2. digital
  3. 161623-152584

Looking for a basic streamer without a DAC, preamp, storage and all that

I’m looking for a simple streamer to connect to my Schiit Bifrost DAC via USB, coax, or toslink. Every streamer I look at has some combination of features I don’t need: screen, preamp, phono stage, amp, DAC, hard drive, Roon-readiness, etc.

All I want to do is use Tidal Connect on my iPhone or iPad to send the content to the streaming device which will connect to my DAC which is connected to my system. For the sake of convenience, I’d prefer not to connect my phone or iPad directly to the DAC. 

So is there a really basic and pared down streamer that’ll just accept content from Tidal or the like or am I going to have to sort out which streamer has the least amount of features I don’t need and just live with it? Or am I just going to have to accept connecting my iPhone or iPad to the DAC?


pip_helix

Showing 2 responses by mlsstl

mlsstl
1,457 posts
 
Why don't you go the Raspberry Pi route? With a Rpi 4B you can get good quality USB output or add a HAT card and get SPDIF coax or optical output. You have a number of operating system options available and you can put the whole thing together for $100 or so.  You can gussy them up with linear power supplies for just a bit more.

I've got 3 RPi players in my house and find they more than meet my needs
mlsstl
1,457 posts
 
I haven't had any problems installing and configuring software for the RPis in my systems, but then I am fairly computer literate. There are a number of places where you can get good instructions. To my mind, probably the hardest thing is choosing which of the many options available that you want to use. I currently use two different ones -- one player uses the HiFiBerry OS with their HAT card and is very simple to set up. The other two player use the PiCorePlayer OS which has more options and thus a bit more complicated. I use PCP on those two RPis because the players have touchscreen displays.

As noted, there are many other options available.
More to discover