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Post by geeqner on Oct 15, 2018 12:37:52 GMT -5
OK - So my B-Day is coming up Thinking about adding digital source to my system that will allow: - Easy Access to my CD Collection, once I have it converted to FLAC or Apple Lossless (via Apple or Android App?)
- Access to Home NAS (Synology DiskStation 414) - That's where I plan to "park" the files above
- Possible access to a Streaming service (do any of them tie to Sirius? - Know it's not the BEST Sound Quality, but we already subscribe for one of our cars)
- Minimal amount of boxes / power supplies / extra "crap"
I've been looking at: - BlueSound Node 2i (seems to do almost everything above, APP is supposed to be well thought-out, and I/O to 2-Channel system seems well though-out / higher quality than Sonos?)
- Sonos Connect (seems pretty similar to BlueSound, but seems more geared towards non-techies / more for wireless speakers & convenience than near-audiophile SQ)
- Aurender A10 (seems well thought-out, but too pricey in my book - doubt that I would hear significant SQ difference between it vs. BlueSound on my system)
I have a Hard-Wired Network at home and can run cable or use WiFi (not too much chance of running / streaming too much stuff simultaneously to cause bandwidth problems) I'm also pretty computer literate and semi-Network literate Any suggestions / recommendations? |
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Post by creimes on Oct 15, 2018 13:07:02 GMT -5
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Post by teaman on Oct 15, 2018 13:14:17 GMT -5
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Post by creimes on Oct 15, 2018 14:02:28 GMT -5
Never seen his ad, great seller too |
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Post by jdubs on Oct 15, 2018 16:23:39 GMT -5
Look at Auralic. I love my Altair. Good network access (my cds are on a desktop computer), Tidal integration, and additional digital inputs. Great app. Priced less than Aurender.
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Post by gsand on Oct 15, 2018 16:52:08 GMT -5
Have the BlueSound throughout the house and also connected to my 2 channel system. I have been very happy with it and think it would be a great choice. They also have great tech support!
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Post by donh50 on Oct 15, 2018 20:26:43 GMT -5
I went SONOS a few years ago and have been happy. Very user-friendly so others in the house can use it (and by "others" I mean my wife and I -- the kids would have no problem no matter how user-hostile the interface  ). Biggest drawback is no hi-res multichannel capability and the relatively high initial cost (though cheap for a "dumb" network streamer). But, I have added a bunch of other speakers around the house so it's great when we are downstairs playing games, upstairs listening to something (else), or napping in the bedroom. If you are into DIY, a Raspberry Pi would seem a logical choice. |
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Post by bluemeanies on Oct 16, 2018 4:20:53 GMT -5
OK - So my B-Day is coming up Thinking about adding digital source to my system that will allow: - Easy Access to my CD Collection, once I have it converted to FLAC or Apple Lossless (via Apple or Android App?)
- Access to Home NAS (Synology DiskStation 414) - That's where I plan to "park" the files above
- Possible access to a Streaming service (do any of them tie to Sirius? - Know it's not the BEST Sound Quality, but we already subscribe for one of our cars)
- Minimal amount of boxes / power supplies / extra "crap"
I've been looking at: - BlueSound Node 2i (seems to do almost everything above, APP is supposed to be well thought-out, and I/O to 2-Channel system seems well though-out / higher quality than Sonos?)
