Please help with setting up a streaming system

Everyone usually recommends the one they use, so take that with a grain of salt. My only recommendation is to get a streamer with an OS  (Operating System) you like for your application. A lot of OS work best with Apple products and not so good with Samsung. And many are difficult to operate with phones, specially android. Some don't even do android. I only want to use my android phone as a remote to control my streamer and the bluesound NODE 130 does that flawlessly. Decide how you want to operate your streamer and dive into Google to find the streamer that will work best for it. As an example, Auralic, no android at all.

If you need to upgrade your network, don't bother with an extender, they just add latency and halve your bandwidth. Rather, invest in a decent mesh router that supports WiFi 6 and a dedicated backhaul between nodes. The big advantages are far better coverage and WiFi 6 support of parallel streams. In other words, your streaming isn't competing with someone else's gaming or video for a time slice. This is a big deal. So I also wouldn't spend a dime on a streamer that didn't also support WiFi 6. This will only become more important over time as more devices compete for bandwidth and time slices. 

Thanks for all the great suggestions and please keep them coming. I would like to use my iPad for controlling whatever app I use like qobuz or tidal. I also have a panel that is wired throughout the house with cat 5 that I was hoping to use to run the Ethernet cable from the router to the streamer. If the cat 5 isn’t sufficient I could run a dedicated Ethernet line from the office to the living room (about 50-60 feet) pretty easily? 
Thanks

'I would like to start streaming some high res and cd quality music. I am very computer illiterate so please take it easy on me. I would like to set something up fairly easy to use and not spend more than 2k. I would like to use my iPad for controlling whatever app I use like qobuz or tidal.

OP, to start your streaming journey, the following will match above parameters you have set:

If you can find a docking station including RJ45 LAN connection port and USB A port, you could connect the iPad with your DAC using USB B input on the DAC. In addition, you want to download a dedicated music player (like Audirvana) to your iPad supporting hires music files provided by Quobuz and Tidal.

If a docking station is an acceptable  solution for you and you like what you will hear, your journey could end right here. Otherwise, you might want to

- change the CAT5 to CAT 5e or CAT 6

- and/or go further down the road (also called rabbit hole) thinking about the purchase of a dedicated streamer

Have fun!

Best, eagledriver

I'm investigating the same options at the moment. I like to understand what I'm doing from the ground up. "Buy what works for me isn't much help although none of the suggestions are bad, they just don't help as everyone is unique and their need differ. I started off reading John Darko's BACK TO BASICS Part 1: Music streaming guide and worked up from there. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5rGHPYh3E0