General Help With Getting Started With A Streamer

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kbuzz3

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General Help With Getting Started With A Streamer
« on: 18 May 2019, 02:12 pm »
Would appreciate any advice for a streaming rookie to simplify and neaten my set up in my home office.   

My current set up for music is to use my desktop iMac with Audivarna out to a portable Ifi amp/dac placed on my actual desk.  I than run a 25 foot pair of ICs out from the dac to my pre amp  and stereo set up on the other side of the room.  I like this set up because, i can control my music selections and volume while I'm working on the cpu and have the option to plug in a good set of headphones at my desk when the speaker volume will disturb the rest of the house.   

The drawback is i have to run outrightly cables across the room and cant remove the Iifi and use the amp/dac in other parts of the house since its designed to be semi portable.

So i would like to set up a streamer and permanent dac on my audio rack on the other side of the room, preferably controlled by the iMac rather than reaching for my phone or tablet to control the audio system.   This is because i like the sound of audivarna.  I primarily stream Tidal but would also like the option to plug in usb hard drive to the streamer to play my collection of hard drive stored live music.

However if i do this i would lose the ability to plug in my headphones unless i run a headphone cable back across the room.

So what should i explore?  Do i want a streamer that can be controlled wireless by audiovarna?  I see the new version of audivana uses UPnP, but I'm not sure exactly what this does but will that allow me to control the streamer from the cpu?

Or do i need something like a Sonare microrendu?  Also not sure what this does, but will that act as a streamer or just an interface to the network and i still need a player/renderer? I do have a router near my audio rack which could plug into the streamer if need be, but don't know if this is necessary.

Also is there a recommended way to keep the headphone function on the desk?  Or should i just buy say a inexpensive dac/amp like a firefly or Schidtt and leave it on the desk?


Its hard to provide budget at this point because I'm not really sure what would be a decent way to proceed….but would like to separate a new DAC from the streamer so i can upgrade or change  later if necessary.

thanks for any suggestions or recommendations.

RoadTripper

Re: General Help With Getting Started With A Streamer
« Reply #1 on: 18 May 2019, 02:54 pm »
Your router location is the key to the Sonore implementation. It should ideally be near where you ideal DAC location would be otherwise you're gonna have a long-ish cable run. Implementing Sonore is a bit out there.

Doublej

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Re: General Help With Getting Started With A Streamer
« Reply #2 on: 18 May 2019, 04:15 pm »
I'd look into a discontinued Airport Express, Apple TV and wireless audio transmitters like the one below. I guess there's not a huge market out there as most seem to be discontinued.

https://www.outlawaudio.com/products/OAW3.html

I don't know if anyone has an Airplay 2 receiver out yet. Perhaps Arcam.

There is an extensive thread on AC regarding the Klipsch Gate, Paradigm PW Link that is worth perusing.

JohnR

Re: General Help With Getting Started With A Streamer
« Reply #3 on: 20 May 2019, 02:05 pm »
I see the new version of audivana uses UPnP, but I'm not sure exactly what this does but will that allow me to control the streamer from the cpu?

Yes (if by CPU you mean your computer). The UPnP player will appear as an audio device in A+ Preferences -> Audio System. Just select it and start playing music.

Quote
Or do i need something like a Sonare microrendu?  Also not sure what this does, but will that act as a streamer or just an interface to the network and i still need a player/renderer? I do have a router near my audio rack which could plug into the streamer if need be, but don't know if this is necessary.

You could ask here - https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?board=67.0