- Sonos Connect (seems pretty similar to BlueSound, but seems more geared towards non-techies / more for wireless speakers & convenience than near-audiophile SQ)
- Aurender A10 (seems well thought-out, but too pricey in my book - doubt that I would hear significant SQ difference between it vs. BlueSound on my system)
I have a Hard-Wired Network at home and can run cable or use WiFi (not too much chance of running / streaming too much stuff simultaneously to cause bandwidth problems) I'm also pretty computer literate and semi-Network literate Any suggestions / recommendations? Good luck with your project...make it fun. You have many options. I will note to you my set up and with all who respond this post you may pick from several option. The first thing I would like to say is something that at times gets overlooked and rarely mention. Consider first your room. Is it dedicated? Do you have the ability to change the dimensions. If not think about room ascouttics especially in the corners and back walls where sound reflects. Even if you have the "perfect room" you might want to consider some sort of absorber and difussers. Some could be had cheaply and by DIY experiments. You may want to check out PS Audio.com and click on resources and scroll down to room calculator which may assist you in your project. As far as equipment IMO going back to the future was my credo for music nirvana. I personally always wanted to go to tubes but could never afford them until when I was introduced to "tubes4hifi" I don't have vinyl and I stopped listening or rarely listen to cd's b/c of price and storage....of course if you have the room to store vinyl and cd's it's not an issue. I do not have that luxury. I invested besides tube mono-blocks (stepping away from SS in the 2channel arena) into a tube pre-amp and tube dac. As far as source...I use TIDAL...via Mac mini and a Samsung monitor. Cost was about $$542.00 with shipping and taxes. TIDAL allowed me versatility and storage which was most important to me. The hifi sound from TIDAL is equal to cd quality. The price $20.00 per month and if you are a veteran there is a huge discount. I believe Spotify is connected to SoundHound which I wish TIDAL had that capability. Remember not to rush...take your time with everything including purchases. Good luck and enjoy. |
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novisnick
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Post by novisnick on Oct 16, 2018 5:31:33 GMT -5
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klinemj
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Post by klinemj on Oct 16, 2018 7:25:58 GMT -5
I'd go this way:
1) If you don't have a PC to use - buy a cheap PC (buy a refurb'd Windows 10 for $125) and put Roon Core on it.
2) Get an ultrarendu as a Roon endpoint...use Small Green Computer's power supply
3) If you don't have a DAC, get a good one...at least a DC-1 or better.
You won't regret the sound. I know you can play XM on the PC, but I have not tried to link it into Roon...not sure if you can or not. But, I would add a Tidal subscription to supplement your own music collection...it ties in w/Roon really well.
Mark
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Post by klinemj on Oct 16, 2018 7:28:53 GMT -5
PS - Sonos is great for CD quality and you can output the sound to a nice DAC to get great CD quality sound. But what I note above is far better. I own both, so I know directly. Sonos is great for "around the house". And, it's not just for wireless speakers. All my Sonos zones (5 of them) use hardwired speakers. Sonos is great for integrating Sirius/XM, Tidal, and more. But, if you have hi-res stuff, nope...
Mark
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Post by geeqner on Oct 16, 2018 11:14:55 GMT -5
A bit of clarification -
I AM NOT planning to upgrade the Entire System (at least, NOT at this point) - I plan to KEEP my Speakers, Amp, CD, and Receiver (functioning as Pre-Amp for now).
I am looking to ADD digital source(s) to that ONE System at this time. (I really do not plan to do much with multi-room distribution / wireless speakers, at least for now.)
My reasons behind this are more from a convenience standpoint (easier management of / access to my Digital Music), but I also expect near-CD quality or better.
From what a few of you have mentioned - it MIGHT make sense to go with a Mac Mini (I might have access to some used ones on the cheap) and output to a separate DAC instead of a "Streaming / Network Access Box" like Sonos Connect or BlueSound Node 2i. What would be the advantages of going via this route?
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klinemj
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Post by klinemj on Oct 16, 2018 13:10:11 GMT -5
A bit of clarification - I AM NOT planning to upgrade the Entire System (at least, NOT at this point) - I plan to KEEP my Speakers, Amp, CD, and Receiver (functioning as Pre-Amp for now). I am looking to ADD digital source(s) to that ONE System at this time. (I really do not plan to do much with multi-room distribution / wireless speakers, at least for now.) My reasons behind this are more from a convenience standpoint (easier management of / access to my Digital Music), but I also expect near-CD quality or better. From what a few of you have mentioned - it MIGHT make sense to go with a Mac Mini (I might have access to some used ones on the cheap) and output to a separate DAC instead of a "Streaming / Network Access Box" like Sonos Connect or BlueSound Node 2i. What would be the advantages of going via this route? I would not go Mac, personally. If you look at refurbished Windows 10 machines, you can get them super-cheap...much cheaper than any Mac I have seen. But, to your question, the advantage I see of using a computer to stream is that you can use that as a Roon core to a Roon ready endpoint like the ultraRendu (then to a DAC). And, the sound quality of an ultraRendu will be far better than a Sonos (even if you output the digital out of a Sonos to a DAC). The downside of using a PC/Mac is that you need a software to select/play music...so you need to pick one. After using many (jRiver, others), I picked Roon. It's pricey but very good and easy to use. You can even set up different rooms like you can with Sonos. I do have a spare Windows 10 machine that's a refurb that I bought and then didn't need. It works great. If you are interested, I would sell it for $115 if you pay shipping. Mark |
