Alternative streamers - anyone had experience?

[Guest scumbag]

HI,

 

Has anyone heard or owned one of these streamers?:

The attraction is I2S...

https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/raspdac/raspdigi-lte-lvds-v2-streamer-i2s-lvds-hdmi-allo-kali-reclocker-audio-gd-gustard-compatible-p-13064.html - uses an ALLO Kali reclocker

 

https://www.magnahifi.com/en/component/hikashop/product/mh-he-pi2s - quite a bit more expensive but has multiple digital output options.

 

While I've got your attention, I've never heard the Auralic Aries (after all this time) so does anyone have any comparison between that unit and say the ultrarendu or SOTM 200 Ultra - or are they in a different league?

[firedog]

The SOTM, Auralic, and Aries are definitely competitors. A little different feature sets, a different approach to the customer interaction with the unit, "all in oneness" (or not), etc. Functionally similar. All of them are excellent alternatives. The Allo units are also good alternatives, cheaper, require a little bit more of a hands on user - not as plug and play. Acc'd to reports, the Allo are good sounding units, but not quite as good as the others (but much cheaper). 

 

I'd say it's more a question of you deciding on your budget and which one will be the most convenient/useful for you  - will best match your needs. 

[Guest scumbag]

3 minutes ago, firedog said:

The SOTM, Auralic, and Aries are definitely competitors. A little different feature sets, a different approach to the customer interaction with the unit, "all in oneness" (or not), etc. Functionally similar. All of them are excellent alternatives. The Allo units are also good alternatives, cheaper, require a little bit more of a hands on user - not as plug and play. Acc'd to reports, the Allo are good sounding units, but not quite as good as the others (but much cheaper). 

 

I'd say it's more a question of you deciding on your budget and which one will be the most convenient/useful for you  - will best match your needs. 

I've owned the Aries Mini, the SOTM, the SOTM Ultra, the Microrendu and the Ultrarendu. I don't believe the Allo units to be up there with the best which is why I specifically referred to the Magna and the Audiophonics which use some Allo components but in a bespoke fashion. The Audiophonics for example uses an Audio-GD HMDI output and a Kali reclocker and isolator. Again, I'm looking at leveraging IS2 into the directstream junior - to avoid potential issues with cables.

[Snoopy8]

24 minutes ago, scumbag said:

The Audiophonics for example uses an Audio-GD HMDI output and a Kali reclocker and isolator. Again, I'm looking at leveraging IS2 into the directstream junior - to avoid potential issues with cables.

Have not used any of the streamers you mentioned.  However, if you intend to play DSD, I understand that a Kali reclocker cannot handle that format.

[Guest scumbag]

4 minutes ago, Snoopy8 said:

Have not used any of the streamers you mentioned.  However, if you intend to play DSD, I understand that a Kali reclocker cannot handle that format.

Weird thing is, the Audiophonics sit says this - 

Supported sample rates

32bit 384kHz

 

So maybe if the Kali is accessed directly via its I2S pins then it can go higher? 

Edited July 16, 2018 by scumbag

[Guest scumbag]

No strike that - Audiophonics are right - https://www.allo.com/sparky/kali-reclocker.html the Kali CAN do 384khz 32bit via its I2S inputs and outputs.

[Guest scumbag]

I think I'm just going to order one of the Audiophonics units. Only one way to find out what they sound like right?

[Snoopy8]

@scumbag  I am way out of my depth here but Clay @Gieseler Audio  did some research here on the Kali reclocker and should be able to comment

 

[Neo]

Auralic Aries Femto or LE it’s sound really will depend on your dac as they are merely a transport for your media whether you streaming from your nas, usb or internet. That’s my 2c as Aries Femto owner 

Neo

[Happy]

Is there any streamer that’s dedicated to internet streaming music from ipad etc only?

[Neo]

Like AirPlay?

[Happy]

26 minutes ago, Neo said:

Like AirPlay?

Yeah but AirPlay still needs at least Airport device u know. So some device just for that duty maybe? 

[Neo]

As far as I’m aware I can do airplay to my Aries streamer.

Edited July 16, 2018 by Neo

[Happy]

Yes you can. I’ve tried it with my Aries Mini so no wonder your more expensive unit would achieve that easily. But what I was curious about was a device that does AirPlay or similar system only. I.e. my Mini without the connectivity to home server etc.

[Neo]

Not really sure if something like that exists as airplay is designed for ease of use anywhere around the house thus needing your home network. You probably thinking Bluetooth in terms of feature

Neo

[Happy]

I don’t mind BT at all but that’s not lossless....

[Neo]

Aptx?

[Happy]

Is aptx lossless? I thought it was better quality than the usual but not exactly lossless?

[Guest scumbag]

1 minute ago, Happy said:

Is aptx lossless? I thought it was better quality than the usual but not exactly lossless?

"near lossless", whatever that means. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AptX

[Happy]

Yeah unfortunately that seems to be the case.

[PeteD]

16 hours ago, Happy said:

Is there any streamer that’s dedicated to internet streaming music from ipad etc only?

Anything that supports DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) such as the Oppo BDP-105 or Cambridge CXN will allow you to cast Spotify, TIDAL etc via wi-fi to them from an iPad. I have the CXN and do this a lot and in some cases like, for example, when playing Radio Paradise it's better quality casting from the iPad app set to CD/FLAC quality than when compared to playing from the CXN's native Radio Paradise internet radio station which is only 192k MP3.

[Happy]

1 minute ago, PeteD said:

Anything that supports DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) such as the Oppo BDP-105 or Cambridge CXN will allow you to cast Spotify, TIDAL etc via wi-fi to them from an iPad. I have the CXN and do this a lot and in some cases like, for example, when playing Radio Paradise it's better quality casting from the iPad app set to CD/FLAC quality than when compared to playing from the CXN's native Radio Paradise internet radio station which is only 192k MP3.

yeah im aware of that. wanted to know if there's a device that does just that without any other features.

[PeteD]

18 minutes ago, Happy said:

yeah im aware of that. wanted to know if there's a device that does just that without any other features.

If that was all it did then it would need to be very inexpensive. 

[Happy]

Just now, PeteD said:

If that was all it did then it would need to be very inexpensive. 

bingo - hence the question. i dont need any server running etc. 

[PeteD]

31 minutes ago, Happy said:

bingo - hence the question. i dont need any server running etc. 

So are you looking for something like the new Dynaudio Music series of smart speaker?  Otherwise, there is always ChromeCast but I don't believe it's compatible with iPad.

 

https://www.whathifi.com/news/dynaudio-announces-music-intelligent-wireless-speaker-range