Help me with source ideas?

[Caliscotsman]

I'm considering buying a Musical Fidelity M3si amp, Naim 5si or maybe Cyrus...not sure yet.

I may buy one that has a built-in DAC. Unless a seperate one is recommended. (I don't have any experience with using one.)

Given that I will probably rip all my cd's to lossless, what do people tend to use as a source these days?

Do I need some sort of music server, a laptop, mp3 player? It would of course be handy to have something with a remote.

I'd appreciate any advice on a source.

(I'm just about to start reading up on the Sonos...is that the sort of thing I could use?)

Thanks.

 

[matt49]

Sonos is a great system. The user interface is slick and friendly; the networking is as robust as they come.

The Sonos Connect's jitter performance is measurably poor, though whether this has any audible effect is moot. A good 'audiophile' alternative would be the Auralic Aries Mini. I don't know how good its interface is.

You can also use a PC/Mac for the streaming/rendering, if you're happy with the idea of having to do a modicum of fettling. A headless Mac Mini controlled from an iPad or similar can do the job.

There are very expensive streaming devices from Linn, Naim, Cyrus etc, but these represent very poor VFM in my view.

PS on the subject of remotes, all of these streamers can be operated from a phone or tablet.

 

[CnoEvil]

Having listened to a variety of DACs and Streamers, I settled on a Linn DS. I would try a Sneaky DS and then compare cheaper solutions....then get what gives you the best "sound per pound".

 

[Al ears]

Presumably you have a PC to rip your CDs.

Source can be whatever you like really depends on your needs and budget.

A streamer can be used but you've got to stream it from something, possibly a NAS drive. You can use a hi- res music player as a source was that also gives you portability if required.

You can get all-in-one rippers/storage/players but these tend to be on the expensive side.

I use an Oppo 105 universal disc player networked to a NAS drive over 'homeplug' connection, as it plays all disc types, plays hires from USB drives and is a class product all round. However, there is a great deal of choice these days, you need to fully look at what exactly, and more to the point, where exactly you want to listen to your music.

 

[Caliscotsman]

The Oppo sounds like it may suit me. I'll do some reading on that...

 

[Al ears]

The Oppo sounds like it may suit me. I'll do some reading on that...

They are not cheap but if you are looking for something that will play just about everything including being a class blu ray player then it's a good buy. If you don't need the video side of things then maybe not such a good buy.

If you get one you'd still need a USB hard drive to attach as storage unless you network it in somehow.

There are cheaper alternatives but they don't use the same dac chips, and most only have the one.

 

[acalex]

M3 from MF is a killing amp, amazing value for money.
In terms of sources, if you like digital I tend to agree with Sonos, it's a no brainer at that kind of money

If you are ok with spending a bit more, Linn DS is a great alternative

 

[matt49]

No doubt the Oppo is a fine piece of kit IF you want to play discs. But if you plan to rip your discs, it seems an unnecessary expense. That's a decision you have to make.

I rip all my discs on a PC. They then get stored on a NAS drive, and the files are played through a Sonos Connect.

 

[Caliscotsman]

I still want the flexibility and besides it'll function as my blu ray player also. And it looks like you can attach an external drive, and use wifi, so it covers many bases. And at $500 that's good for me.

Still looking at the Sonos too though...do you feel it would have any benefit over the Oppo?

 

[Leeps]

You might want to check out the Bluesound range. Rooted in NAD, seems to be a middle ground price-wise between Sonos and the Naim/Linn/Cyrus streamers.

Bluesound starts with a basic streamer that you can attach a USB hard drive or NAS (& adds Internet radio and a wide range of streaming music services too should you want that option in future).

The Vault may also be of interest to you. Essentially the same as the Node but with 2TB hard drive and CD ripper built in.

You might want to think about how you're going to connect the streamer you choose to your amp. Are you content with a cheaper source (Sonos or Bluesound perhaps) that you might want to use a digital output into a separate DAC, or whether you cut to the chase and get a higher end streamer and use its own analogue outputs directly into your amp.

Of course, you might feel the Bluesound's own analogue output is good enough for you. You could start there and add a separate DAC later if you felt the need to upgrade.

 

[Andrewjvt]

Id recomend the nad d3020 then all you will need is a pc or laptop to store your music files. There are much better quality amps with built in dacs also for more money depending how much you want to pay. For the laptop id recomend jriver software. Ita very easy to master and operate

 

[ChrisIRL]

Anything as long as you run it through a Chord Mojo is my honest opinion. Read my earlier post for more detail but since that post I've been listening to the Mojo a lot. It really is quite incredible. Literally all of my albums new and old have taken on a new lease of life. Latest review on Amazon is by a guy who says spotify on his phone through the Mojo betters playing cds on his Naim cdi. I'm not surprised. This isn't just another dac.

 

[Caliscotsman]

Damn...interesting piece of kit...

I'm finding all these choices a little overwhelming.

 

[rainsoothe]

Hi. MF3i is a pretty warm sounding amp. The cd5si is a rich sounding player. In any case, you should try to audition before buying anything. Imo, if you don't have a big room to fill, Naim Unitilite + Focal Aria 906 or 926, Harbeth P3esr, Monitor Audio Silver 2 (or 6 or 8 for floorstanders) should be all you need. No fuss, smallest box count, amazing sound. For more power, try Naim Unity. The Linn system is also very highly regarded, but cannot comment since I heard none of their products.

Otherwise, Bluesound sounds like it offers great value and upgradeability.

 

[matt49]

I still want the flexibility and besides it'll function as my blu ray player also. And it looks like you can attach an external drive, and use wifi, so it covers many bases. And at $500 that's good for me.

Still looking at the Sonos too though...do you feel it would have any benefit over the Oppo?

The advantages of Sonos are the quality of the user interface (a huge factor, IMO) and robustness of its networking. It is by quite a distance the most mature streaming product on the market.