2. digital
  3. 156618-110028

Can we talk streamers based on UI rather then SQ?

I'm a Node 2i user currently and looking for a change.
I've been reading lots of posts for the last week or so and I'm not sure if I'm more or less confused then
when I started. Lol
Looking to move on from the Node platform because the UI is bothering me.

Most of the topic of discussions based around the multitude of streamers seems to be on SQ.
I could be off base, but I think in my mid-fi system, (Wired 4 Sound STI-500V2 >dac to be determined>Dali Helicon 800) I'll be happy with the SQ of most any streamer. I'm much more concerned with the UI as I really just want it to work as intended.

I've got about $2K to spend on a dac and or dac/streamer. 
I see a ton of praise for the Lumin gear but I also see that it seems to be built around the IOS platform and I use Android / PC. Has this issue been resolved or am I making a mountain out of a mole hill? 

I also like the idea of the Pro-Ject Stream Box S2 Ultra, just have no idea what the UI is like.
Or any small form streamer that "just works"
I like the idea of being able to DAC swap with these.  

What I want out of it:
 Streaming mainly. Tidal, Spotify and the like. 
 Ethernet Connection to my router and no issues linking to my local music files. (Node keeps dropping my local files)
 
I like the look of my Jriver index but I'm not married to it.
Don't care about Roon at this point.

I don't need a NAS do I? I have less then 1TB of music. 

What will help me make this decision? 
 
Thank you
 
flavo

Showing 2 responses by erik_squires

erik_squires
16,592 posts
 
Hi @flavo

Use the at symbol to make sure I get pinged. :)

Roon is a little different in that they don’t have a true browser client. They have dedicated clients for Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android (but not Linux) and I use it’s interface most of the time to browse my music library, but I can for instance, mount the music library and play with it via JRiver if I wanted to. I’d just have to set up my music folder on my Ubuntu box as a Windows share and off I go.

I want to reiterate that the cool part of Roon is that I don't really experience a separation between Tidal and my local library. If I look for Mel Torme all albums show up, whether I have them locally or on Tidal.
erik_squires
16,592 posts
 
I could be off base, but I think in my mid-fi system, (Wired 4 Sound STI-500V2 >dac to be determined>Dali Helicon 800) I'll be happy with the SQ of most any streamer.


The sound quality of DAC's is so much better now than 20 years ago that I can see that.

 I'm much more concerned with the UI as I really just want it to work as intended.


For me as well. The two things I nee are a nice UI plus interoperability with my Mac/Windows/Android home. iPhone/iPad only devices have no interest to me.

So, I'm using Roon, and streaming to a $150 Raspberry Pi 4 running Ubuntu and using USB to talk to my Mytek.

I'm not saying other solutions wouldn't work or be as good or better, but I'm very satisfied with the following:

  • Android support
  • Digital domain equalization
  • Tidal integration
  • The seamless way in which my personal and Tidal librarey are integrated.
  • Internet radio support

Best,

E
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