[ASCTLC]

I think it's about time I move on from all the reading and simply get the questions out there. 

So I have all my music ripped to WAV on my desktop PC and my laptop (both computers to serve as some backup).  I play them local using Foobar 2k, using ASIO4ALL and satisfied with that application for music management and playback.  I have the control app installed and working on my Android for convenience too. 

Sitting in my office I'm fine with playing through my small desktop speakers and in the basement when working or exercising I'm fine playing through my laptop to my Adcom system.  It's when I'm out in the living room that I'd like to play my music through my good system.  Currently I spin discs (simply Redbook) on my cheapie Sony BDP, feeding the COAX out to my Schiit Gungnir COAX  or  I DNLA stream from my office computer running Foobar over WiFi to the Sony BDP.

I don't mind too much with spinning discs but there are times I'd like to stream for less attention needed to just keeping music playing (simply a convenience thing here).

But here's where I'm really feeling the need to change:  I can't imagine that cheapie Sony transport not wrecking the quality of reading and playing off the discs.  Nor that streaming Foobar through the BDP via WiFi not holding back the quality of playback either.  There's about a 20 second delay from Android controller input change until it actually happens at the DAC (song changes virtually instantly on the computer Foobar but delayed somewhere after leaving the computer until it gets to the DAC).

So I'm entertaining how to improve audio quality and function with a near $500 budget.  Turnkey music servers are just way too expensive so as convenient as they might be one of those just isn't going to happen for me.

I could buy a used quality CD player and just continue to spin discs so I prefer this option least.  If I'm going to buy something that'll do Redbook justice I'd also like it to function for Blue Ray play too.  Not too sure just how strong I stand on that last point.

I could buy the Schiit Eitr USB-S/PDIF converter to cleanup the USB out of laptop and convert to the needed COAX DAC input (no USB input on my Gungnir).  I don't have much issue with having the laptop near the system hooked up for play.  Not sure if the Eitr would clean up the USB output enough to get great quality play out of it.

I could consider an Oppo 203 BDP and connect an external USB HD holding my music files. Not sure if internal DAC will satisfy or if sending signal out to Gungnir DAC.  I'd feel more confident in the 205's DAC but dang, that price!

I could build a Raspberry Pi with HiFiBerry+ with S/PDIF output and connect a USB HD holding my music files. Don't know how to build or configure a RPi but I suspect I can learn.  Not sure how I'll control the music but suspect there's a reasonably workable (and economically reasonable - not Roon!) Android app so I can manage/control the music file(s) I want to play.

I could build a Raspberry Pi with HiFiBerry+ with S/PDIF output and DNLA stream off my office computer using Foobar (I think).  If simply rendering DNLA from computer/Foobar, then my control app on my Android remains functional but I'm back to WiFi quality degredation*
* (only read WiFi not a very quality way to send/recieve the signal).

or.... {uses my stored WAV files, controlled via my Android phone, and plays them through my S/PDIF input DAC with as high a quality audio the last few percentages of better just aren't affordable}

If I had anywhere near the money needed I'd probably Oppo 205 my solution but that thing isn't anywhere near my budget. 

Any thoughts/suggestions any of you might offer my way?  Even if it eliminates some of the possibilities I've listed above, that at least puts me closer than where I sit today!

Thanks,
Andy

[Mag]

IMO even with a high cost stereo system the key to great sound is the quality of the source. The use of a dac  and how it's implemented can raise the bar. The real problem however is inherent in recordings and a dac can improve on it, but recordings actually need to be tweaked by remixing them with the use of a dac, this would be breaking copyright laws.

So a dac is the best and possibly only option in trying to achieve transparency and higher resolution from a recording.

A cheap universal cd/dvd/blu-ray player can play at a very high quality. I would say the output is neutral sounding compared to my higher priced player which I would term warm sounding in comparison.

Another problem, let's say you're are streaming at MP3 128 kbps with a sample rate of 44100  that of redbook cd. The sound quality isn't all that bad, but the harmonics of the music is stripped away with compression. So at 320 kbps you would retain more of the harmonics but would still loose some when compared with 16 bit redbook cd.

So my advice would be to purchase a used external dac with your budget.

[ASCTLC]

Thanks Mag.  Sorry if I wasn't clear.  I already have the Schitt Gungnir DAC (pre-USB capable model) and I play 16bit/44100 minimum on any of the 3 home systems (I have a budget garage system too).  I leave 320k MP3 quality files for car use only since the road noise in the Jeep would mask anything better.

So 16bit/44100 quality on the quality living room system is what I'm hoping to improve over my current methods (cheapie Sony BDP disc transport or WiFi DNLA through the Sony BDP) that feed the Schitt DAC.

