Grandinote Volta Network Player premium. Contrary to many similar devices that offer every conceivable input, output, and protocol, the Italian Volta does not try to be the equivalent of a Swiss army knife. Rather, it focuses on a single task that it aims to perfect. Grimm MU1 premium. After countless Music Servers and Streamers, not to mention various server software and playback applications that I have tried throughout the years, I figured that, by now, surely, there'd be no more large surprises for me.
Well, of course, that's when a new server entered my premises and totally surprised me. When Lejonklou launches a network player, you better believe that it will be anything but ordinary. The new Dynamik power supply and a newly designed circuitboard make sure that the Klimax DS stays on top.
Logitech Sqeezebox premium. The player reviewed here is no longer available. Instead, there is now the Squeezebox Touch, but I'd bet that soundwise nothing has changed. Not all NAS servers are created equal! Meridian Sooloos products had me hooked right from the start. The very best Meridian Sooloos Streaming Audio. This makes for some very interesting comparisons.
Meridian Control 10 Sooloos control unit premium. Discovering the original Sooloos experience. Meridian MS premium. Meridian Sooloos endzone for only Euro! After being so enthusiastic about the MC and almost having purchased one, I decided to first review its bigger brothers. Leema Acoustics Elements Streamer. The compact networked music player that boasts an impressive spec at an attractive price.
Auralic Vega G1. Leema Acoustics Stream IV is here. Next-gen digital hub that wowed Bristol Hi-Fi Show now available. Volumio Primo. Naim ND5 XS 2. The Cambridge connects to your network via ethernet or by plugging in the supplied USB adapter. It looks and feels suitably premium, too, with a chunky design aesthetic that screams quality. And you can control it either with the on-unit dial, the remote, or the Cambridge Connect smartphone app.
Read the full review: Cambridge Azur N. Award-winning Uniti just-add-speakers streaming system range, and like its forebear, this is a fully formed music system with built-in streaming smarts and connections aplenty. While the new Atom has been designed with headphones users in mind, it can, of course, also be used as a streaming preamplifier, either connected to a power amp or a pair of active speakers. Support for AirPlay 2 , built-in Chromecast and Roon builds on that streaming savviness.
Analogue and digital connections, including USB, coaxial, optical, RCA and phono, are also onboard for connecting additional sources. Sonically the Atom HE has all the traits we'd expect from the Atom, characterised by impressive insight, dynamism and musicality. But its presentation is even more sophisticated and open with greater separation of instruments and superb levels of detail. It's a bit more niche than most of the streamers on this list, but for anyone looking to unleash the potential of a premium pair of headphones with a multifaceted streaming system, either to use purely as a desktop centrepiece or to also slip into an existing hi-fi system, then this could be ideal.
Selekt DSM is Linn's modular product that can be tailored to taste. The basic version is a high-end steamer and digital preamp in a single box. There are five digital inputs — including an HDMI ARC for connection to a television and USB for a computer — and analogue too with a single line-level input and dedicated sockets for both moving magnet and moving coil cartridges.
Physically, it's a very smart unit; well made and neatly finished. It's very easy to use as well with the Kazoo app to control it or the physical remote if you prefer. Sonically, its presentation is crisp and taut, trading the last ounce of sonic richness for an enviable sense of control.
It's agile and can track complex musical strands with ease and composure. The USB input and Apple AirPlay audio quality isn't quite to that same high level, but there's no denying that this is a great sounding, top-end integrated box of electronics with plenty of scope for upgrade fun too.
The Linn Klimax DSM AV has a price tag that puts it out of reach for most people, and with that ultra high end cost comes a huge amount of expectation.
But Linn's latest range topper not only has an immaculate design but also offers so much sonic insight, clarity and dynamic expression, that it's second to none. Rather than being a mere streamer, the DSM is more of a streaming preamplifier. The result? An exceptional product that sets new standards for the streamer category as a whole. It's both Chromecast and AirPlay-enabled for easy connectivity and goes high quality on the wireless, too, thanks to MQA support. Ergonomically, you can't argue with it.
