Feeding digital music to speakers for good Hi-Fi sound

[Camaxide]

I plan for a system running Dali Rubicon 8 for fronts, 1-2 subs, center and surround speakers. I might only use the fronts for stereo music - I'll still have to try it compared to 2.2 or even surround.. I will likely use a Denon AVR-X5200W for surround with a NAD C375 to run the Rubicon 8's (fronts).

My question is: I'm likely to use Spotify / Tidal and Flac files as my music-sources - Not CD's or LP's. What is the best way to feed this from the services or computer - and to the speakers?

 

[SteveR750]

What do you mean "from the services?"

Unless you've got a streamer in there somewhere...?

In essence, using a PC is a cheap way of obtaining a high quality source. It's fine if you've already got a PC, and don't mind using it for that purpose as well as for normal pc stuff. No point in buying a second pc just for music, as a dedicated streamer is easier / slicker to use and looks much nicer. From most of the system pics I've seen (mind included) it's not practical to use your pc as a PC whilst streaming music, mainly because of the need for a hard wire (USB usually) connection to your system. A PC is no better or worse as a digital data source from an audio performance point of view, it's simply about cost vs convenience.

 

[Andrewjvt]

I think i know what you mean or after

If you are using the nad amp then youll need a dac and a storage for the music files.

Cheapest way i could recomend would be a laptop with a music server software like jriver. Rip all your cds to the hard drive or buy digital music etc. Then you control play back using the software. So in very easy words it goes from pc to dac to amp.

But if you have a avr 5200 you can use the dac already in the amp and save money.
The avr5200 has got good specs and you may like the sound.

If you want a seperate stereo amp and an av amp tou can still use the nad for stereo and the avr combined for av duties. Just use the front pre outs into the nad then you wont need an extra set of frint speakers for the av.

Hope i have not confused you

 

[Camaxide]

Ah ok - so I dont need a DAC when I already got the AVR

with services I meant Spotify/Tidal =) I am likely to want to run those from for instance the ipad - since this can be brought around to any room - but sometimes from my pc, sometimes from gf's mac. so it should be possible to get it from various sources - and hopefully also through the WIFI - but maybe the AVR also supports such a thing already...

 

[Andrewjvt]

Ah ok - so I dont need a DAC when I already got the AVR

with services I meant Spotify/Tidal =) I am likely to want to run those from for instance the ipad - since this can be brought around to any room - but sometimes from my pc, sometimes from gf's mac. so it should be possible to get it from various sources - and hopefully also through the WIFI - but maybe the AVR also supports such a thing already...

On the denon i think you can run thise services from that amp but you would have to check