[s1rrah]

Quote:

Does anyone know if the HRT Music Streamer II (not II+) will sound better than the Sflo2?  I searched through the forum and noticed that some claim dedicated desktop DACs $300+ might sound better, but how about something like the MS2? Is it even worth it?  In case it matters, I will be using the Stepdance.

Nothing sounds better than the S:flo 2.
 
(jk .. I couldn't help myself)
 

 
.j
 
 

 

[lee730]

Quote:

Nothing sounds better than the S:flo 2.
 
(jk .. I couldn't help myself)
 

 
.j
 
 

lol naughty naughty. To answer the earlier post, although I don't own the Streamer II, from reviews I've read, I'm pretty sure it would sound better than the Sflo2. My DACport LX takes a dump all over the SFLO2 sound quality wise but that not entirely fair now is it . For portability though the Sflo2 is a great little device. I just prefer the Hifiman 601 .
 
 

 

[s1rrah]

S:flo 2 pr0n shot ...
 
Just got my black leather case this week. Looks sick with my Arrow amp:
 
...
 

 

[estreeter]

Quote:

lol naughty naughty. To answer the earlier post, although I don't own the Streamer II, from reviews I've read, I'm pretty sure it would sound better than the Sflo2. My DACport LX takes a dump all over the SFLO2 sound quality wise but that not entirely fair now is it . For portability though the Sflo2 is a great little device. I just prefer the Hifiman 601 .
 
 

How about we hear from someone who has both the T51 and the MSII ? Oh, wait, that would be me ....
 
I find the overall presentation of the T51 to be quite similar to what I'm getting from the MSII - warm and engaging - but the dedicated DAC seems to give me a bigger sound than the T51 when I plug both into my lone desktop amp, the E9. Soundstage is wider and deeper and I believe I get better detail retrieval from the FLAC files on my laptop via the MSII than I do from the same files on my T51, but its not night-and-day better. Both are very enjoyable - if the UI on the T51/SFLO:2 was designed by someone who knew what he was doing, it would be a lot more popular than it is now.
 
Note that I play quite a few YouTube vids straight from my T51, and the difference in scale is immediately apparent when I go back to my laptop. Even the improvements wrought by the ZO2 from the HO on the laptop still seem compressed compared to the MSII. I believe the MSII+ has an even bigger soundstage, but you pay a premium for that extra 'wow' factor. People who say 'you dont need a DAC' really need to spend some time with a Streamer, IMO.
 

 

[lc0756]

Thanks estreeter, I was hoping you would chime in since I saw that you had both in another thread.  Since I am stuck in front of my computer a lot lately I was just wondering if the MSII would be a huge improvement over Sflo2.  Based on what you said i think I'm going to hold back and save up for a used MSII+.

 

[estreeter]

In your case, the other major plus of a Streamer is that your computer's USB interface will supply all the power it needs, day in and day out, and the connection is plain jane A-B : any USB printer cable should do. I look at some of the sigs here and marvel at the sheer number of wallwarts some folk must have.

 

[daprev47]

Apologies if this has already been talked about (I searched but couldn't find anything), but is anyone else with the S Flo 2 having trouble with Lion?

 

[megazord530]

@lc0756 yes it sounds better. the treble and mids are the same. the bass extends deeper and the soundstage is bigger.

 

[lee730]

Quote:

Thanks estreeter, I was hoping you would chime in since I saw that you had both in another thread.  Since I am stuck in front of my computer a lot lately I was just wondering if the MSII would be a huge improvement over Sflo2.  Based on what you said i think I'm going to hold back and save up for a used MSII+.

Generally a DAC will be better especially if its higher priced than the SFlo2/T51 itself (not always the case though lol). I think there is a newer version of the MSII+ and its even better and maybe a tad cheaper? Check into it as it would save you the hassle of possible amp clipping (which I've heard mentioned regarding the MSII).

 

[AlexRoma]

So, I've become a proud owner of a new Teclast T51 v.2.3 ..
 
The DAP sound so incredibly good that I can hardly understand the overall scepticism about the device.. None of those glitches or freeze issue found.. Ok, it's a little slow, but nothing dramatic.. An incredible value for money indeed. My previous Cowon Iaudio 7 DAP totally sucks, SQ wise.. 
 
Man... This little DAP (fully stock) does music as good as my Creative XtremeMusic.
 
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. 
 
The only issue I see is the small battery life and those too many warranty calls... 

 

[estreeter]

@AlexRoma, you need to be aware that you and I bought into the T51 after early adopters had endured months of buggy firmware - we are able to reap the rewards of their pain. I still think the logic behind the UI seems really wonky, particularly navigation, and scrolling through a large number of files is like crawling through molasses after years with iOS. That said, I doubt that there is anything that can compete on a pure BFB basis in terms of SQ - even the D4 shares those Wolfson DACs. Its obscenely cheap, presumably because that is what the Chinese market will bear for a 'portable music player'. When you see some of the hideous iPod clones in markets throughout Asia, shamelessly laid out for all to see, it soon becomes apparent that many simply dont care what is under the hood - they just want a cheap player.

 

[lee730]

Quote:

@AlexRoma, you need to be aware that you and I bought into the T51 after early adopters had endured months of buggy firmware - we are able to reap the rewards of their pain. I still think the logic behind the UI seems really wonky, particularly navigation, and scrolling through a large number of files is like crawling through molasses after years with iOS. That said, I doubt that there is anything that can compete on a pure BFB basis in terms of SQ - even the D4 shares those Wolfson DACs. Its obscenely cheap, presumably because that is what the Chinese market will bear for a 'portable music player'. When you see some of the hideous iPod clones in markets throughout Asia, shamelessly laid out for all to see, it soon becomes apparent that many simply dont care what is under the hood - they just want a cheap player.

The 601 or the Hifiman series in general are the competition and are better IMO. But I have to agree the T51/Sflo2 is an amazing deal for what you get and sound really good still. I just want a 16GB version. Wonder if I could get House of DAP to get me a 16GB version. I mean MP4Nation managed to do so. My future custom rig (Starkey SA-43/T51) .
 

 

[AlexRoma]

lee730, I agree, Hifiman 601 renders bass better, BUT it-s 50% more expensive, it's fat , heavy, and even less user friendly... I might have bought one, if it were twice finner and lighter. Not to mention the even looser battery supply..  There are simply to many issue with that HIFIMan to make me happier then I am now, using Teclast T51. 

 

[lee730]

Quote:

lee730, I agree, Hifiman 601 renders bass better, BUT it-s 50% more expensive, it's fat , heavy, and even less user friendly... I might have bought one, if it were twice finner and lighter. Not to mention the even looser battery supply..  There are simply to many issue with that HIFIMan to make me happier then I am now, using Teclast T51. 

I think once rockbox has matured (hopefully that is lol) the hifiman will reign supreme. With Rockbox it really is that good. But you are right about the T51. It is also a great DAP and depending on synergy it can be better than the Hifiman. Anyways speaking of just acquiring a T51; I thought you already owned one?

 

[turokrocks]

Quote:

I think once rockbox has matured (hopefully that is lol) the hifiman will reign supreme. With Rockbox it really is that good. But you are right about the T51. It is also a great DAP and depending on synergy it can be better than the Hifiman. Anyways speaking of just acquiring a T51; I thought you already owned one?

I would hold my hopes for  any future updates for RB on Hifiman, for I know something.... but lets hope for the best....