Very interesting in the Lina Streaming DAC for my 2 channel system which has all Benchmark electronics:
DAC3, HPA4 Pre, ABH2 Amp with Harbeth 7es-XD Speakers. Currently streaming Qobuz from USB connected Macbook AIR.
Shopping for Streamer and then plan a DAC upgrade. So the Lina appears to solve both issues. As DAC I’m convinced of its ability. My question does it perform better than a dedicated streamer such as Aurender, Auralic, etc. or would I need one to get the best out of the DAC?
Sell the lina and buy a Bartók Apex or version 2.0 used
Didn’t buy the Lina yet. Are saying the streaming is superior with Bartok vs Lina?
Never made a direct comparison but I’m sure the diference is bigger between Lina Vs Bartók Apex than the Bartók Apex Vs Rossini Apex.
I will uo-grade the Bartók Apex but I’m not in a hurry because the dac plays so I dam good that i saw the at i have better SQ improvement putting my money in superior cables.
Adding an Aurender N20 to my system significantly improved SQ. I have a Bartok, recently upgraded to APEX.
But I play a lot of local files in addition to streaming. If all you’re doing is streaming you may be great.
BTW a lot of folks will tell you that using Ethernet is better than USB with dCS DACs. You could try that too if you have a wifi Satelite nearby. I’m not sure if a direct Ethernet MBA to DAC would work; never tried that.
I think you’ll find the Lina is a great streamer. You can stream Qobuz direct through the Mosaic app, bypassing the MBA.
Thanks Andrew. The N20 or N209 is what I have been considering. So can you be more specific about how the Aurender improve the DCS SQ?
It’s hard to say now, but at them time it was obvious to me. I’ve since upgraded to APEX too.
More ease, more clarity, more naturalness, more musicality.
Previous source was a Roon device via Ethernet. It beat that. FWIW the Roon device, a nucleus+, died and is no longer in use.
I use the ARS/EBU connection with the Aurender.
I had the Aurender N10 with USB connected and that combi couldn’t touch build-in Ethernet streaming with Rossini.
Thanks T38.45. That was valuable information. I certainly would like to avoid buying a separate Streamer and separate DAC. Plus if the Lina performs well direct to my Benchmark Amp I could eliminate the Preamp.
welcome- add on: even my Innuos Statement Next Gen connected via USB doesn’t reach the internal streaming quality of Rossini’s Ethernet connection.
I recommend not buy the Lina (or any other product) without a home demo in your system and room.
The Lina is voiced to be warm in its primary role as the source in a headphone streaming system although it CAN sound good in 2 channel. The Bartok 2.0 or APEX is a better proposition in 2-channel systems.
Where did you get that idea from?
I have both the Bartok HA (non-Apex) and a full Lina stack; in a proper apples-to-apples comparison, it’s very hard to tell the two apart sonically. When one factors in the Lina Amp, the Lina stack pulls ahead of the Bartok HA (non-Apex).
For what its worth, IMHO, the Lina stack is a mini-Vivaldi, folks who take advantage of it now will be thanking themselves in the years to come 
I wonder if the HPA in the Bartok could be upgraded someday. No doubt they learned something between the Bartok and Lina HPA designs. Another way to keep adding life and improvement to any dCS component.
FWIW the Bartok APEX upgrade was an obvious and very nice improvement to my ears.
I listen to the Bartok via both two channel and headphones.
Of that I have no doubt. The Apex upgrade on my Vivaldi DAC was revelatory. Never expected it to sound so significantly better.
I don’t have any experience with dCS DACs. Can you give me your thoughts on their sonic characteristics especially the Lina as I don’t have any way near me to audition them.
The Lina DAC’s sonic signature is pretty much identical to the rest of the dCS family in that it’s very transparent and neutral. Not warm, not cold, just neutral.
Other DACs like those from Chord or Mola-Mola attempt to be similarly neutral to varying degrees of success. There was a mention of Aqua Acoustic DAC recently among the threads, that’s an example of a DAC that is heavily distorted which to some people sounds “full” and inviting, a common subjective preference. If that’s your kind of thing, then dCS is probably not for you. If you can’t comparatively audition them at home before buying, then dCS is a very safe bet.
While the Lina is targetted at the headphone market space in both price and form factor, the internal design is quintessential dCS, with some elements even being identical to what’s in a Vivaldi (the Streaming Board for example). All of which means it’ll sound better than most other DACs in a traditional 2-Channel HiFi system.
There’re a number of online reviews that go into a lot more detail. Maybe start with the one from HiFiNews;
The one other advantage with dCS is that it generally holds its value rather well; meaning for whatever reason if you’re unhappy with it, you can quite easily off-load it without taking too much of a hit.
Thank you. I appreciate your response.