Al, see the attached image to understand how my network is setup and how I plan to proceed. Looking for opinions on this in another thread as well.
With the GG in the system, I used the capsv3 computer as an NAA in the room and used my i7 desktop computer in the office to run roonserver and HQPlayer. Going forward, I plan to use the capsv3 computer in the utility room to run roonserver with music storage on a synology NAS in the same room.
The capsv3 is running W10 optimized with the audiophile optimizer. I also have a replacement SSD that has licensed W12 Server with AO, but I couldn't make that work reliably as an NAA so I switched to W10 w/AO instead. I may try W12 Server with roonserver at some point to see if it is better.
Also, the image below shows RCA from MSB Ref to ARC Ref75SE, it is actually balanced, not RCA
View attachment 25300
ok I'm replying now I'm sorry for not dong it sooner. my life has been hell big time.
Before we go into networks let me reply on difference of Lampi and all of Msb.
I owned Msb dacs for years even had flagships for trials.
Way back when some 5 years ago Msb was clearly way ahead of the pack including Lampi that i owned back then as well.
Msb makes a good product pretty much free of issues when new or even second hand.
Every two years or so firmware updates improved there platform sound .
i owned two PSU as I had the 4 pic stack all loaded . The second PSU that was 6 k then had little impact other then to say and show I had it lol.
I was told and promised my Vince the UMT Plus would stream dsd128 this never happened .
in fact oppo who made it said it never would and did not know why Vince said it would .
Vince is. Very nice man , seems honest and Answers the phone himself. Something to be said for this and its a positive for me.
About 2 years back the new USB 2 that was really 3 was talked about . It was to do native Dsd not a deal breaker for me but cool. It also was to have two more very inportent details I wanted. After all this was a 3k upgrade . It was to do MQA yes MQA . Next and perhaps more important was it was to have the rebook filter . Now why is this inportmant ?
Well the dac v was a bust the sel 1 was too , does anyone own one ? Did they have to spend 10k to upgrade to a sel 2 ? The red book filter is paramount to owning an Msb dac . If not there is point owning it. Ps even after 3 k and new USB input . That did sound better . Still no red book. I was again promised by Vince that there is a new renderer it would do it lol .
The point is as good as Msb is there are always factors that effect big money purchases.
So I spent 40k 5 years ago it never did all it was to do .
Now why do I care well it's to keep this honest . The preamps I had in my Msb were very well made but as audio life shows itself it has become that a real active pre is best so save some money.
Now what's a Lampi compared to a Msb dac. Well this greAtly depends on who we ask . Since I owned both and multiples of each and build severs , have pretty ok setup to judge by. I am brutally honest be it good or bad period . I get bashed but it's ok I don't sell , I don't mAke a thing to be sold. I do consult , I do make servers for for friends . I do think short of the UMT,s dsd shortfall it was a very good steamer server. In fact it took me two years or more to catch much less surpass it. It played and found music any where. Did it almost perfect. No dac , server and digital is perfect period.
It was way above the streamer , sever of that time.
Now having said this the 5 Lampi dacs I owned were all very good and perfect yes perfect. But I also know of many not perfect ones to keep this honest . Some 3 years ago mYbe 4 years
I asked for a head dac it was to be for me period. It was made and again perfect but it did make 3 trips back to poland to be as I wanted it. Headphones have a very strict detail to adhere to. Lampi did not get this at first . When it was done Ina very timely fashion it then blew away my exp Msb lol. In fact the only two reasons I kept it we're for its UMT plus and it's pre amp. My dacs are always SE but I need BAL to long interconnects needed.
This led me to a new preamp over time . It did its Service well in going from SE to bal .
What a Lampi does and this is GG and up so its a TRP , GG2 , PAC I am posting about is this.
1- its staging is above any Msb dac I ever heard up to and including a sel 2 with its red book filter.