Streamer to go with Rega Brio R/LS50 setup?

[admin_exported]

Hi all

After being very pleased with my recent purchases (Rega Brio-R, Rega RP6 and KEF LS50s) I have definitely bitten the 'getting new shiny gear' bug and am now thinking about punishing my credit card for a streamer....I have limited shelf space to keep my gear so am limited to slim units only (like the width of the Brio R).

So far I have picked out the following as potential options:

Naim UnitiQute

Cryus Stream XP2

I also looked at the Cyrus Streamline 2 but it doesn't look this this has any stereo outs to go into my Brio R and I don't want to have to keep on changing the speaker cables between units....has anyone experience of the above units? Would also be interested to know if other options exist I may have missed?

Any help appreciated!

 

[d_a_n1979]

Have you got any Apple devices or do you use iTunes?

I stream all my music via iTunes/AirPlay and my Apple TV2 through a DAC into my system and it sounds fantastic and is faultless

I use either the radio via iTunes, the TuneIn Radio app on my iPad or this radio station website and select it to play via iTunes (for commercial radio like BBC Radio 1, 2 etc...): http://www.radiofeeds.co.uk/

An ATV2 or 3 are lesws than £100; a decent but simple DAC like the FiiO D3 is c£25 and you just need an optical/toslink cable to go between the ATV and DAC and then RCA cables to go between the DAC and your Brio R!

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Thanks for the response. I do actually own an apple TV and had thought about this option. My reason for discounting it is that I have amassed circa 24k tracks in my iTunes library over the years and most are mp3s which I use for portable devices e.g. my android phone.

I was thinking about also getting a NAS drive and reburning my favourite CDs as higher quality files onto that so I can still have my main iTunes library as MP3s. Do others have this issue???

 

[Craig M.]

My Synology nas can stream via airplay or direct from usb to a suitably equipped dac. If you have a ATV2 and are happy to jailbreak it you can also stream via ethernet or wifi from a nas to the ATV2 (the ATV3 can't be jailbroken). I use a program called Audio Station on my nas, and an app for remote control from my phone. I love my nas + jailbroken ATV2, it's very flexible.

 

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately, I have an ATV3 and I also forgot to add that my hifi is on a different side of the room to my TV....I made a deal with the Mrs not to have loads of boxes, cables and wire s showing underneath it. My HiFi is therefore compactly stored away on other side of the room.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi guys

Just wondered if anyone had any more views. Currently thinking of getting a unitiqute and nas but keen to understand if plugging this into my brio r would work (or be overkill)....

 

[Craig M.]

See if you can still find a Squeezebox Touch?

Its analogue output is excellent.

 

[Ajani]

Hi guys

Just wondered if anyone had any more views. Currently thinking of getting a unitiqute and nas but keen to understand if plugging this into my brio r would work (or be overkill)....

Not so much overkill but maybe pointless. Since the UnitiQute has an internal amp, you'd probably be better off selling the Brio-R and just using the UnitiQute to drive your speakers.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi

That was my thought as well. I don't want to sell the brio r but do want a compact streamer. The Cyrus range is probably more than I wanted to spend though hence had arrived at the unitiqute.... Will keep on thinking....

 

[d_a_n1979]

What about just using an iPod via a dock and sending stuff to that via AirPlay from your PC/Mac?

Easy enough to hide away plus small and can stream straight from wifi too etc...

 

[stevebrock]

Hi guys

Just wondered if anyone had any more views. Currently thinking of getting a unitiqute and nas but keen to understand if plugging this into my brio r would work (or be overkill)....

Not so much overkill but maybe pointless. Since the UnitiQute has an internal amp, you'd probably be better off selling the Brio-R and just using the UnitiQute to drive your speakers.

The amp in the unitqute falls ways below the Brio R - it will be a downgrade - I have heard it!

 

[Anonymous]

What about just using an iPod via a dock and sending stuff to that via AirPlay from your PC/Mac?

