Del monaco
Del Monaco
I use a phone into an Onkyo digital dock a few years ago. I have no wish to go full circle as things have moved on so much since then.
Why is a streamer needed in 2022 ?
- Thread starter Nickdubai
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TheFlash
Reiki Audio
Apologies, I wasn't aware of that and, like you, I hardwire.
Cote Dazur
pfm Member
I guess this hobby is a bit like buying a Rolex, in your heart of hearts you know that it ain't going to any more accurate at telling the time than a 20 quid quartz digital timex and probably worse but hey ho...
If only all the people buying into the high end and hi fi bs were buying it as a Rolex, knowing that it will, in the best case scenario, give you accurate time like any other good watch, the real added value being a jewelry. Rolex does not pretend to keep the time better than timex.
Most high end claim to present “better” music with some cosmic, un demonstrable way, of improving “things”, most people with ears and a brain realize it is just a Rolex, just sad for other kind of people.
Paul Hindle
Do you mock me?
I think the Rolex analogy is great. Rolex does slightly better than what a Timex does (maybe 5 sec / month better) but in the most expensive and convoluted way possible. The law of diminishing returns laid bare.
Del monaco
Del Monaco
Buy a Pi or second hand Touch then with all its extra functionality and save yourself a few quid at the same time.
TheFlash
Reiki Audio
I think I might have missed a part of the conversation. Most dedicated streamers are not "high end" and the Bluesound Node is definitely no Rolex. But it's hard-wireable (wifi fine, no Bluetooth here) and has a great interface. Been there done that with Squeezebox and hats off to that route to musical happiness, great value for money/sound-per-pound.
Interesting thread....my phone contract came up for renewal so I upgraded my mobile. I wiped my old phone, an iPhone SE and installed Tidal and BBC sounds onto it. It now sits next to my amp, a quad Vena and I connect it by usb type A.
A simple and tidy way to listen to Tidal. Can't see any reason or need to buy a separate streamer.
A simple and tidy way to listen to Tidal. Can't see any reason or need to buy a separate streamer.
Cote Dazur
pfm Member
Not even slightly, not at all.
Keeping time, as opposed to what hifi is trying to achieve, is easy enough to check.
The current Rolex models with superlative certification are +2/-2s a day, which is no where near any mediocre Japanese quartz’s +5/-5s a month.
https://www.prestigetime.com/page.php?accuracy
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Del monaco
Del Monaco
You have made a separate streamer and bought it through your initial contract. Using a phone or converting a phone is a viable way to stream but for less cost you can put together a streaming system that has greater functionality and potential. I don’t really get the argument.
TheFlash
Reiki Audio
Beyond the sheer utility of a thing, there can be a lot of ego, a lot of pride of ownership, a lot of the love of a beautifully designed and exquisitely engineered object. I’m obviously talking watches here, not hifi.
.
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No, wait a minute…
The battery drains quickly so I needed to do the 2 yearly upgrade on my phone. Rather than buy a separate streamer I have found a new use for an old phone. Win win.
JoeJoe
pfm Member
I’m with you all the way, I initially bought Chromecast audio at £30 and found it offered CD Quality through Tidal and could be controlled through the Tidal app. As can BBC sounds.
I scratched my head listening to my friends expensive streamer as I could detect no discernible improvement.
I now stream Tidal and BBC Sounds from my LG Tv into a toslink on the back of my amp and it is literally stunning sounding. All I have to do is turn the picture off on the LG ….
Del monaco
Del Monaco
That’s great but the free lMS adds much more functionality to the experience and it’s free.
davidavdavid
davidavdavid
I have and continue to evaluate many endpoints for the purpose of digital audio playback. A great deal depends on the topology of one's system. If one is using Roon, the preferred topology is distributed, whereby the core, the file storage and endpoint/bridge are all separate from each other. It is not REQUIRED and one could go to the extreme of using one computer/machine to do it all in one where in this instance the solution is a one-box server/streamer/endpoint.
My current solution is an Allo USB Signature with a Digi-One Board and Shanti LPS power supply (two galvanized connections in one unit to power both the USBridge Signature and Digi-One Board). I prefer DietPi to RopiEEE because the former is more customizable and I can use it with other software. It is not expressly designed for use with Roon software. Over UPnP I am also running Audirvana (legacy) and Audirvana Origin with the hardware.
Although it can be configured to run over WiFi I much prefer running over a wired Ethernet connection for the purpose of stability. My Roon Core is a 2014 Mac Mini at the moment which is connected remotely via Ethernet to the LAN (local area network). Once an internal (private-side) address has been assigned, I go into DietPi and hard code the IP (network address) so network shares are always pointed correctly.
My storage devices is a 4-bay Synology DS 420+ which has proven totally reliable and so easy to configure and set up not only for internal use but externally as well for remote network and file-server access. Having attempted and evaluated running Roon directly off of a QNAP NAS with less than ... results, I shifted my allegiance to Synology as I MUCH preferred their software interface. DSM 7.x does the business, and has so many more features. That being said hard drive manufacturers like Western Digital's MyCloud network attached storage solutions have come a long way. They may not possess all the features of a Synology NAS, (only a matter of time), and then again most audiophiles with which I've come in contact on the topic don't need/require/desire all the extras.
