Hi all,
I'm looking for a good wireless streamer to feed my ADI-2 Pro DAC. So the streamer doesn't need to have a DAC. I am not an expert so I probably don't even know what to ask for, except simple requirements like being able to stream from USB disk, and over the WiFi from my network storage.
Also would be nice to be able to listen to radio like on TuneIn.
I have previously used Bubble uPnP from my smart phone.
My personal collection is all FLAC.
Recommendations? Ballpark € 1k.
Edit: anyone have experience with the CAMBRIDGE AUDIO CXN V2?
Jan
I'm looking for a good wireless streamer to feed my ADI-2 Pro DAC. So the streamer doesn't need to have a DAC. I am not an expert so I probably don't even know what to ask for, except simple requirements like being able to stream from USB disk, and over the WiFi from my network storage.
Also would be nice to be able to listen to radio like on TuneIn.
I have previously used Bubble uPnP from my smart phone.
My personal collection is all FLAC.
Recommendations? Ballpark € 1k.
Edit: anyone have experience with the CAMBRIDGE AUDIO CXN V2?
Jan
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Commercial products:
Bluesound NODE - the latest model N130 (gen 3) finally allows USB connection to a DAC.
or ALLO USBridge Signature Player
USBridge Signature Player - Ultra low noise RPI
or DIY: Raspberry Pi with Volumio/Moode/Rune or RoPieee. Put the Pi in a Flirc case and it will look good -
Flirc Raspberry Pi 4 Case
Bluesound NODE - the latest model N130 (gen 3) finally allows USB connection to a DAC.
or ALLO USBridge Signature Player
USBridge Signature Player - Ultra low noise RPI
or DIY: Raspberry Pi with Volumio/Moode/Rune or RoPieee. Put the Pi in a Flirc case and it will look good -
Flirc Raspberry Pi 4 Case
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Ah, I see USB audio output will be via "future software update" -
Node Gen 3 future USB output – The Bluesound Support Crew
The iFi ZEN Stream might be a better option
ZEN Stream by iFi audio - The high-performance, flexible and affordable Streamer from iFi audio
Node Gen 3 future USB output – The Bluesound Support Crew
The iFi ZEN Stream might be a better option
ZEN Stream by iFi audio - The high-performance, flexible and affordable Streamer from iFi audio
i used this internet store before, good experience
no idea about streamers, but here is the link anyway
Search Results - Audio Advisor
no idea about streamers, but here is the link anyway
Search Results - Audio Advisor
So? 
Reinforcement is not a bad thing.
I have an allo usbridge signature in my main system... The RPI is a great solution with a variety of available media player software:
The best Raspberry Pi media players — The MagPi magazine
Some of my friends use Pi MusicBox, and then there is Volumio.
Reinforcement is not a bad thing.I have an allo usbridge signature in my main system... The RPI is a great solution with a variety of available media player software:
The best Raspberry Pi media players — The MagPi magazine
Some of my friends use Pi MusicBox, and then there is Volumio.
Elac DS-S101-G. Best handling because of Roon and "install and forget" kind of device. About half the budget you planned. Good looking, not even 1 switch on the device. Control app is very good.
Negative:
- power on LED lights the whole room. Replace resistor for power on LED for 1.5 kOhm 0805.
- No wireless (that is in fact a positive thing to me). I have yet to see a home where no cable can be laid within a few hours.
- just 1 USB port
- USB is not an output for a DAC
I have better devices and have had better devices (that are able to play back MQA, DSD) but non perfect software is very annoying. Roon really is the dogs bollocks.
With regards to audio quality the Ifi ZEN stream seems well designed. Appearance of a Wednesday afternoon DIY project though. Still an interesting device but no Roon included. The whole issue with Roon is that it is expensive and a subscription model for the herd. Setups are consisting of several devices. The Elac is the single Roon device with all the core/end point blah blah integrated in 1 device for less than the price of the normal Roon software.
Negative:
- power on LED lights the whole room. Replace resistor for power on LED for 1.5 kOhm 0805.
