Streamer Apps...how important?


Thanks in advance for any help with this. 

Some manufacturers put a lot of effort into iOS & PC apps for their streamers (e.g. NAD, Marantz).  These apps incorporate a long menu of streaming services.    Besides "one stop shopping" are there any benefits vs. playing through the Tidal, Sirius, etc. app and then connecting via Bluetooth in my iPad's Settings app?

aainpb

Actually the implementation of the app can have considerable influence on the sound depending on how it interacts with the server/streamer as Innuos have demonstrated.

I am not sure that I understand the question.  The App is there to help you find what you want to listen to.  The App itself won’t influence sound quality.  As others have mentioned, playing the music via Bluetooth will adversely impact sound quality.

I have a Project Stream Box S2 Ultra.

To drive it I've bought a Lenovo Tab P11 tablet.

It can run via the Project app; are there others that are better?

First, if you are interested in high quality sound you choose Qobuz. If you are not wanting the very best, then you pick Tidal. So, if they have these two… there is no benefit to a longer list. The rest are much lower sound quality and only interested to folks not interested in sound quality.

 

Streamer quality is critical in the sound you get out of your speakers. As a gross generalization, you get what you pay for (assuming you have appropriate associated equipment), I have used iPods, iPads, PCs, Macs, a $2K streamer… and $5K, $10K, and now a $22K streamer… the later is the best I have ever heard an well worth the cost.

You want a separate streamer of equal cost to the rest of your components (generalized rule of thumb). So if your preamp cast $1k, and you amp cost $1K and your speakers cost $2K… then think of the best you can get as a $1k streamer (Bluesound is a good entry).

 

The iPad app that is used to control your streamer is critical. Aurender (my favorite) and Aurlic produce some of the best streamers. I owned an Auralic, I now own two Aurenders now… I believe these to be the best streamers on the market today. I own an N100 and their flagship W20SE). The Aurender’s Conductor app is available on both the iPad and iPone and most folks love it. When you have access to nearly unlimited music… the app you use to locate, play and store music you want to find again is critical.