It is “easier” to justify this cost if you are someone like me who is leaning (heavily leaned) towards all digital. Splitting funds across analog and digital can get pricey.
That heavy Pre will look nice in my new rack. I just got a DHL delivery text for Monday delivery , and we will be home on Saturday night. The timing is perfect!
Give me your delivery detail so I can redirect your shipment to my place, and I can break it in for you on my new beautiful rack.
As always you are a gentleman and a kind audiophile friend!
I get it having two Innuos, a ZENith Mk III, and a ZEN MkIII, three if you include my Phoenix re-clocker. As far as analog, well I have too many LPs. I considered scaling it back, the LP collection, and going to just one turntable, an AMG Viella V12 turntable. A Rega Planar 8 with an Apheta 3 fell in my lap at a price I couldn’t pass on, so its three turntables, but no AMG in the cards.
For what the Pulsar claims it may be a worthy contender to the ZENith with a Phoenix. I’ll give a listen at Axpona, assuming they have it powered up. Most happy with my Innuos, considered a Grimm MU1 for a moment, but didn’t want to hop on the Roon bus.
FWIW the Pulsar needs a server and is intended for people who only like streaming while the streamer/server ZENith (I owned) has the capability to play files stored directly in it. Much depends on usage you intend I suppose.
Sonically I’m curious to read your thoughts about the Pulsar after Axpona, and @dchang05 too. Thanks for sharing.
If you ever thought to upgrade on Innuos family, please believe me the Statement might be on your list (I know it’s expensive but give it a try at Axpona, or better a home audition). Enjoy.
For me, if I was in the market, I would use it with Roon.
Having heard both versions of the Innuos Statement I liked what I heard. When I inquired if they were going to offer a trade up program to the new Statement their response was not at this time. At $22,900 here in the states I’m not likely to pull the trigger. Pulsar is a great idea for those whose focus is on streaming and do not have nor intend to add a server.
Have my eye on it as I ready myself to tell Roon it’s me not Roon and break up
Give the B II a try.
I believe you will be pleasantly surprised by its ease of use and performance — especially if you can add some galvanic isolation just upstream of the last leg of the signal cable into the B II.
And, welcome to the forum.
What server do you use , Paul always mentions j-river
I have the Roon Core and JRiver Media Center on my iMac. I piggyback Qobuz and Tidal subscriptions on the Roon platform.
I tend to prefer to listen to my own music files via JRMC, for what it’s worth.
The iMac (in a room on a different level of the house) is connected to my Router over Wi-Fi.
I use a pair of TP Link media converters and a GigaFoil LAN isolator along the signal path upstream of the B II.
The GigaFoil is after the last switch routing a signal to the B II.
Hi @sammy77,
My setup is very similar to scotte1, except I use Windows for the server and streamer platforms. I have a Windows Server 2019, which runs both Roon Server and JRiver Media Center. The server computer is in a different room, so I also have Windows 11 running on an Intel NUC in my equipment rack. This computer is what streams the audio content to my AV system.
I also prefer to listen to my library of ripped content via JRiver, and I use Roon for Tidal. One added detail for my system is that I have also ripped all my DVDs and Blu-ray discs to the server. When I want to watch a movie that I have ripped, I do so through JRiver from the NUC. For digital movies that I have purchased the bits (I don’t have a disc), I stream to my system using VUDU on my Xbox1 X.
I am kinda curious. For folks who use Roon only for streaming, would they just use the Tidal app with a Tidal Connect device like the apparently finally coming AirLens, and no more Roon? Or is it that they are running DSP items in Roon like convolution?
I prefer the Roon app over the Qobuz and Tidal apps - so I piggyback the subscriptions via Roon Core.
It’s more convenient, a subjectively better UI and makes the most sense since I have files and two music subscriptions.
I only use the Qobuz and Tidal apps when streaming from those platforms in the office or on the road.
FWIW.
Interesting… has anyone converted old Labtop into a streamer . I’m aware of the potential noise involved with Laptop. wondering if its that noticable considering the bridge II in the PerfectWave will filter alot of unwanted input it receives right ? So the new AirLense will be both a bridge and streamer thats ready for server of choice ? sorry i’m a novice with all the equipment, the fun in all this appears to be using a Tablet, Im currently drawing blueprints and reading up on everything. Everything considered it looks like Airlens will be a viable option for less noise … Price?
Looking forward to conversing with everyone, I’m currently running 2 Stellar M700 amps into PerfectWave connected by USB (laptop) to Klipsch RF-2 speakers, Sound is Ok, i know it could get better with usage of bridge, server, streamer and to add a cherry on top a dedicated conditioner, any advice from you guys is much appreciated in my decision making process, its mindboggling how much information there is, its great that we have a foundation (ps audio) to work from.
Pedantically speaking, I understand the AirLens and the Bridge II Ethernet card to be Ethernet Bridges, which are a subset of Streamers…depending on who you talk to.
See here, for example:
https://the-ear.net/review-hardware/dcs-network-bridge-network-streamer/
At various times I used a laptop or surface for streaming. I find the laptop form factor is more likely to result in fan noise. And I wanted more horsepower for HQPlayer. I have an ASRock 4x4 now, which is like a NUC. And a NUC is like a laptop without a screen (headless). So in a way I am still using a laptop.
The USB sound with the DS MK2 is so good though. And there does not seem to be a clear conclusion from the forum members with Holo Reds that putting one of those between a PC and a MK2 makes for an improvement.
At very low invest cost, I did try an SMSL PO100 Pro between the PC and the MK2, but preferred the USB direct to the DAC. I have not tried with a lesser DAC or a DAC with a more standard chip concept though.
I’m fairly pleased using USB, but am aware of how noisy it is. I know this because I switch cables and it made a world of a difference, like viewing through dirty lenses vs clean lenses. I have pondered what the cheaper Dacs sound like, I’m guessing it all comes down to the hardware used, you know like the 20 thousand dollar power conditioners vs the 300 dollar ones , changing subject a little … I am drooling over the new PS Audio Speakers.
Hi, I’d like to ask if anyone has paired the PS Audio DS mkii with any of the following headphone amplifiers: IFI Pro iCAN Signature, Schiit Ragnarok 2 and/or Pathos Inpol Ear. If you have, I’d appreciate learning of your impressions of the pairings. I have too many amps and need to sell one or 2 and keep one headphone amp for use with the DS mkii. Thanks very much!
I use the Lumin U2 Mini/SBooster combination to feed the MK2 via the Evolve USB cable. The MK2 outputs use ANTICABLES 5.3 XLR cables to feed the signal to a customized Steve McCormack DNA-1 amp. In the end, the signal is fed through customized 4AWG speaker cables to Tekton Double Impacts speakers.
I enjoy the very neutral sound of Lumin products and their controller app.