Any good media streamers coming out, or just released lately?

[amey01]

Their replacement is $5k.. go big or stay home, I guess. Lol

LOL is about the only thing I can agree with.

You don't need more than a $50 Raspberry Pi and some free software to take 1s and 0s from a network.

BUT: It can become obsolete very quickly. Why on earth would you want this side of the audio chain integrated with an expensive DAC?

Buy whatever DAC pleases you and your budget.

 

[amey01]

Further to prior, I really don't get it.

Audiophiles seem to want to separate everything:

+ Separate the preamp from the power amp
+ Separate the RIAA amp from the preamp
+ Separate the power supply from the DAC
+ Separate the transport from the DAC

......Yet increasingly happy to have cheap networking/IT components like wi-fi cards, operating systems, RAM, etc integrated with their DAC/analogue output stage. Very strange.

 

[zigman]

.....still haven’t pulled the trigger on a streamer. Haha! Some new streamers being released, but in the $5k price point..I’m not a player in that range.. and the Cambridge Audio 851n is still selling like hot cakes. Their replacement is $5k.. go big or stay home, I guess. Lol
Dan

Have you looked at Lumin? They have both streamers and DAC streamers in different price ranges. Not only do they sound great, they have amazing support.

 

[wink]

Yes, out of my budget for a streamer. Don’t need a DAC with it, just a great renderer with an intuitive app controller....all for under $2k lol! I will use my OPPO UDP-205 for an outboard DAC.
Dan

 

[zigman]

Yes, out of my budget for a streamer. Don’t need a DAC with it, just a great renderer with an intuitive app controller....all for under $2k lol! I will use my OPPO UDP-205 for an outboard DAC.
Dan

The Lumin U1 Mini fits that exact description. Also, a used Aurender N100H would fall in your budget. I have heard the app controller is fantastic as well.

 

[JonFo]

and the Cambridge Audio 851n is still selling like hot cakes.

Forget that, the new contender is the DACMagic 200M, with MQA decoding. Only $500. Add a MacMini (used ~300) and some software and you are done.

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-MfNoBSDRJvH/p_779DM200M/Cambridge-Audio-DacMagic-200M.html

 

[zigman]

Forget that, the new contender is the DACMagic 200M, with MQA decoding. Only $500. Add a MacMini (used ~300) and some software and you are done.

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-MfNoBSDRJvH/p_779DM200M/Cambridge-Audio-DacMagic-200M.html

If budget is sub-$2K for a steamer the Aurender and Lumin are in a different category. I have used a few different combinations options including Roon.

All these options work, it all depends on what level and interface you are looking for and like.

 

[amey01]

Agree with Jon - "forget that".

the Aurender and Lumin are in a different category.

Zigman - They are certainly in a different category for price. Would you like to tell us how they're in a different category in any other way?

They are ONLY pulling 1s and 0s off a network and presenting them to a DAC. Anything can do that. A Mac Mini as Jon suggested, (or any computer) fits this purpose 100% (by "100%", I mean "can not be bettered"). Spending more money does not achieve any outcome.

IT stuff changes and becomes obsolete so fast. Next year there may be new WiFi standards, new security standards, better control apps, faster processors, etc. Why do you want to invest so much money in some expensive, proprietary bloody Lumin thing, which will be obsolete so soon. Buy a cheap computer and upgrade it as you need to.

My only qualification on the computer - you don't want something noisy in your listening room - so no spinning disks, no fans. The Raspberry Pi is perfect in this sense.

 

[zigman]

Honestly not trying to create a debate here. There are no absolutes in audio only what people prefer. I have gone from ML Source with a Denon receiver, to 11As paired with different sources and amps, to now Boressen speakers with Vitus amp. My budget started at $2K myself when upgrading the Sources so I had to scrapily make way up and learn what I liked and hate spending money unless I hear something even then I weig the pros and cons of it’s worth it. I have been lucky in that I have had friend let me demo or borrow some high end gear to compare in my own home.

I agree about 1’s and 0’s but one thing not being discussed is noise. Higher end streamers are built to make sure no additional noise gets into the system, separate out the main component from power, and some will work to remove noise. This noise carries over through the digital cable to the DAC and/or pre/amp. Computers, not customized (like Innuous), are notorious for adding electrical noise into the component path.

The app interface itself and reliability are the other two. Lumin’s parent company is well regarded video and other streaming technology video. I had both the Lumin D2 and T2 and they never had a hiccup when steaming. Aurender I have heard has the best proprietary standalone app interface in the market. A friend of mine has a Cambridge Soundwork DAC/Streamer and does not like the app and has problems with interference.

