100% physical media. 90% CDs via Jay’s Audio CD2 mk2 into PSA DirectStream, 5% 2ch SACD and DVD-Audio via Oppomod UDP-203’s I2S output into PSA DirectStream, and 5% M-ch SACD and DVD-Audio via Oppomod UDP-203’s HDMI output into Anthem AVM60.
O.K., got you. I have a similar set up (working backward from the Bridge II Ethernet card):
Bridge II >
Pink Faun LAN Isolator >
Wireworld Cable Technology Starlight 8 Ethernet Cable >
Paul Pang modified ZyXEL passive Ethernet switch (with an iFi Audio iPower noise reducing power supply) >
Generic CAT 6 Ethernet cable >
TPLink Media Converter (MC) (with an iFi Audio iPower noise reducing power supply)>
Optical Fiber cable >
TPLink MC >
Wireworld Cable Technology Chroma 8 Ethernet Cable >
eero Wi-Fi mesh “base station”/router >
Generic CAT 6 Ethernet Cable >
ATT Modem/Router >
All of my streaming (from the Internet and my ripped/downloaded files) is via Roon (including Tidal and Qobuz accounts) and JRiver Media Center (MK 24) – Roon and JRMC are on my iMac on a different floor of the house – via Wi-Fi over the eero network.
Sounds great but will probably be tweaking in the future to try to make the Ethernet path to the Bridge II from the TPLink Media media converters less complicated and upgrade the generic Ethernet cable. Despite all of the “junctions” the network is stable and this set up has resulted in the best “digital” I have ever experienced to date. Most of that credit deserves to go to the DS DAC, in my opinion.
Have you tried any other rendering software besides JRMC? Over all, I find I prefer it to Roon and all of the other software I have tried for listening to my files, Tidal and Qobuz. There are some exceptions on a track-by-track basis, but there is just something about straight up JRMC. (I don’t use any of the “DSP” functions of JRMC or Roon.)
Apologies for the long reply…
Regards.
Other…
Amazon Music HD through a Cambridge n851
NAS or PC (concert videos) or Sony BluRay/SACD - > HDD or Tidal in Cocktail Audio Player -> (Just ordered - Delivered next week Stellar GainCell DAC!!) -> M1200s.
Digital because my 75 year old bouncy floor is NOT vinyl friendly. You can’t tiptoe softly enough. The five pound hound jumping down from the listening lap is enough to grenade a woofer clear across the room.
Really appreciate the responses but I need to apologize for going with a pie chart instead of a bar chart. I realize it is ridiculously tough to use.
Won’t happen again.
I had/have JRiver, demo’d Audirvana, Roon, and am now checking out Amarra, but being I just use a single room for selective listening, I still prefer Cocktail Audio’s nice simple iPad or PC interface. Find song, album or playlist - play. Quick & smooth. The music data, information and features on the other platforms are indeed cool but I tend not read or do anything while listening. Its lights out, eyes closed. Personally I think darkness does wonders heightening soundstage visualization. Looking up artist bio or band’s discography or reviews… well, that’s a thing to do at WORK!!! 
Octave doth pique thine interest tho…
FWIW, you can a create single album art from several covers for custom mixes or playlists from
Album-Art-Collage-Creator github pages (google it). Just snip & sketch it. Example:
(I used to make crossfaded cd mixes using Adobe Audition - thus they were all called “Half Cut & Pasted”)
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Where do we find more info about the Octave launch? I am new and I am trying to find out if I should wait for it or go to Roon.
Why not both…? By that I mean, the monthly Roon sub. fee is not exactly exorbitant and you can cancel at any time if it is not your cup of tea or worth your while. If you enjoy it and find it worth the cost, you can keep running it until Octave is off of the “test bench” and out in the wild.
Just a thought…
Regards.
That is an option also. I was thinking to purchase the Elac discovery which has a ROON ELEMENT life license included in the purchase price but if PS AUDIO will be coming out with something similar maybe I should wait. That is the reason I am trying to find more about the Octave. It was couple of days ago that Paul in his YouTube channel mentioned that they are close to release it.
Tolis
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Gotcha.
Fan-less Windows 10PC via DLNA ——-> Sony UBP-X1000ES——>PS Audio DirectStream DAC Sr. Without Bridge Network card. Audirvana handles my Library alongside Windows Media Player for tracks that Audirvana doesn’t recognize.
Several methods of varying SQ and convenience:
- PWT using I2S to DS DAC:
a. RBCDs
b. High res PCM files burned to DVDs - Streaming via Qobuz from iPhone to Audioengine Bluetooth interface to cheap optical adaptor to coaxial input of DS DAC.
- Streaming Qobuz via Bridge II using MConnect and BubbleUPnP apps.
- TV audio via Toslink to DS DAC. (Some NPR Tiny Desk and PBS content can sound surprisingly good).
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Just added one last night, although primarily for tv streaming…
Nvidia Shield Pro. Will stream USB to 24/192.
Lossless files via Foobar or Tidal on the PC, via USB to a Schiit Eitr isolation transformer based USB->Coaxial converter and into an Electrocompaniet PD-1 DAC. Don’t have to worry about the noisy circuits of the PC with this neat little device!
AudioQuest Cinnamon series USB & coaxial cabling.
Bit by bit.
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Historically, I used to LAN-stream music from the music server. In 2018, I decided to play ripped CDs from the Naim Core Server direct to the DAC using AQ Coffee Coaxial and the results were very good, but occasionally less than ideal. Last month I moved to Roon and got a Nucleus+ which plays to DAC directly via AQ Coffee USB. Took a while to break-in but the results are the best I have ever achieved in terms of sound stage, delineation of performers, and realism in general. Some tweaks are coming up including LPS for Nucleus+ and the router that feeds it. Edit: the SSD resides in Naim Core. Nucleus+ is just a transport for local files and for internet radio. CDs are ornamenting the shelves. LPs are used.
CD / SACD / iTunes
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