What's the easiest to use Music streaming device ?

[highfihoney2]

I'm currently building a new 2 to 5 channel system soley for music & am seriously considering adding a music streaming unit to my rack,I already own the McIntosh MS-300 Music Server but it will only hold 800+ CDs,if I want to expand my only route with the server is to connect up to 3 mega CD changers which would be extremely costly,and i would only have 2,500 albums to scroll thru ,I currently have just over 700 of my most listened to CDs In the server, had I kept my old system that would have prolly been enough ,however ,since I'm building a new rig I'd really like to have quick access to the 1 hit wonder artists like Ram Jam etc, or rarely listened to albums without having to spend 20 minutes with a flashlight digging thru albums & CDs,does anyone here stream as your main source and if you do please explain the process and equipment you use to stream ,I'm wanting to buy the Mcintosh MB-50 Streaming unit but if anyone knows of a better piece of equipment please list it & tell why it's better, or easier to use over the McIntosh ,I'm not stuck on specific brands but asthetics of gear I buy does play a role ,im also not stuck on specs as the deciding factor,ease of use is Paramount ,I want something stylish & modern looking that's also sonically perfect & easy to use ,anybody who streams your advice would be of great help to this old man who's not kept up with technology past using a server , Thanks .

[audiobill]

Subscribe to Tidal.

[petew]

Are you comfortable using a tablet or other type of computer to browse your music or do you want a physical hardware unit in your rack that you touch to find and play music?

[DYohn]

I normally wouldn't recommend McIntosh but since you are a fan, get rid of that non-expandable MS300 dinosaur and invest in the new MS500 with a couple good quality external USB drives.

[LuisV]

My humble opinion, easiest and most flexible solution is a NAS, network attached storage device, with a streamer in the rack. Sure you can purchase a media server from McIntosh as well as from other brands, but as you're currently experiencing, it's a device with a single role... media server for audio and it can be somewhat limited in storage.  My NAS serves content for movies, music, is the backup solution for the computers in my home, acts as my survielance camera NVR, etc. etc and is flexible in that I can add up to 24 hard drives to expand my storage needs.   However, it's totally up to you as to how hands off you want to be and I respect your opinion if you want to stay with a McIntosh or other brand media server.  I prefer the flexibility of a NAS... just my opinion and use case.   

As far as streamers, there's a 20 page thread here on the Sonore mRendu and uRendu products, others products include those from Auralic, Bluesound and the powerful and extremely affordable Raspberry Pi as a relatively easy DIY option.   I'm using a standard PI model 3B connected to the Schiit Eitr, that connects to the Modi DAC and ultimately to the Lyr amp.  I love what I'm hearing thus far from my Sennheiser headphones with this setup.  I'm also trying Roon and again, I'm happy with what is does and how it presents access to my media as well as the flexibility of adding Roon endpoints, streamers and self powered speakers like those from Sonos.  Personally I'm just not happy with the associated Roon licensing cost, but it is what it is.  The Eitr, in my case, acts similarly to the Allo Signature, below video, as it "cleans" the "noise" from the Pi's USB output before the signal enters my DAC.   I can't comment on the sound quality difference between the Allo Signature and Eitr as I don't own the Allo proucts... I already had the Eitr on hand.

Sonore thread:

emotivalounge.proboards.com/thread/53894/microrendu-first-impressions

Comparrision of the $35 Pi with add-on Hats to more expensive streamers, including the $1,599 Auralic Aries:



Streamers:
us.auralic.com/
www.bluesound.com/
www.smallgreencomputer.com/  (Sonore reseller)
www.sonore.us/index.html

Raspberry Pi Hats or Plug and Play Pi Kit:
www.allo.com/sparky/digione-signature-player.html
www.allo.com/sparky/digione-player.html
www.hifiberry.com/products/digiplus/

Raspberry Ropieee OS - www.ropieee.org/

Roon - roonlabs.com/index.html

Again, there are no issues with your plan on staying within the McIntosh ecosystem, I'm just providing other options for you to explore as there is no easy button.

[LuisV]

After having my second cup of coffee, I realized I left out a few links, so I updated my post with those details.

