Just joined..!
I only found this site by searching for reviews of the CXN v2
Planning on buying a streamer, maybe this one, next year... part of my process and path for finally ditching and selling my vinyl...
My only experience of streaming up to now has been using laptop or phone... (Tidal, not Spotify, and will try Qobus sometime soon).
This streamer appealed to me on the basis of various reviews I read elsewhere. The appeal is confirmed by this review (really helpful
@VintageFlanker ... Thank You..!), and by comparing these results to the reviews here (also helpful, thanks
@amirm) of Bluesound Node 2i and Wiim Pro, which have been suggested to me as options elsewhere.
I'm not in a position to buy this atm, but going to the Cambridge Audio site I saw they have the AXN and MXN alternatives, with different DACs. The AXN 10 has ESS SABRE ES9033Q DAC and it's reduced from £549 to £449 at the moment.
I only intend to connect whatever streamer (output) I do buy direct to my amplifier, and it will be connected direct to internet / router (by ethernet if I can get the cable to where it will be located), so I'm not sure I need or would benefit from the plethora of functions the CXN has... I want to be able to stream high quality audio from Tidal or Qobus and BBC Sounds and that's about it, certainly for now. (By the way, is it possible to use the XLR ouputs into an amp that only has phono inputs..?)
I don't know anything about that ESS DAC other than a brief search today here and elsewhere on internet... seems to indicate it's well respected but with the caveat that performance can vary widely depending on implementation, which I assume would be true of any DAC chips..?
So, any thoughts, folks - particularly
@VintageFlanker and
@biglebowski and others who own the CXN v2 - regarding how well the AXN would compare with the CXN, specifically regarding sound quality..?
Or does that 'implementation is all' caveat mean it would be comparing apples and oranges and that I therefore can't read anything into the sound quality of the AXN10 from the DAC chips in it and the qualities of the CXNv2..?
Many thanks for responses, in anticipation...