In the world of high-quality sound, there is often a simple rule: the more expensive the equipment, the better the result. But this is not always the case. Sometimes, behind an impressive price tag and loud promises lies disappointment.
This article is a translation of an audio enthusiast's honest account of his encounter with a Hi-Fi component that became a counterexample for him. We are not talking about budget equipment, but about an expensive purchase that did not live up to expectations in terms of sound or build quality.
You won't find dry technical reviews here. This is a personal story about how value for money can turn out to be completely unsuccessful even in the premium segment, and a warning to those who believe that high cost always guarantees superiority.
Linn Klimax DSM
Perhaps the play on words hinting at a sexual biological process is cool. All you have to do is take the letter “C” and replace it with “K.” But at £15,000, in terms of sound quality, this component should be the equivalent of the vigorous movements of two sexy celebrities making love. Unfortunately, despite the fact that Klimax is superbly designed, in terms of sound, it is more reminiscent of a sluggish struggle. It will be very difficult to raise it to the stated price level.
Together with the author of Hi-Fi Review, we listened to this streamer as part of a system consisting of a Chord DAVE DAC and top-of-the-line PMC speakers. This was enough to hear the differences/changes when comparing. We came to the conclusion that the difference in sound quality when comparing this device with the £5,000 Innuos Zenith SE streamer was not significant.
Unfortunately, this fact was not reflected in his review, which was to be expected. Innuos clearly underestimated its SE model — at the same time, this review gained a lot of popularity. Although this case did not change the preferences of the majority, it did add a note of doubt — I think few would agree that the tested model sounded better.
These streamers are sold at a very reasonable price on the secondary market, despite being made from high-quality materials. But again, wouldn't it be better to buy a decent-looking Hi-Fi component and spend the remaining £10,000 on works of art or other purposes?
Who spends £10,000 on a metal box, even if it is of very high quality? After all, you can invest in stocks, because they don't depreciate like Hi-Fi does… or like Trump does when he goes to another press conference at the White House. I can't understand who buys such Hi-Fi equipment.
Cyrus Stream X Signature
I'm not going to continue with the erotic metaphor and joke about the letter “X” in this case. Generally speaking, the Stream X Signature is equipped with a beautiful Cyrus branded case — many people like it. Old-school retro, unchanged for 25 years, like a warm, cozy living room in your grandmother's house.
As a former owner of this network player, I can say that after experimenting with digital streaming sources from other manufacturers, you will come to understand that the sound quality here is average for a £1,500 device. This is particularly disappointing, as the amplifiers and CD players in this line are quite good, albeit quite expensive compared to brands such as Hegel, which are often found among the more “established” players in the industry. The One Cast is just as good.
I tried comparing the Cyrus Stream X Signature with the Node 2 network player (the version without the “i”), which performed at roughly the same level in my system, albeit with a wider soundstage, which is typical of the 2i model. However, it did not have the same emphasis on the midrange frequencies as the Cyrus. If you ignore these differences, you could say that these two devices are surprisingly similar in their sound character, despite their different design approaches.
I also upgraded the Stream X2 to the Stream X Signature once, but didn't notice any noticeable changes. The upgrade involved adding ballast and modifying the power supply. Even more suspicious and alarming was the fact that no changes were noticed even in a system consisting entirely of Cyrus components, for which this product was actually developed. Good speakers were also used. However, I have never heard Cyrus owners publicly declare that the upgrade was worth it.
But even worse is their app called Cadence, which is so third-rate that it functions as if it were developed by a student who failed his high school exams, got lazy, and gave up. KEF, the company that developed an app for its LS50W and LSX active speakers, was similarly criticized because the app simply did not connect.
Considering that the £300 Cyrus enclosure is the main cost factor, as the streamer board and power supply are not really anything special, the question arises: what do you get for £1,500? Not to mention that the original X2 cost £1,000, and Cyrus continued to inflate the price for this upgrade, as well as for minor changes to the design and an app that should literally be banned by law.
Roon Nucleus / Nucleus
Roon itself is an amazing product. It is the granddaddy of Hi-Fi streaming software and interfaces, beloved by audiophiles. It is definitely worth subscribing to, although personally I would not rush into a lifetime membership, as a lot can change over the next five-plus years.
The ability to send virtually any music to Roon-enabled devices, Roon Radio offering so much music — these are truly amazing features. And the superbly organized search for the right music is something for which I will be eternally grateful to Roon.
