Easiest way to add streaming

[HarpsC]

Hi.

I've been out of the loop for the last few years.

I'm wanting add streaming to my system (Roksan Caspian amp and CD, Audio Lab Mdac, B&W 683s.

What's the easiest way without spending high hundreds on a streaming separate?

 

[Messiah]

WiiM products are used by many on here so would be a good place to start.

WiiM | Redefining Home Audio: Affordable, Innovative, Hi-Res Sound

WiiM unveils a new era of home audio – an ultimate wireless sound system that paints your home with stunning sound, room by room, through a whole-house WiFi network.

www.wiimhome.com

 

[Juzzie Wuzzie]

WiiM Mini ... move up from there in the WiiM range.

 

[nopiano]

If you already have decent Wi-Fi at home then I’d second the Wiim suggestion. If you’d prefer a different brand, Bluesound’s Node has been popular and has been updated regularly over several years.

To enjoy streaming, you’ll need a service provider, like Tidal, Qobuz or Spotify. Most offer a trial period so you can get familiar with their content.

 

[Al ears]

If you already have decent Wi-Fi at home then I’d second the Wiim suggestion. If you’d prefer a different brand, Bluesound’s Node has been popular and has been updated regularly over several years.

To enjoy streaming, you’ll need a service provider, like Tidal, Qobuz or Spotify. Most offer a trial period so you can get familiar with their content.

He'll also need so means of controlling said streamer, mobile phone or tablet or the like, obviously.
you need multiple bits of kit in a streaming set-up.

 

[manicm]

He'll also need so means of controlling said streamer, mobile phone or tablet or the like, obviously.
you need multiple bits of kit in a streaming set-up.

Assuming most people will have WiFi and phones,he will be ready.

The WiiM Mini has Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect and Airplay. Even Chromecast.

 

[Dave_]

To enjoy streaming, you’ll need a service provider,

Or some local storage of your own rips or downloads...

 

[Jasonovich]

Hi.

I've been out of the loop for the last few years.

I'm wanting add streaming to my system (Roksan Caspian amp and CD, Audio Lab Mdac, B&W 683s.

What's the easiest way without spending high hundreds on a streaming separate?

£300 will get you the very excellent WiiM Ultra streamer/dac. Seamless operation without the fuss 🙂

 

[Al ears]

£300 will get you the very excellent WiiM Ultra streamer/dac. Seamless operation without the fuss 🙂

He appears to have a dac already....
So he doesn't need the Ultra

 

[Gray]

He appears to have a dac already....
So he doesn't need the Ultra

He doesn't need the Ultra, that's true.
But he might like its nice little screen.
(And there's a fair chance he could prefer the sound of its DAC ).

 

[Jasonovich]

He appears to have a dac already....
So he doesn't need the Ultra

Is there a streamer only solution that is cost effective, in terms of connectivity?

I was thinking in terms of user interface experience, @Gray Nice Screen adds the visual interpretation, the process of identifying the music with the artist, a stimuli that promotes the sensory perception of the music with the aid of visuals 🙂
I have WiiM Pro Plus it also has a DAC, but not using because the DAC on my Eversolo is superior, it's there but not necessary.
Maybe the cheaper WiiM solutions would suffice but I tend to view the DAC as option as a strap on, it's there if you need it?

 

[Al ears]

Is there a streamer only solution that is cost effective, in terms of connectivity?

I was thinking in terms of user interface experience, @Gray Nice Screen adds the visual interpretation, the process of identifying the music with the artist, a stimuli that promotes the sensory perception of the music with the aid of visuals 🙂
I have WiiM Pro Plus it also has a DAC, but not using because the DAC on my Eversolo is superior, it's there but not necessary.
Maybe the cheaper WiiM solutions would suffice but I tend to view the DAC as option as a strap on, it's there if you need it?

Which if you already own a dac you obviously don't. There is absolutely, these days, no reason to pay for something you aren't going to use.
Economics is a wonderful thing but with more and more manufacturers including, and charging you for, items you are never going to use like a dac or a preamp stage is becoming far more common unfortunately.
If you want a decent streamer make sure that's where your money goes and forget the additional components you are unlikely to ever use.

 

[DougK1]

Is there a streamer only solution that is cost effective, in terms of connectivity?

I was thinking in terms of user interface experience, @Gray Nice Screen adds the visual interpretation, the process of identifying the music with the artist, a stimuli that promotes the sensory perception of the music with the aid of visuals 🙂
I have WiiM Pro Plus it also has a DAC, but not using because the DAC on my Eversolo is superior, it's there but not necessary.
Maybe the cheaper WiiM solutions would suffice but I tend to view the DAC as option as a strap on, it's there if you need it?

Can never have too many DACs Jason 🙂

 

[Jasonovich]

Which if you already own a dac you obviously don't. There is absolutely, these days, no reason to pay for something you aren't going to use.
Economics is a wonderful thing but with more and more manufacturers including, and charging you for, items you are never going to use like a dac or a preamp stage is becoming far more common unfortunately.
If you want a decent streamer make sure that's where your money goes and forget the additional components you are unlikely to ever use.