[Gary Cook]

I'm different, nothing new there most would say
I have loaded my CD's to the iCloud via the MacMini, no hard drives required, automatic back up, 24/7/365 guaranteed service, anywhere in the world, on any iDevice. At home in the main system on the Apple TV4K (yes, it's lossless) controlled via iPhone or iPad, in the car via Car Play or mobile with headphones. I don't have to worry about storage space, how many terrathingy's, did the back up work, restoring when the hard drive crashes, how do I play my music when I'm away from home working or on holidays etc etc. Add up the cost of the gear and the time spent maintaining it and utilising cloud services looks very cost effective as well.

Happy New Year
Gary

[LuisV]

I agree with you to a certain point Gary Cook, but there are certainly audible and visual differences between a disk, rip and streaming from the cloud.  It's possible that those differences are fine with you or possibly you don't notice them.  In my eyes it's a similar discussion regarding cables... some say copper is copper, others say they can hear a difference. 

All in all and simply my humble opinion... as long as you like it, it's perfect in every respect, where as, others might feel differently and they too are entitled to their opinion.   Whatever gets your toes tapping and brings a smile to your face is the end goal...

[highfihoney2]

Dec 25, 2018 10:27:05 GMT -5 petew said:

Are you comfortable using a tablet or other type of computer to browse your music or do you want a physical hardware unit in your rack that you touch to find and play music?

I'm comfortable using a wireless keyboard & mini monitor for my music server so I'm pretty sure I could master an I pad if that will work ?

[highfihoney2]

Dec 25, 2018 11:17:44 GMT -5 DYohn said:

I normally wouldn't recommend McIntosh but since you are a fan, get rid of that non-expandable MS300 dinosaur and invest in the new MS500 with a couple good quality external USB drives.

No sense in getting rid of the Mac because it would be a major loss ,plus I don't want a larger server ,I'm getting old fast ,my eyes suck so digging thru rows of vinyl isn't cutting it ,I also don't want to stop using my server because I can work it blindfolded ,at the $1,500 price point do you have any technical or mechanical reason why you don't like the McIntosh MB-50 for streaming ? I've never owned a streaming device so I have no point of reference like I have with preamps ,amplifiers and speaker systems .

[highfihoney2]

Dec 25, 2018 11:29:46 GMT -5 LuisV said:

My humble opinion, easiest and most flexible solution is a NAS, network attached storage device, with a streamer in the rack. Sure you can purchase a media server from McIntosh as well as from other brands, but as you're currently experiencing, it's a device with a single role... media server for audio and it can be somewhat limited in storage.  My NAS serves content for movies, music, is the backup solution for the computers in my home, acts as my survielance camera NVR, etc. etc and is flexible in that I can add up to 24 hard drives to expand my storage needs.   However, it's totally up to you as to how hands off you want to be and I respect your opinion if you want to stay with a McIntosh or other brand media server.  I prefer the flexibility of a NAS... just my opinion and use case.   

As far as streamers, there's a 20 page thread here on the Sonore mRendu and uRendu products, others products include those from Auralic, Bluesound and the powerful and extremely affordable Raspberry Pi as a relatively easy DIY option.   I'm using a standard PI model 3B connected to the Schiit Eitr, that connects to the Modi DAC and ultimately to the Lyr amp.  I love what I'm hearing thus far from my Sennheiser headphones with this setup.  I'm also trying Roon and again, I'm happy with what is does and how it presents access to my media as well as the flexibility of adding Roon endpoints, streamers and self powered speakers like those from Sonos.  Personally I'm just not happy with the associated Roon licensing cost, but it is what it is.  The Eitr, in my case, acts similarly to the Allo Signature, below video, as it "cleans" the "noise" from the Pi's USB output before the signal enters my DAC.   I can't comment on the sound quality difference between the Allo Signature and Eitr as I don't own the Allo proucts... I already had the Eitr on hand.

Sonore thread:

emotivalounge.proboards.com/thread/53894/microrendu-first-impressions

Comparrision of the $35 Pi with add-on Hats to more expensive streamers, including the $1,599 Auralic Aries:



Streamers:
us.auralic.com/
www.bluesound.com/
www.smallgreencomputer.com/  (Sonore reseller)
www.sonore.us/index.html

Raspberry Pi Hats or Plug and Play Pi Kit:
www.allo.com/sparky/digione-signature-player.html
www.allo.com/sparky/digione-player.html
www.hifiberry.com/products/digiplus/

Raspberry Ropieee OS - www.ropieee.org/

Roon - roonlabs.com/index.html

Again, there are no issues with your plan on staying within the McIntosh ecosystem, I'm just providing other options for you to explore as there is no easy button.

