Streamer Without DAC

[Kubs]

Hello,

Can you please recommend a streamer without a DAC? I've come across a Simaudio MiND Network Player but I was wondering if you have experience of any others?

I plan on using and external DAC (mdal at present) ..... also does a streamer influence the sound in anyway or are all streamers the same and the DAC sets the tone (unless of course you think all DACs sound the same .... but let's not go there)

Many thanks,

 

[Gray]

Hello Kubs,

I was in the same position as you, then somone on the forum suggested that I could use the Raspberry Pi as a streamer, so I tried it.

I'm using the Pi3 to feed a little (but good) O-DAC with FLAC files from a HDD. Controlled by a Nexus tablet, via wi-fi, using RuneAudio's excellent UI, it sounds good.

Setup of the control app gives the option to bypass the software volume control (which I've done) for bit-perfect output to the DAC.

Setup also includes the option to choose from a selection of sound signatures - though I could hear no differences between them.

Do a bit of research, see if your DAC is compatible and, importantly, whether you can be bothered with the slight faff of storing the operating system on an SD card etc.

(RuneAudio's forum helps with any setup issues, e.g. how to preset the output level from the Pi to suit your needs)

You could find the Pi option better than you would expect - especially at the price.

 

[ifor]

There were only two "mainstream" products that I could find. One was the SImaudio MIND and the other a Cyrus. After much research I ended up with a Raspberry Pi coupled with a HiFiBerry Digi. I use RuneAudio software. I could be more pleased. Highly recommended.

 

[Kubs]

Hi Gary,

Thanks for your reply and suggestion.... the Raspberry Pi is an interesting option and one that I would have explored afew years ago .... sadly due to time and commitments my needs lean towards a plug n play solution, without the 'faffing' around

It doesn't state it in my signature but I have a squeezebox touch which I enjoyed setting up and configuring (that was before I had kids).

 

[Kubs]

Thanks ifor .... I'll checkout the Cyrus product ....

Do you have a view as to whether there is any sound difference between streamers or is the selling point and the only way to differentiate is the user interface and price ...

 

[thewinelake.]

I've got a Raumfeld connector box. It does include a DAC, but also has digital spdif out. Only about £120 and seems ok to me.

 

[ifor]

Thanks ifor .... I'll checkout the Cyrus product ....

Do you have a view as to whether there is any sound difference between streamers or is the selling point and the only way to differentiate is the user interface and price ...

... tells me that it should all come down to the quality, and implementation, of the DAC and other downstream components. Another for you list should be the new Bryston BDP-π, which uses a Raspberry Pi and HiFiBerry Digi+. I don't know if it's available yet.

 

[GustavAP]

I know that the OP doesn't want the hassle with RPi, but I also recommend this strongly. The UI is really good so it can be a + 1 for anyone else having the same quest.

 

[nopiano]

The Krell Connect is available with and without a DAC. Oxford Audio have one on eBay for under £2000 at the moment.

Its not cheap but you'd unlikely want for anything better!

 

[andyjm]

The Krell Connect is available with and without a DAC. Oxford Audio have one on eBay for under £2000 at the moment.

Its not cheap but you'd unlikely want for anything better!

Technically, the Krell has a fraction of the capability of the Raspberry Pi - but to be fair, the Krell does come with a case and a power supply.

With the Pi costing £35 for the latest fancy version (new), and the Krell £2000 (second hand), that would imply that you are paying £1965 for a used case and a used power supply. I would agree, it doesn't seem cheap to me.

 

[Al ears]

The Krell Connect is available with and without a DAC. Oxford Audio have one on eBay for under £2000 at the moment.

Its not cheap but you'd unlikely want for anything better!

Technically, the Krell has a fraction of the capability of the Raspberry Pi - but to be fair, the Krell does come with a case and a power supply.

With the Pi costing £35 for the latest fancy version (new), and the Krell £2000 (second hand), that would imply that you are paying £1965 for a used case and a used power supply. I would agree, it doesn't seem cheap to me.

True, but you have to do a lot of work to get a Pi to act as a streamer. The Krell is one and all you have to do is press buttons. ;-)

 

[daveh75]

It's actually relatively trivial to setup a Raspberry Pi, and certainly more than worth the effort for the £1965 saving.

 

[Al ears]

It's actually relatively trivial to setup a Raspberry Pi, and certainly more than worth the effort for the £1965 saving.

Never tried. May be trivial if you know computer programming but don't you also need a keyboard and monitor?

 

[ChrisIRL]

Naim Unitiqute 2 has digital out and has as many streaming options as you could ever need as well as excellent Bluetooth.

A quick disconnect and you have a nice little all in one amp/dac/streamer for a 2nd mini system.

 

[tino]

I am of the opinion that if you are not going to use the internal DAC of a streamer, then most, if not all of the sound quality would be infuenced by your MDAC anyway, and so it boils down to the price and functionality of your desired streaming setup. I would avoid expensive streamers in pretty boxes unless they can offer something quite special - you need to question whether a boutique hifi manufacturer can keep your product up to date with the necessary software updates and application support. I have my doubts. I've used Logitech Squeezebox, Yamaha, NAD/Bluesound, Cyrus products, and they were all very good sound-wise but only one of them wasn't very good in terms of software support/functionality. I'll let you guess which one.

