Best media streamer for...

[WickedDNA]

My mind is boggled...
What speaker set up?
Wired?
DAC?
ALL I started looking for was a way to play YouTube via Sonos and Echo.
I have speakers from both of ecosystems and it actually appears that YouTube is the problem.
I'm a youtube addict and stopped paying for Spotify. I love it's simplicity. It may seem daft to cancel just to save a fee, but if STILL be faced with the youtube problem anyway.
I've been tempted to go extend and improve my sound setup, many times, then found myself going down rabbit holes trying to work out how to....

Most recently, I tried reading up on streamers.
Not all my questions were answered, so here I am.

I'm pretty poor, so liked the Sonos and the echo dots to get started.

So, finally, to my question..
What media streamer can cast to different brands of speaker (one pair at a time) and may also have an accompanying android app?

The closest solution I have is a Echo show and two echo studio, but the echo range isn't developing and tops out at the studio.

TLDR?

 

[Witterings]

It's not quite clear what you're looking to do and if it's build a whole system from scratch including speakers etc. or if you're looking to use the Sonos / Amazon bits you already have?

For people looking to "get into" streaming the WiiM streamers are very popular at the moment and if you go for the Pro or Pro Plus they hav Chromecast built in which "plays" with youtube or if you're looking at active speakers something like the Q Acoustics M20 are quite good.

I believe the Echo speakers have inputs so you could use a WiiM streamer with those but it's not the best solution.

There are also a lot of budget amps now that are incredibly good for the money and could pair them with passive speakers, the WiiM Amp come with a streamer built in or something lik a Fosi Audio V3 or ZA3 and a Wiim plugged into it would also be good but would probably look at the WiiM Pro Plus if going that route as it has the better quality DAC.

Hope that helps but maybe some more info on what you're end goal is and if you'd ditch / sell whatyou currently have would help.

 

[DCarmi]

It is not clear if you pay for YouTube premium or not and whether music streaming is important (YouTube music free has considerable limitations). Google and Amazon have a history of not playing nicely together.

If you are starting from scratch on a limited budget then I'd probably look at Google stuff, because Android and YouTube are both Google products. The speakers, displays and dongles can play simultaneously or switch from one to another.

The WiiM options mentioned above are fairly compatible with the Google devices (though not so much the WiiM Mini) but not so good with Amazon, or at least I've not really tried that hard. Mostly I do multiroom audio between WiiM Pro on my Hifi to Nest Hub Max in the kitchen or vice versa.

The Google Store do have bundles of devices which could save some you money but shop around. The secondhand market might be worth looking at.

If you are looking to build a system then we'd want to know:

• How small is the budget?
• Primarily audio or video?
• What have you currently got (speakers, TV etc)?

Basically there are too many variables to make a sensible recommendation.

 

[Rodolfo]

Addictions are never good, and this one SOUNDS worse than most; but, admitting you're an addict is supposed to be an important first step.

Given you're currently "pretty poor", and as long as you struggle with being youtube-centric, a streamer is unlikely to add much value to your current investment. When good audio recordings and music-listening become primary, then additional "speaker setup" and "DAC" spending may make more sense/add real marginal value to your current setup. For now, you may want to focus on an eyes/vision-healthy screen and its screen-settings, and/or a nice inexpensive set of wired and/or wireless headphones --though your sources will still be a limit.

Enjoy your music-watching, but my best wishes for overcoming your addiction. You seem to have plenty of company as the music threads here and elsewhere illustrate. And then there are my regular texted and emailed links... Oy vey...

Disclaimer: I am not as poor, but, though I do a lot of streaming, I have never felt the need for a dedicated "media streamer". I do recognize that it is THE audio fad of the 20s, and that each manufacturer releases quarterly updates and versions that overcome the limits of each's prior issue(s).

 

[daytona600]

Can you visit your local friendly Hifi shop

 

[DCarmi]

If you are heavily into YouTube perhaps an tablet with some decent headphones, might suffice.
Failing that a soundbar on your TV (assuming you have one).

If you want audio streaming across multiple rooms either you go cheap with the smart speaker approach or you go the more expensive route of streaming systems. Maybe look at the WiiM amp and some speakers.
No reason why you can't have a system in the main room and smart speakers in others, providing you get devices that do actually talk to one another.

As I said before you probably need to be a bit more specific with requirements and budget.

 

[daytona600]

for youtube / streaming
Budget - Phone/Tablet + DAC/Speakers

Hiend - RS520 4K video 250wpc + Speakers

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0cThOLxvLo&t=232s