I don't have any comments about Core sound quality. But thats surely not the reason you got the Core? I'm guessing you got it as something B&O which you could use to send music (streamed or network stored) to the 50s?  

You are right, the Core replaced a few years ago a Moment used for playing music stored in the NAS and Net Radios to the rest of my setup (I was not confident in the Moment's lifespan although it was a nice product). I appreciate its integration in the B&O ecosystem (until the 5.4 version of the app).    

There are different opinions on this matter. Personally I am one of those who without hesitation would recomment the Beosound Core…..especially if you use the digital output of it to connect to the digital-in of the 50’s - as in your case. Different digital audio streamers may sound different - every company has some kind of signature to their products. It will be very hard to compare these directly in real life, but only then you could find out, whether you’d prefer one over another. Some even prefer to use the analog out of a streamer, because of the flavouring, special filter settings (often called ‘quality’) of the DAC inside the specific product. Then there is the aspect of the user interface (the looks and how easy it is do acchieve what you want) and the support for streaming services and file formats (maybe also considering ROON support). This may be worth investigating. Maybe even more for those who have a standalone setup with the 50’s or 90’s. Personally I would stick to the Core, if the Core also will be integrated in a B&O multiroom setup. IMO the user interface (including the option of using the Beoremote) is also worth it, when deciding for the Core. From your other posts it seems that you - in addition to the NAS based files - use Tidal Connect, which nowadays is supported by the BS Core. Why not just use the Core - since you already have it - to see, if you like it. I’d also recomment using an iPad/Mini dedicated to the job. Should you want to do some experiments with other streamers, be prepared for some work - comparing streamers is troublesome. And watch out for the experience of other beoworlders in a similar situation as you. MM

I'd add to (and in sprint agree with MM's) post to your question. You've only recently had your BL50s (if I remember right), so I'd certainly live with your Core based setup for a while. If after a while there are aspects you are unhappy with, only then would I explore other options. So yes, while I use a 3rd party input into my 50s, that choice was motivated by a few factors - a key factor being that I wanted to use Roon as my music interface, and was happy with the sound character of the Linn unit that I use (analogue DAC output). It means my music (Roon interface controlled/managed) exists outside of the B&O ecosystem, even if it all comes out of B&O speakers. But that hybrid setup is not going to suit everyone.

Thanks MM, I agree with you for the benefits of the core in a extensive setup as mine (several rooms and products of all generations), because any product can reach the others in terms of content and control. Especially with a NL/ML converter in the game. In fact, I do not plan to remove it. I don't use Tidal, but Qobuz which is unfortunately not natively integrated in the app, as it has been done for Deezer. I can understand that a streamer can have an impact of the sound for analog to digital conversion. But this is not my concern as all my music is stored as digital files and the Core is used as a hub for streaming and NAS access. In a nutshell, the question is to know if the Core is perfectly transparent (or not) in a totally digital signal path. Yann.  

Sandyb, I do not plan to replace my Core for the reasons explained in my previous post. But I want to get the best of my 50s. So, if the Core has no impact on the digital flow send to the 50s, I'm happy with it. But if there is an impact, I may think to an hybrid system as yours. I tried Roon some time ago because it hosts Qobuz but did not keep it, as on long listening session the "more of the same" automatic playlist following an album was a bit boring. Yann.