Ready For Digital Source...Computer?

dabel - this looks interesting too:

https://www.empiricalaudio.com/products/off-ramp-converter

mrklas -The Moon 280D definitely looks interesting. They don't elaborate much about their DAC on the website. Do you have this unit? How is the DAC, have you compared it to others?

phcollie - Thanks for the info and I agree on the need for more PC/audio-related companies. 

I did find the videos by Darko (recommended by tvad) very helpful and am leaning towards the economical Raspberry Pi option with an Allo Digi One hat that supports coaxial out.

Will do tvad, thanks again

Then I found this at $899 - https://sonore.us/ultraRendu.html that would hook up via USB. Or supposedly, better yet, this: https://sonore.us/opticalRendu.html for $1395 which is supposed to be dead quit due to the optical connection. There are a bunch of other components that you need to purchase as well to make it all work.

Raspberry Pi is lookin’ good!

lordrootman (love the handle) - Yes, but Darko suggests the Coaxial (or BNC) connection does produce a better sound quality:

https://www.allo.com/sparky/digione-signature-player.html

In one of Paul McGowan's YouTube videos, says he’s been using a Mac mini as a music server for years. Must be something to it?

fuzztone - 15 years ago I was streaming music from my newly purchased MacBook Pro with a bit perfect app going USB to my Wyred 4 Sound DAC No problem. Then came the rant about computers being noisy, so I purchased a Roon Nucleus. Then, along came the pandemic and my wife and I were out of work for a while so I sold the Nucleus and dropped the Tidal & Roon subscriptions in order to save a bit of cash.
Not wishing to get tied up into to a bunch of monthly Subscriptions again, I am looking for an alternative and would really like to get back to just using a computer as a MS as I did in the past.
I'm just trying to research the best and simplest way to do that.
Thanks for the link!

Thanks all

Thanks for all these guys! A lot to digest. Have to start dinner and spend a little time with the wife. I'll Definitely get back to you guys tomorrow on some of the stuff. 

Thanks for all this guys! Great info & a lot to digest. Have to start dinner and spend a little time with the wife. I'll Definitely get back onboard tomorrow. 

Gdhprentice, I already had the BS Node, thanks.
Not building but finishing my last system. Open to any suggestions on decent music servers/Dacs.

audioman58, Agree on the DAC. I’m also looking for that as well but we don’t have to get into that here there’s enough threads on DACs to choke a giraffe!

Through all the reading I have done it seems like the Denafrips family of DACs seems to be a decent choice. Probably the Pontus, that is unless of course there is a good DAC/Steamer combo that would satisfy both Requirements. I’m not into a complete one box solution but I’m going with an integrated amplifier So just one more, standalone component would be nice. Although it seems DAC technology is changing so fast I guess it would be nice to have a separate DAC so you can change it out time to time. They seem to be getting cheaper too.

auxinput - very helpful, I will heed your advive!

 Thanks

rbstehno - "If you are using usb to the dac, you will never get the best performance"

Then why does EJ at Wyred 4 Sound recommend that as the only method to connect to his DAC (i2s with his server)?

asvjerry - Cool, thanks!

wsrrsw & ghdprentice - what DAC/Steamer combos are you using?

elangley01 - "LMS Qobuz plugin" Can you elaborate, maybe a link?

mahler123 - all good points, thx

vanson1- I’m learning, thank you

itsjustme - "What have you tried?" Macbook Pro with Bit Perfect with a Schiit Bifrost, a Primare DAC 30 and W4S 2v2 SE, after the Mac I tried a W4S Music Server with the W4S DAC, then finally a Roon Nucleus with the W4S DAC before losing my job (Covid shutdown) and selling the works.

"What are your sound objectives? - To listen to high-quality digitally reproduced music on a mid-fi 2 - channel stereo.

"You say "no Roon".- Roon is awesome, great format but yes, but another box in the system and I really don’t want to pay for both Roon and a streaming service as well. I am really waiting for Spotify to start streaming 1,411 Kbps, until then Tidal or Quboz will do.

david_ten - my system page shows what’s holding me over whilst I rebuild!

