The Dark Side; Digital audio equipment recommendations and setup.

Looking to up my streaming game as I downsize my vinyl collection a bit. Right now I have:

  • Rega IO amp (analog inputs only)
  • iPhone 15 Pro
  • Apple Music subscription
  • Wiim Mini
I'm trying to figure out the easiest way to get lossless high-res out of this. I'm thinking an external DAC like the Topping E30II Lite? Would something like this work?

USB-C from iPhone to DAC, RCA out from DAC to Rega? The Wiim would be redundant at that point, but it's still good for quick and easy streaming so I could run the optical out of that to the DAC.

I know very little about DACs, but does that sound like it would give me high res? Apple doesn't make this easy.
 
Closet Mix said:
Looking to up my streaming game as I downsize my vinyl collection a bit. Right now I have:

  • Rega IO amp (analog inputs only)
  • iPhone 15 Pro
  • Apple Music subscription
  • Wiim Mini
I'm trying to figure out the easiest way to get lossless high-res out of this. I'm thinking an external DAC like the Topping E30II Lite? Would something like this work?

USB-C from iPhone to DAC, RCA out from DAC to Rega? The Wiim would be redundant at that point, but it's still good for quick and easy streaming so I could run the optical out of that to the DAC.

I know very little about DACs, but does that sound like it would give me high res? Apple doesn't make this easy.
Click to expand...

Apple Music is a bastard for working in a hi fi system as full hi res. An iPhone/ipad/mac by usb into a DAC or one of the new generation of android streamers (such as eversolo and fiio) are the only ways that I know of.

Check the DAC you get supports at least 24/192 over USB and supports iOS.
 
Closet Mix said:
It really is! I like the service other than this, but yeah. If Airplay could even do lossless, I would be happy with that.
Click to expand...
Closet Mix said:
Looking to up my streaming game as I downsize my vinyl collection a bit. Right now I have:

  • Rega IO amp (analog inputs only)
  • iPhone 15 Pro
  • Apple Music subscription
  • Wiim Mini
I'm trying to figure out the easiest way to get lossless high-res out of this. I'm thinking an external DAC like the Topping E30II Lite? Would something like this work?

USB-C from iPhone to DAC, RCA out from DAC to Rega? The Wiim would be redundant at that point, but it's still good for quick and easy streaming so I could run the optical out of that to the DAC.

I know very little about DACs, but does that sound like it would give me high res? Apple doesn't make this easy.
Click to expand...
I’ll throw in my usual, if I was gonna external dac, I would get one of these (probably it’s bigger socketed brother for the thinkerer in me) because they are pretty.

JNOG2 [J2] – Geshelli Labs LLC.

geshelli.com geshelli.com

You can add a usb, but I’d ditch Apple for tidal or Qobuz unless you are using it for spatial music at this point.
 
Joe Mac said:
Apple Music is a bastard for working in a hi fi system as full hi res. An iPhone/ipad/mac by usb into a DAC or one of the new generation of android streamers (such as eversolo and fiio) are the only ways that I know of.

Check the DAC you get supports at least 24/192 over USB and supports iOS.
Click to expand...
This is what I am looking to do. Hoping that Wiim will go the FiiO R7 route soon with a stand alone Android unit.

Until then probably the cheapest option is a Wiim Pro (or Plus) and switching Tidal. Then the Wiim you can use Tidal Connect for at least lossless streaming.
 
I’ve actually softened on Chad. His buy now or cry later bullshit is grating but he seems like he has pretty decent taste in music, really wants to put out great sounding records, and god damn those mailers are a thing of beauty. I wonder how many of his store’s stupid things have to do with people that work for him being knuckleheads.
 
HayesWeighsIn said:
Ya, that’s the other thing. A good chunk of those SACD titles are bound to be MoFi, not a whole lot more for the record, and you’re getting the DSD file there anyway! Hahaha
Click to expand...
I grabbed a few for $5 or so at deep discount or other sales that are non MoFis. But many of the ones that people rave about are crazy pricey and out of print now.

Chad, MoFi, Impex all do SACD. A bunch of Japanese labels still do it too.
 
Lee Newman said:
I’ve actually softened on Chad. His buy now or cry later bullshit is grating but he seems like he has pretty decent taste in music, really wants to put out great sounding records, and god damn those mailers are a thing of beauty. I wonder how many of his store’s stupid things have to do with people that work for him being knuckleheads.
Click to expand...
I think he has okay taste in music but he often just reissues the same old stuff over and over again. Refuses to go out of his own comfort zone on titles. But he does make good quality stuff and what he’s built is pretty genuinely impressive. He essentially went from flipping records at HiFi shows to owning a label, plant, mastering lab and huge online storefront.
 
