Commercial streamer (bricasti m5 spotlighted) vs Raspberry Pi 4 implementation.

@essrand I own a Bricasti M1 but the M12 is my end goal. Bricasti says ethernet is superior to USB. Have you compared these options in your M12? Looking forward to your thoughts.

Happy with my Magna Mano Ultra going i2s into my DAC,
Class A linear PS built in.
There's that.

Some use nano pi, some raspberry pi. I use a raspberry pi4 as a Roon bridge to my DAC through USB. I don't see the hardware making much of a difference in a streamer if their software implementation is proprietary it might affect the sound. I don't think it's well known on this site how many music streamers are based on these little pi boards. 

I've been using a pi3 as a Roon endpoint for a few years with zero issues.  I use the  https://www.hifiberry.com/shop/boards/hifiberry-dac-pro/ s/pdif output board along with an iFi iPower supply.   It sounds great but I have not compared it to anything expensive.

Trying a different tack. I just ordered the sMS-200 Neo for $450 less 5% Discover kicker.  Designed and built in Korea from the ground up.
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/sotm-sms-200-networked-audio-player-hardw...
If I like it I'll probably grab a Farad PS.
https://www.kempelektroniksshop.nl/accessories/power-supplies/farad-super3-power-supply.html

I like Raspberry jelly you can get some great stuff for cheap at Ocean big lots.

@rsf507 
I haven't tried the USB vs the ethernet. I will at some point and if I do it and hear any difference will keep you posted. Cheers!

I just sold my M3 to try a few other cheaper DACs.  If I re-purchase it I will get it with the Ethernet input.  When I talked to Bricasti requesting info on getting the Ethernet input added, they suggested it would sound better than the M5.

For now, I'm trying to decide to stick with a Pi based streamer or try a Lumin U1 Mini, Bricast M5, or maybe Sonore  opticalRendu to see how they compare.   Neither of the cheaper DACs I've purchased  support Ethernet and one supports MQA over USB so I really need a streamer that supports multiple outputs, or just switchover to USB as that seems to support the most decoding options generally speaking with all of the different DACs I've been looking at.

What is tempting is to try a new Pi4 with the DigiOne Signature spdif output board ( https://www.allo.com/sparky/digione-signature.html).

This board looks pretty impressive and requires two power supplies:
"It needs 2 PSUs, one for 5V/2A-3A (RPI) and a second power 5V to 6V 100mA. We do recommend the cleanest power supply possible (batteries, linear but even a good SMPS will work)"

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/review-measurements-of-allo-digione-signature-and-diyinhk-pro3z.4660/ gave it a clean bill of health.

For ~$240 + power supplies you get what looks like a pretty impressive digital output.  They also offer a USB based board too.

For AES, these folks offer a Pi based output board  http://www.pi2design.com/pi2aes.html.

So many things to try...

I own both the Bricasti M5 and a Pi4 with the DigiOne Signature spdif output board.  The M5 sounds much better as it should.