But Roon Nucleus… isn't capable of much. Essentially, it's Roon's solution for creating a single, all-in-one server for people who don't want to bother with buying a PC and installing software themselves. In other words, they want everything in one pot.
However, the argument in favor of Nucleus (which is essentially a £500 Intel NUC in a different case and costs £1,500 or £2,500 for the Nucleus+ version) becomes completely unfounded, especially when you can get a computer company to build you a NUC, install Roon software, and support it for the entire life of the product, all for a lower price.
You don't have to repeat the mantra “I'm rich, I don't care.” Various forums are trying to find reasons to buy this device. Here we are dealing with marketing again. It even seems to me that Nucleus is mocking the main Roon software, so I would like to see the price they are asking for it reduced. It would be possible to offer different levels of Roon functionality in corresponding price categories. Or Nucleus at a reduced price with pre-installed Roon software.
Compare the backs of the NUC and Nucleus cases and note the identical connectivity. That's because Nucleus is essentially a NUC.
Sometimes in the world of audiophilia, price has nothing to do with sound quality—I remember one strange speaker system that I saw at a crazy price, as if it had been assembled from space technology, but in reality it sounded worse than speakers costing a hundred dollars. It's all just flashy packaging, marketing hype, and deception for those who believe that the more expensive something is, the better it is. In reality, truly good sound doesn't necessarily require crazy amounts of money, and the most expensive gadget can turn out to be just a pretty piece of junk.
Auralic Aries G1
Auralic won me over with its original Auralic Aries Mini streamer, which was universally acclaimed, did its job well, and cost £500, while boasting a powerful processor with excellent specs and good sound. What's more, you could install a hard drive inside the streamer and turn it into a server. There was also the option of using a linear power supply.
The original-looking Aries with its futuristic design was good for its price of around £1,000, but everything changed dramatically when Auralic abandoned these models in favor of the form factor of the current line, where the cheapest model, the G1, costs £1,900 and is a streaming transport with Roon ready functionality. The saddest thing about this is that I didn't notice a noticeable improvement in sound quality compared to the Aries LE I tested.
The measurement begins at the point where the listening area will be located. You can either choose one point, where the focus will be best, or mark two points at once to indicate the area where the processor will “direct” the sound. After that, the microphone needs to be placed at random points in the room at different heights, and the amplifier will show, based on the measurements, the percentage of how fully it was able to form an idea of the room's acoustics. The duration of the setup procedure depends on the specifics of the room and how creative you are in choosing random locations for the microphone. If you are unsure of the results, you can save several such settings in memory and then compare them with each other.
The calibration procedure took no more than 20 minutes in both cases. After that, three settings became available in the amplifier menu: Focus — when the sound is concentrated at the listening point, Global — for uniform “focus” throughout the room, and Bypass, when the RoomPerfect function is disabled. According to reviews from those who have already tested the Lyngdorf TDAI-2170, the quality of this amplifier is so high that it should be paired with speakers that are not comparable in price, but rather more expensive. Therefore, for the test, we chose two floor-standing models: Audio Physic Avanti costing 427,500 rubles and Piega Classic 60.2 costing 892,500 rubles. And the Lyngdorf TDAI-2170 itself, I remind you, even in full configuration, does not reach the 400,000 ruble mark. Before and after
I always feel that streamers like the G1 are too complicated, because the question is, how much are you willing to spend for a one percent difference? Let's add expressions such as “it doesn't add or subtract anything” to the comments of other reviewers, and I think that by reading between the lines of their manufacturer-friendly articles, we'll find out what they really think about it. If anyone thinks that I haven't taken the overall context of these articles into account, well, I disagree. Read them again, read between the lines, and analyze them—then you'll understand what I mean.
If you're going to buy this streamer, it's better to first find a Node 2i on sale and at least listen to see if the Aries G1 is as good as it is compared to it. You won't regret it, and at the same time, you can use this as an experience to get rid of any preconceptions and snobbery about the maxim “what's more expensive must be better.”
But in audiophile Hi-Fi, this is not always the case, and the lesson from the Node 2i does not work here. The authoritative publication What Hi-Fi said of the Node 2i: “It doesn't seem out of place in our reference system, which includes ATC SCM50 speakers,” which largely echoes my experience. Basically, this means that for those who, like me, are brave enough to admit it, this streamer will perform just as well as some more expensive sources such as the G1.
Chord Electronics Hugo M Scaler
I would buy the Hugo TT2 without hesitation, even if I wasn't particularly fond of Chord. Be that as it may, they may not win in terms of appearance, but in terms of music — definitely yes!
