[jpm]

There is much opportunity for confusion in this area, so it may be helpful to break down some of the core requirements and criteria.

To stream computer based music files to an amplifier, a solution that does three things is needed:
- Storage
- Rendering
- Control

Some solutions do more than one of these things which is where confusion can easily start in.

Storage

This can be files on your computer or server, a NAS, an external hard drive or online / internet / cloud based. I'd wager re. the latter that most here prefer TIDAL for their lossless offering, but others include Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon ... etc.

Rendering

This is the part that receives the music file and presents it to your HiFi.

Control

This is where you decide how you want to interface with the music you play. Questions to ask include: Are you OK squinting at the screen of your smartphone?; Are you OK being locked to one manufacturers ecosystem (example: Auralic still = Apple only); Laptop screen?; Tablet?

How involved do you want to get with software configuration? If strictly plug and play then you may want to stick with a manufacturers complete solution - Linn, Naim, Auralic to name a few.

It's not a bad idea to have an idea about these preferences before you start evaluating as it will help you prioritize as you research.

Next up, what is your tolerance for screwing around with computers versus listening to music?  I blew up my tolerance for screwing around with computers in an attempt to listen to music in the late 90's / early 2000's!

Lastly, this is an area where analysis paralysis has more opportunities than usual to set in. There's an awful lot to be said for starting small in order to learn more about your priorities.

Overall the Auralic Aries Mini has a lot to going for it. Even if you're forced to buy an iDevice to control it, the Mini itself and storage for it will come in well below $1k. The year of TIDAL subscription it includes enables you to get started without ripping a single CD. If you want to check out ROON instead of the Auralic control software you can do that with it too. If you decide to jump up a notch by adding uRendu, I'm pretty sure you can use the Mini's storage as DLNA NAS. One thing you can't do is add Vinnie Rossi's upcoming power supply option as the Aries Mini's power requirements exceed the range Vinnie plans to offer.

Although I didn't start this reply as an Aries Mini infomercial, the more I think about it the more the Mini has to commend itself as the hub of an extremely flexible and affordable starting point.

For further reading, I recommend articles on http://www.computeraudiophile.com/ and http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/ where you can find detailed and extensive articles on this subject in general as well as ROON, the uRendu and Aries Mini in particular.

Have fun!

[Mike-48]

I slowly pulled myself into the computer age and am quite satisfied.  Now there seems to be a better way.  I need a primer in these things.  Understand that a dedicated, purpose built machine should be better.  But what are the sonic advantages, what conveniences would be gained/lost, and is it worth $$$$ to move up?

I am not sure this is your question, but here's an answer anyway.     To me, the biggest advantage of network streaming (i.e. DLNA/UPnP/Open Home) over USB streaming is that with network streaming, there is no general-purpose computer in the listening room. In my quiet room, I don't want anything with fans or spinning discs. However, it is now possible to build a small computer without those things, so USB streaming can be an option.

The question then becomes, how do you want to control the music from your seat?  With DLNA-compliant network-streaming, the answer is somewhat cut-and-dried: with any DLNA control point app on a smartphone or tablet. With USB-based systems, my impression is that one usually depends on apps specific to that hardware or software player. I am less confident on those being thoroughly thought out, trouble-free, regularly updated, useful for all genres, and available on all relevant platforms than are DLNA control points. However, if you have the targeted device (usually an iPad rather than an Android tablet), some manufacturer-specific software offers specialized features for the mfgr's hardware.

My impression is that we are not in the earliest, but still in the early, days of computer audio. Ideas of what software and hardware architecture will be most useful (and most popular) are still being sorted out.

[Mike-48]

(This was posted in error, and I'm not sure how to delete it.)

[charmerci]

I slowly pulled myself into the computer age and am quite satisfied.  Now there seems to be a better way.  I need a primer in these things.  Understand that a dedicated, purpose built machine should be better.  But what are the sonic advantages, what conveniences would be gained/lost, and is it worth $$$$ to move up?

I was quite surprised at the sound differences between two laptops! (Fed to an external DAC.) The worse sounding one was a 2010 Dell and the other was 2016 Asus that I bought in May. Everything else is the same. High frequencies sound much better (less harsh) at higher volumes. Was rather an eye-opener for me. Never would have thought so beforehand.

[Don_S]

Thanks to everyone for posting such excellent information.  I am passing it on.  I also think this thread is a "mini wicki" that will serve others. 

[JLM]

My MacBook Air has a solid state drive and no fan.  I listen with it near-field with my simple system nearby, so having a longer USB cable is my only apparent shortcoming and sonically doesn't seem to be a problem.  Hope to go to Tidal someday so the size limitation of my SSD will be less of an issue.  With Time Machine, and a pair of external HD's (one which stays in a safety deposit box), and an iMac with the same backups file security is of minimal concern.

The MacBook and iMac are general purpose machines, so adding a streamer and tablet would be a hinderance. 

[dB Cooper]

The Macbook Air has a fan. The new 12" MacBook is the first Mac laptop to have no fan.

