Carcajou

MKilci, You have the Pioneer N50 in your list. I have a Pioneer N50 with firmware 1.038 installed and I like it very much for WAV and Flac files BUT when it is time to play Aiff files. At times, when I acquire Aiff files (from Qobuz or else)...the N50 will not play and display an error message. Then I take the Aiff files and I re-convert them it into Aiff via JRiver conversion engine...and then the the N50 play the Aiff files with no problem. Since you are using a Mac environment, I though you would find this information relevant. Also, you do not specify what DAC you are using. If you like your Dac, the Aries Mini proposed above would be a good choice. In my setup, the Pioneer N50 is used as a streamer only feeding my Aqua La Voce DAC via Coax SPDIF...and I am considering replacing the Pioneer N50 with a Moon Mind or Auralic Aries...streamer. Carcajou

Bonjour I leave my Aqua La Voce powered on all the time but it does not run with tubes...I can understand the concern of leaving La Scala, that runs with tubes, on all the time. I had noticed a big sound improvement with my previous dac (Metrum Octave first genration) when it was left powered on...all the time. Carcajou

Bonjour, For the last 6 months I have been listening to my dematerialized music via an Aqua La Voce S2 and I am very satified with the naturalness of the sound. The La Voce replaces a Metrum Octave (first generation). An La Voce has an I2S connection to allow for the Aqua Diva CD transport to be connected in the best possible conditions. The I2S connection is very interesting and I want to explore this more. My current set up is composed of a Pioneer N-50 Network audio player that feeds the La Voce via Coax SPDIF. Music Server is JRiver MC21 on a Lenovo Laptop and the music files are stored on a NAS drive on the Network. Are there any Network Audio Players or Streamer that provide an I2S connection? Is the I2S connection an industry standard or not? Carcajou

Bonjour I realized I have not anwsered your question - The Aqua La Voce II does not have a preamp section. It can be connected to a preamp or an integrated amplifier - but will not provide volume control if connected directly to a power amplifier. Carcajou

Bonjour, I run JRiver MC20 on a Lenovo T530 Laptop - the music files (Wav, Flac, Aiff) are stored on a NAS drive- and the music playback is done via a Pioneer N50 Network Audio Player with the Coax SPDIF output connected to the Aqua La Voce II Coax input. La Voce II analog outputs feed directly my Stax SRM-006TII /404 Signature. All Network connection for all devices are done with Cat 6 RJ45 cabling and interconects are Yter. Power cords are old Shunyata Sidewinder. Compared with the Metrum Octave (first generation) - La Voce II offer the same sound signature - fast transients, open imaging and natural timing and analog sound - But La Voce II has more weighty bass than the Octave and present several additionnal layers of harmonics that bring you closer to the real live music. Carcajou

Bonjour, I can attest that the Aqua La Scala II is one of a great dac, probably the best I have heard. When I visit a good friend of mine - this is the Dac he uses - with the Aqua CD Transport. Analog and very satisfying sound all the way. I could not afford to buy Aqua La Scala II - so I bought the Aqua La Voce II - and it is a great upgrade from the already good Metrum Octave (first genration). I am glad that Aqua products gets into some discussion tread. Carcajou

Bonjour, I have an "old" N50 and I run it with JRiver as the DLNA Media Server with all the music files (wav, flac, aiff) ripped on a NAS drive. I definitely recommends to go the Network way. For the Gapless playback - it will work if you use the N-50a as a DLNA Player ie: When the playback is initiated from the commands on the tiny screen in front of the Pioneer or with the associated "control app". The Gapless playback does not work with my N-50 when I use the N-50 as a DLNA Renderer ie: When the playback is "pushed" to the Pioneer by a Media server like JRiver. I do not know if this will behave differently with the N-50a Carcajou

KingCrimson, Auralic Aries support Wifi 802.11n and recommends to use th 5Ghz band. 50 feet is a long way to go for the 5Ghz band but if you do not have armoured concrete wall in the way between the Wifi router and the Stream - things should work. Auralic even recommends some router that will prevent you wife to say: Alta la vista ....

False alarm and great news - Qobuz site is back online tonight - my appologies to all for this one. Carcajou

Qobuz web site is down right now - not a good sign - I hope it is for maintenance and not a ramification of their "chap 11 - sauvegarde" situation

Got that. I do download hi res music from Qobuz - but I am not attracted by the streaming model yet. Actually, Qobuz have filed a sort of bankrupty protection in France (similar to chap 11 in the USA) recently. The investments they made in streaming may not produce the expected revenues. I think the Streaming industry will - one day - adopt ONE streaming solution that will not have to be imbedded into Network Audo Players - but a universal one that can allow users to identify themselves as registered user of specifics stearming services... Carcajou

Bonjour, I may have missed the subtilities justifying the statement "the majority of people on sites like this won't buy pioneer equipment". I do not want to defend Pioneer here - but they (an other Japanese manufacturers) issued first editions of Network Audio Players a few years ago that allowed audio enthousiasts like me to dive in Network Audio and to stay away from the USB Dac architecture. When I bought the Pioneer N-50, I also bought a Metrum Octave and that I connected via coax SPDIF. This set up driven in DLNA by JRiver has worked flawlessly since its installation. When I bought the Pioneer N50 - I wished a version with no DAC would be available as I bypass it with the Metrum. And Pioneer (and others) are releasing to the market 2nd generation Network Audio Player that now support DSD. I just learned about the Auralic Aries - this is the architecture I would favor form my next acquisition - A Network Audio Streamer with no DAC - to which you connect the DAC of your choice. Carcajou

This fall, along with the release of the N-P01, Pioneer will issue and updated version of the N-50 named N-50A and a new N-70A. I own a N-50 and will look foward for review and opinion about these new devices. Pioneer introduces the all-new N-70A/N50A Hi-Fi streamers: easy to use and hard to outperform. Carcajou

I've ask Qobuz what type of AIFF files they publish on their site for download Carcajou

Patatorz, Actually when I download from HDTracks or Qobuz - I use the WAV file format - the two albums I downloaded from Qobuz in AIFF were on an exception basis to test the Pioneer N50 AIFF compatibility after the release of Firmware 1.020 or 1.021... My music files are almost 99% WAV files in my library. Carcajou