Top Ten Audio Tech of the Decade

I want to first say that I put a premium on price and convenience over pure audiophile quality sound.  I do have systems that sound great, but when I am out walking the dog, lounging by the pool, driving to work, etc... convenience trumps sound quality.  With that in mind, here are my top ten  audio products or tech of the last ten years:

Special Mention: Company of the Decade: APPLE

For convenience, there really hasn’t been much competition over the years for Apple’s Airplay combined with their hardware and software.  I remember searching for audio options that could send my audio files to any room in the house years ago.  At first, I tried Roku Soundbridge, but like so many other products along the way, it eventually got abandoned.   While Apple hasn’t updated their oldest Airport Express products, they still work with their current devices.   They have, of course, improved the entire hardware ecosystem and even updated to Airplay 2.    While I am still disappointed by their lack of a lossless music service (though, they support lossless CD quality files over Airplay), I still think the convenience factor is off the charts.  You can control Airplay from the HomePod, CarPlay, AppleWatch, iPhone, iPad, Macs, and AppleTVs and it is built into a plethora of third party products.  Therefore, the strength of their ecosystem, including Apple Music and iTunes, has to be recognized when it comes to music and no company has had a bigger impact on audio hardware and software than Apple in the last decade.  

Airfoil from Rogue Media

This app was the answer to playing multi-zone audio throughout the house.  It initially worked with Airplay, but has expanded to work with Casting, Bluetooth, and most recently, Sonos.  It also has a great iOS/Android app for controlling the program running on a computer or even sending audio to the computer by essentially turning the computer into an AirPlay receiver.   The upside to this app is that it works with any audio app on the computer or iPhone. 

Note 1:  I should give a shout out to Sonos for their multi-room options, but I never bought into that ecosystem.  I was always worried about their longevity and didn’t want to spend a fortune on devices that could get bricked if they went under.  Also, for years, their speakers and boxes were too expensive compared to Airplay devices.  I just never saw it is a decent value.  I do think they have filled in many holes over the years and brought their speakers down in price, but if you compare it to Airplay which was already built into my 3 receivers from 3 different companies, adding the $250 Sonos Connect to the system for streaming which was already had built in, didn’t make good financial sense.  I will still give them credit for being ahead of the curve for multi-zone options.  Though, they didn’t make this list.

Dragonfly DACs

This was the answer to a common question:  “How do I get great sound on the road without carrying a bunch of stuff?”  The answer was this small, pocketable DAC/Headphone amp setup.  I initially had issues with getting enough power from my iOS devices with their initial Dragonfly DAC, but the Pluggable USB hub fixed that problem.  I could also just plug the device into my laptop and instantly improve sound quality without a big cumbersome DAC/amp setup.  I should mention that the newer Dragonfly devices have only improved and they don’t even require the Pluggable to work without a separate power source anymore.  Not to mention, the cool as heck glowing Dragonfly on the device that changes colors with the audio bit rate.   

Audyssey MultEQ XT32

This is audiophile blasphemy, but I was playing music through the well regarded PS Audio DLII DAC into my Denon receiver for years and really liked the sound.  However upgrading to a new receiver, brought in this tech and it was mind blowing.  I compared the sound to the PS Audio DAC and it wasn’t even close.  Audyssey can help immensely with imperfect listening spaces and it may have been the biggest difference maker to overall sound quality in my main system even compared with different speakers.  Too bad most audiophiles will never experience it.

Mac mini

I know I come off as an Apple fanboy.  That isn’t because I haven’t tried other products.  I have been using Windows longer and still have multiple PCs in use.   Heck, I even have a Chromebook in my possession.  The fact is that the form factor and good looks means that this can fit anywhere and provide fantastic sound quality without being an eyesore.   While I know people are moving to third party streamers, I just prefer using Macs for my main systems.   The main reason is that I have seen so many third party products eventually go unsupported, and in the case of some products, that means you are stuck with an overpriced brick.  I would rather go with a proven device that works with new DACs and Services as they are improved and come to market.  Also, the fact that the mini supports almost all music streaming services means you aren’t locked into only a handful of services that they support.  Case in point, my 2010 Mac Mini supports Qobuz at 24/192k.  How many 10 year old streamers can say the same?  

Note 2:  I am not blind to the Raspberry Pi and the numerous little audiophile offshoots that can be fun to use for some people.  I still feel that the Mac Mini is a better mainstream off the shelf solution for most people even though they cost a lot more.  That being said, these cool little devices just barely missed my list.  If this article was more about great nerdy options for those wanting great sound on a budget, I probably would have added it.  

