Tidal on Bluesound or Macbook (Roon) ? [ DAC - Denafrips Pontus II ] with Primaluna and PMC

[@limcheekeong1159]

An amazingly nice song! Thank you!

[@tongton853]

Thank you

[@HongNguyen-my5oq]

Only one nice track from this artist for the entire CD

[@MrMarcolondonuk]

macbook cleaner sounding & more natural

[@alainbesario6679]

yes tidal on blue sound more open sounding

[@robertwang7825]

If you using the Mac , you need a DDC to clean up the noise/jitter and connect via I2S to the Pontus. Or I find using the IPhone Pro 13 upwards is way better than the Mac, don’t need change the sample rate all the time and ofc Apple Music is def more consistent than Tidal IMO.

[@AF-rd2vf]

The Mac/Roon sounds more relaxed.

[@glenschneider5978]

I can see both camps of the node v the Pontus. To me the node sounds sharper and more detailed while the Pontus sounds smoother and more liquid. I personally enjoyed the Pontus sound but would have preferred a bit more detail. Probably that makes no sense at all.

[@tongton853]

thank you for the comment

[@anhy10ful]

Right from the beginning when the guitar solo starts, The Bluesound gets cleaner open sweet sound. The Denafrips should have sounded much better, but the MacBook is an issue. Don't use Roon endpoint from the Macbook directly to your DAC because computer has a huge amount of background processes running that make a lot of noise through USB feeding your DAC. You should have Roon Core connected to your network and away from your audio system and use optimized Roon Endpoint devices to feed your DAC, for example: Raspberry PI4 with Ropieee installed and use linear power supply for it or I heard the new Bluesound Node supports USB streaming as transporter to your DAC, but then you are wasting not using the DAC inside it.

[@tongton853]

Thank you for your comment

[@erics.4113]

Was there much difference in person? I'm using node n130 (newer model) that recently added USB audio output. Feeding that to my denafrips now. Using a $2 cable and can't tell if it's any different than my audio quest SPDIF but what do I know? I did a brief AB and they both sound the same. Fantastic.

[@bobbyke7357]

The MacBook room clearly sounds better more meat

[@tongton853]

Thank you, I think so too.

[@edwarddodge7937]

The Blue: ++: clear, -: too forward, oversized images, congested when multiple voices. The Mac: ++: proper soundstage & imaging, better dynamics, better timbre, -: none when compared to the Blue

[@beslemeto]

This video proves that you don't need a streamer and that streamers don't sound any better!

[@erics.4113]

You know you're dealing with someone that takes their audio seriously when you see the tape marks on the floor for speaker positions. (Not that the tube monos or high end DAC didn't clue us in already) 😀

[@khanhdang8342]

Definitely Bluesound streamer.....

[@adrianmortimer3369]

Bluesound more detail, better resolving of instruments and more natural voices. Macbook sounds more harsh.

[@IronHorsey3]

Have to pint the right speaker fully to the wall. Turn it another 35 degrees into the wall then we can evaluate. 😭

[@rokodrago]

very similar your gear to mine, I have the PMC Twenty5 26 and Terminator-II with Tellurium Ultra Black II speaker and one pair of XLR i/C's, what did you ende up with UB II or SILVER II ?

[@tongton853]

you got a very nice system .. actually I already owned silver II, dealer temporary gave me UB II to try.. at the end, even I really like it, i returned the cable. UB II is better in almost all aspects except the top end (IMO), so I kept using the silver II for a while. then later, dealer offer US with a good deal, so i took it.

[@rokodrago]

@@tongton853 Great !, thanks...the deal your dealer offered to you was on the UB II or SILVER II ?

[@tongton853]

@@rokodrago I returned UBII to him and traded my Silver II and one other thing with Ultra Silver .. now happy with it.. :)

[@madcrabber1113]

I can't tell by this on my computer, how was it in person?

[@DDD-jk5sh]

mabcbook is much better

[@mariagiordano3902]

DSD File ???? running mac roon you could get a dsd signal , and the pontus has the ability to process that sound , was your DSD light on ? I have a node 2 and a dena Ares2 the node will not pass a dsd signal because of the nodes limitations but having a mac you could get a dsd file to your pontus . in theory the mac should be better if your getting DSD files , the question is are you and did you in this video

[@tongton853]

the song is just a normal steaming file from tidal, not dsd. i'd like to try dsd someday. thanks

[@manfredtan7298]

Prefer Macbook, sounds more natural to my ears.

[@rehanamutlagh9473]

Bluesound much better

[@mawe6628]

What USB cable and SPDIF cable did you use?

[@tongton853]

I used Audioquest Diamond USB and Vodka optical

[@georgebartolo8856]

PMC Twenty Five/24?

[@tongton853]

Yes