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novisnick
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Post by novisnick on Oct 16, 2018 14:09:36 GMT -5
A bit of clarification - I AM NOT planning to upgrade the Entire System (at least, NOT at this point) - I plan to KEEP my Speakers, Amp, CD, and Receiver (functioning as Pre-Amp for now). I am looking to ADD digital source(s) to that ONE System at this time. (I really do not plan to do much with multi-room distribution / wireless speakers, at least for now.) My reasons behind this are more from a convenience standpoint (easier management of / access to my Digital Music), but I also expect near-CD quality or better. From what a few of you have mentioned - it MIGHT make sense to go with a Mac Mini (I might have access to some used ones on the cheap) and output to a separate DAC instead of a "Streaming / Network Access Box" like Sonos Connect or BlueSound Node 2i. What would be the advantages of going via this route? I would not go Mac, personally. If you look at refurbished Windows 10 machines, you can get them super-cheap...much@geeqner cheaper than any Mac I have seen. But, to your question, the advantage I see of using a computer to stream is that you can use that as a Roon core to a Roon ready endpoint like the ultraRendu (then to a DAC). And, the sound quality of an ultraRendu will be far better than a Sonos (even if you output the digital out of a Sonos to a DAC). The downside of using a PC/Mac is that you need a software to select/play music...so you need to pick one. After using many (jRiver, others), I picked Roon. It's pricey but very good and easy to use. You can even set up different rooms like you can with Sonos. I do have a spare Windows 10 machine that's a refurb that I bought and then didn't need. It works great. If you are interested, I would sell it for $115 if you pay shipping. Mark Im still loving my sotm Mark! klinemj Just another option geeqner the basic sms-200 has been compared equally to the microrendu |
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Post by geeqner on Oct 16, 2018 14:28:51 GMT -5
That's OK - I actually have a fairly powerful Win-10 PC that I was intending to use as a HTPC.
I can probably re-package it in a smaller form-factor case / enclosure.
I would assume that something like Roon does not need a boatload of processing power.
(I usually BUILD my own PCs - doesn't save money, but it gives me control over budget / quality)
So is there a "Roon" App that can be used / linked-up to the Roon-equipped PC, which allows access to the music that I would want to select / play?
I don't want to have to "keyboard and mouse" to select what I want.
There is really no convenient place to set-up a Monitor / Mouse / Keyboard in the Living Room where my 2-Channel System resides.
I could plug that stuff in on a temporary / set-up basis - but then I would expect to be able to access it remotely from a more convenient device like an iPad / iPod / Android Device for day-to-day use / access.
I suppose that the PC linked to a separate DAC gives you better quality DAC for the money vs the ones built-into the Sonos / BlueSound unit, while still being less costly than the high-end stuff like Aurender. (Could get a DAC with a Balanced Output for when I get my XSP-1 to replace the NAD.)
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Post by Ex_Vintage on Oct 16, 2018 21:19:41 GMT -5
I use a Windows PC running iTunes connected to a pre-pro with HDMI from the PC. iTunes is controlled from my iphone with a remote app. All ALAC tunes stored on several cheap external hard drives. PC runs NextPVR for recording OTA or watching internet streams. Seems to work fine for me.
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Post by bluemeanies on Oct 17, 2018 4:21:43 GMT -5
Is it me or it seems that on this FORUM many people who are starting a project whether from scratch or an upgrade the word CHEAP comes into the vocabulary.
I just don't get it.
I personally would hold off ANY project or upgrade if the finances were not there and in my experience cheap is exactly what it means, "cheap" with synonyms like unreliable, unpredictable, short lived...waste of time and money.
Turning this around I am not saying to spend, spend, spend or make a bill and there is nothing wrong with the art of the deal.
THAT is a more logical point of view then thinking CHEAP.
I mentioned (and I am not taking this personally) a choice of purchasing a Mac-Mini and monitor for $542.00. I do the value exceeds the cost. A reliable computer and with the addition of Airserver for a one time payment of $15.00 transforms into a reliable high quality streaming device.
If something that we want is out of the range of possibilities b/c it does not fit into the budget...then wait.
Get what you want the first time and be done with it.
From experience..one waste money and time which are both valuable and planning a budget, timing are very important.
DONT GO CHEAP.
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Post by brubacca on Oct 17, 2018 5:07:09 GMT -5
I would say BlueSound. Really like the synology choice also.