Perhaps I don't realize the COAX out of the Sony BDP completely bypasses the Sony internal audio circuits that can affect the audio bits when using DNLA??  I'd still think the Sony transport of such a cheap (~$90 new) player would wobble and vibrate so much it'd affect the reading with flutter and jitter.  I'd be tickled to hear I'm overly pessimistic of the degradation!

ETA: When I think of the Oppo 205, I'm questioning if the implementation of that 205's internal DAC chips + the Oppo transport quality would surpass satisfaction of audio quality vs feeding the 205 COAX output to my current Gungnir.

If the 205's DAC analog output straight to my preamp isn't any better than feeding the OPPO 205 COAX out to the Gungnir first, then I might as well go for the Oppo 203 to feed my Gungnir (I'm assuming the transport is the same in both 203 & 205).

[zoom25]

The transport/source that feeds the DAC absolutely makes a difference. Whether, it's a USB out from a computer or a coax out of a CD player, or a toslink from many devices on the market, or AES from a dedicated audio streamer. Ideally, the DAC should sound the same from all sources provided the data is the same. However, in practice, I've found most DACs to benefit from better sources. It can be a combination of noise, jitter, and signal integrity.

The concept of spending hundreds or thousands for a digital source never made sense to me...until I heard the difference. It definitely brings the magic ease in listening that one cannot underestimate when you listen long term.

I initially thought there would be no difference between the coax out of a cheap Toshiba CD player vs. the coax out of my Marantz. That definitely didn't hold up. Then I bought the BDP-1, which cemented the importance of digital source/transport.

[JakeJ]

Any transport connected to your DAC via COAX, or S/PDIF, is a digital signal.  You are bypassing the internal DAC and analog circuits whether it's a Sony or an Oppo.

I do agree with zoom25 that a quality transport is important despite the fact that just 1's and 0's are being transferred.  When I upgraded to a CEC TL-51x for transport duties I was dumbfounded at how much detail I was missing.  And my old Adcom GCD-750 was no slouch.

Just another .02.

Jake

[ASCTLC]

So, if I'm catching this right, my skepticism of the cheapie Sony BDP transport to read-n-feed solid, unjittered, bits is accurate even if it bypasses the internal cheap circuits (DAC etc...) on its way to the digital output?

I try not to believe everything I read on the web but I am out of my experience regarding this...and definitely don't have the funds many are blessed to have to do much experimenting.  I just gotta get somewhere close so I can be satisfied I've got great given my budget.

I guess I'm seeing I'm on the right track to consider improving my source to improve my audio quality (downstream of the DAC's input is decently quality equipment held back by my source).  The question remains what might be the better options to pursue (better player (Oppo), Eitr USB-to-S-PDIF converter fed from laptop, or 2 possible RPi + HiFiBerry solutions).

[Mag]

IIRC the specs on a cheap Sony transport are better than cd players of the past. They have to be in order for them to read dvd and blu-ray. So IMO using these as a transport is not the problem, cheap circuits maybe, that you say you're bypassing.

[TerryWI]

I chose an Allo DigiOne Player w/Volumio which came assembled and basically ready to use.  I plugged in to a hardwired ethernet connection for initial config step and to enable the on board wireless adapter.  I connected to the IP assigned the DigiOne via Firefox on my laptop - there was no need to connect a USB Keyboard/Mouse to the DigiOne for the config.  I then moved the unit to my stereo rack and connected to my AVA Insight+ DAC (only has SPDIF).  I plugged in a WD 2TB My Book drive to the DigiOne, powered everything up and Volumio started cataloging my music structure (EAC/FLAC rips; ~1500 CDs & 20,000 files). 

I spent about 75-90 minutes on the process which including unboxing & some reading, the config above, rearranging my rack to accommodate the added equipment.  My only regret?  I didn't get off my butt and do this sooner!      It sounds fantastic, is easy to use and let's me have all my music just a few clicks away. 

Allo DigiOne:  https://www.allo.com/sparky/digione-player.html
Video Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Iey5yKd-p4

[ASCTLC]

Since I only have 16/44 Redbook discs, then I'm a little more confident that the Sony transport may not be holding back too much.  I certainly don't have golden ears if I think 16/44 is fine for my system (Schitt DAC, AVA Insight+ preamp & Synergy 450 amp, Legacy Audio Signature SE speakers).

That Allo DigiOne and reviews look pretty interesting Terry!  And if I connect a USB HD with all my music it'll allow me to eliminate DNLA operation which somewhere from music file to BDP COAX output is being monkeyed with (is it really possible to have about a 20 second delay without the digital quality of the file being negatively monkeyed??).