MikeH said:
I think he has okay taste in music but he often just reissues the same old stuff over and over again. Refuses to go out of his own comfort zone on titles. But he does make good quality stuff and what he’s built is pretty genuinely impressive. He essentially went from flipping records at HiFi shows to owning a label, plant, mastering lab and huge online storefront.
Click to expand...
I think we forget that a lot of us have insanely broad and open tastes in music especially given some of our moderate to advanced ages.

Pretty decent equates to I believe I could have a fun conversation with you that wouldn’t end with me walking away going “you seriously think Harry Styles is the best thing to happen to music?”
 
Lee Newman said:
I’ll throw in my usual, if I was gonna external dac, I would get one of these (probably it’s bigger socketed brother for the thinkerer in me) because they are pretty.

JNOG2 [J2] – Geshelli Labs LLC.

geshelli.com geshelli.com

You can add a usb, but I’d ditch Apple for tidal or Qobuz unless you are using it for spatial music at this point.
Click to expand...
+1 on the Geshelli DAC. Get the J2S socketed and the Sparkos Op Amps. An iPhone, iPad or Mac connected via USB will give you hi-res.

If that’s out of your budget range the lower spec Geshelli DACs are also good. The Topping will also get the job done.
 
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MikeH said:
i would be hard pressed to notice any difference between DAC chips in a blind test but maybe i'm also not that discerning...i did notice a difference with my Denafrips Ares though vs the internal DAC in my Auralic Aries mini. I'd guess that's because the Denafrips is a R2R ladder DAC.
Click to expand...
Jbraswell said:
But bits, chips and dips are just ones and zeros. So how much it affects sound is kind of a good question.
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I think DAC marketing relies heavily on chips because it’s easy to market the specs of a new chip, and newer tech is an easy false need for obsolescence.

But I truly believe that most people massively overlook the analog stage and the power supply in DACs. These are huge impacts in how the sound feeds into the rest of the system. I’m not song a chip or R2R structure don’t impact the sound. But I do think that’s what you see advertised because it’s much cheaper to “upgrade” new models with “improved” chips than it is build out actual upgrades like dual mono circuits feeding into a class A analog stage with a high quality power supply.
 
Agree that poor power supply noise isolation can muck up a DAC fairly easily - I’ve seen that measured several times. I’d expect that most DAC amplifiers are Class A designs since the power requirements are fairly low, like those of phonostages.

My 20 year old Bryston DAC sounds indistinguishable to me from my 2022 Topping D70s. Both have quiet linear power supplies and precise analog amplifiers.

But, truth be told, I probably couldn’t tell them apart from my $100 Schiit Modi 3 in a blind test, either. The Modi has a chip op amp and 5V Samsung cellphone power supply. 😵‍💫

They do all measure different, but sound the same to me. However, FOMO sells.
 
Lee Newman said:
I’ve actually softened on Chad. His buy now or cry later bullshit is grating but he seems like he has pretty decent taste in music, really wants to put out great sounding records, and god damn those mailers are a thing of beauty. I wonder how many of his store’s stupid things have to do with people that work for him being knuckleheads.
Click to expand...

His label is kinda ok and he produces very nice presses of a very limited range of records but:

  1. He really knows how to charge for them;
  2. His team up with ole slow vape who appears to be generationally rich and knows how to charge on the double;
  3. His, and the audiophile labels in generally, trend towards only 45s:
  4. The hype around some jazz dudes 87th best album;
  5. Buy now cry later; and
  6. That video where he ranted about young people not wanting to work for him because they’re lazy. Fuck you chad. Can’t get staff? It’s generally because you aren’t paying enough. Do the maths boomer.
 
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MikeH said:
I grabbed a few for $5 or so at deep discount or other sales that are non MoFis. But many of the ones that people rave about are crazy pricey and out of print now.

Chad, MoFi, Impex all do SACD. A bunch of Japanese labels still do it too.
Click to expand...

Yeah they’re still big in Japan. Most of the newer ones I have are from there. They do tend to be single layer SACDs rather than the dual layer hybrid discs we are used to. Makes them useless in a red book CD transport/player.
 
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