Happy Holidays to everyone. Wondering if folks out there have any experience when Comparing the A6 with an AURALIC Aries g1.1 as a streamer only via usb into a Denafrips Dac such as a Venus 2 re: SQ. Appreciate it very Much!
If you use an external DAC with both units used as streamer-only, there is no such a thing as difference in sound quality; as the sound quality is dictated by the DAC. Of course, using the same streaming platform / album / track is mandatory for a fair comparison, but it won't change anything. Provided your two streamers do not apply any kind of DSP, or have any digital filter applied to the signal before routing it to the external DAC. This should be known, though, but I still see people convinced that one streamer "sounds" different from another... you cannot change the bits, I mean, the data in the stream, this is clear and understandable, right? If it is not, I suggest some classes in the basics of digital audio.
Thank you for your thoughtful and kind response. I guess this means you don’t have experience with these 2 different units
@Rabco.. why do you ask questions to which you answer totally cheeky??? or do you think you're smart?? you're not... you're just talking. HA, HA, HA. HA
Don`t miss a highly audiphile network switch in your setup! This is basic for audiofool sound. And no switch sounds like the other. You have to check this out. All switches under round about 499 Euros are nothing for the audiofool listener. Look up for switches from 500 Euros up to infinite. The more Euros, the higher the sound improvement. All streamers are only as good as the network switch is. The switch is the only thing that makes the sound of the bits and bytes. Belive me, it`s the truth!
@Rabco Unfortunately, here it is a not a proper place to put such questions. Technically, there is no reliable proof why digital transport or switch should influence the sound quality. My mind also rejects the idea it could have the influence. Although you may find various reports from people with a deep technical expertise (and a priori should be very skeptical) who experienced that difference by auditioning. I do not see the reason why they should lie. Personally, I did not have such an opportunity to claim it is true. I have two streamers (Cambridge Audio 851N and DMP-A6 in transport mode) connected via ordinary D-Link switch. I do not hear the difference between them. I wish I could hear it (with some other streamers) but still I am struggled with the "technical barrier" in my mind @petru try to respect the others. I do not see anything cheeky in the Rabco's reply which I could not tell about you comment.
I have tried almost all streamers, there is no difference and there cannot be, the only things to evaluate are long-term operation, continuous days, streamers with better heat dissipation work without crashing, a streamer cannot create music or adding harmonics because they are phenomena of the analogue domain, if you did it would be a problem , can it create distortions? no, distortions come into play in the amplification of the analog signal and in the transduction. Can it introduce background noise? no the DAC doesn't read the background noise, it reads numbers, imagine a book with yellowed or white pages you would still read the same content. However Auralic has Qobuz direct, the difference is the management software for 80% 17% aesthetics 3% construction.
I own the DMP-A6 and the Auralic Aries (original, not LE version). I use the USB out on the SMP-A6 to my DAC. There is MOST DEFINITELY a difference in the sound when using both units as a streamer only (the Aries does not have a DAC), and using the same cables and DAC in both cases. It is not a subtle difference either. I also noticed the same when comparing with a Wiim Pro as a streamer only, although I only had that product briefly, so my experience was limited in this latter case. In my opinion, "bits is bits" cannot be all there is to this story.
