A completely different and easy way to improve sq could be using a reclocker between Your PC and Dac. Many report to get similar results to using a dedicated streamer - I just bought a rather simple reclocker and am impressed with te results.
May I ask what do you hope to get with a dedicated streamer and Audirvana?
TBH, there is no SQ advantage with such a device.
All streamers are mini computers too without any audiophile benefit.
I would try something like the your existing Mac or the new Mac Mini M1 and Audirvana via USB output direct to DAC.
.
Thanks
Matt
Hi,
Interesting thread. I use audivana on an old mac mini connected by usb to my second system dac but i can also output to my main system moon 280d as its a upnp streamer connected to the same network but in a different room 
So if you like audirvana just keep using. I believe i get better sound quality from audirvana using the network rather than usb connection but ultimately better quality using the Moon Mind software directly. There are so may ways to connect so whatever works for you. The differences are pretty marginal depending on the quality of the rest of your system.
Hope that helps.
R
. [quote=“mrpanda, post:1, topic:22870, full:true”]
Hello,
I am still trying to figure this out.
I enjoy this software very much.
Want to keep using it.
I am trying to figure out how and if I can use this with a dedicated streaming device other than computer such as the Mac Mini I have currently.
I do not know how Audirvana could be installed without a computer.
I do use the A Plus remote and enjoy it very much.
I am not interested in Roon and do not want to get tied into an ecosystem from a streaming device.
Such as Aurender, Lumin Etc.
Please let me know what you think?
Most appreciated
[/quote]
I think you have nailed this on the head.
There seems to be so so many different opinions here.
Yes,
I think this has something to do with different systems.
I have been speaking with my friend who sold me the PS Audio equipment.
He had a huge increase in SQ when he got rid of his Mini and installed a dedicated streaming device.
He is also running Wired directly instead of USB connection.
He is quite pleased by the SQ by doing this.
I was told by at least one person that using an external DAC instead of the one in my Pre amp processor
would not make a difference.
It made huge difference.
At least in my system.
Almost everyone I have spoken with agrees that a dedicated streaming device can and will make a difference in SQ for the better.
Such as an Aurlic G!.
I would to keep using USB or can get Matrix is I want to use another connection method.
But the G1 does not seem to need it.
Audirvana just needs a computer, period! What I was asking myself many times was whether Audirvana needs a full blown machine like a Mac or Windows PC. Wouldn’t there be a solution equivalent to, say, Roon Rock on a stripped down NUC?
Whether that’s true or not, the audiophile community is always concerned about computers running loads of processes/threads in the background, in other words, lots of futile processes that could be switched off.
One way would be to have a Mac reserved for running Audirvana exclusively that has its OS ripped to the bare minimum sufficient to run Audirvana. I don’t know if that’s been tried in this forum.
The other option would be to build a NUC/minicomputer that runs exclusively Audirvana. The thing here would be that Audirvana should come in a package supporting minimal OS systems.
Not trivial at all!
Yes, Audirvana needs a computer, but there are some nice settings in Audirvana Sysoptimizer which give Audirvana priority for Audio playback and reduce the impact of MacOS.
Further there are a lot reports that high powered computers do “sound” better than low powered ones like endpoints. So I like Macs/Audirvana via USB out direct to a DAC.
MacOS can further be optimised for Audio with some settings in MacOS System Preferences.
Matt
This has turned into a very helpful and interesting discussion.
I am no computer expert but am a long time audiophile.
You are absolutely correct about settings in Audirvana but there are some that do not see this is all of the issues of SQ having to do with what this software can do.
Yes,
Audirvana has to run on a computer.
It is piece of software that in my opinion is quite outstanding in the way it works.
But some others feel that streaming can be better served by a dedicated streaming device.
I am not an expert on electronics either.
But the issue that keeps coming up has to do with eliminating Digital and mechanical noise.
I would assume that by using the methods you have mentioned,
one could reduce digital noise or even more so with a digital purifier such as IFI products or something else.
Even a reclocker such as Innuos Etc.
But one of the points of a dedicated streaming devices really has to do with mechanical noise and other aspects of noise coming out of a computer.
Maybe I am not understanding this well but my analogy would be,
why the SQ getting from files from my NAS sound better than Disks.
I do have very good PS Audio transport.
Hope this makes sense.
Maybe a dedicated streamer might be better, as always, it depends on the individual streamer. I used to have an Aurender N100H streamer for quite some time. It was a beautifully built piece of equipment, but the sound quality was not to my liking. It sounded veiled, and a bit lifeless. Audirvana, running from an ordinary .Mac mini sounds so much more livelier and beats this 3,000 Euro streamer hands down!
Digital noise, yes, this can be an issue but somehow I am not experiencing it to any disturbing degree with my Mac connected straight to my Devialet.
Mechanical noise??? Maybe you switch to an SSD that is completely silent and extremely fast.
Digital noise introduced by, say Ethernet switches: there are amusing videos to be watched at
Interesting! What can in Mac OS settings be optimised for audio?
Matt
Ah,
Well put.
This all started when my friend pulled out his Mini for the Aurender N 10.
He said the difference was huge.
I did not care for the Aurender software and his N 10 started experiencing issues.
He switched to DCS and is quite pleased currently.
Really has to do with the user and the product.
I totally agree with your point about using a high power PC with SSD drive and as simple as possible.
Was thinking about using a very basic AOPEN Mini PC.
But wanted to go in a different direction.
Of course there multiple ways to get high quality streaming either from a well designed and simple PC or a dedicated streaming device.
If I was more of a computer type of person,
I might have gone will a DIY purpose built PC for using only Audiorvana software.
I am sure this would be great SQ option as well.
But I have decided to go in the audio streaming device direction.
You are absolutely correct about Ethernet switches as well.
Will be looking into them as well but am interested in looking at the link you posted.
Lets not forget,
there is the option of going wireless instead of wired to decrease noise but I am really not sold on this.
Some people are saying SQ us better over wireless.
Maybe in some cases.
I am not even going to even bring up upsampling devices
Such as Chord M Scaler Etc.
Just finished watching video.
Very pleased I did so.
It is must see video.
But as always it should be taken with grain of salt.
Looking forward to viewing it again and think I will continue to do so fro proper grounding.
Thank you
Thanks for the link, will have a look!
Speaking about the price category of Aurender: there’s a German company making streamers with built-in Euphony software, similar to AudioLinux, but without the hassle of doing all the Linux management. Not cheap, though, but perhaps it comes closest to your idea of a streamer running a dedicated, but flexible software. See also
Thank you again for your on going replies,
I need to narrow down my options that are reasonable for me.
I do not doubt this is very good product but I would feel more comfortable with product that is little bit more wide spread in the USA.
My friends Aurender was sent to their USA facility.
He put some money into it and this did not fix the issue he was having.
I guess my point is that I know nothing is perfect and would like to know I have support in the USA.
Would really not want to have to ship a product overseas.
Hello,
Just updating what I have decided.
I still find Audirvana to be an absolutely outstanding product and it Sounds quite good and is very easy to use.
Still can not imagine getting rid of it.
So I figured out I can run two streamers with my DSD. DAC.
This makes the most sense to me.
Most apprciated
So in that scenario is the streamer the source or the computer? I am new to AS and use it through a MacBook to a ifi zen streamer linked to an external dac. Would be nice to know which is technically the source?
The source is the device that effectively “plays” the music. Streamer is the source.
1 Like
Ok great thanks for explaining that!
Would you care to share? I’m running into a similar situation to yours. Thanks