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Which cheapish streamer?

Strictly Stereo said:
Bluesound's Node 2i would be a great choice here. Lot's of local network and Internet streaming options, a pretty good built-in DAC and the option to upgrade later with an outboard DAC.

https://www.strictlystereo.com/shop-online/bluesound-node-2

Alternatively, I just had a used Node 2 come in as a trade-in. This is the predecessor to the Node 2i and differs in some small ways like its WiFi module (N rather than AC), Bluetooth (input only rather than input and output) and AirPlay support (original AirPlay vs AirPlay 2). It works perfectly but it has mark on the top of case, hence the low price of £200.
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I would be interested in this unit if it's still available. Will call you in the week.
 
Another fan of raspberry pi + app on the phone, I started with picoreplayer/LMS, and struggled to make it work seamlessly without having LMS running on my macmini (which is where I initially tried out streaming), and it made the whole experience clunky.
Installed Volumio on the pi and the app on my phone, instant satisfaction and fantastic sound quality! All on a lowly pi2 with older hifiberry dac hat, running into Naim CB kit.
 
I put together a Pi3 with a DAC and using Volumio but stopped using it as I wasn't all that impressed with and in particular I thought the Volumio phone app was a bit crap. I might dig it out and see if the app has been upgraded into something useable now though.

I'm currently using a Cambridge Audio Stream Magic 6 which seems pretty decent.
 
SteveG said:
I put together a Pi3 with a DAC and using Volumio but stopped using it as I wasn't all that impressed with and in particular I though the Volumio phone app was a bit crap. I might dig it out and see if the app has been upgraded into something useable now though.

I'm currently using a Cambridge Audio Stream Magic 6 which seems pretty decent.
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I think there was quite a bit of criticism of the app, so they have updated it. I have only just installed it, and though the functionality in spotify is a bit hobbled compared to using the full app in something like picoreplayer/ lms with the Spotty plugin, I find that volumio is quicker to get going overall, with less annoying system dropouts. Still not perfect though.
 
As with most of these apps...they are much better on a tablet. Volumio is as good as pretty much any other.
 
In my opinion nothing get close to the Auralic mini
The app is amazing and the fact you can for a SSD into it and add a linear psu make this a bloody audiophile bargain
 
Any Amazon Echo device. Line out into your system.
Does it contain £500 worth of high end dac? - no but remember the performance of even budged consumer dacs is well ahead of anything available to a recording studio when most of what we have in out music collections was recorded and mastered.

A basic Echo dot can be had for about £30 (they are always on sale) or you can spend the enormous sum of £75 is you want a touch screen equipped unit.
Note these things will also read audio books, play youtube etc.

New devices are due later this month, including a nifty little display equipped unit which looks like old iconic iMacs with the floating LCD panel on a swivel arm. This one is motorised and will track you as you move around the room :) - looks like it will come in at £100-150 but they always go on sale.

If you don't fancy giving instruction to Alexa, use a phone or other app.
 
After wanting to repeatedly hit my Chrome Cast with a hammer, I stumped up the massive sum of £41 for a used Sonos ZP80, it seems to do all I want which is a faff free/fit and forget box connected to my DAC that lets me play Tidal from my phone.
 
As the Bluesound Node2i is reduced this month it looks a good buy can i ask any owners/users can you hook a HDD up to it to play ripped CDs?
 
I have just set up a Raspberry pi with a Hifiberry DAC 2 HD.

I am running Picoreplayer and LMS on the pi. Went down a couple of blind alleys before I got it working properly. Some of my own making and some due to Bubbleupnp not playing nicely with the pi Hifiberry combo ( initially would only play one track from an album and the stream was interrupted and not gapless). Works fine with Squeezer or Orange Squeeze on Android.

The Picoreplayer website "how-to"s are a bit techy but if you follow them you will get there. Didn't set a fixed IP address. You do need to switch back on Squeezelite after setting up LMS to get the player to work. Not needed if using it as a server only.

Now I don't need to worry about the tablet or phone going to sleep and interrupting the stream as was happening before when I was streaming direct to my Yamaha WXAD10. I even switched off my phone and the music carried on!

The Hifiberry DAC sounds fine to me, not really got anything to compare it with other than the Yamaha.

Next step is to copy my rips on to suitable USB drive and have my music available on the server.
 
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