This all boils down what the rest of the system looks like to even hear a difference. I would rank the DAC part way more important. The ML speakers are very transparent especially the new models but the DAC you use and amp all play a part. From my experience noise tends to come in as false sense of soundstage and brighter less deep sound.

To each their own of course.

 

[amey01]

Honestly not trying to create a debate here.

Don't worry. You're not. But robust discussion is what this place is about.

There are no absolutes in audio only what people prefer.

No, not in audio. But there are absolutes in the computer/IT world. Computers have been operating with 100% accuracy for decades!

That's why I am making such a thing about separating your digital/IT side from your audio/analogue side!!

I agree about 1’s and 0’s but one thing not being discussed is noise. Higher end streamers are built to make sure no additional noise gets into the system, separate out the main component from power, and some will work to remove noise. This noise carries over through the digital cable to the DAC and/or pre/amp. Computers, not customized (like Innuous), are notorious for adding electrical noise into the component path.

Noise is a very valid statement and concern. But that is the DAC's job to isolate. Any halfway decent DAC should do that. And a better DAC might give better isolation, which might go some way to explaining why they might give better perfromance. But this is an audio issue - not a networking issue.

If you're worried about networking/computer noise, then you also need to worry about the noise from Amazon's servers, your ISP, your router.......etc. Not just your player. If noise is passed from one to the next (in the case of grounded cable connections, yes it is) then it is your DAC's job to isolate that.

Aurender I have heard has the best proprietary standalone app interface in the market.

It comes down to personal preference. But it would have to be pretty bloody special if you were prepared to pay that sort of premium. The Squeezebox interface is damn good (iPeng, OrangeSqueeze or Material), Sonos is nice, and Roon's options would have to rank among the best out there.

 

[tonyc]

I have been using an Aurender for the last couple of years and it sounds good. I recently tried Roon which I downloaded to my Mojo modded mac mini and I am hooked! I m still learning it but I actually deleted Pure Music, Audirvana. I kept J River as a backup to play music stored on my SSD for when the internet is out.

 

[Len44]

I have often thought about Roon, and have looked into it two or three times. It ALWAYS looks like such a PITA -- make that Major PITA to me. Lots of stuff to master and get exactly right. And, if I wanted a dang computer in my media room I'd do it. But I don't. However, I'll take yet another look, before pursuing an Aurender.

Does a simple path exist to enable Roon? BTW, which Aurender have you been using?

 

[hwoarang]

A quick note and something I’ve been dealing with. All manufacturers are in the process of rolling out HDMI 2.1 chipsets to their devices. There was an initial issue with the supplier, and concerns that the chipsets being delivered weren’t fully fledged and capable. There are only a small handful of AV devices that have HDMI 2.1 at the moment. Marantz, Denon and Yamaha have them right now. The devices some have mentioned in here are likely still on HDMI 2.0. It’s a huge upgrade between the two, and very much worth waiting for it to be implemented properly.

 

[amey01]

. And, if I wanted a dang computer in my media room I'd do it. But I don't.

You don't need a computer in your listening room at all (agree - awful). From what I understand, Roon is a client/server architecture.

 

[tonyc]

Len I use a N 100.

 

[BDH55]

Aurender I have heard has the best proprietary standalone app interface in the market.

While I can't say it is the best interface in the market, I can tell you that it is very good (and I own two Aurenders). Part of the reason is I wanted to keep things as simple as possible since my wife is largely scared to even turn on our main system, but she can work her iPad!

To each their own of course.

I couldn't agree more!

 

[spkrdctr]

Wait, your saying my 286 computer is still good to go? I was thinking of finally updating after 25 years............

 

[Russr]

Wait, your saying my 286 computer is still good to go? I was thinking of finally updating after 25 years............

I know, I know, sucks getting old like me, but if you were running a '286 25 years ago, you were already 5 or 6 years behind...

 

[wink]

Ok, I finally pulled the trigger. Due to the fact I was looking for both a nice pre-amp to pair with the Coda #8 amp I just purchased, and a streamer to render not only the vast library on my Synology server, but also decode DSD and MQA files....I finally decided on pulling the trigger on an NAD M12. It does everything I need it to do features wise, now to see if it will be a good sonic match for the Coda...

 

[twich54]

Way to go Dan, keep us posted as to how things work out with the NAD. I continue to avoid the 'streaming thing', but 'ya never know !