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Putting together a small system...starting with a Rega io

Thank you for the detailed response and suggestions. I'd forgotten about the control App side of things. No faff is good. I'll look into the Node. See them used sometimes.

Someone always mentions Raspberry Pi stuff when DACs are being discussed by I have no clue how to buy one, what to buy, how they fit together, what software goes on them etc....seems more like a hobby kit for people who understand all that stuff. I don't know if I could handle the learning curve. But they do seem to promise cheap, good audio.

I'd be happy to sell the LS50's if they don't work well in the kitchen. They are good, but have never found a niche in my household.
I have no clue about this stuff, but once I’d figured out what to buy and download, setup took about 10 minutes and I haven’t had to look at it since - this was about two years ago. Much more stable than my Airport Express. Can’t have cost more than £20-25 all in (it was a Pi Zero) and is very simple to use - but then I just use Airplay. If you’re not an Apple user then paying extra for a straightforward interface might make sense.
 
I have no clue about this stuff, but once I’d figured out what to buy and download, setup took about 10 minutes and I haven’t had to look at it since - this was about two years ago. Much more stable than my Airport Express. Can’t have cost more than £20-25 all in (it was a Pi Zero) and is very simple to use - but then I just use Airplay. If you’re not an Apple user then paying extra for a straightforward interface might make sense.

Thanks for that. It does sound easy. It's the sight of computer chips, wires, housing cases that scares me off. I am an Apple user so if it ran via Airplay, that would be a doddle.
 
If you want a cheap, compact off the shelf streamer with no faff you should look for a Wiim Mini. They even have a reasonable quality built in DAC or you could run it with something like a Topping E30. The UI isn't the best but works fine & they do have Spotify & Tidal Connect built in so you can bypass the Wiim UI if you use one of those services.
I am currently running mine in a headphone setup straight into a Topping A30pro & it sounds excellent.
TS
 
I have no clue about this stuff, but once I’d figured out what to buy and download, setup took about 10 minutes and I haven’t had to look at it since - this was about two years ago. Much more stable than my Airport Express. Can’t have cost more than £20-25 all in (it was a Pi Zero) and is very simple to use - but then I just use Airplay. If you’re not an Apple user then paying extra for a straightforward interface might make sense.

Your post reminded me that I had an old airport express in a drawer. Cheers. Only ever used it to run a printer as "wireless" until now. After two hours faffing about with it, it is now connected to the Rega IO and handling streaming from Spotify. It is very wobbly though...half the time my laptop will not connect to it, or Spotify won't see it, or it flashes orange for random reasons. Good fun though.
The Rega is sounding good with the CD player. Missus was singing along and dancing, which is a good indicator that the sound is right.
 
Your post reminded me that I had an old airport express in a drawer. Cheers. Only ever used it to run a printer as "wireless" until now. After two hours faffing about with it, it is now connected to the Rega IO and handling streaming from Spotify. It is very wobbly though...half the time my laptop will not The Rega is sounding good with the CD player. Missus was singing along and dancing, which is a good indicator that the sound is right.

I've had the IO in house. Fed with a (rega) vinyl front end and driving the new Kytes it was making nice noises to my ears. Short lived the IO and Kytes now reside at my daughters (I've gone back to a headphones only set up).

I'm not into streaming but I like the look of the iFi kit and am looking to add a dac/headphone amp to my mac for utubey stuff.
 
Your post reminded me that I had an old airport express in a drawer. Cheers. Only ever used it to run a printer as "wireless" until now. After two hours faffing about with it, it is now connected to the Rega IO and handling streaming from Spotify. It is very wobbly though...half the time my laptop will not connect to it, or Spotify won't see it, or it flashes orange for random reasons. Good fun though.
The Rega is sounding good with the CD player. Missus was singing along and dancing, which is a good indicator that the sound is right.
Good stuff. Sounds like the Airport Express might need an update: there’s an Apple app that lets you do that, Airport Utility. Mine’s a lot more stable since I updated, although it still drops out quite a lot.
 
If you want a cheap, compact off the shelf streamer with no faff you should look for a Wiim Mini. They even have a reasonable quality built in DAC or you could run it with something like a Topping E30. The UI isn't the best but works fine & they do have Spotify & Tidal Connect built in so you can bypass the Wiim UI if you use one of those services.
I am currently running mine in a headphone setup straight into a Topping A30pro & it sounds excellent.
TS

Does the Wiim Mini need a physical ethernet cable connection to the internet, or does in connect over Wi-Fi ?
 
If you’re not setting the LS50’s up proper hifi nerd style, I’d probably opt for something way cheaper than LS50’s.
 
If you’re not setting the LS50’s up proper hifi nerd style, I’d probably opt for something way cheaper than LS50’s.

Been thinking that myself actually. I could use the cash too. I've been playing with them in my workshop, hooked up with an SVS SB1000 subwoofer, sounds pretty damn good. They probably deserve a more powerful amp though. Plus missus doesn't like them; "too big and modern looking", they live in a box, stored away, which no speaker deserves.

 
Been thinking that myself actually. I could use the cash too. I've been playing with them in my workshop, hooked up with an SVS SB1000 subwoofer, sounds pretty damn good. They probably deserve a more powerful amp though. Plus missus doesn't like them; "too big and modern looking", they live in a box, stored away, which no speaker deserves.


i have the Pioneer Andrew Jones 100 dollar speakers in my garage and they’re great for that purpose. I have two work benches and I have one sitting on each…along with the 100 dollar subwoofer from the same range. The only thing I’d swap them out for are bigger monkey coffins that move more air/do scale better. LS50’s are spectacular for imaging, but that doesn’t apply in my context (and unlikely in yours). Scale, however, translates, even in background listening.
 


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