Multi-multi separates or throw in the towel and go single solution?

The TT
A 2-box phono amp.
Tube pre-amp with custom offboard PSU.
3-box DAC.
Legendary TEAC CDP converted to transport. No signal output, only S/PDIF.
PC source drawing from 10Tb+ of lossless files.
USB- > S/PDIF converter
Into the 3-box DAC…
A couple of 2A3 monoblocks and a Pass F5.

Should I seriously consider ditching the whole lot and opting for a Purifi-based NAD M33 which will give me all of this, and then some?

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Ooh, that looks like fun.

Yes. Do it.

I did something similar a year or so back
It was enough of a faff turning everything on (especially for the rest of the family) that we didn’t bother very often

I ended up with tt, cd transport and tv plugged into an AV amp. Tv did Spotify and Plex for streaming. No the sound isn’t as good but I can turn any of it on with one button or the phone so it’s used all the time. I’ve slotted in a photo stage which means one more button, but since I have to put a record on, I’m there anyway so that’s no big deal

I would say if the faff is reducing your enjoyment or stopping you bothering to use the system then try the one-box.

Have you considered outboard psus for the monoblocks ?

VB

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Full active with individual x-overs, psu per x-over, ADC/DAC per channel with psus :rofl:

There’s two things worth bearing in mind here.

The first is that the boundary between ‘all in one’ and ‘amp that does a lot of shit’ is pretty blurry. The Rotel Michi X3 I have here on test is not an all in one but it’s able to take a feed from a NAS/NUC with a USB out and I’ve tested a great many other amps here that can do the same thing. By the by, having tested both, the Michi beats the NAD too.

The second is that, even if you do go for an all in one, they are absurdly talented bits of kit. The M33, Uniti Nova and the like are just ridiculously capable in terms of the amount they do and the ability with which they do it.

If it were me, I’d use something like the little SOtM streamer I use into the USB input of an amp rather than a ‘true’ all in one as it gives more choice but that’s still a reduction of bloody hundreds of boxes down to two.

I’m pretty certain that someone could make a case for adding any number of Raspberry Pi to that lot complete with separate PSUs etc :+1:

Embrace the faff - ‘If its convenient, its not hifi’

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I conveniently chose not to mention the additional sub woofer, two valve monoblocks from the AV amp pre-out and my switchable speaker inputs… but the family can ignore all of that :rofl:

What, no R2R?

If only there were some middle ground between these options

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You have too many boxes. Sell most of them and get stuff that is in less boxes.

Maybe not the Nad thing though. More boxes are required than that.

Only if it has a special outboard custom equalisation box with outboard PSU and a two box tube output stage. And a massive rack on castors as big as a wardrobe.

Your avatar is a cat. Cats like boxes, so there is your answer.