Easy enough to hide away plus small and can stream straight from wifi too etc...

I was drawn to a nas drive as was planning to create a separate library to iTunes which contains lossless files. Current library has 24k songs and most are mp3s...

 

[Ajani]

Hi guys

Just wondered if anyone had any more views. Currently thinking of getting a unitiqute and nas but keen to understand if plugging this into my brio r would work (or be overkill)....

Not so much overkill but maybe pointless. Since the UnitiQute has an internal amp, you'd probably be better off selling the Brio-R and just using the UnitiQute to drive your speakers.

The amp in the unitqute falls ways below the Brio R - it will be a downgrade - I have heard it!

Even in that case, it's still a waste of money. As the OP would pay for the amp in the UnitiQute but not use it.

 

[Ajani]

See if you can still find a Squeezebox Touch?

Its analogue output is excellent.

That's a decent option and very compact.

Another option might be the Cambridge Audio NP30:

http://www.whathifi.com/review/cambridge-audio-np30

My choice for around the price range of the UnitiQute would probably be the Musical Fidelity M1Clic:

http://www.musicalfidelity.com/m1clic/

 

[spockfish]

just go for a (rather cheap) squeezebox touch. Very good usability, very good analog out. and when you upgrade it with a Rega DAC you can beat many way more expensive streaming solutions

 

[Anonymous]

just go for a (rather cheap) squeezebox touch. Very good usability, very good analog out. and when you upgrade it with a Rega DAC you can beat many way more expensive streaming solutions

I'm coming round to the idea

The M1 Clic mentioned above looks to be a very nice bit of kit and just what I am after, essentially a streamer/pre-amp/dac/half width unit. However, what I don't get is the price...the M1 DAC is £500 and this unit is approx £1300. Is the streaming function really worth the extra???

Leading me to think a DAC and cheaper streaming source is a more viable option. Thanks for the ideas though guys, all much appreciated. I've found the streaming world very hard to navigate.

 

[BigColz]

Start with a NAS and secon hand Sonos connect, then if you feel it's the way you want to go upgrade from there..

 

[stevebrock]

The squeezebox and Rega DAC combo sounds fantastic

 

[Anonymous]

Synology NAS ordered and on its way. Will audition some DACs and take it from there... cheers guys.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi everyone

Thought you would like to know I've gone for the M1 Click after getting a good deal on an ex demo unit. Was still more than the cost of an M1 DAC and SBT but not by far so all in all very pleased. Oh and it sounds fantastic!

Right no more saving left... New setup compete and looking very shiny.

 

[stevebrock]

did you get ypour Synology NAS, Im thinking of getting one - which model have you gone for?

 

[nopiano]

Thought you would like to know I've gone for the M1 Click after getting a good deal on an ex demo unit. Was still more than the cost of an M1 DAC and SBT but not by far so all in all very pleased. Oh and it sounds fantastic!

Am very envious and I'm glad you chose the MF, they are nice products. I owned one of their poweramps some years ago but it was nicked!

 

[Anonymous]

did you get ypour Synology NAS, Im thinking of getting one - which model have you gone for?

I got the DS212j and a 2TB western digital hard drive. The nas has two slots so I can always get another drive if it fills up...it was pretty easy to install and setup, I would recommend.

 

[Anonymous]

Thought you would like to know I've gone for the M1 Click after getting a good deal on an ex demo unit. Was still more than the cost of an M1 DAC and SBT but not by far so all in all very pleased. Oh and it sounds fantastic!

Am very envious and I'm glad you chose the MF, they are nice products. I owned one of their poweramps some years ago but it was nicked!

Me too. It took a lot of deliberation but I made the right choice! Sorry to hear about your amp.

 

[stevebrock]

Yes that's the set up I'm thinking of getting!

all my music is ALAC on an iMac in the study - how would I get all my ALAC files onto the NAS?