Newbie Looking for Advice on Streaming Music


Hello Audiogon world.

I am new to this hobby but I think it will suit me well as it looks like it is an endless pursuit of perfection of sound without ever really getting there.  I love the endless possibilities, difference in thought, technology driven aspect mixed with old school art.

I am in the process of building my first 2 channel set up and recently picked up a Primaluna Dialogue HP and a pair of Sonus Faber Chameleons for starters.

Im looking to stream music from Tidal to the new equipment as simple as possible without compromising sound as much as I possibly can (budget permitting of course)

I have been doing some research and I must say this part of the equation is rather confusing with a lot of technical speak that gets brought into the discussion which is a bit overwhelming for a newbie trying to soak it all in.

Do I need to purchase a high quality DAC?
Can I just buy a streaming box like the Paradigm PW Link or Def Tech W Adapt and hook it into the Primaluna?
Do I go with the Halide Design DAC HD D/A Converter from computer straight into Primaluna?
I also read about the wyred4sound modified Sonos Connect.  Does that plus into a DAC or straight into Amp?

Apologies for all the newbie questions.  I did try searching and doing some research but found myself getting confused.  If someone could help me clear up what I will need that will set me on the path to researching the best value for my budget for each component I will need to accomplish my goals of streaming my music from Tidal.

Thanks in advance.  I think this will be a fun hobby!

Don

donblackie

Showing 1 response by dkpack99

Great questions and feedback! I’ve been also investigating ways to make better use of my Tidal subscription and hopefully implement a Roon system.

i look forward to hearing more as I’m in a similar search.... 

Here's some feedback on one possible solution...Oppo Sonica...

I currently have an Oppo Sonica DAC that I’m trying. The sound is very good (I’m not an expert but have dabbled for years including some pretty decent stuff - Bryston SP1 and SP1.7, Legacy-Audio, others).

The Sonica sounds good, seems well made, is good looking and somewhat easy to setup... in my humble opinion, the Sonica app, sucks. It often (mysteriously) won’t/can’t play tracks - which if I switch over to just the Tidal app on my iPad or streaming thru my Sonos Connect play just fine... at times it will say "can’t play song, skipping to next song" or some such message and skip thru 20 songs or more at a time.... other user interface issues abound... also, they have no plans to be Roon ready, if that matters... 

Good luck with your search! I too look forward to hearing the advice of the knowledgeable members here.

Dave