Shakti is back to Digital ( Innuos, Roon, Brinkmann)

[Exlibris]

10 years ago I started my digital journey to streaming, using iTunes and La Rosita Streaming interfaces. All my files were ripped in WAV, so I was ending up to add Meta Data at my own.
The upcoming possibility of online streaming (like Tidal) made my digital set up obsolete, as it is impossible for Apple to allow mixed playlists of Tidal and Harddisc. The world of the Linn streamers was my answer, so I was able to use my iTunes directory and Tidal plus!!! High Res files which iTunes is still not capable of.

But the usability of all the different Apps were just not satisfying, after all the years with the smooth iTunes world.
Then came the point, were my 8TB NAS was faling while doing a back up and I list the majority of my files.

I decided to just listen to CD and to my favorite source, to analog.
For more than a year, my Lampizator Golden Gate DAC was nearly not playing any music, I also have to say, that I started to get bored with all the tube rolling on the GG, I was missing a "neutral reference" if such a source is possible at all.

On the other hand, I had (have) a lot of fun with my analoge set up.
But after this year, I started to miss some of my music, as not available on Record.

Visiting friends, I looked into their digital set ups and found out, that the most of them are using Roon as control software and that the time of standard NAS seems to be over. A dedicated Music Server is now the must be.

It became clear to me, that going back to digital streaming means a complete redesign of my digital set up.

Software:
As I liked, what I have seen at my friends homes, it was clear, what I want:

Roon !

Musicserver:
My requirements are like this:
- Roon Core
- Roon Endpoint
- UPNP (DLNA)
- > 4TB SSD
- USB out
- LAN out
- Solid CD Ripping
- "Plug'n Play" (not Plug'n pray...)

As Computer Technology is developing fast, I gave myself a max budget of 5000,- eur , so no SGM, W20, Statement :-(
But the Innuos Zenith MKIII 4TB ssd has all the features I am looking for, and still is within the given budget.

http://www.innuos.com/en/catalog/go/zenith-mk3-1tb-ssd-black

DAC:
My requirements are like this:
- Roon Endpoint
inputs:
- LAN
- USB
- AES/EBU
- RCA SPDIF
outputs:
- RCA
- XLR
DAC chip
- separate for DSD and PCM

Using now Lampizator DAC's for some years, I am a kind of biased regarding possible performance and tonal balance.
But my current preamplifier (Grandinote Genesi) has a relatively low input impedance and I have the feeling, that some of my gear did a better job on my former Koda Preamp. But some sources do like the Genesi Preamp a lot, specially the sources with a low output impedance. My Golden Gate is in the range of 1500ohm, which is very high. The output impedance changes by all the different sets of available tubes. So driving the Genesi Preamp, the differences of the tubes become very clear.

Many of the available DACs with low output impedance can be found in the professional Studio market, but all of them, where I had the chance to listen to, were not according to my taste.
Lampizator has defined a standard (in combination with a matching set up), which ist difficult to match.

During the last Munich High End fair I had the chance to listen to the Brinkmann Nyquist II ( 15000,- eur) , which was a very good demo! To my surprise, Mastermind Brinkmann managed to develop a tube output stage DAC (NOS Telefunken tubes) with only 10ohm output impedance. View attachment 59625
https://www.brinkmann-audio.de/main.php?prod=nyquist&cat=default&lang=en

Since a couple of days the Zenith server and the Nyquist DAC do play music at my home and I have a day by day increasing learning curve.

I will share my findings in this thread in the next days.

I'm looking to upgrade my digital front end and have been offered a very good price on this DAC. To tell you the truth I had never heard of it until now. I was primarily looking at Lampi. If I understand correctly, it looks like this DAC has a built in streamer for Tidal and Qobuz(?) Going through this thread it looks as if you prefer to use a separate streamer (Zen) rather than the onboard one(?)

 

[shakti]

The Nyquist has indeed an integrated streamer, but with the standard UPNP/DLNA plus internet streaming functionality and user interface. I definitely prefer Roon (nor for sound, but for the user interface), so I invested into a Roon core (Innuos Zenith MkIII, soon to be followed by an Antipodes K50) You will like the Nyquist, Brinkmann has a very nice voicing, no need for tube rolling, just connect and enjoy

....and the tubes do last long !

 

[Exlibris]

The Nyquist has indeed an integrated streamer, but with the standard UPNP/DLNA plus internet streaming functionality and user interface. I definitely prefer Roon (nor for sound, but for the user interface), so I invested into a Roon core (Innuos Zenith MkIII, soon to be followed by an Antipodes K50) You will like the Nyquist, Brinkmann has a very nice voicing, no need for tube rolling, just connect and enjoy

....and the tubes do last long !

