I want to know what is my best investment.
I have a huge cd collection i want to RIP. Im not big into streaming right now as i find streaming services to be repetative when playing genres, etc.i like owning my music.
So what is my best choice. I want something with ease if use, especially with an app.
I looked at several devices.
I can get an aurender acs10 for 4750.00
There’s the innuos devices and naim core device.
Ive discovered other less known devices as well.
What is my best choice for what i want and best sound quality, ease of use and overall support and warranty.
Looked or listened to? I just traded my Uniti Core for a Melco N10 based on SQ alone, i also tried an Innuos Zenith mk 3 and Melco full width N1A/2 EX 50B. The innuos did not sound much better than the Uniti Core………but had the best UI software, considerably easier than the Melco to use. But the Melco products had noticeably better SQ, i decided to buy based on this and go on a steep learning curve on their software.
The Naim Core on reflection for its price point is excellent, though i and others have been disappointed in the lack of development since launch. I did not have the chance to try an Aurender. But do try all at home if at all possible.
If you just want a simple device to rip your current CDs easily at the best quality then the Core is a good choice. I use one (I rip to WAV) and it works really well with an excellent App and it performs wonderfully both playing locally via s/pdif into my Naim DAC in the main system and as a server for other devices around the house. The HDD is on a shuttle that can easily be removed or replaced as needed and it has USBs for any additional storage (I keep any files not ripped by the Core on USB storage).
Only issue is if you have lots of classical music as the metadata here is limited. However, metadata with classical is a thorny one regardless of how you rip.
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I must admit I’d love to hear how Signals installed and set it up. I can’t help feeling something was wrong there. I didn’t have long with my demo Zenith 3 but had a very different impression.
I set it up myself…….on fraim shelf like Melco, naim powerline, AQ vodka cables to phoenix net and then to nd555. I even moved it to the other side of the room into my etheregen……then AQ forest to Phoenix net etc…….marginally worse in that position. Wish it had worked quite frankly, the software is really good. The OP should should definitely try Innuos, might have a better outcome.
I know the aurender asc10 is expensive and half it’s use is streaming, i just thought for the price if it’s a better bargain. I just wasn’t sure if it’s a bit on the high price compared to other options.
Hopefully i can get it figured out as im not sure how long the asc10 will be available.
What HiFi equipment will you be using? Some of these ripper/servers are very expensive and I would suggest that you would get far bigger gains by putting your money into the HiFi system that you would into a storage device and server.
The Core is a beautifully engineered thing but it’s ripping/metadata editing and serving functions are far more basic than you will find on any device at any price.
If you want great sound quality and versatility you can get it from a £300 Synology or QNAP NAS and a copy of DBpoweramp.
If you prefer a proprietary setup I would look at an Innuos Zen Mini.
If you venture the Innuos route, they come with an integral cd drive for ripping. With Melco, you will need to allow in your budget for their D100 optical drive ripper. Alternatively, I think Buffalo is a brand under the same parent company umbrella and it has been said that a similar Buffalo optical drive offers very similar results at a more attractive price point.
Please remember whether Innuos, Melco or another brand, they are built around a hard drive and, like all hard drives, they can fail. It is essential to have a robust back up strategy in place when ripping many cd’s. You can either use a NAS, other hard drive or remote cloud back up. I was reminded of this when the hard drive on mine failed after ripping 90% of my cd’s. I was waiting until I had them all ripped before backing up. Spectacularly wrong move on my part!
Peter
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Worth mentioning cloud backup services like Backblaze that will even send you a restore disk for your files.
Sounds like you did a perfect job. I imagine not on a brawn stack and that you let it warm up and settle down properly. I certainly found my stuff sounded better with the EtherRegen completely out of the chain, however good it may have been otherwise. And I’m no fan of AudioQuest Ethernet cables. But I don’t for a minute doubt what you heard, though I’m still perplexed. Maybe it was a duff unit, or maybe I auditioned duff Melcos…. Who knows? However, it’s all in the past now.
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Do you use an external psu on your DAC?
I have done in the past (the 555PS was fab) but right now not. I do like the DAC very much on its own, albeit with Hiline and Powerline.
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I have good money in my speakers and system, due to the several thousand cds i own i want to RIP those. I also rather avoid computers and using software xyz.
I did this all back when i had an old crt projector as a home theater set up when i was younger.
Honestly i think these companies making glorified home computer streamers and rippers, even with the best electronics are ridiculous priced. I guess this is the price were pay when such a small percent care about music quality and have extensive libraries of music, and the rest who play everything off a phone and wouldn’t notice the difference if someone sharted in their ear.
Sounds nasty!
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I’m with Michaelb on this, something seems a bit wrong if it didn’t sound quite a lot better than a Core. from my own experience, a Zen is about on a par with the NA1 so the Zenith should at least have been level pegging with Melco you tried. Of course, different systems and all that but I just wonder if there was a fault.
I will mention to my dealer……they were of the same opinion as me…….but if it was a “problem” one, lets see.
People seem to have very different ears. We can see opposite findings. One member preferred much more the Uniticore to the Melco N1z2. Gazza and I found the opposite.
Michael B found the Innuos Statement a very large step over the Roon Nucleus/ Linear ps.
On Stereophile review, the guy found the Statement a little improvement vs his Nucleus/ ps. I believe more Michael on that.
Perhaps the servers act a bit like the audiophile switches. Some hear no difference vs a cheap Netgear, other a large improvement, other prefer the EE8 , other the ER.
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Spot on……strange game like cables.
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If I remember well we already debate about the config you described and to me as well the spdif connection to a dac is the best choice and the core is for sure a perfect tool in this context
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I started with a qnap. What a pain, would never go back there
Then a unitiserve - much better, simpler to use
Then a core. Again really simple to use - by far the easiest to amend metadata and album art via the Naim app
Now have Melco because it sounds better to my ears (n1z) than the core, but most of the time it shows no album art, the metadata has to be amended by getting software onto a laptop (never got round to doing anything about it), and it feels really clunky. The Melco app has never been able to find the n1z on the system. It’s a fine line between enjoying the quality of the sound and wishing I had never bought the wretched thing