of Spotify...
The need of computers/TV screens may be appealing to some and absolutely appalling to others. Android on devices is a self inflicted nuisance. One learns when trying out an LG OLED TV with WebOS. Way more user friendly, certainly for the elder. The other manufacturers buy OLED panels from LG but add Android or other OSes on them so choosing LG seems optimal.
Anecdote: the Sony HAP-S1 is a nice older device that has some unique features, even in 2021. It also has Spotify Connect. It has a built in amplifier. Well I had guests wanting to use Spotify and use their phones all evening (gezellig as we say). Now these guests played back all the stuff they liked and obeyed their master the smart phone faithfully. They left later that evening. Next day I used the device and suddenly another stupid song was played back at very high volume.
It turned out that the last one that had access to my wireless (one can not do without when one has guests) and had controlled the Sony was "master" in controlling the device and this went on when he was 160 km away cross border and via the web..... Now this funny guy turned up the volume to very loud which could have damaged the speakers. To my surprise this is being sold as a useful "feature" of Spotify...
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Cables are the best connection both in digital and analog audio, no matter what wireless/Bluetooth technology. So if the goal is quality cables are obvious. The less connections the better is another one.
It can be done and it can be done good. It just takes time and determination. I must be getting old I guess when transformers are seen as less good than SMPS, batteries are chosen over mains PSU's, convenience is chosen over quality, wireless over wired, a plethora of issues over user friendliness, phones over dedicated audio sources. Then a critical look at such setups... SMPS power bricks everywhere, external battery packs, chargers everywhere, noise, RF, the need to continuously hold a phone in the hand, a TV screen needed for audio playback. pffff
To oversimplify matters... would YOU like a nice all-in-one audio only device with large scale high res display that has a rotary button to choose albums and simply a Play, Pause and Stop button while sounding excellent? Only 1 network cable to a wall socket and 1 mains cable. All your favorite albums on a local SSD. No cooling fan. No subscription to any provider needed so 0 Euro monthly fee. Operation via app/knob/IR....
It can be done and it can be done good. It just takes time and determination. I must be getting old I guess when transformers are seen as less good than SMPS, batteries are chosen over mains PSU's, convenience is chosen over quality, wireless over wired, a plethora of issues over user friendliness, phones over dedicated audio sources. Then a critical look at such setups... SMPS power bricks everywhere, external battery packs, chargers everywhere, noise, RF, the need to continuously hold a phone in the hand, a TV screen needed for audio playback. pffff
To oversimplify matters... would YOU like a nice all-in-one audio only device with large scale high res display that has a rotary button to choose albums and simply a Play, Pause and Stop button while sounding excellent? Only 1 network cable to a wall socket and 1 mains cable. All your favorite albums on a local SSD. No cooling fan. No subscription to any provider needed so 0 Euro monthly fee. Operation via app/knob/IR....
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You will have a lot of reading to do.
I would suggest first to explore the capabilities of your smart TV and then you decide.
Having almost finished an Audial TDA1541 dac with USB input, I am looking at this one:
sMS-200 – SOtM – English
Or the ultra with "better" clock.
And Jan you can "upgrade" these by building a no-compromise linear 5V supply.
sMS-200 – SOtM – English
Or the ultra with "better" clock.
And Jan you can "upgrade" these by building a no-compromise linear 5V supply.
Seems to fit the budget when bought with a 1 year Roon license as offered on the website. For easy of mind a Roon Lifetime license seems appropriate and then it is far above budget isn't it?
Now I am curious if the SOtM can compete with the iFi ZEN Stream.
Pic added of convenience nirvana. Wireless + Bluetooth + network transmitter so 3 RF sources, batteries in all devices so green, SMPS as charger, smart phone as source so 2 devices to charge which is better. No cables no clutter. Choose a phone with Android so it will sell/share your preferences to companies and audio playback as secondary feature. Just teasing Jan, this is the youth's way of dealing with audio
Now I am curious if the SOtM can compete with the iFi ZEN Stream.