Audirvana

As Apple moved iTunes to the waste bin, I started searching for better options for my own library.  Audirvana is my favorite software for when I want to focus on the music.   I know others prefer Roon, but the price tag for the two options are night and day (Roon is $699 for "lifetime" or $119 a year and Audirvana costs $74, but you will have to pay for major updates) .  However, the thing that really made me go with Audirvana, besides the much lower price, was support of DLNA which Roon doesn’t offer support.  I have DLNA built into at least four different devices in my home. 

While Roon's owner discussed some issues with DLNA that are valid, I would still rather have support than not.  In my bedroom system, for example, my Marantz can stream Qobuz at 24/192.  I do have an occasional hiccup in the system, but not enough to make me want to shut down the option.  When it works, which is the vast majority of the time, the sound is amazing.   Roon definitely has mastered how to use metadata and has a beautiful iOS remote app, however, Audirvana and their remote app get the job of playing music done even if it doesn’t have the same level of metadata-goodness.  It is really just a great way to improve sound from a computer with a much smaller cash layout, while also supporting a technology that must of us already use.

Echo Dot

I have to mention this product because it is so darn convenient.  It has Aux and Bluetooth out, so you can connect it directly to a system or speaker or send audio across the room to a Bluetooth speaker.  It doesn’t support every service under the sun, but it works with Amazon, Apple Music, Spotify, SiriusXM, Tidal, Pandora, etc.   It will also control apps like Plex and J River Media, so it can fit into an audiophile setup, as well. 

Topping D10

I have always hesitated to give advice on DACs, but I have had many and this device is a dream for someone on a budget.  I have to go back to that initial T-amp to think of something that gives this kind of audiophile bang for the buck.  It looks great and whether you use the analog out or the digital outs, you should be pleased.  Lots of graphs and measurements around the web that point to extraordinary performance at this price point.  I like it so much, I bought two.

UPNP/DLNA

I have to admit that this is old school tech.  It pre-dates the last 10 years, but it saw huge growth over the decade and some major improvements.  They estimate that it was in 6 billion products by 2017.   The technology itself allows for media files to be transferred and played over a network.  Programs like Audirvana, J River and Plex in addition to many more programs use it.  In a way it is better than AirPlay because it has more headroom and allows support of much higher quality file formats like 24/192 or 4k video.   As I mentioned, I left Roon off this list for their lack of support.

Bluetooth

There probably hasn’t been a technology with faster growth than Bluetooth over the last decade.  While I prefer Airplay and DLNA when I am on wifi, Bluetooth is the best option for using a battery powered speaker by the beach or when you want ultra convenience...especially when you don't have wifi access.   The fact that it is used in autos, speakers, headphones, and devices like the Echo means it is here to stay.   It has become so popular that companies have started adding it to stand alone streamers and home theatre receivers.   

Note 3:  I should mention Casting in this article, so here it is.  The reason I don’t consider it top ten is because of the discontinuation of the Chromecast Audio device.  It was really the best way to get great sound from Casting and with it gone, this tech evaporated from my list.  Also, compared to Bluetooth and AirPlay, it is severely limited in the number of services and devices  supported.

Apple Airpods

I had to list this separately from Apple’s ecosystem post above because it is influential in its own right and will become one of the most important audio products in recent memory (combined with Apple’s “courage” to remove the headphone port).  Personally, I don’t own a pair of these because I don’t like the way they look or sound.  I opted for Beatsx at the time, but I did buy a pair for my (ex) girlfriend and tried them out.   The reason I think they are important is because they set a trend for truly wireless earbuds and eliminated some of the pairing issues.  Personally, I just tested the Jabra 75t wireless earbuds and was blown away by how much sound they packed into the tiny package.   This segment appears to be growing like crazy and as more companies remove that aux out port from devices, the more people will move in this direction.   I also think there is room for growth with longer battery life, lossless file transmission, and even better sound quality.    

Note 2:  I should mention Casting in this article, so here it is.  The reason I don’t consider it top ten is because of the discontinuation of the Chromecast Audio device.  It was really the best way to get great sound from Casting and with it gone, this tech evaporated from my list.  Also, compared to Bluetooth and AirPlay, it is limited in the number of services supported.  

The Wrap Up

With the convenience of voice assistants, multiple streaming services, and products hitting the market that push things even farther in that direction, things are looking bright for your average music fan.  Of course, Audiophiles haven’t been left behind either.  With DACs at all budgets getting better and better and streaming services pushing lossless and hi res audio, the ability to become an audiophile is getting easier to accomplish at mainstream prices every year.  While I think Amazon HD has some huge flaws, it could eventually be the most important service since it could pressure Spotify and Apple to follow suit.  It remains to be seen, so it just barely missed my list for this decade.  In any case, don’t let the pursuit of perfection stop you from enjoying the music experience.   I would be interested in your choices, so drop me an email or add a comment.
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Have a great new decade!