newb to streaming utube/spotify/digital radio.....how cheaply?

[radiorog]

Hi,

virtually no idea on the best way to do this. I was thinking of buying a digital radio, but somebody i know plays all his digital music through his ipad via a bluetooth device, into a little roberts radio.

I would like to be able to listen to dab radio, internet radio stations, spotify, and utube, and other such free listening places, with a reasonable sound quality, though not wanting the best as my cd player will do this. I am now thinking i would like to buy a tablet and play it directly into my amp (using a basic set of cables from the headphone of tablet to amp line inouts). Is this possible? Or do i need a dac as well? I have seen sonos, but wouldnt a tablet let me do other things like watch movies, and other tablet duties that sonos won't?

Would the SQ from a tablet be awful? Would i be better to stick with a dab radio seperate?

Thank you.....

 

[Overdose]

Would the SQ from a tablet be awful? Would i be better to stick with a dab radio seperate?

Thank you.....

Probably the best way to do all of this is to use an iPad and Airport Express or other tablet and Sonos.

The sound quality will be far from awful.

The Sonos solution would also be fine and give you the option to link to a NAS, but if you have your music collection digitsed, you could use the iTunes match service and stream it all from the 'cloud'.

 

[MakkaPakka]

Bluetooth is capable of sounding just fine - certainly for the sources mentioned. You can get a Belkin bluetooth receiver for £20 or so that plugs straight into a standard RCA connection.

 

[shooter]

Yep Airport Express plus Airfoil for all you internet streaming, job done for £100.

 

[davedotco]

Yep Airport Express plus Airfoil for all you internet streaming, job done for £100.

Mountain Lion has airplay built in, same as iThings.

Sadly my old Macbook is 32bit, so I still use Snow Leopard and Airfoil.

Naturally I have compared this setup with the Mrs DDC's iPad streaming via Airplay to see what effect Airfoil has on the SQ.

I find that using Airfoil results in a little softening in the bass and a lack of delicacy at the top end, brushed cymbals loose their shimmer............................. :rofl:

 

[radiorog]

I had heard of belkin....a £20 bluetooth device would ve great if it sounded ok.how much better would sonos sound? Are you just paying for the software on sonos? How come bluetooth doesnt need a dac? Does bluetooth use anologue signal then?

thanks for help so far....