Pic added of convenience nirvana. Wireless + Bluetooth + network transmitter so 3 RF sources, batteries in all devices so green
, SMPS as charger, smart phone as source so 2 devices to charge which is better. No cables no clutter. Choose a phone with Android so it will sell/share your preferences to companies and audio playback as secondary feature. Just teasing Jan, this is the youth's way of dealing with audio Attachments
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Interesting setup with the TV. It is internet connected, installed the android TV app for my provider. But the decoder which is connected to both the modem as well as the incoming coax MUST remain connected and ON. But the HDMI to the TV is no longer needed, so its untethered, which I needed.
Jan
Jan
Please explain. Modem with decoder must stay connected in all cases. TV takes signal via ... wireless? Then the HDMI is a winner isn't it? Wireless of the TV can be disabled then. One source of audio trouble gone. A solution can be to have the decoder at the back of the TV with very short 90 degree angled flat cable to the HDMI port out of sight. Then 2 things are camouflaged. A man I know did the most difficult but also nicest. He milled a piece out of the wall and made the TV flat mounted with only 1 cm free space around it for cooling. The power cable was the hardest. I eh bettered this by milling an existing wall closet in a thick brick wall so that a complete stainless steel fridge fitted IN the wall. This was the hardest project I ever did and the dust after only a few seconds was suffocating. We used large fans to get rid of the mill dust, all windows and doors opened and masks. After months the satisfied owner was still busy cleaning The result is stunning. A flat wall with a non protruding refrigerator with just 10 mm around it (I think it was 50 mm upper side) and 2 extra ducts for fresh air at the lower backside.
Beware of emplekosyrmaphobia. I know a guy that knows a guy that ended up in pulling all 230V mains cabling out of the walls shouting "I want wireless power!". Ended up with candles.
The result is stunning. A flat wall with a non protruding refrigerator with just 10 mm around it (I think it was 50 mm upper side) and 2 extra ducts for fresh air at the lower backside.Beware of emplekosyrmaphobia. I know a guy that knows a guy that ended up in pulling all 230V mains cabling out of the walls shouting "I want wireless power!". Ended up with candles.
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Actually, the decoder had to be connected until after the Android TV app was installed and running, then it could be disconnected. I just tried it.
Jan
Yeah, I know. I just didn't feel to diy it, too many other projects I rather want to work on.
Jan
FWIW, I'm on a mission for better quality streaming and better DAC's.
I became totally interested in all of videos, and info therein, by Audio Science Review. Emir measures Topping BC3 Streamer and it's bad with all Codec Schemes except LDAC which shows excellent measured performance. Apparently my Android phone can stream in LDAC with a few settings as mentioned in video below about BC3 performance. I ordered BC3. When BCs arrives, I'll see how it works out with optical out to DAC that I'm building..
Topping BC3 Bluetooth Receiver Review and Measurements of Bluetooth Codecs - YouTube
I became totally interested in all of videos, and info therein, by Audio Science Review. Emir measures Topping BC3 Streamer and it's bad with all Codec Schemes except LDAC which shows excellent measured performance. Apparently my Android phone can stream in LDAC with a few settings as mentioned in video below about BC3 performance. I ordered BC3. When BCs arrives, I'll see how it works out with optical out to DAC that I'm building..
Topping BC3 Bluetooth Receiver Review and Measurements of Bluetooth Codecs - YouTube
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I’ve had a couple of commercial streamer-dac’s in my set up. One a new Marantz, then the blue node. Neither was acceptable from a sound quality (listening fatigue) or usability (I’m another whom has zero patience for mediocre software) so I have had no streaming capability for some time. Lots of stuff on the market but so many of them miss the mark. I got fed up and started buying vinyl again. I might start buying CD’s too, my CD player, an old Marantz, sounds good too.
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Ok, so for streamer hardware/software there are multiple options. But how is the streamer controlled? How do I tell the streamer “go get that album from my NAS and play it”?
Sonos and Blue Node have decent mobile apps that do the job, I am not about to carry around a laptop to control the streamer, a remote control is also not a friendly option… to me any streamer product should be accompanied by a friendly smartphone app, that allows a friendly view of the music library, create play lists, etc… Are they?
Sonos and Blue Node have decent mobile apps that do the job, I am not about to carry around a laptop to control the streamer, a remote control is also not a friendly option… to me any streamer product should be accompanied by a friendly smartphone app, that allows a friendly view of the music library, create play lists, etc… Are they?