Wow thanks,lots of good leads for me to follow ,while 90% of my gear is McIntosh I also buy Emotiva products on the lower end of the scale so I'm not an equipment snob ,however ,the multi role of movies ,media and music would be way to complex and have too big a learning curve ,plus whatever I buy has to be able to be racked with my gear & also easy for my wife to use ,that's why I'm thinking of a dedicated music streaming unit that performs 1 function ,storage isn't even in my radar as I have well over 10,000 albums now ,I just want something better than YouTube for those albums you just can't find ,or the 1 hit wonder artists ,I'm so lost on computers if it wasn't for Google I couldn't even find porno ;-)

[highfihoney2]

Dec 25, 2018 18:49:19 GMT -5 LuisV said:

I agree with you to a certain point Gary Cook, but there are certainly audible and visual differences between a disk, rip and streaming from the cloud.  It's possible that those differences are fine with you or possibly you don't notice them.  In my eyes it's a similar discussion regarding cables... some say copper is copper, others say they can hear a difference. 

All in all and simply my humble opinion... as long as you like it, it's perfect in every respect, where as, others might feel differently and they too are entitled to their opinion.   Whatever gets your toes tapping and brings a smile to your face is the end goal...

I couldn't agree more ,for guys like most of us nothing short of a full range HiFi system will cut the mustard ,meanwhile many others are super happy with $5 earbuds hooked to their cell phone & they are licking the jar with happiness ,for me I like to see a good looking rack of gear because at my age most of my free time is spent inside our home where I try & look after my wife ,I was hoping someone would have a reason why X Y or Z streamers are better than the McIntosh MB-50 streamer I can get with full warranty for under $1,500 & hooking it up only requires standard cables and an internet link ,I don't want storage & for movies we don't watch allot of them ,being the unit will be in a living area of our home I'd be lying if I didn't mention asthetics playing a big role,another reason I like the Mac unit is it's half component size,weather I set this new system up using my Emotiva XPR-1 or McIntosh Mc-1201s the streamer will fit nicely between either set of monoblocks ,I want to keep this system to a 2 shelf high side by side system so it dosent look like labratory equipment like my 5 channel rig with meters everywhere .

[DYohn]

Dec 26, 2018 2:19:26 GMT -5 highfihoney2 said:

Dec 25, 2018 11:17:44 GMT -5 DYohn said:

I normally wouldn't recommend McIntosh but since you are a fan, get rid of that non-expandable MS300 dinosaur and invest in the new MS500 with a couple good quality external USB drives.

No sense in getting rid of the Mac because it would be a major loss ,plus I don't want a larger server ,I'm getting old fast ,my eyes suck so digging thru rows of vinyl isn't cutting it ,I also don't want to stop using my server because I can work it blindfolded ,at the $1,500 price point do you have any technical or mechanical reason why you don't like the McIntosh MB-50 for streaming ? I've never owned a streaming device so I have no point of reference like I have with preamps ,amplifiers and speaker systems .

If all you want is to stream content from Internet sources it will do that. But there are many other far less expensive devices that will do that, plus the MB-50 is limited to wireless network connectivity unless you add an additional converter, and it cannot stream content from your home library unless it is is done via DTS Play-Fi. It is a ver limited device compared to others on the market.

-edit- based on your first post I assumed you were looking for a music server/streamer that could hold more of your library?

[wilburthegoose]

highfihoney2 - I was once like you. I had 5 Sony 300/400 CD changers holding my collection. I controlled them all my my PC with a product called "Nirvis" and their MS Access database called CDJ. It was really nice.

But times change, and I decided to rip all those CDs to MP3. Space was expensive, so I chose a "moderate" MP3 quality rip. I controlled them all with JRiver, and I was happy.

I picked up an XMC-1 and could now hear the difference between an MP3 and loss rip. So I decided to re-rip my entire collection to FLAC. I was very happy.

Then I discovered Roon. For me, it was 100x better than JRiver - great metadata, easy to control from a tablet/smartphone/PC. I was very, very happy.

Then I discovered Tidal's lossless service. Now, I had all my CDs plus thousands more though Tidal. And it seamlessly integrates with my own collection.   I can't see how it can get better.

