The MS HD is a really impressive piece of gear...it took my former HD650 - Asgard combo to a level I had never heard before, and convinced me that a quality DAC is probably worth spending more on than a high end amp.
Sonic Satori - HRT Levels the Field with the MicroStreamer
- Thread starter mikemercer
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ocelot2500
New Head-Fier
Hey guys,
I am feeding my microStreamer to a Vali to He-400 right now. I just listened to the most recent Caribou album, and it sounded great. The microStreamer adds something that was missing.
This reminds me why I got into this hobby, to enjoy music. The microStreamer definitely helps add some "life" to the music. I just started listening to Run the Jewels 2, and it also sounds great (depending on how much profanity you can handle). The grimy beats have a "texture" and interplay well with the rappers' voices.
Anyways, what I am trying to say is that the microStreamer is great from my point of view, and I am very glad I purchased it.
I am feeding my microStreamer to a Vali to He-400 right now. I just listened to the most recent Caribou album, and it sounded great. The microStreamer adds something that was missing.
This reminds me why I got into this hobby, to enjoy music. The microStreamer definitely helps add some "life" to the music. I just started listening to Run the Jewels 2, and it also sounds great (depending on how much profanity you can handle). The grimy beats have a "texture" and interplay well with the rappers' voices.
Anyways, what I am trying to say is that the microStreamer is great from my point of view, and I am very glad I purchased it.
mediabox
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jagu
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Finally, Lollipop (Android 5.0) arrived to my LG G3! Now I can start using the microstreamer again when listening to WiMP/Tidal with it's flac streaming service. Perfect!
LajostheHun
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I'm using my Microstreamer with my Sony Xperia Z3, no need for Lollipop since Sony bypassed the android audio framework with it's built in Walkman app, the downside that it won't control the volume so the output is full blast on both outs on the HRT. Using generic media player like Rocket will downsample to 44.1 and have volume control, but lots of popping as well. I've heard that Google limits Lollipop at 48khz as well, unless UAPP is used.
Kevin, I've read elsewhere that there is a new more Android friendly device on the way something called HRT DSP which also would be cheaper then the current HRT is that correct?
Kevin, I've read elsewhere that there is a new more Android friendly device on the way something called HRT DSP which also would be cheaper then the current HRT is that correct?
jarrett
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The price difference versus the mS is huge: $70 (dSp) vs $180 or so (mS)
How do these products compare? I hope the mS is better sounding given the price difference. I can only read that the dSp is ultra low power and without the line-out the mS has. I use the line-out to my amp.
How do these products compare? I hope the mS is better sounding given the price difference. I can only read that the dSp is ultra low power and without the line-out the mS has. I use the line-out to my amp.
jarrett
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Oh and just a general sample rate question for HRT (I thought I had this right): Why not use 24/48 within Windows instead of 24/44? That way, YouTube and most movies will playback with a matching sample rate, and when music is played back in JRiver, Windows + the mS will switch to 44.1 if it needs to.
Thunder240
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Hi all, I read in the early part of this thread that the iphone 5 running iOS7 + CCK + mS combo was incapable of playing 96/24 because the iPhone 5 doesn't (didn't?) support "host mode". Then later in the thread someone reported that host mode had been added to iPhone 5. However, I never saw any reports regarding whether the combo now supports 96/24 playback.
I am not sure what host mode is, but can someone confirm whether the iPhone 5 + CCK + mS can or cannot output 96/24 (as ofDec 2014)? I'm considering purchasing the mS. I'd use it almost exclusively with my iPhone 5 (via CCK), and my purchase decision depends in part on whether 96/24 is supported. In case in matters, I currently use the Onkyo HF app to play music and I'm running iOS 7.
I apologize if the early reports in this thread of no 96/24 playback were later revised. 1000 replies are a lot to go through on an iPhone (and yes, I tried using search, but search on the mobile website is not what it is on the full website).
Thanks for the info!
