Sprout100 - competitors?

This is what I bought: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07992VZ6L/
The manual labeled the USB port as “Service” and the USB port had “Service” printed under it. I plugged it into my computer and got nothing. I didn’t see any setting to disable sleep mode. Not sure we are talking about the same device.

The Quad unit has been around for quite a while, longer than the Sprout.

The Audiolab M-One is based around their excellent M-DAC.

The manufacturer quotes 60 Watts x 2 into 8 ohms

See marantz pm7000n all in one 60 wpc to 8 ohm, built in heos streaming with native Tidal and others support, ak4490 dacs for $999. And it’s class AB amplification, not class D.

Competes on features more with Strata than Sprout, but it’s like a poor man’s strata for one-third the cost.

Reviewed in one of the UK audio mags to be better sounding than Powernode 2i.

The NAD is much “darker” sounding by comparison. In most applications, the Sprout beats it easily sonically, though that is subject to system synergy. Some stuff you hook up to the Sprout doesn’t sound all that good (it can be harsh/bright) and others are shockingly good. For example, Harbeth P3’s with the Sprout and bluetoothed Qobuz from your phone can be pretty impressive. Though that is at least partially “fun factor” happening.

Ahhh… apparently there was a revision of that model. There’s a D3020 and a D3020 V2. The V2 adds a phono stage and LOSES the USB input. So, yeah, I guess we ARE talking about different devices.

Pro-Ject MaiA S2 ($600)
25W/8, 38W/4
DAC, USB in, Coax/Optical, Phono Stage, Bluetooth but no airplay.

OMG. Was I ever confused about that product. Just goes to show that you can never research product features enough. No one ever mentions sleep mode in reviews or on product web sites. Fortunately, a question to PS Audio brings a quick response.

Agree. I’m not a Bluetooth fan, but Sprout does it very nicely…seems to “fill it out” a bit without coloring it.

Does anyone know the Bluetooth protocol on the Sprout? I don’t see it in the specs or product description. The newer BT AptX protocol provide CD quality 16/44.1 resolution and the latest AptX HD offers Hi-Res at 24/48. It’s definitely leaps and bounds better than legacy BT protocols, which were never designed on the basis of audio QUALITY.

aptX HD has a bit-rate of 576 kbit/s. It is still a lossy protocol.

I swear i read somewhere that the sprout BT protocol is 4. something… Not the newer 5.X. But I’ll see if I can confirm.

I really don’t ever use the bluetooth features of these, tho… Roon through either a mac mini into USB/Matrix, or chromecast audio.

I’m reading that it’s Class 2.0 Bluetooth, but ahdunno

but here’s the interesting thing: did you know massdrop did a BLACK one?

I really wanted the Sprout 100 but chose the Emotiva A-100 and Audioquest Dragonfly. Sounds great with my Kef Q150.

Sure, but it still sounds superior to legacy Bluetooth protocols as much less compression is involved. Not sure if you have heard a well designed streamer with the AptX HD codec, but I have.

Until recently I was using a Sprout100 for my desktop system. Now I have a Bluesound Powernode 2i, which definitely supports AptX HD. [1] I do not use Bluetooth because I am streaming 16/44.1 or better. I can quite believe that AptX HD gives satisfactory results because I find high bit rate lossy streams to be only marginally inferior to the ‘real thing’.

[1] I could have saved money by buying the cheaper Node 2i and using the Sprout, but I wanted to see if a different Class D amp made a difference. To my coarse sensibilities none was apparent!

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I think aptX HD supports 48kHz/24-bit, no? (At least what I’ve read says that’s the case.)

I use Bluetooth as well as wired USB, from Apple lossless either from my iPhone (Bluetooth) or an old iPod (USB) same lossless file (of which I am not sure it is transmitted lossless via Bluetooth).

In the car, with the car and traffic noise around, either way is good enough.

The same way I enjoy my Noise Cancelling Bose cans in the airplane. We can discuss sound quality all day long, but the biggest contributor to bad sound quality in the airplane is the noise from the airplane and the Bose cans do a darn good job at filtering that noise from the sound I listen to, such that I don’t have to crank the volume up to levels that would eventually damage my ears.

If you are traveling a lot, the time in the airplane is very welcome for enjoying music or movies. Regardless if the environment is noisy, because that is the time that you actually have nothing much else to do apart from trying to figure out how to get the food into your mouth without spilling on your clothes or twisting your arms and hands. And the friendly chat with your neighbor.

My son says the AirPod Pro’s noise canx is a game changer for him. Very effective and endlessly convenient given their size.

Hmmm very interesting. My son is looking for earphones while traveling.

I used to have in ear silicone sealing cones on my old Sony active and passive noise cancelling in ear phones. The those silicone seals inside my ears started to irritate at long flights, therefore I had bought those over the ear cans as replacement. First a pair of Sennheisers, but their ear pads were eaten due to long wearing after running for catching connections (if you know what I mean). Also they were not chargeable and changing AAA cells during flight is cumbersome and were wired.

I have a morphine charger case (for traveling) on my latest iPhone 8 and then I saw those Bose, Bluetooth, noise cancelling over the ear cans with a spare set of easy to exchange ear pads, they sounded good either, so they are my favorites for traveling. For in the hotel room I have the smallest Bluetooth JBL’s, not audiophile at all but at least good enough to give some comfort of listening to my own music. They are so light an compact and charge with the same cable as the Mophie case and Bose’s that it makes it a great set to travel with.