DAC + NAS streamer combo (NOT Tidal/Qobuz etc)


Hi, I’m looking for a stereo DAC and streamer that can stream from my local NAS server. I DON’T care about Tidal/Qobuz and all that crap: just my own music. An example is an Exasound e32/Sigma Streamer combo (I have their e38 + Sigma and it works beautifully).  I’ll connect to the streamer through a Roon core running on my Mac. Budget 3-4K. Used ok. Recommendations please?  
Most important to me is that the DAC be as neutral as possible (and of course work with Roon). All the ones I looked at that are Roon-reconnected on their website are for hi-res  streaming and seem to have a lot of bells and whistles with touch screens and other junk.  I want a basic but high quality DAC. 

Am connecting it to a Pass Labs xp32 preamp, First Watt j2 amp and Tannoy speakers.  Listen exclusively to classical and jazz. 
Thanks!!!


ssmaudio

Showing 6 responses by nekoaudio

I'd recommend looking into the Lumin T2. MSRP is $4500 but a used or maybe demo unit is definitely inside your budget. I also think you will appreciate its excellent sound quality given the critical demands of classical and jazz.

It will stream music from your local NAS, works with Roon as well as other UPnP control software, and supports for DSD via its ESS DAC chips.
@ssmaudio the only two "inputs" to the Lumin T2 are Ethernet or a USB drive. Over Ethernet, it receives the original audio data via UPnP (or Roon RAAT), so it will get the DSD512 audio file directly and play it. Same for a DSD512 file on a USB drive.

Since you're talking about using the analog outputs, there's no concern with "outputting" DSD512. But if you did hook up an external DAC, DSD512 will go out over USB but not BNC S/PDIF.


@ssmaudio Roon doesn't actually deliver audio to your DAC, unless the Roon Core (your Mac) is connected to your DAC via a USB audio connection.

In all other cases you still need a Roon "receiver" for the Roon Core to send the music data to, and that receiver then either renders it as analog audio if it is a DAC, or the receiver outputs it as digital audio to your DAC.

So when you wrote "I’ll connect to the streamer through a Roon core running on my Mac" I think we all assumed that meant connecting to a Roon Ready receiver that is on the same network as your Mac.
@ssmaudio the Exasound Sigma is your network streamer already. It's just not a DAC + streamer, since it only outputs digital audio.

Functionally, there is no advantage to you purchasing something else given you already have the Sigma network streamer and e32 DAC. But if you want a single box, or something that sounds different/better, or supports some other feature, then it makes sense to look at other options.
Actually, the Mac is not redundant. You need a Roon Core somewhere. Your Mac computer is acting as the Roon Core. The Sigma Streamer cannot act as a Roon Core, only as a Roon Ready endpoint.

Some audio components can run Roon Core on them, with hardware and processing power in them similar to a general purpose computer to run Roon Core, but the Sigma Streamer is not one of them.
@rego Roon Ready is not the same as Roon Core. A Roon Ready device is like a Roon RAAT Client, while the Roon Core is like a Roon RAAT Server. The Sigma Streamer is only ever described as Roon Ready.

From the Sigma Streamer manual, page 10:

The Roon playback engine - Roon Core must be installed on a music server like the exaSound Gamma Server or any third-party music server. Roon Core can also be installed on Mac or Windows computer. Your Roon server must be connected to your home network and to the Internet.

For all music streaming, there are three components: the music server, the music client, and the control UI.

The Sigma Streamer is never a "server" as far as I can tell. For any of Roon, HQPlayer, UPnP, or AirPlay. It is only a client. Sigma sells servers separately.

For the four examples listed, the server is:
  • Roon Core is the Roon server. It can be installed headless (no UI) on Windows, macOS, Linux, supported NAS operating systems like QNAP and Synology.
  • HQPlayer will run a server when installed and running on your computer.
  • A UPnP server might be MinimServer running on your computer or NAS or, sometimes an audio device like the Marantz ND8006 that can UPnP serve the CD inserted into it if I remember correctly.
  • An AirPlay server is your Mac or iOS device.
For the for examples listed, the control UI is:
  • For Roon, that will be the Roon UI app which might be running on the same computer as your Roon Core, but it could be the Roon UI app running on an iOS or Android device.
  • HQPlayer is itself also the control.
  • A UPnP server could be made use of via an app like BubbleUPnP (not BubbleUPnP Server) or Glider.
  • AirPlay is usually controlled by the AirPlay app on the same device as your AirPlay server, but not always. An example of not always is when using the Apple Remote iOS app, where your music might be on your Mac but you use the Remote app on your iPhone to tell your Mac AirPlay server to send music to some other AirPlay client.
Roon has a handy chart showing these three components of control app, server (Core), and client (audio device) for their software downloads. The chart doesn't show hardware, like the Sigma Streamer, but Roon Ready and Roon Tested essentially fall under the client / audio device column.