I think I would operate it from the Android UPNP app from my phone. Unfortunately Qobuz hasn't arrived here in Canada yet. In the literature on the DAC, Tidal and Qobuz are said to be supported but there is no mention of Spotify. I'm currently using Spotify but would upgrade to Tidal.

 

[Exlibris]

The Nyquist has indeed an integrated streamer, but with the standard UPNP/DLNA plus internet streaming functionality and user interface. I definitely prefer Roon (nor for sound, but for the user interface), so I invested into a Roon core (Innuos Zenith MkIII, soon to be followed by an Antipodes K50) You will like the Nyquist, Brinkmann has a very nice voicing, no need for tube rolling, just connect and enjoy

....and the tubes do last long !

I don't suppose you ever compared the integrated streamer with the Innuos Zenith MkIII?

 

[shakti]

I do not like the Ipeng interface, so I never compared both streamers.

 

[Ron Resnick]

. . . Then came the point, were my 8TB NAS was faling while doing a back up and I list the majority of my files.

. . .

So sorry, shakti! I hate stories like this! This is why I am resistant to turning my stereo into a computer or to attaching a computer to my stereo. I will take my chances with CD "rot."

 

[Ron Resnick]

10 years ago I started my digital journey to streaming, using iTunes and La Rosita Streaming interfaces. All my files were ripped in WAV, so I was ending up to add Meta Data at my own.
The upcoming possibility of online streaming (like Tidal) made my digital set up obsolete, as it is impossible for Apple to allow mixed playlists of Tidal and Harddisc. The world of the Linn streamers was my answer, so I was able to use my iTunes directory and Tidal plus!!! High Res files which iTunes is still not capable of.

But the usability of all the different Apps were just not satisfying, after all the years with the smooth iTunes world.
Then came the point, were my 8TB NAS was faling while doing a back up and I list the majority of my files.

I decided to just listen to CD and to my favorite source, to analog.
For more than a year, my Lampizator Golden Gate DAC was nearly not playing any music, I also have to say, that I started to get bored with all the tube rolling on the GG, I was missing a "neutral reference" if such a source is possible at all.

On the other hand, I had (have) a lot of fun with my analoge set up.
But after this year, I started to miss some of my music, as not available on Record.

Visiting friends, I looked into their digital set ups and found out, that the most of them are using Roon as control software and that the time of standard NAS seems to be over. A dedicated Music Server is now the must be.

It became clear to me, that going back to digital streaming means a complete redesign of my digital set up.

Software:
As I liked, what I have seen at my friends homes, it was clear, what I want:

Roon !

Musicserver:
My requirements are like this:
- Roon Core
- Roon Endpoint
- UPNP (DLNA)
- > 4TB SSD
- USB out
- LAN out
- Solid CD Ripping
- "Plug'n Play" (not Plug'n pray...)

As Computer Technology is developing fast, I gave myself a max budget of 5000,- eur , so no SGM, W20, Statement :-(
But the Innuos Zenith MKIII 4TB ssd has all the features I am looking for, and still is within the given budget.

http://www.innuos.com/en/catalog/go/zenith-mk3-1tb-ssd-black

DAC:
My requirements are like this:
- Roon Endpoint
inputs:
- LAN
- USB
- AES/EBU
- RCA SPDIF
outputs:
- RCA
- XLR
DAC chip
- separate for DSD and PCM

Using now Lampizator DAC's for some years, I am a kind of biased regarding possible performance and tonal balance.
But my current preamplifier (Grandinote Genesi) has a relatively low input impedance and I have the feeling, that some of my gear did a better job on my former Koda Preamp. But some sources do like the Genesi Preamp a lot, specially the sources with a low output impedance. My Golden Gate is in the range of 1500ohm, which is very high. The output impedance changes by all the different sets of available tubes. So driving the Genesi Preamp, the differences of the tubes become very clear.

Many of the available DACs with low output impedance can be found in the professional Studio market, but all of them, where I had the chance to listen to, were not according to my taste.
Lampizator has defined a standard (in combination with a matching set up), which ist difficult to match.

During the last Munich High End fair I had the chance to listen to the Brinkmann Nyquist II ( 15000,- eur) , which was a very good demo! To my surprise, Mastermind Brinkmann managed to develop a tube output stage DAC (NOS Telefunken tubes) with only 10ohm output impedance. View attachment 59625
https://www.brinkmann-audio.de/main.php?prod=nyquist&cat=default&lang=en

Since a couple of days the Zenith server and the Nyquist DAC do play music at my home and I have a day by day increasing learning curve.