Past system was Coda CSiB V1, Martin Lagan Spires, W4S DAC, Roon Nucleus, OPPO BDP 93 for CD’s. I would revisit ML speakers again but I don’t have room to pull the speakers 3" out from the walls.

The system I am working on now (I think) I will be going with KEF R11s. They only need 9" off the back wall and 20" off the sidewall. If I could find something that sounds good, I would like to be even closer to the sidewall. Amp is a Luxman 507uXII. Still need DAC and streamer, hence the thread.

Lots of conflicting opinions on this subject, but the general consensus seems to be to go with a music server. Maybe I will start a new thread on this?

Thanks to you all!

ghdprentice Thanks, I’m aware of these products and will research them further.

avid_ten - Great advice. I have heard great things about the Ifi Zen Stream. Thanks so much!

itsjustme - $700 it's ok but there are much better"

Suggestions, please?

8th-note & boomerbillone - great info, thank you!

Wow, auxinput, all that computer stuff is a little bit over my head so maybe I better just stick with the music server solution, but thanks for all that.,,very interesting indeed!

Great thread! I am learning lots! Getty too many to thank individually, so thanks to you all!

itsjustme - Thanks for all the info!

headphonedreams - & U 2!

The rest...you are the best!

audiotroy - Is the EVO a DAC as well?

+1 rudyb 🤣

itsjustme - Having read and re-read your many susequent posts I find you are at another level, far above my undersatnding of computers. When I was using my MacBook Air via USB to DAC I thought it sounded great.

I also thoroughly enjoyed using my Roon Nucleus (as a music server) to DAC via USB as well.

It is others that suggest computers are "Noisy" so I was looking for others opinions on the mater.

I just thought if I could remove one more box out of the audio loop (Roon Nucleus/Music Server) by hooking up my computer when I wanted to stream music. Along with that, avoid paying two mothly subscription, one for Roon and another for a music service.

audiotroy- What about this:

432 EVO Essence DAC & music server - 432 EVO Music Servers | High End Digital Audio Streaming

Price?

sns - thanks for that.

At the end of the day, I may just end up with a Roon Nucleus (optimized computer) as a music server (USB to DAC) again. Although I didn’t like the added expense of Roon, it was easy pezzy, offers a great format and sounded awesome!

Times on my side at the moment so, sooner or later I’ll figure it out (with a lot of help from you all!) :-)

auxinput - the only piece of gear I have left after the great sell-off is a 100W HDPlex linear power supply, which I bought second-hand.

It has 4 taps: 5V, 12V, 19V (using for my old Nucleus), and a variable outlet.

It never got hot when I was using all the outputs at once, but it is rather old, so maybe I should be upgrading it?

david_ten - I did, my apologies.

david_ten - Figure out, with help of the members here, if a computer is going to work as a music server for me. Very conflicting opinions so far.

And thanks for the scoop on the Keces P8, the price kind of says it all.

auxinput - Wow! Thanks so much for checking that out for me. That was so kind of you and very helpful indeed. With the price of the Keces P8, I think I’ll be sticking with the HDPlex for some time to come.

kellyp - Thank you, and please see my response to itsjustme below.

itsjustme - Thank you for your detailed reply. There is nothing more that I would LOVE to do is to be more hands-on with this and learn from members like you and many others that have posted here. I find computers and the likes very interesting indeed.

Presently I am up to my ears in alligators with regards to a major home remodeling project. My intention is to get some kind form of an audio system in the home early next year, with some form of a music server, but there will still be another year’s work to do after that (no, I’m not that slow, I have a day job as well). So, no time at present to tinker with the likes of computers. Hopefully, once done, I will have a small workshop to do things, just like that!

In the meantime, I would enjoy reading your blog.

Thanks all, I think I am going to find a decent combo music server/DAC with an upgradable DAC. This looks interesting: https://eng.hifirose.com/rs150 at $5,000 or this one at half the price: https://eng.hifirose.com/RS250-info . Not sure what makes the big price difference though?

sns - Great point! Gives me a reason to keep researching. 

realworldaudio - this looks real cool, that is until you click this link:

https://www.ap-linux.com/documentation/ap-linux-v5-install-instructions/

I'm not sure if I have the smarts (let alone the time) to figure that all out!

auxinput - thanks, but I think sns already talked me out of it...