- No wireless (that is in fact a positive thing to me). I have yet to see a home where no cable can be laid within a few hours.
- just 1 USB port
- USB is not an output for a DAC
I have better devices and have had better devices (that are able to play back MQA, DSD) but non perfect software is very annoying. Roon really is the dogs bollocks.
With regards to audio quality the Ifi ZEN stream seems well designed. Appearance of a Wednesday afternoon DIY project though. Still an interesting device but no Roon included. The whole issue with Roon is that it is expensive and a subscription model for the herd. Setups are consisting of several devices. The Elac is the single Roon device with all the core/end point blah blah integrated in 1 device for less than the price of the normal Roon software.
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No it isn't. It is like a music lover wants it. It never failed on me. Stabile as a rock. Now I have that Elac and compared and compared .... Do you hear my thoughts? "Mmm, no DSD in 2021', "How much DSD files do I use?" etc.
It is the device that stayed in my rack. The one that is really used. Via SPDIF coax (forget the Toslink output, it is awful). The slightly better sounding device with all bells and whistles standing next to it stays unused. One can be sensitive or insensitive to software issues but I am a guerilla with regards to software issues. Last week I experienced a NAS that removed LMS after a reboot because LMS iS EOL.... The media player only able to use LMS left useless after that. Horrible. Anything that relies on internet and a monthly fee makes you have nothing when the connection is lost for whatever reason. That is too empty, I call it "infuusaudio" Convenience is the enemy of quality too.
Completely different but Volumio is very good but not so much on x86 platforms. So my selection criterium is to look for ARM quad core based devices that use Roon or Volumio and only then start to look for hardware specs. Warning: when getting used to Roon there is no way back I am afraid.
It is the device that stayed in my rack. The one that is really used. Via SPDIF coax (forget the Toslink output, it is awful). The slightly better sounding device with all bells and whistles standing next to it stays unused. One can be sensitive or insensitive to software issues but I am a guerilla with regards to software issues. Last week I experienced a NAS that removed LMS after a reboot because LMS iS EOL.... The media player only able to use LMS left useless after that. Horrible. Anything that relies on internet and a monthly fee makes you have nothing when the connection is lost for whatever reason. That is too empty, I call it "infuusaudio"
Convenience is the enemy of quality too. Completely different but Volumio is very good but not so much on x86 platforms. So my selection criterium is to look for ARM quad core based devices that use Roon or Volumio and only then start to look for hardware specs. Warning: when getting used to Roon there is no way back I am afraid.
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I've got the first Cambridge CXN that was purchased in 2015. Great sounding streamer with good firmware support. One advantage is you can operate it from the front panel, remote or StreamMagicApp so if the App goes MIA, it doesn't turn into a brick.
I've only ever used the on board DAC but it does have digital outputs. There seems to be little difference in sonics between Ethernet, WiFi, USB and mine is hooked up via Ethernet to use my NAS with FLAC files.
I also have other streamers such as the Yamaha WXC-50 which can be used as a pre or source but that is completely App based via MusicCast so if that goes MIA, then only the Optical in and RCA in can be used.
I've only ever used the on board DAC but it does have digital outputs. There seems to be little difference in sonics between Ethernet, WiFi, USB and mine is hooked up via Ethernet to use my NAS with FLAC files.
I also have other streamers such as the Yamaha WXC-50 which can be used as a pre or source but that is completely App based via MusicCast so if that goes MIA, then only the Optical in and RCA in can be used.
Once I owned an Olive One. Excellent device but the company went out for a picknick and never returned. When my phone got a software update it automatically removed the apparently outdated control app. This was the end of the Olive One. The Audiolab 6000n is a nice example of OK hardware (let's hope the caps don't blow in this one) with a bad app. That app should be shot.
When the best engineered device has simply mediocre software it makes no sense to have to use such stuff on a daily basis. Now the contrary.... a second hand Cubox-i with Volumio is a lend out to audio guys. No one dislikes it. 50 Euro plus the cost of a linear PSU. Should be a throw away but turns out to be worthwhile... for the money. My experiments to change the Toslink to BNC coax have unfortunately led to the premature death of such a device. However it has 2 x USB so one for a USB stick and one as output Since it is a lend out you can try one if you like, Jan. Totally dishonest and unrealistic comparison and therefor nice to do Shipping costs to and fro are for you.
