PC+Dac or Streamer

I’m going to answer this a bit differently than others.  With respect to SQ, my experience has been that a streamer is a vastly better solution than even a tricked out PC.  In reality, a streamer is a computer dedicated to that particular function with the extraneous demands and functions (which cause noise, timing errors, etc.) removed.  I have two experiences to back this up.  I replaced a dedicated, optimized Mac mini with an Aurender server and the sound quality was demonstrably better.  I also inserted a Bluesound node 2 into another system to replace a dedicated PC - same result, though it’s not as good as the Aurender.  Both are going into pretty nice DACs.  With respect to convenience...
When they work - all is well.  When they don’t (and here I have to complain about Bluesound), it can be maddening.  It’s easy to keep a PC up to date. But, sometimes updates there cause problems with the streamer.  And, sometimes, for inexplicable reasones, the Bluesound can’t find my library stored on the NAS.  The dance to keep it pointed to the right things has become more than irritating and tiresome.  It sounds great for streaming and for the library. At the moment, I can stream, but can’t access my library.  The setup can be challenging too.  So, convenience in my experience? No.  Sound quality -yes.

Mahler123 - thanks for the suggestions.  As it turns out, running Ethernet to this particular location is problematic so I have been forced to use the WiFi function of the Bluesound.  However, I may try to run Ethernet through the floor to the location of the system to improve reliability - and because it would give me additional server options too as WiFi enabled servers are kind of rare. I thought about the NAD M50.2 - as that has local storage and a CD ripper which would generally solve my problem.  But I’m reticent to give Bluesound OS more business - and I don’t feel like re-ripping my entire library anyway.

FWIW: I reached out to Bluesound’s tech support for input - and they ultimately wanted to remote into my system to sleuth things out.  Frankly, while I’m not in IT, i’m not tech illiterate and needing a company to remote into things to solve these challenges tells me their software is not fully developed.  So, I restarted the process multiple times and was successful in getting things to work again.  And then, for a reason I can’t yet explain, I again can no longer access the files on my network, even though I can clearly see the address of the files in the Bluesound OS setup.  I haven’t gone back to redo it again because frankly, I don’t feel like it yet.  But, I’ve left feedback for Bluesound corporate accordingly.  

IT’s too bad because I think overall, the Bluesound Node 2 is a killer device.  For the price, it sounds great when using the coax digital out to my DAC. And, the idea of being able to reasonably easily play files on my network, or Tidal, Spotify, etc. all within the same app is very appealing.  

I think software engineers frequently forget that they work that they enjoy is maddening and/or tiresome to most.  I want to come home, turn on music and enjoy an experience I’ve spent quite a few $s to create.  Waking up my system to find that it needs an update, or worse, needs a fix to a file sharing request, or whatever, sets me on edge in a hurry.  I want it to simply work.  Like my Aurender does.  I wish Aurender had a WiFi option....