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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 3 responses by pip_helix

pip_helix OP
30 posts
 
Ok, so maybe there’s already an answer to this question. If so, can someone suggest where I should look? It’d be much appreciated.
pip_helix OP
30 posts
 
Some interesting ideas I hadn’t heard of before. Thanks, gents!

I’d been thinking of the Node 2i but was wondering if there was something that had the same streaming functionality but minus a DAC because I thought that might save some $.

I had been looking into RPi based solutions but have also come across lots of folks saying (on the internet anyway) that the software can be a PITA to make work.

After watching some Darko stuff, I was thinking of an Allo DigiOne or USBridge but got hung up after reading about software problems.

Like I said, I really only need to stream some Tidal and maybe other services to one fixed location. I don’t need multiroom streaming and I’ll never get around to ripping my CDs or vinyl to digital. I just don’t have the time or inclination.

My DAC is a Schiit Bifrost 2 with all the fancy inputs and balanced outs so maybe a Node 2i or Magna is the way to go.......
pip_helix OP
30 posts
 
@brockwired 

“In my living room I sometimes cast to my smart tv. I am using toslink to my DAC. Works great and eliminates a ground loop.”

I didn’t catch this earlier!!

 I don’t want to always have the TV on when I’m listening to music (infant in the house) but in the short term it seems I could run Tidal HiFi on my Apple TV and then run optical audio out from my TV to my DAC until I decide on a less “visible” solution like a Node 2i or SMS 200 or similar. 
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