I will share my findings in this thread in the next days.

Thank you for telling us the history of your digital system. I wish to keep it even simpler than you have accepted (I do not want Roon), but keeping to a budget seems to make good sense as the computer aspects of these devices evolve. I am thinking about the Innuos Zenith MK3 as well.

Do you have any sense of how the sound of your new Brinkmann DAC compares to the sound of your Lampizator Golden Gate 1 (which Kedar is recommending to me)?

Did you consider the Holo Audio KTE May DAC?

 

[shakti]

Thank you for telling us the history of your digital system. I wish to keep it even simpler than you have accepted (I do not want Roon), but keeping to a budget seems to make good sense as the computer aspects of these devices evolve. I am thinking about the Innuos Zenith MK3 as well.

Do you have any sense of how the sound of your new Brinkmann DAC compares to the sound of your Lampizator Golden Gate 1 (which Kedar is recommending to me)?

Did you consider the Holo Audio KTE May DAC?

I never had the chance to compare GG1 and Nyquist 2. The Holo Audio has impressive measurable , but I never heard the DAC.

If you do not plan to use Roon, the Nyquist will work as streamer as well, so no need for a Music Server at all.
You can connect the Nyquist II to your LAN.

Streaming support

DLNA, Tidal, Deezer, Qobuz, vTuner and Roon endpoint

 

[Ultrafast69]

Shatki, thanks for posting.

The Brinkmann Nyquist MKII is one sweet DAC. I compared this to DCS and MSB - all are excellent, but I preferred the Nyquist for performance and value.

Plus side Helmut Brinkmann is a world renowned builder of some top contender turn tables and uses these to voice and tune his DACs - something the others can’t claim, whether a marketing ploy of sorts I don’t know but can say the die hard vinyl guys were impressed hearing this piece in my system.

 

[Exlibris]

Shatki, thanks for posting.

The Brinkmann Nyquist MKII is one sweet DAC. I compared this to DCS and MSB - all are excellent, but I preferred the Nyquist for performance and value.

Plus side Helmut Brinkmann is a world renowned builder of some top contender turn tables and uses these to voice and tune his DACs - something the others can’t claim, whether a marketing ploy of sorts I don’t know but can say the die hard vinyl guys were impressed hearing this piece in my system.

Did you do an A-B of the Brinkmann and MSB in the same system?

 

[Ultrafast69]

Did you do an A-B of the Brinkmann and MSB in the same system?

No on MSB, it was on 3 outside systems, yes on DCS. All are top contenders, but in my case I prefer solid state in my amplification for power and found the Brinkmann less clinical for lack of better term, perhaps because of its NOS Telefunken tubes for output and gain control that continues the warmth I believe I hear from my selection of amplification.

 

[Exlibris]

I put the Brinkmann Nyquist MKII in my system today.
My first impression was "yes, it's better than my Audio Note UK DAC 0.1x but is it worth the extra money?"
And then I noticed that I wasn't advancing from one test track to the next like I usually do. I had to listen to the songs all the way through because they were so musically captivating. This DAC really conveys the emotions and intentions of musicians. It also turns what were once just sounds into musical instruments that are living and breathing in my room.

 

[Ultrafast69]

I put the Brinkmann Nyquist MKII in my system today.
My first impression was "yes, it's better than my Audio Note UK DAC 0.1x but is it worth the extra money?"
And then I noticed that I wasn't advancing from one test track to the next like I usually do. I had to listen to the songs all the way through because they were so musically captivating. This DAC really conveys the emotions and intentions of musicians. It also turns what were once just sounds into musical instruments that are living and breathing in my room.

So your liking it the Nyquist over the Audio Note and it’s worth the extra money?

A good friend of mine does not like the idea of tubes in the output and gain stages, and IMO that’s what’s helping deliver a warm sense of presence. Their updated power supplies over the first are what brings the clarity and detail.

 

[Exlibris]

So your liking it the Nyquist over the Audio Note and it’s worth the extra money?

A good friend of mine does not like the idea of tubes in the output and gain stages, and IMO that’s what’s helping deliver a warm sense of presence. Their updated power supplies over the first are what brings the clarity and detail.

Yes, I like it very much. The music projects from the images and energizes the room like Ive only heard from analog.
The digital unit is definitely a mkII but I don't know about the power supply.