That being said NAD has a new DAC coming out with the bluesound module in it. This would be another upgraded sound quality idea although the BlueSound sounds pretty good by itself.
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klinemj
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Post by klinemj on Oct 17, 2018 8:43:21 GMT -5
That's OK - I actually have a fairly powerful Win-10 PC that I was intending to use as a HTPC. I can probably re-package it in a smaller form-factor case / enclosure. I would assume that something like Roon does not need a boatload of processing power. (I usually BUILD my own PCs - doesn't save money, but it gives me control over budget / quality) So is there a "Roon" App that can be used / linked-up to the Roon-equipped PC, which allows access to the music that I would want to select / play? I don't want to have to "keyboard and mouse" to select what I want. There is really no convenient place to set-up a Monitor / Mouse / Keyboard in the Living Room where my 2-Channel System resides. I could plug that stuff in on a temporary / set-up basis - but then I would expect to be able to access it remotely from a more convenient device like an iPad / iPod / Android Device for day-to-day use / access. I suppose that the PC linked to a separate DAC gives you better quality DAC for the money vs the ones built-into the Sonos / BlueSound unit, while still being less costly than the high-end stuff like Aurender. (Could get a DAC with a Balanced Output for when I get my XSP-1 to replace the NAD.) With Roon, you install a copy on 1 computer and that is called the "core". You can install it on other PC's or smart devices (like an Android or Apple phone or tablet) and use that to control the core. Net, no need to use a keyboard/mouse/monitor witht he PC that is your "Core". You simply install a copy of Roon onto that other device and tell it which core to use (it's very easy). When I am in my listening area, I use my Surface Pro 3 tablet to control the core. I can play to my ultraRendu (that plays to my DAC), or I can play from my PC that is the "core" diurectly out to my DAC (but the sound is far better through the ultraRendu), or I can play to a raspberry pi I have set up to output to my headphone setup, or I can play through my Surface Pro 3's speakers. Very flexible and easy to use....very small learning curve. And, yes - you would get better sound going to an outboard DAC. Mark |
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Post by jdmusante on Oct 17, 2018 9:01:09 GMT -5
Is it me or it seems that on this FORUM many people who are starting a project whether from scratch or an upgrade the word CHEAP comes into the vocabulary. I just don't get it. I personally would hold off ANY project or upgrade if the finances were not there and in my experience cheap is exactly what it means, "cheap" with synonyms like unreliable, unpredictable, short lived...waste of time and money. Turning this around I am not saying to spend, spend, spend or make a bill and there is nothing wrong with the art of the deal. THAT is a more logical point of view then thinking CHEAP. I mentioned (and I am not taking this personally) a choice of purchasing a Mac-Mini and monitor for $542.00. I do the value exceeds the cost. A reliable computer and with the addition of Airserver for a one time payment of $15.00 transforms into a reliable high quality streaming device. If something that we want is out of the range of possibilities b/c it does not fit into the budget...then wait. Get what you want the first time and be done with it. From experience..one waste money and time which are both valuable and planning a budget, timing are very important. DONT GO CHEAP. bluemeanies - I couldn't agree with you more on your statement 'Don't Go CHEAP'. But, as I say to a lot of people 'Know Your Audience'. This is a budget audiophile board. Most people here don't have big, or even medium money, to throw at their systems. Not that I'm saying you have to throw big money at what the OP is looking for. I think the easiest thing the OP can do has already been mentioned here. Using a computer of some sort (Windows or Mac), with a Roon core, into a DAC. I also think its the least expensive, depending on what DAC you want to use. I myself use a Mac Mini with Roon core, with Tidal integration, all music ripped to FLAC on an external HDD, into my Oppo 205 USB DAC. I can control the Mini via Screen Share on my Mac so I don't need a monitor and keyboard. Simple and sounds delightful to me. If you want a streamer/music server, there is the Elac Discovery. Comes with Roon Essentials, which is Roon Lite to run your music. That's an $800-$1100 solution. I also like the NAD option brubacca was speaking of. Then you can add Buesound speakers around your house. |
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). Biggest drawback is no hi-res multichannel capability and the relatively high initial cost (though cheap for a "dumb" network streamer). But, I have added a bunch of other speakers around the house so it's great when we are downstairs playing games, upstairs listening to something (else), or napping in the bedroom. If you are into DIY, a Raspberry Pi would seem a logical choice.
