I’m a heretic around here but streamers and DACs are your least important components in your system with a caveat, the UI should be something that works well and is intuitive for you to use. Not that you shouldn’t strive for good equipment but I wouldn’t obsess over them. You say you like your RME DAC and I can see that it’s a very good one, lots of use in pro audio. I’ve used a lot of UI’s and always come back to roon. It does more than most when you take in account it’s DSP functions as well as server and streaming. You can use a raspberry pi 4 as an endpoint connected to your DAC or any number of other compatible hardware. Main thing is don’t get caught up in price when it comes to DAC’S and streamers, save your obsession for things that matter like speakers and room treatments.
Another person going digital and full of questions
I'm yet another new member trying to figure out the digital streaming world. I've been streaming Tidal and Idagio from my desktop computer through an RME ADI-2 dac and into various headphones for a while. Now I'd like to add digital streaming on my main system. I'm just looking for a source that would provide streaming services to my existing preamp (Audible Illusions) amp (Audio Research) and speakers (Wilson Benesch Act 1). I'm looking for something to complement my other sources, a VPI turntable and a Rega CD player and Benchmark 1 DAC. I don't want to rip my CDs or play any stored music files. So far, I'm learning that there are more recent and better DACs out there than the old Benchmark, and that I should consider a quieter box than my computer to connect to ethernet. But I'm lost in a sea of streamers, servers, reclockers, power supplies, etcetera, most with unfamiliar brand names.
I'd appreciate any suggestions. budget in the $5k range but can stretch a little.