[RipVanWinkle1989]

Are you ppl using attached storage with the Stream? I have found the sound quality to be excellent while playing local files. What storage do you use? Mine is a little 1TB Samsung T5 SSD. Runs fast, quiet and cool.

Is that a Playmate 2? I have the same chain.

 

[rlw6534]

No bias, same here
I've already written it, the ifi stream is far better than all Raspberry Pi solutions.

I recently bought a USB cable with separate audio and power lines, and for me this is my final setup

USB audio is a bit over my head. Is there a reasonable technical explanation as to why one asynchronous USB digital connection would sound better than another? Or is this another one of those audiophile things that us normal people can't understand...

 

[Mr BubbaHyde]

USB audio is a bit over my head. Is there a reasonable technical explanation as to why one asynchronous USB digital connection would sound better than another? Or is this another one of those audiophile things that us normal people can't understand...

I have no earthly understanding as to why! I to was one of those bits are bits people, that is until one day I plugged in a USB cable that I bought...BAM! I heard it!

I honestly could not believe it, but I think anyone who has had these moments is now changed somehow...

Do I recommend 1000 dollar cables to anyone i work with?, absolutely not, but I do tell them to buy better than scratch. Just to prove I'm not just "audiophiling" I'll post a link later to the cable that changed my mind, get ready!!

 

[Mr BubbaHyde]

Well here it is! The Uber Expensive Audiophile cable that changed my view on 1's and 0's !

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08H8SMTY...abc_JH5WGPFACRGF2DKYRA5D?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

 

[rlw6534]

Well here it is! The Uber Expensive Audiophile cable that changed my view on 1's and 0's !

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08H8SMTY...abc_JH5WGPFACRGF2DKYRA5D?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

It even has an arrow so you know the electrons are going the right way. Of course we ALL know that they actually go backwards...

 

[rlw6534]

Well here it is! The Uber Expensive Audiophile cable that changed my view on 1's and 0's !

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08H8SMTY...abc_JH5WGPFACRGF2DKYRA5D?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I was being serious with my question because I didn't know for sure if there were plausable differences. I did a Google search and invested an hour of my time reading up on the issue. Now I definitively know that I absolutely don't know for sure... Sometimes this hobby gives me a headache.

 

[Mr BubbaHyde]

I was being serious with my question because I didn't know for sure if there were plausable differences. I did a Google search and invested an hour of my time reading up on the issue. Now I definitively know that I absolutely don't know for sure... Sometimes this hobby gives me a headache.

I equate it to something like this...

Can we definitively prove that Bigfoot exists? No absolutely not even though we have some of the smartest people on the planet wondering and trying to prove the same thing.

Can we definitively prove that Bigfoot doesn't exist? No absolutely not, even though we have some of the smartest people on the planet wondering how people could be so stupid simply because science says the probabilities outweigh the possibility!

I wish I knew why myself, and I have also tried to read all I can on why it can be, or can't be so. All I know is the what I heard and it changed my opinion on the subject. So basically I will give things a try within reason. Much the same way I given credence to the fact that science hasn't proven BF doesn't exist... Everytime I'm in that neck of the woods!

 

[argust]

That's odd, and you are doing this direct from a Thumb/Hard drive correct?

After that what are your connections again and equipment?

Yes, my local files are on a USB harddrive which the Zen finds and indexes no problem. I connect the Zen by USB to a Copland CSA 100 amp with integrated DAC. The amp is DSD capable and has a small light when it receives DSD. I am able to get this light on, when I play from a PC to the amp. I am able to play DSD files on the Zen and get the DSD symbol on the UI. But in DSD Direct mode the light on the amp does not go on. It does go on in DoP mode (I am no expert, but i believe DSD Direct should be preferable?). However in both cases, the light on the Zen remains green. It does not turn blue as it is supposed to. So I am a bit lost as to how the DSD playback proceeds and if I am getting the best quality.

And on another point, I am also playing through Tidal Connect. No problem with my Android phone, the Zen turns up as a device and it just works. However on the Tidal app on the Windows PC, I do not see the Zen at all. Surely this should work, right?

 

[sabloke]

Is that a Playmate 2? I have the same chain.

Nope, that's my Soloist. Unfortunately Burson doesn't make an R2R DAC yet so I had to shop elsewhere for the digital section

 

[Mr BubbaHyde]

Yes, my local files are on a USB harddrive which the Zen finds and indexes no problem. I connect the Zen by USB to a Copland CSA 100 amp with integrated DAC. The amp is DSD capable and has a small light when it receives DSD. I am able to get this light on, when I play from a PC to the amp. I am able to play DSD files on the Zen and get the DSD symbol on the UI. But in DSD Direct mode the light on the amp does not go on. It does go on in DoP mode (I am no expert, but i believe DSD Direct should be preferable?). However in both cases, the light on the Zen remains green. It does not turn blue as it is supposed to. So I am a bit lost as to how the DSD playback proceeds and if I am getting the best quality.

And on another point, I am also playing through Tidal Connect. No problem with my Android phone, the Zen turns up as a device and it just works. However on the Tidal app on the Windows PC, I do not see the Zen at all. Surely this should work, right?

I'm not familiar with the amp so maybe someone with better knowledge of it could come in, on the DSD front, also a little out of my wheelhouse I just have that one album, I think I have used both Direct and Dop but I am unsure of any quality differences.

Perhaps there's something in the encoding of the DSD files you have, are they purchased or were they created by someone? That may be the difference, again I'm not sure!

 

[tomwoo]

Has anyone compared Zen Stream with Sonore microRendu since they are similarly priced?

 

[sabloke]

I have found a major shortcoming of the Zen Stream: can't use thick, real audiophile power cables like this one. Sort it out iFi, because other than that, at this price, the Streamer is unbelievable.

 

[sabloke]

Not on topic, but what is this iFi and how do I get one right now?
https://ifi-audio.com/products/go-blu/

PS: Preordered! Any ideas when it arrives down under?

 

[rudy49]

From what I am seeing this morning Tidal App, Tidal connect specifically is having some issues today. I was going to do tests across a bunch of platforms, IOS, Android, Mac and Windows, but the connect portion seems flunky today, not just on the ZS, but also on my Cambridge, same issues.

Keep it in mind today....

the Zen Stream just quit while streaming Tidal through Roon. re-booted and playing again. still kind of annoying, but an improvement via Roon. just went dead, both lights out.

 

[rudy49]

Are you ppl using attached storage with the Stream? I have found the sound quality to be excellent while playing local files. What storage do you use? Mine is a little 1TB Samsung T5 SSD. Runs fast, quiet and cool.

i have about 1.2TB flac. files. and was thinking about this option vs. buying a Nucleus.