[JLM]

The Macbook Air has a fan. The new 12" MacBook is the first Mac laptop to have no fan.

Funny, I've never heard it in two years and there's no vents on it.

[JRace]

Funny, I've never heard it in two years and there's no vents on it.

from: https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/MacBook+Air+13-Inch+Early+2015+Teardown/38266

[JLM]

OK, but Apple says it makes 4 dB at the user position (no wonder I've never heard it).

[marflao]

marflao, your LH Labs link doesn't work.

Well... Just for the sake of completeness here is another link to their store (it seems to one of their 3 stores... Although the other two links are either down due to maintenance or a not found DNS): http://marketplace-lhlabs.com/source-3tb-premium-music-server/

[jarcher]

JPM raises a lot of good points - though I will quibble that the "storage" category he's mentioning also includes the "server" function. 

I've also made the point often that despite many people liking to experiment in IT and offer their favored experiments, for most people most of the time a commercial product such as offered by Sonos (horrors!), Bluesound (somewhat better), Auralic, and Aurender make a lot more sense, depending on the price point & sound quality the customer wants.  Under $1K BS makes a lot of sense, $1K - $2K Auralic, and above $2K Aurender. 

The Auralic Aries Mini is very good value for money - though for the US the tidal offer has expired - and perhaps the only really cheap way to do DSD playback.  But its honestly a bit more complex than say a Bluesound Node 2 and offers less music services built in that some people want - though the Mini does have airplay functionality which addresses indirectly those.  The BS Node 2 is often better for many because as a stand alone DAC it also has a bit warmer sound vs Auralic, which is good for that level of customer who's not going to use an external DAC.  In summary though - as just a streamer and for all it can do & file formats it supports, its pretty much the most mature lowest cost solution out there.

Building some level of hardware is the easy part - there's not really anything super revolutionary about the Sonore MicroRendu everyone likes to rave about.  The hard part is the SOFTWARE - particularly the user interface.  And honestly much of the free or near free UPNP etc software is confusing and hard to set up and use. Many of the smarter conventional digital hardware manufactures if they offer rendering capability in their devices defer the customer to these options because writing good software and UI software in particular is very difficult - and supporting it even more laborious and costly.  They'll often throw in airplay or Spotify connect hoping most will use that. 

With that being said - building best of breed file streaming or serving hardware is hard & EVERYTHING makes a difference - sometimes in a major way.  The operating system, the player software, the power supply, the network card, even the case work.  And if you aren't serving up via USB to the DAC (which would control the timing), then the clock as well.  There's a real art to getting all of that right without generating too much heat & noise.

A general PC or laptop just doesn't cut if for anyone really serious about quality file playback - even if it has an SSD, and even if its connected to a good power conditioner. 

Take away : if you want good software AND hardware, seek out the majors that specialize in this and have good tech support, which I personally believe are Sonos / Bluesound at the low end, Auralic in the middle, and Aurender at the top.  There are of course many other options, but I believe these companies are the best at their respective price points because they best address those 4 before mentioned criteria. 

[kbuzz3]

So forgetting the differences re storage, rendering, streaming etc, can we agree that the general universe for these devices thus far at less than 2K is

Aural Aries mini
Cambridge Audio 851N
sonare micro rendu
blue sound node

At a higher level:

Bryston
Sim Audio/moon
aurliac
aurrender
lumin
PS audio doc with streamer
naim


And in the coming soon maybe the

Oppo wireless dac
Elac discovery

[Saturn94]

So forgetting the differences re storage, rendering, streaming etc, can we agree that the general universe for these devices thus far at less than 2K is

Aural Aries mini
Cambridge Audio 851N
sonare micro rendu
blue sound node

At a higher level:

Bryston
Sim Audio/moon
aurliac
aurrender
lumin
PS audio doc with streamer
naim


And in the coming soon maybe the

Oppo wireless dac
Elac discovery

Just out of curiosity, is there a particular reason the Salkstreamer was left off the list?

[jarcher]

So forgetting the differences re storage, rendering, streaming etc, can we agree that the general universe for these devices thus far at less than 2K is

Aural Aries mini
Cambridge Audio 851N
sonare micro rendu
blue sound node

At a higher level:

Bryston
Sim Audio/moon
aurliac
aurrender
lumin
PS audio doc with streamer
naim


And in the coming soon maybe the

Oppo wireless dac
Elac discovery

Yup. Auralic and Aurender spelling & pronunciation always trips people up - but these are the best at their respective price points.

[kbuzz3]

Adding to a dormant thread I note that the bluesound node2 "decodes" MQA. So putting the is Mqa lossy or not debate aside, I wonder if the node streaming tidal MQA gives it an edge to other streamers internal dacs...

[audio.bill]

Adding to a dormant thread I note that the bluesound node2 "decodes" MQA. So putting the is Mqa lossy or not debate aside, I wonder if the node streaming tidal MQA gives it an edge to other streamers internal dacs...

Bluesound also just announced that their latest firmware update scheduled for the end of January will make their devices Roon Ready.

[gregcss]

.