I Can't Understand What I Read. Tell Me What Airplay Streamer/Receiver I Should Get?


Hello, I'm new to audiophile and addle minded to digital.  I am buying Magnepan .7s and a Bryston 4B-ST amp.  I previously had a Yamaha X675 receiver that had Airplay built in to it.  It also had bluetooth.  I used to use Spotify that could play through either bluetooth or Airplay.  I switched to Tidal and I think it only works on Airplay. 

I am going to use a Aune X1S headphone amp that I already owned as the preamp and DAC.  Here's a link to the amp front and back.

http://en.auneaudio.com/index.php?s=Home/Article/detail/id/97.html

 I also want to hook up a SVS 2000 subwoofer.  

I would like to know what I ought to get that will allow me to deliver Tidal from an iPhone to the Aune.  I assume it's an airport express. Is the Aune going to be able to be my preamp with the sub and the Airplay?  I would like to know if that's exactly right and if there are alternatives to the airport that could give me a better quality sound.  The Tidal is supposedly lossless and CD quality.  Would some of that be lost with the airport and is there better?  

Finally, I've spent almost all my budget on the amp and speakers.  I would like to find an AE alternative that sounds great but isn't more expensive than $250-300.

Thanks,
Adam
amritash
amritash does your aune have variable volume control for the rear rca outputs or is it only for the headphones?

If it is variable using your aune as preamp will work, however if that is not the case then you cannot use it as a preamp as it will send a full signal to your amp.

If it turns out you can’t use your aune as a preamp I would suggest you look into a sonos connect. You can stream any service you wish including tidal while still allowing you to use your aune as a dac and the sonos to control the volume. While others may chime in and say the volume control in the sonos is not ideal I think within your budget it could be a great place to start until you have more funds to get a proper preamp.

You could get an Audioengine bluetooth receiver for $200 bucks and stream tidal from your phone/iPhone (if the pre does not have a volume control, I believe you could set Tidal to variable volume and use the phone’s volume up/down). Or, you could get one of the Marantz or Yamaha or Onkyo CD players with an iphone/USB input on the front and plug the iPhone into that (and then you’d have a CD player too; and use iPhone volume same with variable volume Tidal).
Hey Guys, it is a fixed output.  Would a Bluesound Powernode work?  The first version is pretty cheap on eBay.