[DEP14]

So for the past 5 or so years I have used a Sony HAP Z1 ES for my music server/streamer.  Honestly, it's really a good overbuilt and solid unit.  Sounded great. 

Worked well enough in fact that I was holding out for Tidal or Quboz support as I wanted to stream.

Finally I bit the bullet and got the Salk Streamer, thought I was going to use the internal DAC on an integrated amp (which did work), though I ended up with an Oppo Sonica (got lucky local dealer had one left)

For the money the Salk Streamer is just outstanding.  EASY to use, Roon is awesome (thus my other post), and really a bargain for what you are getting.  It looks like a nice piece of audio equipment, and is a relative bargain compared to other units out there.  Roon pre-installed, has an internal storage drive, and serves as a renderer.  Jim's support as always.

It sounds great, and if you can find a bargain on a DAC out there (the Oppo is really great for the money, uses the ESS 9038 chips, just doesn't do MQA). 

Furthermore, I'm discovering new music all the time with Roon which has been a blast.  Sold my Sony this past weekend.  Likely going to finally give up all my CD's also. 

But, if you are on the fence - I would order one up and find a DAC and not look back.  Wish I hadn't waited so long!

[mresseguie]

Well, this is a timely post.   

I'm a fence sitter. I've perused Jim's Salk Streamer page(s), a few times in the past six months or so, and I like what I see. I have not moved beyond fence sitting as I recently purchased a new DAC from SW1X Audio in England. [It's a NOS tubed DAC built around the TDA1541 chip, so it doesn't do DSD, MQA, or anything beyond 96khz. It's nothing short of fantastic in my biased opinion.] I've got Apple computers as my source streaming TIDAL or my ripped CDs. I own just 350 to 400 CDs, so I don't have much use for terabyte-sized hard drives. I have not yet tried ROON. [Yes, I know I'm behind the curve here. ] I saw your other post, but I want to try 1 year before plunging into a lifetime membership.

I suppose you could tell me more about yours, and I might just become more inclined to buy one. 

Michael

[DEP14]

So if you have your DAC... time to jump!

Seriously, using your apple is fine but this will simplify your life tremendously.  Roon is pre-loaded, though yes you have to have a subscription.  I also suspect once you try Tidal or Quboz you won't go back.

So many cool things about Roon, and I'm just exploring it.  But I'm 95% sure you will start discovering more music you like with the combo of Roon and one of the streaming services.  It's beyond easy to drag your files from your apple over to the drive on the Salk Streamer, and the drive it comes with is all you will need - because you will start streaming.  96khz is fine, Roon will downsample for you as it recognizes what DAC you have.   If you try different DAC's... Roon will work with it.

Looks like your DAC is S/pdif.  I would simply make sure Jim knows that and he should be able to set your Streamer up so that it's good to go.  I was going to run optical for a while, but have USB.


Roon is like having liner notes again, but with links to other artists, other albums, solo albums by members of the band and more.

I thought I would try for a year... I'm sold.

As for the Salk Streamer, talk to Jim to have it set-up correctly, but it's really simple and looks and works great.  Feel free to post questions, I can try to answer or I'm sure others more knowledgable will answer also!

[mresseguie]

Thank you for the additional information, DEP14. BTW, your avatar looks absolutely naked without the photo of your speakers.    Is it because you're changing out your old speakers for new ones?

I'll go ahead and start with ROON to get a benchmark of where my system is before going any further.

Michael

[jd3]

I'll second the Salk Streamer.  I've had mine for a year and it just plain works. Plug in via ethernet and that's it.  Super easy to set up too.  Jim suggested getting Roon and I did.  For me, it works great.  I have all Apple equipment at home and no issues integrating all of my music (iTunes or music files on my hard drive) via Roon.  I've also got a terrabyte drive of music and Roon catalogued all of it.  Super easy to integrate with Tidal or Qobuz.  I know some folks think Roon's expensive but for me it's worth it.  I still have hundreds of cd's but haven't spun one in the past year.

[DEP14]

Michael,

I'll give you an example of something very cool roon does.  Yes, other music services do it on some level, but not to this level.

I had been listening to Billy Gibbons and the BFG's (a very, very cool and fun recording) think part ZZtop, part latin/cuban music and mix it up.  Roon had suggested The BFGs album to me after listening to ZZtop and Santana.  After that I listened to the Black Keys new stuff which I hadn't purchased yet... but with Quboz it streamed.  When those tracks were over, Roon just went into playing a Ben Harper / Charlie Musselwhite album that I had never heard before.  I've listened to a bit of Ben Harper, but had not heard of Charlie Musselwhite.  I loved it, so I added it to my playlist.  Then, I started reading about Charlie Musslewhite (who has been around forever!). 

Then I listened to some Kenny Wayne Shepherd yesterday and some Joe Bonnamassa.. after it ended a cool track by Robben Ford (again, new to me) came on and I saved it...

It's just super super cool.

Which, gets back to the Salk Streamer... it's really such a bargain compared to other options out there I'm so glad I bought it.  If you compare something like a Roon Nucleus, plus what you would need to add - the Salk is a bargain.

But, it's really opened up a lot of new music to me.  Very, very cool.

I have a 16 year old daughter (and a 14, 9, and 7... but that's a WHOLE other issue).  But as she has started to explore music, she likes some of mine.  But we were listening to one of her bands the other day which I thought was OK, but another track came on by another artist and I told her - I like that a lot.  "so do I Dad!"  So that was pretty cool.

I'll work on an Avatar.  Hoping to have some new (or new used) Salks back in the listening room this year!