The Auralic Aries streamer does internet radio nicely but I find that I prefer off air FM with my tuner.
Yeah, and I got Tidal Family HiFi Plus for $120 a year via BestBuy on sale with that price for annual renewals. Looks like it is $180 today. Wonât be easy to move the family anymore.
My FM choices are not local so off the air is not an option. At present I donât have a tuner on my 2 channel system.
Internet radio is awesome for variety world wide.
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I use college kids name on account to get student discount on HIFI sub from Tidal. $10/mo
I assume you are using a pseudonym here, right? 
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That is the direction I went in when it became apparent the Air Lens wasnât materializing.
From PS Audio via email sent March 2:
âScott asked me to reach out. We are hoping to release the Airlens early summer. We are still waiting on an exact date as we have had a parts issue. We should have more information soon.â
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I bought a dCS Bartok. I listened to one for several weeks over this past winter holiday. I liked it but not enough to make me want to switch. After a few weeks of returning it to the owner they invited me to listen to the Bartok with the addition of a Rossini master clock. The combination of the Bartok and the clock were enough to make me want to switch. I will also be upgrading the Bartok to the Apex version.
That being said, one thing I learned is that it takes at least twice the cost of the MK2 before you can exceed the sound quality of the MK2. Iâm guessing that if we ever see reviews from some of the bigger magazines like TAS, weâll be reading words like âThe MK2 is the biggest bargain in a crowded field of DACâs.â
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I believe they are working on this functionality. Itâs been two years since I first heard of Connect. Not only do they have to develop the solution, but they have to partner with equipment suppliers to integrate the functionality.
Fascinating. If the AirLens is out in June it would mean the Bridge 2.5 (in a box) would have a 2-month run. Iâm suspecting the AirLens wonât be around for a while given the need to invest in the Bridge in the Box concept. Hope to be wrong.
When I first heard about the Bridge in a Box, I thought (like you) that this meant the AirLens would be a long time coming. I was disappointed when I learned that my Mk II would not be arriving until April. But if the Bridge box also comes out that month, thatâs good because I wonât be without a streamer for any length of time. But should I invest in a Bridge box? Weâll have to see how things are shaping up in six weeks or so. Itâs a moving target.
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I suppose you need to weigh how long you are willing to go without a streamer once your DAC arrives. To be fair things like the Red and other streamers seem to have a few weeks of delivery time. The Red is around 7 weeks. These delays are with products that are in production and have been reviewed on several forums. What you are waiting for is brand new, never been tested, and the delivery keeps slipping. The existing devices from Lumin, innuos, etc⌠have been tested and have the bugs worked out.
My point is that if you donât order something soon-ish, you could be a month or two with a DAC and no streamer.
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I thought being a new product tester and helping work out the new productâs bugs was what folks wanted to do?
Very much agree! I think I would have been quite happy to grab the Bridge in a box, with a view to potentially trading it in on the AirLens, if that option was open last year when I organised my trade in (my DS1 went back with its Bridge II) for the DS2.
It was really nice to be able to run the streaming, pre and DAC duties with the one remote â and Iâd expect the Bridge in a box would carry over that capacity from the Bridge 2. But, hey, if itâs not out in April then there are plenty of other good options.
Iâve been greatly enjoying the Lindemann Limetree Bridge 2, which now does the streaming duties, and which has also allowed me to enjoy CDs again. Good luck! I think youâll really enjoy the DS2 â it is the goods!!
I suppose that depends on your patience.
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I found this
Does wonders to a streaming setup. Since the output voltage is user adjustable. You can experiment with it to feed your network switches or your small streamer with a DC input.
Since I retired my Silent Angel Bonn N8 Switch, the ferrum is freed to feed my streamer. Used to be too much of a good thing with MK1(too analytical), but with MK2 dac, for whatever reason, my little ifi zen stream sounded like another component that cost at least 8x the price.
Thanks Vince for your response. Great insights. Are you still using the Sonore Signature SE?
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No. I went back and forth between the dCS Bridge and the Rendu. There wasnât much difference, splitting hairs.
Less is more.
Thank you.
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