Digital streaming options. Budget £700

[admin_exported]

Hi, I am looking for some digital streaming option advice.

I currently have a TAG 60i amp, monitor silver 8 speakers. I am looking to go digital and have a few avenues open to me.

There is the possibility to use my tv to provide the input source from my NAS drive, then buy a good DAC, say Arcam Rdac to connect up to my amp.

Alternatively go for a Cambridge audio stream 6 or pioneer n50, giving single box simplicity.

My budget could stretch to the Cambridge audio stream 6 but if I can gain similar sound quality at a lesser price, that would be nice

The off the wall option would be a donors connect plus sac to give a nice iPad friendly envionment.

Would welcome thoughts/ideas.

Thanks

 

[spockfish]

As you already have a NAS: go for the Squeezebox Touch. Better usability then the cambridge audio (DLNA based), and cheaper. When you add an optional DAC you have a very good streaming solution.

 

[Anonymous]

Last line should read..... Stupid iphone autocorrect!

The off the wall option would be a sonos connect plus dac to give a nice iPad friendly envionment.

 

[omnibeard]

As you already have a NAS: go for the Squeezebox Touch. Better usability then the cambridge audio (DLNA based), and cheaper. When you add an optional DAC you have a very good streaming solution.

+1

Also, the ipad will control it nicely!

 

[omnibeard]

Last line should read..... Stupid iphone autocorrect!

The off the wall option would be a sonos connect plus dac to give a nice iPad friendly envionment.

Ha, I wondered if you'd been on the sauce!

 

[plastic penguin]

Hi, I am looking for some digital streaming option advice.

I currently have a TAG 60i amp, monitor silver 8 speakers. I am looking to go digital and have a few avenues open to me.

There is the possibility to use my tv to provide the input source from my NAS drive, then buy a good DAC, say Arcam Rdac to connect up to my amp.

Alternatively go for a Cambridge audio stream 6 or pioneer n50, giving single box simplicity.

My budget could stretch to the Cambridge audio stream 6 but if I can gain similar sound quality at a lesser price, that would be nice

The off the wall option would be a donors connect plus sac to give a nice iPad friendly envionment.

Would welcome thoughts/ideas.

Thanks

Hiya.

First, great little amp. I heard it way back and wanted one but disappeared from the scene.

You have numerous options around your budget for streaming devices (Nad, Pioneer, Marantz, Rotel...). I've only heard the Marantz NA7004 tuner/streamer. Excellent for the money (sub £500). http://www.superfi.co.uk/p-3217-marantz-na7004-amfmdabinternet-radio-tuner-media-streamer-and-dac-with-free-apple-airplay-upgrade.aspx This particular machine has AirPlay included in the price.

Or you could look at Dacs but you'll need to source ways of using it. There are others on here who are better placed to advise on Dacs.

 

[Crocodile]

Is gapless playback important to you?

 

[nopiano]

Is gapless playback important to you?

Pending a reply from the OP, can you suggest anything that does gapless and in budget? The closest I can think of is the MF CLiC at c. £1300.

 

[tino]

Cambridge NP30 now does gapless for £399.

Squeezebox Touch also does it for around £150.

 

[nopiano]

Cambridge NP30 now does gapless for £399.

Squeezebox Touch also does it for around £150.

Cheers, Tino, I had a hunch the NP30 was due an update, but had no idea the SBT was gapless. Makes me wonder why others find it such a problem. To me it is a fatal flaw, akin to choosing a car that stops every 5 minutes!

 

[amcluesent]

Your budget of £700 should get you a 2nd hand Squeezebox Transporter.

 

[Crocodile]

I guess if CA have sorted gapless on the NP30 then the Stream shouldn't be far behind (JD?).

I personally wouldn't touch a used Transporter due to Logitech's apparent inability to fix anything outside warranty.

I would start with a Squeezebox Touch & go from there. Whether that be to an external DAC or another product, you'll have a base point to judge sound & features on. And if you do move on, Touch's sell well used & you won't lose much.

The reason the SB range can do gapless playback is down to the proprietary server software, rather than using the jack of all trades that is DLNA. As a result a PC or NAS must be running when listening to locally stored music but WOL makes that much less of an issue that it may appear.

 

[Andrew Everard]

I guess if CA have sorted gapless on the NP30 then the Stream shouldn't be far behind (JD?).

Indeed – as reported in News a couple of days back

 

[philipjohnwright]

Mac Mini, Pure Music, rDac?

Slightly over budget I'll accept, but it will give you greater flexibility, and a fantastic sound (it's what I use).

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks all. I have no particular preference for or against gapless so this will not sway my decision . Interesting that everybody is suggesting squeezebox over sonos connect, then add a good Dac. Is there any reason for this? Thanks again

 

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[Anonymous]

Forgot to say I want to use this with my NAS drive (mybook) and mac switched off.

 

[spockfish]

I think the're quite comparable. However, the squeezebox is cheaper. Furthermore afaik the sonos can't do high res audio. The squeezebox can play 96/24 audio.

 

[Fuzzy Bear]

Is your Nas the WD Mybook Live edition?

If so you the Squeezebox solution will be more difficult. It's to do with installing the squeezebox server on the drive. There is a workaround I beleive.

You would have to do the following

http://mybookworld.wikidot.com/squeezeboxserver

I don't know if that changes other uses for the drive with other devices also.

 

[smbmetal]

There's been a few group tests of streamers fairly recently but the SBT never seems to get a mention or put into group tests. As far as I am aware it only ever had it's intial 5 star review and no further apperances in WHF and I've been a subscriber for 5 years.

If it helps you, I used to have an Arcam CD92T cd player which in it's day was £900. The SBT straight out of the box no external DAC etc, is as good if not better than the CD92T to my ears and I got it for £140! Think of all the music £500+ can buy. Are the other streamers really that much better?

 

[tino]

There's been a few group tests of streamers fairly recently but the SBT never seems to get a mention or put into group tests. As far as I am aware it only ever had it's intial 5 star review and no further apperances in WHF and I've been a subscriber for 5 years.

The August HiFi Choice magazine carries a "review" and improvement article on the Squeezebox Touch and how to optimise its sound quality.

 

[smbmetal]

[/quote]

The August HiFi Choice magazine carries a "review" and improvement article on the Squeezebox Touch and how to optimise its sound quality.

[/quote]

Out of interest did it say to purchase an improved power supply? Something like:

http://www.mains-cables-r-us.co.uk/power-supplies/346-mains-cables-r-us-dc-power-supply.html

 

[hammill]

There's been a few group tests of streamers fairly recently but the SBT never seems to get a mention or put into group tests. As far as I am aware it only ever had it's intial 5 star review and no further apperances in WHF and I've been a subscriber for 5 years.

If it helps you, I used to have an Arcam CD92T cd player which in it's day was £900. The SBT straight out of the box no external DAC etc, is as good if not better than the CD92T to my ears and I got it for £140! Think of all the music £500+ can buy. Are the other streamers really that much better?

I guess we got the same Amazon deal. I too am very pleased with SBT. managed to get technocautious partner to use it when I installed free app on her android phone to control SBT and within minutes she was playing combinations of youtube and our own music. The youtube stuff sounds much better than I expected and the FLAC recordings I have made sound as good as the original CDs.