Network Streamer Discussion?

I’ve been looking into the various streamers as I was preparing to go with the Arcam ST60. But i think i may opt for a unit from HiFi Rose, the RS150B. It would be quite of an overall system upgrade for me and more functional ‘hub’ to the SA30. I’m looking for a noticeable improvement in sound, via streaming, with the unit i select. Not just the convenience/aesthetics factor. I was told the difference would be very subtle if at all noticeable, inputting the ST60 to the SA30 as the DAC’s are identical. Do you notice a discernable difference in sound quality with the addition of the ST60 than previously? What is the make of your streamer if different from the ST60? Thoughts?

The SA30 is itself a streamer.

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True. Referring to adding a ‘separate’ network streamer for the obvious advantages. If anyone has experimented with any of the high-end audiophile grade network streamers.

Don’t go that route, really :slight_smile:
Want to add high-end streamer? You need to also go with high-end amp, high-end speakers and… high-end acoustic adaptation of the room.
Are you using Dirac? If yes, than changing a streamer will not make a difference, or might actually make things a bit worse. Everything will go via SA30’s ADC and DAC, or DAC only, if you will connect it using SPDIF.
Not using Dirac? You might get marginally better sound on analogue direct. Question is, if it’s worth the price (of more than SA30)?
High-end streamers may sound better on analogue connections, due to better analogue stage, but on digital connections they make no difference really.

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Yes, I am using Dirac. My thought would be to run the streamer through the analog connections on the SA30, utilizing the Streamer’s DAC, which is actually is twice superior to the SA30. I haven’t done anything yet, but I eventually want to get a streamer, as opposed to using an iOS device. The question is will using the ST60 get the same sound quality as a higher end streamer like the HfFi Rose, which has a DAC that yields 2x the resolution than the Arcam. Why not put the cost of the cost of an ST60 into something that is a significant upgrade, especially down the road. Take a look at the Hi Fi Rose dedicated Streamer/DAC. It’s pretty incredible. It even streams 4k video, and can do a multitude of things.

Yes, i understand. But for me there are 2 things:

At least in Poland Rose is twice the price of ST60.

No matter how good Rose’s DAC would be, you will not get any advantage from that IF you’re still planning to use Dirac.
When using DL, you will feed SA30’s ADC from Rose superior DAC. Than signal will be processed by DL and in the end will anyway feed SA30’s DAC.

So i see this way:
You can get a Rose, but to get any advantage in sound quality, you need to use it without Dirac, using Analogue Direct in SA30. This means you would need to probably do a proper adaptation of the room.
Yes, that would probably be best way, but also most expensive and time consuming, but also opening door to future upgrades, where you would not be held back by the need of having amp with room correction.
Or, if you are planning to still keep using Dirac, just get any streamer you can manage without iOS app, and connect it to SA30 using COAX, bypassing unneeded DAC/ADC conversion.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t get Rose and that it’s bad device. Just saying, that in your use case i see it as waste of money, as you will not get any sonic advantage out of it.
If money isn’t a problem, get it (but connect it using COAX). If that’s a start of wider system upgrade, get it. Otherwise i wouldn’t get it.