Both Roon and Audirvana integrate streaming services: Tidal & Qobuz in their software, so those two can easily be accessed using either Roon or Audirvana's remote control software/app assuming the output device (ALLO connected to DAC of choice) is properly configured.
And, yes "streamers" (sic) and "servers" (sic) can become obsolete not only over time, but by design. The latter depending upon changes in philosophy on the part of the designer.
Lastly, my current ALLO solution is not the only game in town. DIY can be fun and educational. For some the visual appeal of the aforementioned leaves something to be desired. And if you're in the market for something a little more ... and easy to set up I can recommend Small Green Computer.
Links:
Allo: https://allo.com/sparky/usbridge-signature-pcb.html (with the DigiOne Signature Shanti options)
Small Green Computer: https://www.smallgreencomputer.com/collections (with the sonic Transporter i5 7V Linear Power Supply Sonore MicroRendu options)
hope this helps
My current solution is an Allo USB Signature with a Digi-One Board and Shanti LPS power supply (two galvanized connections in one unit to power both the USBridge Signature and Digi-One Board). I prefer DietPi to RopiEEE because the former is more customizable and I can use it with other software. It is not expressly designed for use with Roon software. Over UPnP I am also running Audirvana (legacy) and Audirvana Origin with the hardware.
Although it can be configured to run over WiFi I much prefer running over a wired Ethernet connection for the purpose of stability. My Roon Core is a 2014 Mac Mini at the moment which is connected remotely via Ethernet to the LAN (local area network). Once an internal (private-side) address has been assigned, I go into DietPi and hard code the IP (network address) so network shares are always pointed correctly.
My storage devices is a 4-bay Synology DS 420+ which has proven totally reliable and so easy to configure and set up not only for internal use but externally as well for remote network and file-server access. Having attempted and evaluated running Roon directly off of a QNAP NAS with less than ... results, I shifted my allegiance to Synology as I MUCH preferred their software interface. DSM 7.x does the business, and has so many more features. That being said hard drive manufacturers like Western Digital's MyCloud network attached storage solutions have come a long way. They may not possess all the features of a Synology NAS, (only a matter of time), and then again most audiophiles with which I've come in contact on the topic don't need/require/desire all the extras.
Both Roon and Audirvana integrate streaming services: Tidal & Qobuz in their software, so those two can easily be accessed using either Roon or Audirvana's remote control software/app assuming the output device (ALLO connected to DAC of choice) is properly configured.
And, yes "streamers" (sic) and "servers" (sic) can become obsolete not only over time, but by design. The latter depending upon changes in philosophy on the part of the designer.
Lastly, my current ALLO solution is not the only game in town. DIY can be fun and educational. For some the visual appeal of the aforementioned leaves something to be desired. And if you're in the market for something a little more ... and easy to set up I can recommend Small Green Computer.
Links:
Allo: https://allo.com/sparky/usbridge-signature-pcb.html (with the DigiOne Signature Shanti options)
Small Green Computer: https://www.smallgreencomputer.com/collections (with the sonic Transporter i5 7V Linear Power Supply Sonore MicroRendu options)
hope this helps
raysablade
pfm Member
Since i decided to abandon Roon I've been running a 3m USB cable from my iPhone to the DAC.
That it sounds great almost goes without saying, but it strikes me now that an added advantage is that my wife or any iPhone/ipad/or OSX using visitor can do the same as me. Plug in their phone and use whatever; streaming services, playlists and stored music they like. I'm guessing that Windows and Android users would be the same but i'm not sure.
I love my system and the idea that anyone can use it as they want to makes me happy. Don't get me wrong, Roon and the infrastructure was great and very convenient but for me alone and that's a bit sad.
That it sounds great almost goes without saying, but it strikes me now that an added advantage is that my wife or any iPhone/ipad/or OSX using visitor can do the same as me. Plug in their phone and use whatever; streaming services, playlists and stored music they like. I'm guessing that Windows and Android users would be the same but i'm not sure.
I love my system and the idea that anyone can use it as they want to makes me happy. Don't get me wrong, Roon and the infrastructure was great and very convenient but for me alone and that's a bit sad.
Interesting. In the five decades I’ve had a hifi, Roon is just about the only thing my Mrs has managed to use. I just stuck the remote app on her phone and iPad and she is happy. No way would either of us want to connect a phone/tablet to the hifi. What happens if someone phones?! Or you want to use it?
raysablade
pfm Member
I guess a further advantage it that a phone call would mute whatever you are playing. You unplug the; phone, tablet or whatever else you are using, when you have finished with the HiFi system.
When I used Roon i loved it but it never fitted with my wife's listening habits. She like to have the same playlists for the car and at home and Apple music does that for her. She also likes Apple podcasts and BBC sounds. We've got a full £30 per month Apple family subscription that the kids use too. Given the storage that subscription level offers plus some useful extras like Apple news it is a fixture.
For me the tipping point was realising that I was spending most of my time listening to Radio 3 on Roon. £13 a month for Roon and a rarely accessed Qobuz subscription, that only I used, was extravagant. Once i'd got my head round the Apple music UI and found a lot of what i like, the future was set.