In a good 10 years we will know which companies from China have build a reputation and are reliable like Cambridge or our host Naim Audio. It’s quite a different culture than Japan though - I really wonder how it’s going to look like.
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I wonder if i will or not throw some money on the Oxford RX30 streamer.
Good point TLR
I agree Nigel… the XS3 sounds great, especially what I paid for a virtually brand new unit with a great warranty
I do like to support UK companies, like Cambridge Audio, Naim, ATC etc, I know my streamer is built in China but it’s nice having CA in the UK to chat to if necessary and so far they’ve been superb
Many years ago I purchased a Chinese valve integrated amp brand new (it was a Ming Da but before companies started selling them in the UK/EU etc) and paid maybe £350 for it… I can’t quite remember but it wasn’t a lot. I only purchased it for a bit of a laugh but actually it was extremely well made, totally hand wired throughout ..it also sounded pretty good too, I used it to drive my then current LS3/5a’s which it did a perfect job of… maybe a little bit warm sounding but some tube rolling sorted that
Since that amp I have never ‘dissed’ anything Chinese made… some of it is extremely good indeed
I’m not keen on UK/EU/US getting these cheaply made (but good) amps and marking them up more than treble their original price; honestly they are good enough amps with no intervention necessary
As a slight aside I listened carefully to an Atom HE as a streamer at home (£2k) and it sounded quite nice, however I preferred my current setup… the Atom was feeding active’s and my system feeds passives (of the same speaker though) but even with my humble MXN10 I still preferred my music more on my own setup…. To me it was more musical, had more attack and sounded alive…my setups sound is addictive and it makes music sound wonderful rather than listening to a ‘system’
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I’ve never had any problems using the WiiM app with my Smart Hub 2 Total WiFi (black discs) and I’m using both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz bands across a wide range of devices. The app finds my UnitiQute every time. Can’t say for the other apps as I don’t use them.
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Apparently, the Eversolo DMP-A6 makes it to the top, Wiim Ultra 2nd place, and Cambridge Audio Evo One 7th place according to this survey in Headphonesty.
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Interesting. The results seem to say more about the voters than the gear. To have the Innuos Pulse ranked that far behind the WiiM is silly.
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So have the voters tested every one of the streamers? No. Flawed survey as voters will only vote for the best they have heard. An indicator but not a good survey.
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iOS or android user ?
I’m iOS…
Headphonesty, is a pretty interesting site. One of the few HiFi resources that has some integrity. Their headphone reviews have aligned pretty much with my experience, and saved me some missteps, in my search for the headphone Nirvana.
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Me too. Although I don’t use the Wiim app, I have no issue with a while load of audio apps with BT Smart Hub 2 WiFi on iOS, MacOS, Android, embedded, or Microsoft. It just works.
I typically use Ubiquiti now, but if I am falling back to BT Smart Hub for reasons of say wiring or network reconfiguration etc.. no one is any the wiser if in range of the Smart Hub.
The SmartHub2 also has settings for legacy WiFi devices if they have interoperability issues… though only had to use once for an old Chinese made WiFi module using old protocols.
The BT Smart Hub2 has been around for a while now, and although frequently having automatic firmware updates to increase and improve functionality is constrained to relatively aging radio technology now with a top limit of 803.2ac protocol which of course is limited to the 5GHz band only.. and you will force lesser performant retro/older wifi protocols it you switch 5GHz band off.
I’m also iOS
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Simon, out of interest (and accepting it’s off topic) what benefits do you find from the Ubiquiti set up? I’m “generally happy” with the BT Smart Hub 2 but have an inkling there are things that could be better. As an example, I have a few of the black discs and there is a lack of consistency in device connections. I have some devices that occasionally show up as “poor”, but they have decided to connect to a more distant disc. When they then reconnect to the closer disc (at random intervals) they have an “excellent” connection, but I can’t force them to choose the closest disc, or indeed any disc.
Since I removed my WiFi mesh I have had no MXN10 drop outs
Time will tell whether that was the problem or not
It is not a problem, must be something else. I have been using WiFi mesh for at least a decade, and it works fine including streaming, but I must say I would need to reboot my recent acquired netgear router from time to time. However, it seems to be a well known netgear issue, even it is the one of the most expensive netgear WiFi mesh
I also didn’t think the mesh was the problem sean86 but CA did mention it so I removed it from the system; I don’t really need it now anyway
I will see how it works out over the coming days/weeks
Greater control and management including enterprise grade security and ability to connect PoE Access points over ethernet
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I’m no expert but I think the MXN10 sounds better via WiFi than the Ethernet cable
I purchased a Blue Jeans cable from USA and while I think it’s pretty good I believe WiFi sounds a little better
Interesting experience, I’m going to try this guy. I’m in the middle of the competition between different streamers, looking for the one that has the most reliable transport capabilities.
Sometimes “better” means that one likes the particular sound.
Say, last month I saw a guy who prefered the “computer” sounding DAC plugged into the ancient tube Luxman. To me, it was a disaster and I had to run away immediately. However that guy just likes such kind of sound sugnature.
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