Streaming system for 1.100 €

A

Achim1811

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Perhaps interesting for someone. If not, simply ignore it.
May be over the complete summer we will stay in our second home. Over the last year I looked for an affordable (wife friendly) streaming system for the vacation time. Far away from my everyday stereos and with much smaller invest. A turntable is a must, but that was on stock.

My result. It includes (for streaming only, a turntable with a preamp is also here):


NAD 316bee V2 integrated amp. ~ 420 €

WiiM Pro Streamer ~ 180 €

SMSL C100 DAC ~ 100 €

Q-Acoustics 3020i ~ 360 €

Cables, bits and pieces ~ 40 €


approx. 1.100 € cpl.

As an idea for a decent holiday setup only. Works! And believe me, it is already hifi 😉


IMG_1177.jpegIMG_1175.jpeg
 
Achim1811 said:
Perhaps interesting for someone. If not, simply ignore it.
May be over the complete summer we will stay in our second home. Over the last year I looked for an affordable (wife friendly) streaming system for the vacation time. Far away from my everyday stereos and with much smaller invest. A turntable is a must, but that was on stock.

My result. It includes (for streaming only, a turntable with a preamp is also here):


NAD 316bee V2 integrated amp. ~ 420 €

WiiM Pro Streamer ~ 180 €

SMSL C100 DAC ~ 100 €

Q-Acoustics 3020i ~ 360 €

Cables, bits and pieces ~ 40 €


approx. 1.100 € cpl.

As an idea for a decent holiday setup only. Works! And believe me, it is already hifi 😉


View attachment 878View attachment 879
Click to expand...
Great choice for a budget equipment (y)
 
Indeed....but sometimes such things happen. I could imaging because NAD & Q-Acoustics are UK based?!
 
One could also combine a NAD 3020 V2 with a pair of the QA 3020. You need no external DAC and both named 3020 must fit perfectly :D ;)
 
Achim1811 said:
One could also combine a NAD 3020 V2 with a pair of the QA 3020. You need no external DAC and both named 3020 must fit perfectly :D ;)
Click to expand...
If I was in the market for such a system I'd be tempted by the Mission 778X Integrated Amp although it is a bit dearer.
 
So many fantastic stuff and so less room, time and sometimes information. The reviews of the 778 read very promising.
 
Meanwhile the WiiM Pro was promoted as the designated streamer for my headphones only. Mainly in the early morning hours when wife and dog are still sleeping. Fear to become a senile early-bird 😉
Qobuz > Pro > Burson > DT 1990 Pro
Highly recommended no-nonsense setup.
 
luimu said:
Go directly from the WIIM per RCA into the NAD and you will improve the sound. Enjoy it!
Click to expand...
No NAD for the WiiM, in the meantime the WiiM is for headphones only. (And the headphone section from the NAD is surely the weakest part of this fine integrated)
 
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@luimu
Since nearly 60 years I am in stereo/hifi/hi-end which is a very important part of my life. But when a few years ago the name "audiophile" popped up I instantly hated this word and I do not like to be named so. For me it is all about music and the gear is the vehicle. The better the vehicle the easier way to get decent listening. The old joke about high-end gets even more valid to "audiophile", they listen to gear and music enthusiasts listen to music.
Back to your question, I could not avoid to stumble over the WiiM and I am still eager to follow this project. And the idea of having a nearly 1:1 bridge from Qobuz to a headphone amplifier with internal dac for cheap is great. I tried the WiiM in combination with existing gear and the WiiM performed absolutely great. For the price!! But in every comparison with my existing stuff it lost. Mismatch, I know.
Then I had to find a place for the Pro. Because I still will look at the development of WiiM. One of the advantages of the Pro is the size. So it is done in minutes to change the HPA/DAC for comparing.
And no, headphones are very important for me but I still prefer speakers. May be it is 30:70 pro speakers.
 
Achim1811 said:
@luimu
Since nearly 60 years I am in stereo/hifi/hi-end which is a very important part of my life. But when a few years ago the name "audiophile" popped up I instantly hated this word and I do not like to be named so. For me it is all about music and the gear is the vehicle. The better the vehicle the easier way to get decent listening. The old joke about high-end gets even more valid to "audiophile", they listen to gear and music enthusiasts listen to music.
Back to your question, I could not avoid to stumble over the WiiM and I am still eager to follow this project. And the idea of having a nearly 1:1 bridge from Qobuz to a headphone amplifier with internal dac for cheap is great. I tried the WiiM in combination with existing gear and the WiiM performed absolutely great. For the price!! But in every comparison with my existing stuff it lost. Mismatch, I know.
Then I had to find a place for the Pro. Because I still will look at the development of WiiM. One of the advantages of the Pro is the size. So it is done in minutes to change the HPA/DAC for comparing.
And no, headphones are very important for me but I still prefer speakers. May be it is 30:70 pro speakers.
Click to expand...
Did you also compared the WiiM directly connected per RCA to your amplifier? I recognized that the internal DAC sounded better than the in many in tests recommended DAC gears.
 
@luimu
Did it with a (not longer in my gear existing) Marantz 40n, the internal DAC from this amp was listenable better. More flesh, more soundstage, more channel separation. Anyway, in relation to the price, the WiiM did exceptionally good. It was an unfair mismatch.
More likely partners for a WiiM will be such like my holiday setup. A small NAD integrated amp with analog in only, Q-Acoustics bookshelves and a few external DACs I tried. In this constellation the differences between the WiiMs internal DAC and first a Fiio Taishan for 15 € and a SMSL C100 for 100 € are FOR ME not listenable. A little bit better performed a Cambridge DAC M200. But the price for this DAC is more than three times the WiiM. Is it remarkable better? My answer is a clear NO.
My here already quite often written message: The DAC is important, but FOR ME it is the last setscrew in a chain. If one needs to have a close look on a budget (who doesn't?) my recommendation is stay with the internal WiiM DAC and spend or save your money first for amps and speakers. I know that much meanings are contrary. Sometimes it seems for me that people think a DAC is cheaper than a better amp or speakers. But one cannot make a workhorse a racehorse by adding a better saddle 😉
Kind of a reclaimer: My posts here are always my personal experience with zero claim of universality. And also only with gear I own(ed) or were able to listen with.
 
I made the experience that the Marantz DAC is much too dark and blurry, so too distorted. You are right to say that the chipset of a DAC should not be at the first place. The top DAC chips from AKM and Sabre I tested were not sounding that good than the WiiM. With my Hypex Class D amplifier, which is way better than the Marantz Cinema 50 the Sabre in the SMSL SU-9 Pro and E-50 were way too punchy and made tired and one felt uncosy and unhealthy.

The Topping E70 Velvet was rounder and was less stressful with more vertical but less horizontal soundstage. As a high volume listener with my Wharfedale Elysian I was happy to give the DAC of the WiiM a chance at last and what a wonderful experience. The test songs came bright, but even more balanced and well sounded out of the Burr Brown Texas Instruments chip.

So the newer and more pricy chips are at the moment not the better solutions. Better keep the chain short and enjoy less transition losses.

Next to this unexpected improvement in sound was the investment into the Isotek EVO3 Sirius power strip. After the frightening experience of a discounter power filter power strip which filtered also the hifi sound.

There the recommendation of the sales person was justified. Everyone who can make that invest should experience a significant sound boost.
 
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