Greetings all - first time poster.
I just bought a Terminator today and came across this forum.
Right now l have a node 2i and i'm looking for advice on a streamer/ network player for my audio files on SSD that would do justice to the Terminator. I have a primare cd31. My speakers are Elac fs-249's
I started reading here about the Gaia but l'm not sure it can clock synch with the Terminator (not the plus). I'm not really sure l understand what the Gaia is for or does or when you would seek one out (please be nice)
I was considering the Lumin U1, came across the soundaware d300Ref (which must be due for a refresh since it cam e out in 2017 -DSD64). Previously l was a big fan of Auralic G2 - but now reading the forums - l'm not so sure. I realise there are many options out there. Given the caliber of people here - l thought you all may help me focus on a couple of options.
Cheers.
Darren
Hi,
First off welcome to the thread and congratulations on your new purchase on an excelllent piece of gear. Now, let me start injecting some poison. As already explained, the Termy/Gaia combo operates at a very high level (Really good) and should put a huge smile on your face, but as always, there is always something better and the Termy/Gaia combo is not immune to this, enter the TP/Gaia combo.
Termy/Gaia combo uses the excellent double OCXO clocks in the Gaia to reclock while in the TP/Gaia combo the OCXO clocks in the TP does this job, reason being there will be much less jitter and other anomolies introduced into the audio signal path as it is a short run within the DAC, not to say that the Termy/Gaia is noisy, far far from it. I love that combo a lot too. (Alvin, I hate you, LOL).
Now, if you want to reap maximum benefits from the Termy/Gaia combo, the cables play a big part. I would suggect getting some decent power cords, footers and HDMI for the i2s connection. This is not to say without these upgrades they are a slouch, but, if you want to take them to another level then you can consider those upgrades mentioned. Go slow though, enjoy your audio journey.
As for the server, I'm using the Innuos Zenith Mk2 and a sms-200 as bridge, Ok, I know that's an overkill, but I wanted the cleanest signal possible and so I am using a dedicated server with soTm ethernet cables in dual runs with sotm iso blocks. I wanted to feed the cleanest ethernet signal as I could. The tx-usb ultra does the job of cleaning up the USB signal which is then fed to the Gaia, which does more cleaning up and feeds my TP.
The Lumin and Auralic are excellent choices for a server, but I would suggest you try them out for yourself cause they each have their own "house sound". Innuos is another, which I'm using, is my perosnal choice.
Read through the threads here, Head-Fi and CA to get as much info and arm yourself. Do not walk into a war without a gun, but having said, please take some of the posts with a pinch of salt. Let your ears be your guide, and only your ears. Reviews are a good guide though.
If in doubt PM the seniors here, they are a helpful lot and always ready to share their impressions. Good luck buddy. Stay safe.