Yes it's a fair point and here's the but, is there a streamer only without the DAC that's less than a few hundred pounds?
Maybe there is but I can't think off my head without Googling it

 

[Jasonovich]

Can never have too many DACs Jason 🙂

I dream of little DACs jumping over the fence 🤣

 

[Dave_]

He doesn't need the Ultra, that's true.
But he might like its nice little screen.

How useful is a tiny 3.5" screen from across the room though?

 

[Witterings]

I'd also take into account what streaming service you're going to use and if you want to stream from a phone / tablet or from a PC and if you want to play locally stored music as well.

I've been using Amazon Music pretty much since the WiiM prooducts were launched as they integrate so well.
I've very recently shifted to a Bluesound Nano, mainly because it sounds better but aslo I can cast from my laptop which is normally on using Tidal so I don't have to find my phone / tablet and switch it on for the sole purpose of playing music.

The clincher for deciding to move was Amazon have just updated their App and one thing I really liked about it has gone.

 

[DREADZONE]

I'd also take into account what streaming service you're going to use and if you want to stream from a phone / tablet or from a PC and if you want to play locally stored music as well.

I've been using Amazon Music pretty much since the WiiM prooducts were launched as they integrate so well.
I've very recently shifted to a Bluesound Nano, mainly because it sounds better but aslo I can cast from my laptop which is normally on using Tidal so I don't have to find my phone / tablet and switch it on for the sole purpose of playing music.

The clincher for deciding to move was Amazon have just updated their App and one thing I really liked about it has gone.

What feature has just gone from Amazon? I was thinking of using my current Amazon Unlimited subscription as the source for a streaming centre from my PC. I want to see track + playlists, etc on a large screen: can you suggest a source to get info on how to do this?
Many thanks.

 

[Gray]

How useful is a tiny 3.5" screen from across the room though?

About as much use as a lot of other screens and displays that are only just a bit bigger I suppose 🤔
OK for desktop use, where touchscreen functions are handy.

(I'm close enough not to even bother with a remote most of the time).

 

[Witterings]

What feature has just gone from Amazon? I was thinking of using my current Amazon Unlimited subscription as the source for a streaming centre from my PC. I want to see track + playlists, etc on a large screen: can you suggest a source to get info on how to do this?
Many thanks.

In the past when you added an artist to your library, if you then clicked on the artists tab there was a filter tab and if you clicked on that an option appeared that said "by me".
Click on that and the only ones that showed up in the list were the ones you'd purposefully put in there and this option has gone.

In the past I've been though and added absolutely loads of their compilation playlists, things like 70's BBQ Music and 80's BBQ music and 70's & 80's Rock to mention just a few as I thought if I'm having an evening with friends they can just go in and chose a playlist.

Each of these platlists may have 30 different artists and every single one of them now appears in your artists list meaning there are literally thousands of them in there ..... 97% of which I don't want to appear in that list and it makes it really hard to f ind your preferred artists / regular listens .... it may as well just be a list of every artist that's ever existed.

Things like the WiiM App and BluOS do the same so it was one reason I much preferred using the Amazon App as it made it so much easier to find my followed / "Chosen" content.

 

[RTHerringbone]

I've been delighted with the WiiM Mini. £89, a doddle to set up and then control solely through the Spotify App.

I "get" the idea that products from higher up the WiiM range might be enticing, but a small screen and some extra connectivity I wouldn't use for an extra £260 doesn't really make sense for the way I listen to music. AFAIK there's no tangible audible benefit with the costlier models, so it's essentially feature creep, GAS and marketing that you're weighing up there.

 

[Juzzie Wuzzie]

RTH - I agree with you. I'd like to run my Mini via a wired connection (my only gripe) but to be fair, the wifi approach has not dropped out at all so I can't really complain. It is a great piece of kit and pound for pound must be one of the best.

 

[twinkletoes]

Hi.

I've been out of the loop for the last few years.

I'm wanting add streaming to my system (Roksan Caspian amp and CD, Audio Lab Mdac, B&W 683s.

What's the easiest way without spending high hundreds on a streaming separate?

As you’re talking about streaming I’m assuming you have a smart device of some point.

You just need a usb cable from your phone/tablet/computer/laptop to your mdac. Cost you 30quid max. Your phone is an incredibly powerful streamer better than nearly anything on the market. And if you’re using apple muisc it’s the best way to experience apple muisc

 

[tonycv51]

Hi.

I've been out of the loop for the last few years.

I'm wanting add streaming to my system (Roksan Caspian amp and CD, Audio Lab Mdac, B&W 683s.

What's the easiest way without spending high hundreds on a streaming separate?

Hi answer depends on whether you have apple or android phone, and which streaming service you want to use

- if Apple phone then get most suitable Wiim
- if android and using Spotify, apple music, tidal or YouTube music, or local files then you can use wiim, or cheaper option you could get a Chromecast audio from CEX - £40 condition B is in stock. You'd need to budget for optical cable and ideally ethernet adaptor
- if android but using Amazon music get most suitable Wiim

If you have a smart TV or TV streamer hooked up to your amp / dac then that might be another option as a stopgap for things like Spotify or tidal as the TV / streamer will likely have those apps

 

[DanEmmo]

If you've already got a Dac which has USB in and have an old android phone knocking about then USB audio pro and a OTG cable is all you need. You need spend no more than £15 for a perfectly easy to use streamer with a a screen.