Do I need a music streamer?

If you already stream music via your computer, what advantages are there to investing in a separate music streamer?

[darrellross]

Paul, Every time I watch your videos, I'm doing things right. I "Stream" YouTube music with a $100 tablet via USB [192k] to my DAC. The sound Quality is beyond my dreams. Best, D. From Stl.

[thomasbrown]

Thanks Paul. This is the question I have been trying to get the answer to for some time. No one else bothers to answer it. You gave me everything that I need to know. Sounds like the streamer would be a nice addition.

[odizcvw]

Great advice. Another pro and con with commercial streamer is it will eliminate the need to know any technical aspect of music playback. It is an appliance like a fridge or a TV. Turn it on and it works. The con is it is expensive and instantly obsolete.

There is nothing supplied in streamer that you can't do on your own using almost free technology. I evolved my streaming from Win to Linux on laptops to now a Rpi running Linux optimized for music. The Rpi is a little computer which costs $50. Access music from a NAS device $100 which sits on your home network or get music from the net. If your DAC does not have it's own clock, then you need to add a reclocking/isolation device to the Rpi. Control your system from your chair using your phone via wifi. I run MPDroid on my Samsung phone. $150 in hardware. Software is free. There are lot's of groups providing bit perfect software. Always up to date. It can be as simple or complex as you want.

[pinkyfloydyfan]

Denafrips is not a joke!!! Perhaps THE best DAC ever made!!! Come on Paul! Do your searchs...

[gotham]

Kind of surprised that you’re not familiar with Denafrips. Their DACs are pretty hot at the moment, and they compete directly with PS Audio.

[newfguy]

Denefrips are well reviewed DACs. I wish PS Audio streamers allowed more choices of sources, i.e Pandora ( we know about its bit rate), Roon, Amazon HD

[froenesis]

I have followed your advice for years and used the Mac mini as a streamer. Thanks! Benchmark actually recommended this for my Dac2 that uses more bandwidth in their clocking and fixing in Dac2 than most streamers does; and when using Tidal playapp it lets Benchmark Dac2 take over the control and play hi-res.

[siddharthakataki]

I happen to buy a Denafrips Pontus 2 and have my Mac Mini on usb interfaced . I am using Audirvāna Studio and upscale . This is an amazing setup .

[leonardopapantoniou]

The need of a streamer lies in that you do not need to have your pc or cell phone connected to the dac. The streamer does it for you while being controlled by a cell phone sharing same WiFi network

[jimobrien]

Hello Paul one thing you are not mentioning is the noise from the computer itself, from power supplies and switching.

[stephenbarr]

I got two streamers at home so I can link them during parties. I have a system inside and a system in our "pool shanty" that I wanted to play the same music. It also allows me to DJ from my phone and take requests from guests.

[natanpierce]

Got it! Thanks for clarification. I don't need one. Unless I want to play and futz around. Good job!

[gdwlaw]

My streamer came installed in my Yamaha 803 integrated. Musicast is very easy to use. I say keep it all in the same box for a better signal

[marcgoldstein]

Denafrips makes fantastic R2R Ladder DACs that sound very analogue with a wide soundstage. I have the same set up as this viewer, with the addition of a Gaia DDC feeding the Pontus, also from Denafrips. All sounds great!

[joenogueira]

"What the hell is that, a Denafrips?" LOL !!! Nice bluff Paul! That "joke" is eating a part of your lunch! Your reaction reveals the 1% of your 99% true ;)

[georgeanastasopoulos]

I've got a laptop operating on Windows 8.1, and desktop computers. Amazon Music Prime; and I connect my Topping D10 DAC, Foobar2000 software. I now connect to my Sony desktop computer that I upgraded to Windows 7. I connect the above DAC with Linkerpard cables, to open back headphones, Base Audio G12. Made in America. I am in Canada, but I like American hi fi audio products, by the way.

Therefore, in my case I actually don't need a music streamer. More space taken up, and a heap of money more that could be spent on other important hi fi audio equipment. Besides, I also prefer listening to CDs, and analogue music; and in stereo, mostly records. Vinyl records are played back on a hi fi device called a turntable, more commonly referred to as a record player, by the way. Furthermore, another medium of analogue musical playback is by cassette tapes, that are played back on a machine called a cassette deck.

[hxhky]

Paul, if you havent heard about Denafrips, then you're missing out on the latest things happening in the industry.

[Bruciatodalsole]

Good morning. I like the way you choose to explain much better than people do in my language. I try to be as clearest as possible. I have tons of tracks in my computer (iTunes and Spotify). For a while I preferred to pay for liquid music but now I rediscovered my old Nad, speakers and turntable and bought recently a decent CD player of Marantz. However some other music, jazz p.e., is only available on Mac. If I want interface Mac with my amplifier to play these trax, what type of tool would you suggest to have a smooth sound? I used a cheap item purchased on Amazon for 30 bucks but sometime doesn’t’t work properly. I looked to a Nad CS1 but some people said I do not need to spend almost 350 to get a streamer. Please help me if you can. Thanks in advance. Kind Regards. Massimo.

[idray]

bluesound node2i ... tidal connect, done

[petermartin]

You are a great guy, Paul. You are 100% correct as usual. A streamer is a waste of space.