The precision controls and the silky smooth disc drawer feel top-notch, even if it's a little squished up to one side for aesthetics. Likewise, the software for the streaming control isn't the best we've seen, but it definitely gets the job done.
Fortunately, the functionality is rock solid, whether from a disc or over the air, and its sound is superb. It's nuanced enough to deliver the full emotional impact of vocals and strings and comes with enough weight in the bass to keep your tracks feeling big. Read the full review: Technics SL-G Everything on its spec-sheet suggests it is more than up to meeting the very stiff competition.
It's not choosy when it comes to playing file types, either. Fire it up, and it doesn't disappoint. Its sound is big and spacious, yet precise at the same time, with an impressive level of detail. Read the full review: Pioneer NAE. The Naim NAC-N delivers on two fronts - it's a feature-packed streaming preamp and it sounds superb.
Connectivity options include digital inputs, optical and coaxial connections along with Bluetooth for offline streaming. Build quality is suitably solid, while sound quality is stunning at the money. We're huge fans of the Naim's communicative, balanced sound and it's a master of dynamics. And its preamp section is as good as any rival we've heard in this price range.
Naim has taken precautions to ensure that the 's range of connections doesn't count against it: the digital and analogue sections communicate through optical isolation chips to minimise any interference. And it shows - this is a well-made, great-sounding unit that will do you proud.
This basically means it does everything you would expect from a streamer, drawing from all your mobile devices, NAS drives and streaming services via its control app to collate one whopping great music library. It offers a stunningly musical and brilliantly balanced sound, whether you're streaming from a NAS drive or a streaming service.
Its design is a little no-frills, but we quite like that - it's understated and shows a confidence sadly lacking from some of its flashier rivals. Its confidence is deserved, as it delivers on the sound front, too: audio quality is fantastic with near-perfect dynamics, timings and musicality. Quality isn't even lost when you stream over Bluetooth. You will need to factor in the cost of an external DAC, though. Can't stretch to that? Never MiND. Something different from the hi-fi products on this list, the Echo Input is effectively an Echo Dot without the speaker, letting you try out digital living via a smart assistant for less money.
A Bluetooth speaker seems the most likely pairing, and the Input connects to one much like a phone. This is done through the Alexa app, which is a stand-in for the visual interface an Input lacks. This being Amazon, it's a doddle to connect, and the connection stays stable throughout testing.
There's also a 3. This wired connection places responsibility for sound quality onto the Input's DAC, and other than slightly low volume output, we have no complaints about audio quality, considering the price. That makes it an attractive prospect and the most affordable way to try out Alexa or multi-room music streaming.
Give it a whirl - what have you got to lose? Read the full review: Amazon Echo Input. Mary is a staff writer at What Hi-Fi? What Hi-Fi? Included in this guide: 1. Bluesound Node Bluesound reasserts its authority in the budget music streamer market. Outputs: RCA, coaxial, optical, subwoofer, 3. Bluetooth : aptX HD. AirPlay 2: Yes. Dimensions: 22 x 4. Weight : 1. Reasons to avoid - No supplied physical remote. The Linux-based server is set-up and managed through your smartphone, tablet, or computer and the learning curve is not too severe.
Technical support offered by Roon is excellent and there is a growing community of users online to help you based on their own experience with the product. Roon is now offering a 1-year subscription included in the price. The library can hold more than 10, albums, and the server can handle up to 6 simultaneous zones of playback. If you own a large CD collection that is not already ripped to an HDD, you may want to consider the next model in our list which offers that level of functionality.
For more information : roonlabs. This two-box system will rip your CD collection, organize your metadata, and give you enormous long-term flexibility running Roon along with streaming services such as Tidal, and Qobuz. If you prefer a more analog sounding presentation — this is the combination to consider. Its ability to stream and play back video will be of obvious value for people who want an easy way to connect a media player to a HDTV.
Yes — it can power loudspeakers as well. The unit demonstrated superb Wi-Fi stability in a home filled with wireless devices that are always competing for bandwidth. Album art when streaming from Tidal or Qobuz looked quite impressive on the wider screen. A very compelling digital music streamer that only continues to improve with each firmware update. Your email address will not be published.
0コメント