Hey there, have any of you tried this?

https://www.amarrasound.com/amarra-luxe/

auxinput - OK but whadda ya think? I've been checkin' out that Lumin D2 as recommended hear. It looks decent (for $1200 off).

https://upscaleaudio.com/products/lumin-t2-network-music-player

auxinput - WOW exellent (aux) input, thanks so much for pointing all this out to me! I was just about to pull out my check book for the T2 (at the discounted price) and you have made me re-think this.

I have limited space for audio equipment in this house and trying to keep everybody happy (it’s just me and my wife here), hence the thought of the one (or in my case) two box solution. But yes, I could get a better DAC then a smaller server (Nucleus, Innous Mini or?) and tuck it away behind or under the amp stand, on the floor.

With all the rave reveiws of late, I was considering the the Deafrips Pontus. I would go with the less expensive but still highly rated, Ares II but it doesn’t come in silver.

adasda - agreed, laptop out, working on the DAC now (see above).

auxinput - How do you know all this stuff, amazing and great information, thank you again. No, I do not want coloured music, but I'm afraid the Antipodes is way over my bugdet.I will keep researching.

sns - Thanks, auxinput really does know what he is talking about. Yes, I will check out those recommended DACs. In the past, that is exactly what I had, a Roon Nucleus USB’d to my W4S 2v2 SE DAC (9038 Pro).

auxinput - Thanks Sherlock! Lots & lots of investigation, and yes, I do remembering playing around a bit with the DSP in Roon.

Great info on the Evo & Denafrips too. It would be nice to hear all this stuff first, but tough to do, so, at present.

How about the Pegasus Musician DAC, are you familiar with it?

    
auxinput - Thank you! sns recommends this DAC, the "Musetec 005" , even over some of the more recommended (by you and sns). Getting pretty up there price wise. Any thoughts?

Border Patrol DAC?

https://www.borderpatrol.net/dac/

auxinput - sorry for not responding sooner, I'm up in the flood zone here and it's been a heck of a week for us all! Thanks for all the research. I will see if I can save up a bit for the LKS MH-DA005 DAC.

lemonhaze - Yes, thanks. I had never heard of the Merason Frerot DAC as well until this video dropped:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmAWN3faaM8

Well Pleased Audio, the dealer for the DAC, uses it exclusively in their pre-assembled systems that they sell.

auxinput - any thoughts on this one?

https://www.linsoul.com/products/l-k-s-audio-mh-da005 - $3,134

                                   OR

https://almaaudio.com/products/merason-frerot-dac - $1,350

Hmm...

auxinput - Thanks for your long & detailed response. I think 
jerryg123 the MF and BP DACs in one sentence!

If I were to go with the MF and add on their LPS I'm at $2250, $700 shy of the Musetec (BF Sale price) and I don't need an LPS with the Musetec.

As it seems the Musectec is so highly rated, maybe I will just take advantage of this sale, or maybe the Bel Canto DAC?

Touché auxinput

A couple of final contenders:

https://aoshida-audio.com/products/gustard-dac-x26-pro?DIST=Q0U%3D

http://www.economik.com/rme/adi-2-dac-fs/?gclid=CjwKCAiAqIKNBhAIEiwAu_ZLDvn_iaM5hEi__tTdCMU9ACEUGX-1CHg31A9WvnEVGJaI2LvJBbiHiRoCNRQQAvD_BwE

Or the least expensive (yyzsantabarbara raves about):

https://apos.audio/products/topping-d90se-dac

auxinput - OK Dr. DAC, thank you for all the detailed and informative advice! With that, I have been in contact with Young at SHENZHENAUDIO. He says he will honor his Black Friday pricing on a L.K.S Audio MH-DA005 until I have finished the remodel on my house.

All the best to you and your family over the holiday season, thanks so much again!