I am not sure what host mode is, but can someone confirm whether the iPhone 5 + CCK + mS can or cannot output 96/24 (as ofDec 2014)? I'm considering purchasing the mS. I'd use it almost exclusively with my iPhone 5 (via CCK), and my purchase decision depends in part on whether 96/24 is supported. In case in matters, I currently use the Onkyo HF app to play music and I'm running iOS 7.
I apologize if the early reports in this thread of no 96/24 playback were later revised. 1000 replies are a lot to go through on an iPhone (and yes, I tried using search, but search on the mobile website is not what it is on the full website).
Thanks for the info!
Phonelaf
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Bought the HRT microstreamer yesterday and it sounds very well with my Audeze LCD-XC.
This little piece is amazing.
This little piece is amazing.
mediabox
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Where to buy HRT dSp?
LajostheHun
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mediabox
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AH!!
SO psyched somebody else discovered the magic of that pairing!!
Imagine how surprised I was, when I wrote the original review of the MS (which started this thread - and I'm SO psyched to see it still flourishing
at how well the lil' microStreamer drove my OG LCD-3s!!
I still bring it to Every audio show or Head-Fi Meet - just in case I need a DAC to put in-front of a new headphone amp to demo,
AND - quite often I put the MS up against the new stuff - and most of the time, sonically, it sticks with equipment like 10X its price!!
I recently dropped it into my desktop system in the front of the house (my office/Sonic Satori Personal Audio Lab is in the back of the house,
and my wifeys' needed a lot of assistance lately) just for giggles - to see how it performed against the NuForce HAP-100 solid state headphone amp (a STEAL at under 700 bucks) + MYTEK Stereo-192 DSD DAC - and my Woo Audio WA7 Fireflies!
Now - this time the lil' MS was out-matched, but it should've been! However, if I didn't have
those other amp/DACs - the MS would've still served me just FINE!!
NOT bad for a unit a few years old and under 200 bucks!!!!
Also: it's just a great lil' reference to have with you + the dedicated 2.25v output for the DAC - thats a feature other companies should've straight-up copied!!
As for the iDSD - I'll drop Kevin a PM and an email to see whats up!
jologskyblues
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Hi,
I'm going to pull the trigger and order an HRT microstreamer tomorrow to replace my HRT MSII so I can have a dedicated headphone output port that I can use with my relatively new ATH-M50X.
I have two questions I hope somebody in this thread can answer:
1. Is the microstreamer's performance better or at least on par in terms of sound quality, distortion, noise and USB isolation with the MSII when used as a DAC for my speaker system via line-out port or is the microstreamer more optimized for headphone listening only?
My system:
JRMC18
NAD C326BEE
KEF LS50
SVS SB12 NSD
2. If I wanted to just listen to headphones, can I plug in my M50X to use the headphone output port of the DAC while the line-out port is permanently connected to the integrated amplifier at the same time without any detrimental effects or should I only use one output port at a time?
Thanks.
I'm going to pull the trigger and order an HRT microstreamer tomorrow to replace my HRT MSII so I can have a dedicated headphone output port that I can use with my relatively new ATH-M50X.
I have two questions I hope somebody in this thread can answer:
1. Is the microstreamer's performance better or at least on par in terms of sound quality, distortion, noise and USB isolation with the MSII when used as a DAC for my speaker system via line-out port or is the microstreamer more optimized for headphone listening only?
My system:
JRMC18
NAD C326BEE
KEF LS50
SVS SB12 NSD
2. If I wanted to just listen to headphones, can I plug in my M50X to use the headphone output port of the DAC while the line-out port is permanently connected to the integrated amplifier at the same time without any detrimental effects or should I only use one output port at a time?
Thanks.
jarrett
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From reading reviews and comments on the mS, I came to the conclusion that it is a better sounding product than the MSII, even for line-out (which I use), and the mS' specs are also better than the MSIII on HRT's website. If this is true, I don't see any benefits of getting the MSIII over the mS other than connectivity (RCAs)
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