I will stream all of my music. So I am trying to research DAC's. I am want to build a quality HiFi system and just run movies through the main speakers and subs. I don't mind spending a little bit of money on a good PreAmp. Maybe up to $2000-$2500 if I can use it to watch movies with the mains. I have read some great things about the Schist Freya+ with a few mods but not sure if I can use it to watch movies. They are running about $800 on average used. I am also looking at the Class D Audio MiniGaN 5. They have great reviews and are priced right. These amps have a ton of power and low noise and great clarity from the reviews people are giving. This is new technology and I can tell a lot of people are a little afraid of change but some guy in the forum have sold their old more expensive and heavier equipment because they love this amp so much. I have also read that thie are a few mods you can make and they sound even better. I talked to Tom and he said I could just send him the parts and he would build with the parts and keep the warranty. And at last I am waiting on some speakers that I think I will like from GR Research. The New 8in drivers. Danny said he is looking at pairing them with 3 8in servo's. So I imagine it will be a 8in MTM on top of 3 8in servo subs. That is just a guess an I think that would be really cool. Let me know what you guys think. Any new Ideas on a preamp? Oh I have also looked at a DAC by Geshelli Labs. It is really cheap and $300. They have a backlog of orders for about 2 months. I really don't know much about DAC"s at all but there must be something right about it with a backlog of orders. Let me know what you guys think.
Do you have a streamer you like or will you also need a streamer? Also, the streamer needs to be compatible with the service/software you intend to use. If you are only going to stream from a streaming service like Spotify, Qobuz, Amazon music, etc., there shouldn't be any compatibility issues. However, if you also have music files on a computer/server, there could be somew issues. For example, if you use ROON, the streamer needs to be ROON compatible.
If you have a streamer, make sure the DAC you choose has inputs that are compatible with the streamer's outputs.
If you don't already have a streamer you want to use then there are two options: two separate pieces of equipment a streamer and a DAC or streamer/DAC combinations. Since you also need a preamp that adds more options. These are:
separate streamer, DAC, and preamp (3 boxes),
separate streamer and DAC/preamp combo (2 boxes),
streamer/DAC combo and separate preamp (2 boxes),
streamer/DAC/preamp combo (1 box),
then there is the fully integrated option of streamer/DAC/preamp/power amp (1 box)
There are a number of options in each category some examples are:
separate streamer, DAC, and preamp (3 boxes) - more options here than I can count.
separate streamer and DAC/preamp combo (2 boxes) - streamers, many - DAC/preamp: PS Audio Stellar Gain Cell DAC, Bluesound Node,
streamer/DAC combo and separate preamp (2 boxes) - streamer/DAC: Lumin D2, PS Audio DirectStream DAC with Network Bridge II, PS Audio DirectStream DAC Jr., / preamp - many
streamer/DAC/preamp combo (1 box) - NAD C658, Bryston BDA-3.14,
fully integrated option of streamer/DAC/preamp/power amp (1 box) - PS Audio Stellar Strata, NAD C389 or C399 with a BlueOS module, NAD M10, NAD M33
Not having personal experience with most of the above, I can't make any recommendations except for the Lumin D2 and the PS Audio gear.
Your budget is going to be a big factor. Combination pieces are usually more expensive than a given separate but may save money compared to each type of piece in the combo. Used is also a viable option. a lot of my gear was bought used. In addition to marketplace sites like Audiogon and US Audio Mart, some dealers like The Music Room
https://tmraudio.com/ , carry a lot of used equipment.
All the choices can be overwhelming. One way to simplify things when starting out, is to stick with components from the same manufacturer. This is the easiest way to get good synergy and be sure the components are compatible. This advise isn't just for starting out though. I've been all over the map with mixing and matching. Sometimes it worked, other times not so much. Now I've come full circle and am back to all components coming from the same manufacturer.
On the HT topic: it's easiest to integrate HT into a two channel system if the two channel preamp has an HT by-pass function. Sometimes this is a dedicated input on the preamp or it is assignable like in the PS Audio Stellar Gain Call DAC and Strata. with the Stellar products, any input can be set-up as an HT by-pass. This allows the main speaker volume to be controlled by the home theater receiver. The receiver does have to have at least front Left and Right main speaker preamp outputs for connection to the two channel preamp.
If the two channel preamp doesn't have HT by-pass capability, it can still work. Each time you switch the two channel preamp to the HT connected input, you need to set the volume to a specific level and leave it there. Normally, the best level is whatever level corresponds to unity gain for the 2 channel preamp. At this point, the signal is basically passing through the two channel preamp without being boosted or cut.