PS - Connecting your collection to your system is easy with Roon.   All you need is a Roon endpoint - anything from a $75 Raspberry PI with a nice HAT up to a multi-$thousand device.   
PPS - I have a two month trial for Roon that you can have for free - Just send me an IM and I'll give you the code.

[bluemeanies]

TIDAL ..and your done!
Catalogue
Variety in all genres
Music videos
And CD quality listenin.
$19.99 a month and if your a veteran a pretty decent discount.

[DYohn]

An interesting set of articles.

www.audiostream.com/category/network-player-reviews

[pknaz]

Dec 25, 2018 18:49:19 GMT -5 LuisV said:

I agree with you to a certain point Gary Cook , but there are certainly audible and visual differences between a disk, rip and streaming from the cloud.  It's possible that those differences are fine with you or possibly you don't notice them.  In my eyes it's a similar discussion regarding cables... some say copper is copper, others say they can hear a difference. 

All in all and simply my humble opinion... as long as you like it, it's perfect in every respect, where as, others might feel differently and they too are entitled to their opinion.   Whatever gets your toes tapping and brings a smile to your face is the end goal...

There is no audible difference between a CD and a lossless copy of said CD. That's not an opinion, that's a fact. 

[DYohn]

Dec 26, 2018 14:19:13 GMT -5 pknaz said:

Dec 25, 2018 18:49:19 GMT -5 LuisV said:

I agree with you to a certain point Gary Cook , but there are certainly audible and visual differences between a disk, rip and streaming from the cloud.  It's possible that those differences are fine with you or possibly you don't notice them.  In my eyes it's a similar discussion regarding cables... some say copper is copper, others say they can hear a difference. 

All in all and simply my humble opinion... as long as you like it, it's perfect in every respect, where as, others might feel differently and they too are entitled to their opinion.   Whatever gets your toes tapping and brings a smile to your face is the end goal...

There is no audible difference between a CD and a lossless copy of said CD. That's not an opinion, that's a fact. 

The FACT is there is no difference between the two files. Audible differences depend on the playback systems and the listener. And that's not an opinion.

[Gary Cook]

Dec 25, 2018 18:49:19 GMT -5 LuisV said:

I agree with you to a certain point Gary Cook, but there are certainly audible and visual differences between a disk, rip and streaming from the cloud.  It's possible that those differences are fine with you or possibly you don't notice them.  In my eyes it's a similar discussion regarding cables... some say copper is copper, others say they can hear a difference. 

All in all and simply my humble opinion... as long as you like it, it's perfect in every respect, where as, others might feel differently and they too are entitled to their opinion.   Whatever gets your toes tapping and brings a smile to your face is the end goal...

A bit for bit lossless copy is exactly that, nothing is missing. I did notice a sound quality difference when playing CD’s in the ERC-3 via the XSP-1 and when playing via the ATV and the UMC-200. But that’s more the DAC implementation in the ERC-3 and the XSP-1’s pre amp qualities than any difference in the source. Since moving from the UNC-200 to the XMC-1 I have found the sound difference to be non existent, to my ears anyway.

Happy New Year
Gary

[LuisV]

Dec 26, 2018 14:19:13 GMT -5 pknaz said:

Dec 25, 2018 18:49:19 GMT -5 LuisV said:

I agree with you to a certain point Gary Cook , but there are certainly audible and visual differences between a disk, rip and streaming from the cloud.  It's possible that those differences are fine with you or possibly you don't notice them.  In my eyes it's a similar discussion regarding cables... some say copper is copper, others say they can hear a difference. 

All in all and simply my humble opinion... as long as you like it, it's perfect in every respect, where as, others might feel differently and they too are entitled to their opinion.   Whatever gets your toes tapping and brings a smile to your face is the end goal...

There is no audible difference between a CD and a lossless copy of said CD. That's not an opinion, that's a fact. 

Lossless is lossless true; however, in regards to streaming if the internet connection, home network and or streaming cloud service can not pump the bits, there will be an audible difference as the bits streamed could have been downconverted or limited in some fashion due to bandwith QoS issues.  Video files are even more apparent or at least they are to me.  I've noticed black banding effects from low bitrate ripped blurays as well as from streaming sevices like Netflix and Vudu; however, they are not visible while using the disk or a "lossless" rip of said disk.