The wifi antenna was attached, the ifi connected to the Exogal Comet dac via usb, and the ifi plugged into the Shenyata Hydra for power. It arrived five days later, and was installed in minutes. It’s also priced cheaper than any of the prospective laptops that I was considering. Lo, and behold – I found a bunch of reviews about this streamer on internet audio sites, also reading about it on the ifi site before purchasing it on Amazon. The laptop started acting flaky after four years, so it was time to buy another one. I was using a laptop as a music source for my stereo, with JRiver Media Center as the controlling interface. Some reviewers have made a big deal about the software, but these issues must have been resolved in the latest version because I’ve had no issues whatsoever. You do need to update the software via the included ethernet cable first before connecting wirelessly to your home internet, but it’s really not that difficult. I have heard that additional improvements can be had if you power the unit with an upgraded power supply, so that’s where I’m going next. Compared to the sound I was getting from my Bluesound Node 2i through its coaxial output, the Zen Stream is significantly improved: more detailed sound and the sound stage appears to be a bit deeper and more focused. Coming from a Bluesound Node 2i, I wanted a streamer that sounds great, doesn’t waste money with a built-in DAC that I will bypass to my own external DAC, outputs to USB, and let’s me connect seamlessly to Tidal through Tidal’s application and Tidal Connect. This product is exactly what I was looking for to upgrade the sound of my stereo.
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