![]() The features of the DAC part are important depending on how high quality you want the music to be. If you have a pretty average system, then pretty much anything we recommend will satisfy. But if you have a collection of super hi-res music stored and you've splashed out on an elite amp, then look for the DACs with higher-end components and file support. It doesn’t look much, but Sonos Port offers an extremely smooth transition from the wired to wireless world. Just plug in your turntable and stream it to a Sonos speaker, or plug it into your amp and speakers and stream via Airplay 2 or the Sonos app. ![]() If you've got a Google Home or Alexa speaker you can even have voice control of it. The Yamaha WXAD-10 is another superb value upgrade to your music system. It supports hi-res audio, allows the possibility of Sonos-like multi-room and is compatible with every streaming service most people could possibly want, from Spotify to Qobuz, to Apple AirPlay and even Bluetooth. If you've got an existing hi-fi with decent speakers, CD player and Amplifier, but crave the digital delights of wireless audio, you need a streaming DAC. These simple plug-and-play receivers connect to a spare phono or 3.5mm input and instantly upgrade your kit. SONOS TARGETS AUDIOPHILES BY 24BIT QOBUZ UPGRADE Sound quality can be anything from MP3-level to better-than-CD hi-res audio, and all the convenience of Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music etc.Īll the kit we've reviewed features a DAC (or digital-to-analogue converter) that improves, to varying degrees, the sound quality of streamed music. While none will match a wire for hi-res file compatibility and playback, you'll often notice the difference with a lowly MP3. ![]() Many streaming DAC receivers can also be used to integrate your old kit into a wider multi-room set-up – some also with voice control support - whether that's Chromecast, Sonos or MusicCast, breathing yet more life into your antiquated audio kit. You will, of course, need more compatible speakers (or streaming DACs plugged into hi-fi systems) to achieve this life goal. Sonos Port is a great little streamer, especially if you're among the millions of people who already own a Sonos speaker. It's actually a multi-purpose device, since it has an analogue input and output, as well as being able to stream to any Sonos speaker wirelessly. This means you can plug in a source – a turntable being the most obvious one, although you will need a pre-amp if yours isn't able to output at line level – and then stream it around the house to your network of Sonos speakers and soundbars.Īlternatively, you can plug the Port into your amplifier/soundbar/powered speaker and stream to it via Sonos or Apple AirPlay 2. With careful positioning, the Port can even pull off both its party tricks at once. Sound quality is really excellent, despite the absence of support for hi-res audio. SONOS TARGETS AUDIOPHILES BY 24BIT QOBUZ UPGRADE.You'll need to be running the Sonos S2 software, of course, on whatever speaker system you have running. Qobuz streaming on Sonos in 24-bit Hi-Res is available from today, for users in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United States. Qobuz subscriptions start at $12.99/mo (assuming you're willing to pay for a year's service in one go the same plan is $14.99/mo if you want to pay monthly). Still, as with most services which promise a bump in quality, there's no telling that your favorite artists or songs will be available in the more detailed format. Estimates pegged that number at 2m+ a couple of years ago, and the company says it's adding new Hi-Res music all the time. Although there are plenty of streaming services out there, the options for audiophiles unwilling to compromise on quality compared to their original CD rips are comparatively rate.Īs for how many tracks in the catalog actually offer Hi-Res quality, there Qobuz is a little more conservative, saying it has 240,000+ albums. The arrival of a 24-bit Hi-Res option may be the nudge that those potential upgraders were waiting for.
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