Overall Listening Impressions
The most notable improvement with the Diretta compared to my Aurender N10 streamer and EMM Labs DV2i is that it has a lower noise floor, which conveys a larger sense of space around instruments and openness in the soundstage. There is however a loss in bottom end fullness and a tendency to accentuate the highs. In particular, the highs can be on the harsher side if proper care isn’t put into isolating the host from the target. The quality of the Ethernet connection between the host and target also matters. I compared a standard cat 6 cable from Amazon ($10) to a Blue Jeans Cable balanced Belden Ethernet cable ($56) and to a fiber optic link (using TP Link converters & Finisar optical modules - $100). The Belden sounded better than the Amazon cable, and the fiber optic link sounded best.
While I could make improvements in the highs, the bottom end always sounded thin compared to my other streamers. That said, the lower noise floor and openness of the presentation are compelling. Certainly, in terms of bang for the buck, I would put this system against some streamers that are significantly more costly.
Equipment:
EMM Labs DV2i DAC/Streamer
Ypsilon PST 100 MKII Preamp
David Berning Qaudrature Z Monoblocks
PS Audio P20 Power Regenerator
Von Schweikert Audio Ultra 55 Active Speakers
Masterbuilt Ultra Cabling