Holy Cow! I just got an email from ProStudioMasters with a special sale on Eric Clapton albums at 30% off. I am always interested in expanding my EC collection–going to travel to Grand Albert Hall next week to see him.
When I got to the selection, I found 11 ED albums in MQA! I was stunned. Just downloaded all 11. It took about 20 minutes for all of them. Most tracks were 30-50 MB and downloaded in 3-5 seconds anecdotally. There were 2 @ 44.1 Khz, 3 @ 48, 1 @ 88.2, 4 @ 96 and 1 @ 192. Some of these are pretty old, hence the low bit rates. This downloaded much much faster than if it were in straight Hi Rez.
I sense and EC MQA Orgy coming one. I will let you know when I come out of the Clapton Coma. So if you are an EC fan…
What I’m referring too is the DCS NB was designed for the intent of being used with older DCS products. So from a resolution perspective, the only way to get the most out of it is with other DCS gear.
That being said, there is another argument that diminishing returns has already set in by that point and you really won’t hear the difference.
But from a cost perspective, you are spending extra money for something that you aren’t using to it’s full potential.
Now to move to a different argument. With DCS you are getting top of the best quality R&D, engineering, and build quality. So that might make it more worth it.
Personally, I haven’t heard much difference in top quality streamers to justify the price.
All the best with your purchase. I’ve heard DCS products, almost bought them, and they do not disappoint.
The dCS NB was specfically designed to work with almost any DAC - not just with dCS DACs.
That’s why almost all the reviewers who gave it such positive reviews paired it with non-dCS DACs.
In many cases, these reviewers raved about the huge uplift in SQ the dCS Network Bridge made to their non-dCS DACs made by Chord, Naim, and other excellent DAC-makers - see above links for some examples of what they wrote.
And what they wrote is completely in line with my experience of buying a dCS NB and using it in my all-Naim system.
It’s made a massive difference to my non-dCS DAC and system.
So it seems not to be the case that: “the only way to get the most out of it is with other DCS gear”.
But Johnny, yes - clearly it would give even better SQ using the better connections.
Did you ever hear it, or just read up on it?
If so, what did you hear it with, and was it at home?
thanks
Jim
dCS release a major new update to all their line including the Bridge. Brand new streaming platform that now includes Qobuz and Deezer amongst other things. I think you backed the right horse here Jim. dCS constantly updating their exisiting hardware.
Great …Great update from dCs : adding most of the streaming services in a native way , along with Internet radios and podcasts. The icing on the cake seems to be an improved SQ.
I used to tkink that the dac was the most important digital component. The dCs NB has forced me to rethink that on my system
I’m not sure, Stringer.
Because I haven’t had any amazing DACs to test in my system.
But, yes - the streamer is often hugely underrated as a source component.
The dCS Network Bridge transformed my entire system and raised SQ up through the roof.
(It makes me curious as to what a very good DAC that is only a DAC would do.)
Jim - The DCS bridge looks to have been a good buy. Not only have you got a very flexible (and still upgradeable) network streaming S/PDIF source for your 272, it stands you in good stead for the future especially if you were to go down the separate DAC route. If Naim ever bring out a Naim DAC2 then you’ve got a very good source for it.
Regarding what it brings to the table with a top Dac
Maybe youalready know this quote from Rafael Todes in his Hifi+ review of the bridge
Running the Bridge through my Chord DAVE, with a Chord Signature Digital cable, through a VAC Signature preamp and VAC Phi 200 monoblocs, driving B&W802d2 speakers, left me initially – having heard Solti conduct Mahler’s 5th Symphony on Decca – with a pang of guilt. Why had I not heard it sounding like this before in my system? Had I not been feeding my mighty DAVE DAC previously with a high enough quality source?
I have just listened to a Chord M Scaler + DAVE fronted by an Auralic Aries G2 and then by a DCS Network Bridge. In both cases, they were fed by an Innuos Statement server, then out via a Naim 252/300 & Kudos Titan 606 speakers.
With the G2 streamer and Roon server (Roon DSP switched off), music flowed well, timed well and sounded tonally slightly warm. All in all very good indeed.
Then the G2 was switched from being a Roon endpoint to using Auralic’s own software. Dear me no. The drummer and bass guitarist were suddenly both so exhausted that neither of them could play in time, instead lagging behind the singer and lead guitarist. Basslines timed as badly as when played through a DCS Bartok. And the sound was flat, lethargic and lifeless. Switch back to Roon again (with DSP engine switched off) and the same track came back to life.
How is this possible? I simply don’t understand it, yet I hear it.
We then replaced the Auralic G2 with a DCS Network Bridge. Weird. The listener is no longer drawn to the rhythm section (i.e. drums & bass guitar) but to the lead singer and lead guitarist. Tonally, the sound is a touch leaner. Yet music flows even better. This was my preferred set up of the three.
How one streamer can make music sound leaner than another, or one make music flow while the other produces ill-timed notes using the very same dac (Chord DAVE + M Scaler) is just baffling. Yet that is what both I and the dealer heard. Nor were these subtle differences, discernible only by those blessed with bat-like hearing. The differences were obvious within the first 5-10 seconds of each track.
Your descriptions are excellent - thanks for these. Your experiences prove again that the streamer makes a huge difference. It is the source!
But everything up and downstream of it - like Roon - is also altering the sound.
Then the DAC, preamp, power amp, cables and speakers all do their crucial jobs.
Getting the streamer into a separate box obviously distances its EM noise from the DAC - which has got to be a good thing.
For anyone with a 272 (for example) who is looking for a significant uplift in SQ, the dCS Network Bridge is worth a listen.
I know on the Dave/ Mscaler Head-fi forums, they usually try to get the unaltered file going into the combo for best results. Any manipulation of the original recording is no good, the Mscaler and Dave should be doing everything that is needed. I have heard the Dave with Blu2 many times, with a CD playing in the Blu2, simply the best digital I have ever heard.