But let's get back to the point. The fact is that the M Scaler — a module for increasing audio signal resolution (upscaling) — is sold and marketed as a universal upscaler, suitable for virtually any DAC. At £3,500, it is quite an expensive device, and although the good old Hi-Fi press suggests that it is suitable for everyone, this is not the case.
When paired with some very modest DACs, it improves almost nothing, despite the high price tag, so you need to use at least a TT2 DAC to get any real benefit from it — and even then, its sound quality per pound or dollar will not match what the TT2 can achieve on its own.
The problem I encountered when using the M Scaler lies in the law of diminishing returns, but if it were sold as a final upgrade kit for the TT2 without regard to its high cost, then its merits could be recognized. Otherwise, you will be disappointed. For example, instead of using this upscaler in conjunction with the Qutest DAC, you can simply purchase a single TT2 — which, by the way, is an amazing device.
The Pursuit Perfect System website literally idolized the M Scaler — basically, everything Chord does always gets approval on that site. But if you don't think Hi-Fi has diminishing returns — just buy it and ignore everything else. And I'm not likely to try to convince you otherwise.
Not long ago, a reader from Mexico contacted me to share something that strongly resonates with my own experience. Over to the reader: "The M Scaler is my third Chord after the Mojo and Hugo 2, and the first two were amazing in every way, but the M Scaler has been a complete disappointment for me. Now I understand why every review of the M Scaler pairs it with the TT2.
I would like Chord to be more honest and clarify this issue, as the dynamics and soundstage improve only slightly when paired with Hugo 2. I asked them about adapters, and they advised me to use two adapters, but they didn't even mention the pointlessness of pairing it with Hugo 2.
When I talk about the hi-fi press stirring up passions in their reviews for the advertising budgets allocated to them, I don't trust the opinion of such press, and it doesn't strengthen my confidence. That's why there will always be people who give their own assessment.
But I often wonder: how many people are there who oppose all these supposedly biased opinions of buyers? Those who, like audiophiles, seek negligible improvements in cases where often nothing special should be expected, as well as dealers, reviewers, and PR agents who will claim that it sounds amazing.
Innuos hard drives
Innuos offered audiophile-friendly prices for its mk2 music servers, but, as we know, a more advantageous position in the market leads to an inevitable increase in prices, which is what happened with their mk3 servers, which are used in audiophile systems. But has their performance improved significantly?
As a pessimist (rather than an “objective reviewer”), I strongly doubt this. However, in any case, it's not my problem. Overall, if you prefer Innuos mk3 devices with small storage capacities, you will get a good price/quality ratio: servers, Roon, DACs in some models, as well as CD rippers. Plus, it's a perfectly quiet gaming server. However, I see a problem with the price of solid-state drives (SSDs).
The problem is that when audiophile companies get involved with computer peripherals, they sometimes charge exorbitant prices that are at odds with the computer industry. Given the large market and lower prices of computer components, this is unfair, to say the least, and seems like a mockery.
For example, the Innuos Zenith Mk3 with a 1TB Samsung EVO 860 SSD costs £3,000, but Innuos charges an additional £1,000 for the 4TB version. And that's just for the SSD, which actually costs £400. In other words, you are paying £600 simply for the privilege — that is, for nothing.
One salesperson from Innuos, who no longer works there, told me that “this is the price you pay for the best model in the line,” answering my main question on the same topic. But is that true? After all, it's exactly the same model, just with a different drive. If the Zenith Mk3 with a 1TB drive costs £3,000 and the 4TB drive costs £4,000, you're unlikely to convince any buyer that it's worth it.
And if you bought a cheaper model and built a larger capacity drive into it yourself, I wonder if Innuos would provide warranty support for such a device? Most likely not, as this would be considered unofficial tampering!
This story is a great reminder that in the world of audio, a high price does not always mean high quality. Sometimes, behind a big name and a premium price tag, there is banal carelessness in assembly and frankly poor engineering.
The author's experience with this “audiophile” device teaches us to be vigilant. It is important not to blindly succumb to marketing and brand authority, but to seek out independent reviews, unboxing videos, and real user opinions. True sound quality is built on attention to detail and respect for the buyer, not on a price set simply because “it's possible.”
Ultimately, this amusing and instructive story makes us think about the true values in our hobby. The joy of music comes from well-designed and honestly made components, not the most expensive or the most fashionable ones. And sometimes it is a failed product that helps us better understand what is really worth the money.
