2. digital
  3. 1375969641

Goodbye Sonos, hello ????

I've been a happy Sonos user for over 10 years and will continue to use it in my casual listening areas in my house. However I dont think I am doing my dedicated 2 channel system justice streaming from the ZP-90. In addition, Sonos does not do high resolution. Therefore I am looking for a high quality digital transport/streamer that can replace the Sonos. Here are my requirements:

1. High quality, low jitter digital output
2. Awesome user interface with remote control via IPAD, ANDROID, iphone, etc
3. Wireless and wired digital streaming from music stored on a NAS
4. No built in DAC as I prefer to mix and match
5. Ability to handle various audio formats including high resolution.

So far it looks like my options are the Bryston BDP-2 or DIY my own streamer. I have built several low powered (ATOM) HTPC in my home to stream 1080p movies so this is definitely an option but I am not too sure about how to get the best possible, low jitter digital output from a PC so this would be something I need to investigate. I can build an ATOM based, fanless system running Jriver and my IPAD to remotely control my music. I know there are products from Linn and Accustic Arts but these all come with either a DAC or an amp.

So are there any other audiophile quality products on the market that fit my need or should I just go the DIY route?

Thank you.
128x128tboooe

Showing 3 responses by kriskdf

kriskdf
12 posts
 
Properly installed cat5e or cat6 should be more than sufficient for streaming audio on a local network. Cat5e *properly installed* is rated for gigabit speed. Cat5e, slightly sub-optimal, should get you 100 megabit, which should also be good enough for streaming audio without buffering issues.
kriskdf
12 posts
 
I should have emphasized "properly installed". :) Poorly installed cat 7 may be insufficient for what you want. I've actually had some limited training on cable installation (though, i'm admittedly no pro) and to get cat 5e *certified* for gigabit, there are a lot of details in the installation process that if missed, can limit the network speed. Things like minimum radius bends in the cabling and termination techniques can take gigabit capable and reduce it down to something much lower.

I'm not against future proofing either. If money was no object, I'd run "fiber to the desktop" in my house. I've also spec'd out cable installed for network and phone and had people look at me funny when I asked for cat5e for phones. Cat3 was the norm for phones, but we wanted to be able to easily convert to VOIP or network if needed in the future.

If you do ever get up to 10 gigabit going, i'll be impressed and a little jealous. :)
kriskdf
12 posts
 
I just ran across this, which actually seems to cover things I forgot: http://www.lanshack.com/cat5e-tutorial.aspx

It looks like about 1" radius is the minimum. The article is pretty good and points out that the faster you want the network, the more you need to pay attention to the standard for install. There are also good practices called out that may impact performance less, but helps long term maintenance (labeling, leaving a service loop and lots of slack, etc.).
More to discover