TOP STREAMERS
The various Streamers listed below are our subjective picks for the top Streamers in the world, based upon our reviews. That said, the list is a dynamic list and as we review new Streamers that we feel deserve a spot on the list, the list and the ranking will change to accommodate the new component. Things do change.
Suffice to say that in-house Streamer and DAC combinations at nearly twice the price of the Grimm Audio MU2 could not/did not compete. And this was clear the exact minute that the MU2, again just off a FedEx “freezer truck” and placed in the reference system, went unabashedly to the head of the class. It was not subtle—its rendering and playback abilities as compared to everything else (and there were very expensive DACs in-house for review, each alone more expensive…$17,500
There is, perhaps, no aspect at which the Grimm Audio MU1 does not excel across its functionalities and collective voices—both “better” and “best”. It is supremely transparent, easily able to resolve the most dense passages, movements and songs, and it lifts prodigious amounts of detail, most especially via its AES/EBU (4x) output. It is also natural and richly musical in a way that makes it compelling and immersive and fluid as if an analog rendering. MSRP $12,500
Alive. Natural. Musical. Transparent. Astonishing. The Baetis Audio Reference 4 Mingo left streamers at nearly twice its price on fire, smoking, and begging for mercy, in its tracks. Or, at least, as coupled to the Mola Mola Tambaqui, that is how it seemed. And that would be the kindest thing I could say, given the disparity of its performance relative to the others. MSRP $13,000
The Bricasti Design M1SE is, indeed, the “The Synthesis of Transparency and Beautiful Music!” Its abilities to extract next-level transparency on recording after recording, as well as its competence to resolve that which other DACs cannot is outstanding and pedigree enough. But the M1SE does not stop there. There is a profound three-dimensionality, a richness, and a palpability generally associated with single-ended triode tubes. And it’s streaming capabilities on on par with its DAC capabilities, a clear two-fer! MSRP $15,000
The Baetis Audio Revolution X4 brings a naturalness, an ease, and a sweetness to recordings that will have analog-lovers fully engaged while also providing the high-fidelity technicalities—soundstaging, resolution, transparency, detail retrieval, etc.—for those long wedded to the evolving digital audio world. The Revolution X4 is an outstanding digital streamer that I am certain believes itself to be a synthesis of both digital and analog. MSRP $6,000
A time and space machine, indeed, for the when and where the Mola Mola Tambaqui transports one. Impossible it is, to write the concluding notes of this review, to break away from the spellbinding music or magic that this DAC/Headphone amplifier creates. Max Richter’s The Blue Notebook plays and the music sweeps over me as though my yellow-chair-tardis finds its way, through time and space, to this venue and that. MSRP $13,500
I had listened to the Audionet DNP for several weeks, if not longer, and thought it, decidedly, good, though not great. And given its price and its abilities, I had contemplated sending it home. “You’re a good, talented kid, but…,” would be my parting words. …And then the Audionet EPX arrived and was plugged into the system. The best way of describing things from that point on was “Game Over.” Everything improved! Everything! Audionet DNP ($20,300) Audionet EPX enhanced power supply ($10,100)
The PerfectWave SACD transport and the PS Audio DirectStream DAC are highly recommended in a day and age when people actually think that CDs are dead. The nerve! Remember, these are probably the same people who said that vinyl was dead, as vinyl now experiences a renaissance across the world. When will we learn and listen to our hearts and our souls, not the naysayers. PS Audio PerfectWave SACD transport ($6499), PS Audio DirectStream DAC ($5999)
The Sonnet digital duo, the Morpheus DAC and the Hermes streamer are what I would call the perfect products for those seeking accurate, natural, and musically pleasing sound. I would go as far as to say this would apply even more so to “digital holdouts”, those who have not invested in high end digital components, or have preconceived notions about digital audio performance. The Sonnet designs deliver the goods, and would convert even the most stubborn digital skeptics. SONNET Morpheus retails for $3399, SONNET Hermes $1200
Hands down the Silent Angel Rhein Z1 wins the High Nines Award for a truly exceptional streaming product. However, when coupled to the Silent Angel Forester 2 the combo moves things up to the next level and wins, collectively, the Gold Keynote Award for excellence. I am truly impressed with the Silent Angel brand and these two products that have brought Silent Angel to my attention. Bravo! Silent Angel Rhein Z1 $2,299, Silent Angel Forester F2 $1,599