You could also start off experimenting with stuff you might already have without spending anything ... have you got a smart TV or set-top box in close proximity to your hi-fi ... why not try using the digital output of those first to see how you get on? You may not get high-res support from your TV, but you can establish a base-line from which to judge other equipment.

 

[ifor]

It's actually relatively trivial to setup a Raspberry Pi, and certainly more than worth the effort for the £1965 saving.

Never tried. May be trivial if you know computer programming but don't you also need a keyboard and monitor?

it's as simple as pushing a HiFiBerry Digi onto a Pi and putting the required software (e.g. RuneAudio) onto an SD card and plugging it. Ethernet to the Pi and it's on your network (you can add a wifi dongle if you like). Keyboard and monitor are not needed, because you access it through a web interface on computer, phone or tablet. Apps are also available if preferred.

 

[Al ears]

It's actually relatively trivial to setup a Raspberry Pi, and certainly more than worth the effort for the £1965 saving.

Never tried. May be trivial if you know computer programming but don't you also need a keyboard and monitor?

it's as simple as pushing a HiFiBerry Digi onto a Pi and putting the required software (e.g. RuneAudio) onto an SD card and plugging it. Ethernet to the Pi and it's on your network (you can add a wifi dongle if you like). Keyboard and monitor are not needed, because you access it through a web interface on computer, phone or tablet. Apps are also available if preferred.

You live and learn. Still it is obviously not a stand alone item and you need other peripherals to get it sorted. This may be an avenue to explore if you have all those extras.

 

[Philim]

Auralic Aries

 

[ifor]

It's actually relatively trivial to setup a Raspberry Pi, and certainly more than worth the effort for the £1965 saving.

Never tried. May be trivial if you know computer programming but don't you also need a keyboard and monitor?

it's as simple as pushing a HiFiBerry Digi onto a Pi and putting the required software (e.g. RuneAudio) onto an SD card and plugging it. Ethernet to the Pi and it's on your network (you can add a wifi dongle if you like). Keyboard and monitor are not needed, because you access it through a web interface on computer, phone or tablet. Apps are also available if preferred.

You live and learn. Still it is obviously not a stand alone item and you need other peripherals to get it sorted. This may be an avenue to explore if you have all those extras.

Well, not really. Yes you plug one bit into another and put a flashed SD card into it, but with few minutes you have what is basically the same thing as a big name streamer, virtually of which are also controlled by an app on your iPhone.

 

[tino]

Auralic Aries

Auralic Aries Mini ? £375

 

[Gray]

It's actually relatively trivial to setup a Raspberry Pi, and certainly more than worth the effort for the £1965 saving.

Never tried. May be trivial if you know computer programming but don't you also need a keyboard and monitor?

I was a bit reluctant to go the Pi route, wrongly thinking that it wouldn't really be a proper streamer. Also, though I qualified as an electronics service engineer, I know very little about computers and nothing about programming - so needed it to be simple.

I've got nothing but praise for the brains behind RuneAudio. They've done all the programming which they did to satisfy their own needs for a high quality audio streamer. Their website tells you all you need to know about downloading and flashing to the SD card. (And their forum answered my couple of questions in record time!)

I've installed the Pi out of sight within my cabinet, so didn't even bother buying a case for it. I'm using the 2.5 Amp switched mode PSU but may experiment with a linear PSU, which some say improves the bass in particular. (quality of the PSU even more critical when the 5v. supplies both the Pi and a DAC)

I had been considering the £700 Cambridge CXN. I can't imagine its control app being better than RuneAudio on a tablet - would expect the CXN sound to be better than my Pi / O-DAC (though wouldn't bet on that)

 

[Gray]

It's actually relatively trivial to setup a Raspberry Pi, and certainly more than worth the effort for the £1965 saving.

Never tried. May be trivial if you know computer programming but don't you also need a keyboard and monitor?

I was a bit reluctant to go the Pi route, wrongly thinking that it wouldn't really be a proper streamer. Also, though I qualified as an electronics service engineer, I know very little about computers and nothing about programming - so needed it to be simple.

I've got nothing but praise for the brains behind RuneAudio. They've done all the programming which they did to satisfy their own needs for a high quality audio streamer. Their website tells you all you need to know about downloading and flashing to the SD card. (And their forum answered my couple of questions in record time!)

I've installed the Pi out of sight within my cabinet, so didn't even bother buying a case for it. I'm using the 2.5 Amp switched mode PSU but may experiment with a linear PSU, which some say improves the bass in particular. (quality of the PSU even more critical when the 5v. supplies both the Pi and a DAC)

I had been considering the £700 Cambridge CXN. I can't imagine its control app being better than RuneAudio on a tablet - would expect the CXN sound to be better than my Pi / O-DAC (though wouldn't bet on that)

 

[Philim]

Auralic Aries

Auralic Aries Mini ? £375

Mini has a DAC but the two better versions are streamers only.

 

[Kubs]

Thanks, Tino - good point regarding software updates ....

It just seems a waste of a DAC in a streamer if one has no intention of using it ....

 

[Kubs]

The Auralic Aries Mini looks interesting .... even though it comes with a DAC .... and at only £375 may be worth a punt....

The streamer only components hit the £1k mark and I'm not sure why ... will read some reviews.