When the best engineered device has simply mediocre software it makes no sense to have to use such stuff on a daily basis. Now the contrary.... a second hand Cubox-i with Volumio is a lend out to audio guys. No one dislikes it. 50 Euro plus the cost of a linear PSU. Should be a throw away but turns out to be worthwhile... for the money. My experiments to change the Toslink to BNC coax have unfortunately led to the premature death of such a device. However it has 2 x USB so one for a USB stick and one as output
Since it is a lend out you can try one if you like, Jan. Totally dishonest and unrealistic comparison and therefor nice to do Shipping costs to and fro are for you.
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I agree, it's butt-ugly. But it's one of just a few commercially available streamers which offer USB audio output - and I'm guessing that with an ADI-2 Pro DAC you will want to use the USB interface. The other two I know of I've already mentioned - ALLO USBridge Signature Player and (eventually) Bluesound NODE N130.
Yeah I'm unenthusiastic about Roon. But there are people who wax lyrical about it.
I'm not familiar with TuneIn, but what you just described is one particular streaming model, utilised in particular by Apple AirPlay.
Spotify Connect uses a different model, where the controller unit (your smartphone) locates an authorised Spotify endpoint (your streamer) then tells the Spotify servers to stream directly to the streamer device. Thus the audio stream does not "bounce around" different devices, and it's a very efficient use of your LAN traffic. Your smartphone acts as a glorified remote control.
So maybe "streamingTuneIn" follows the Spotify Connect model?
If one wants to keep it simple one could use the audio playback device with TuneIn via its web interface and have the streamer doing the work. The phone is then only remote control. Ah I see Linuxfan was quicker, I was till typing.
Why would one rely on streaming from web to device and then from device to device via wireless? Convenience? An appetite for having to charge a phone even more often? The experience of getting rid of RF one has enabled oneself?
Some put an awful lot of time to join the streaming hype and then have the convenience of loosing less time (ha ha) but if it can be done without streaming one can also do without the learning curve of knowing what which device exactly does. The complete full Roon model is at least intimidating to a beginner. It is all personal but I see many busy with understanding how things work and all depending on internet/network/smart phone (infuusaudio) but meanwhile would be better off with simplicity/less clutter. To me that ringed the bell that I like this hobby for the music supported by the technical stuff not the other way around.
It may sound stupid but I like to lay down the phone and closing the control app while the device plays albums. If one streams with a phone then the phone is the audio device which can be seen as stimulating a bad habit. "The only thing Jan does is play with his phone all day".
Why would one rely on streaming from web to device and then from device to device via wireless? Convenience? An appetite for having to charge a phone even more often?
The experience of getting rid of RF one has enabled oneself? Some put an awful lot of time to join the streaming hype and then have the convenience of loosing less time (ha ha
) but if it can be done without streaming one can also do without the learning curve of knowing what which device exactly does. The complete full Roon model is at least intimidating to a beginner. It is all personal but I see many busy with understanding how things work and all depending on internet/network/smart phone (infuusaudio) but meanwhile would be better off with simplicity/less clutter. To me that ringed the bell that I like this hobby for the music supported by the technical stuff not the other way around.It may sound stupid but I like to lay down the phone and closing the control app while the device plays albums. If one streams with a phone then the phone is the audio device which can be seen as stimulating a bad habit. "The only thing Jan does is play with his phone all day".
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Yes, wifi throughput is so good these days that the Spotify Connect model might be argued to be unnecessary, but it's an argument which is somewhat irrelevant, because that's the way that Spotify chose to do things. I think it's useful to understand their method.
Having said this, I believe it's possible to stream Spotify via AirPlay (instead of via Spotify Connect) and even via Google Cast.
Having said this, I believe it's possible to stream Spotify via AirPlay (instead of via Spotify Connect) and even via Google Cast.