streamer for PWD DAC mkII - tired of a computer and complicated connectivity!


Hello All,

I have a PS Audio Perfect Wave DAC mkII (PWD II) and I am sick and tired of having a computer connected to my hi-fi system.  I find it far easier to clean and play a record than it is to play a digital file, this is not acceptable!

I would love to keep my PWD II as it is a great sounding piece of gear, but I need to feed it with a music stream that is simple, and eliminate the mac mini and software.  I would love to use a Sonos Connect, but it cannot handle high res music.  Is there any other solution?  Is there a competitor to Sonos that handles high res?  Can I plug in an Apple TV and play music from the network without needing to look at iTunes on a computer somewhere?  Is there a low cost streamer that can plug into the PWD?  Can I control a NAS drive connected to the PWD II via ethernet without a computer?

Or, do I sell the PWD II, raise some funds, and buy a Cambridge 851N or Sony HAP-Z1ES?  Both of these units look way simpler, and both have plusses and minuses:  The Sony supports DSD, The Cambridge supports iTunes Airplay (and I would assume I can stream Apple Music through that?).

Thank you for your help!
- Mark
marktomaras
Yes, you can rip with the mini. Some models have a built in optical drive, some require an external drive to rip.  I like the idea of a bluesound vault 2 over the node. It is basically a node  with an optical drive for ripping and a hard drive for storage.  I have yet to use one, but they look interesting.  The app and usability will be important in making a decision on that brand.
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Bluesound Node 2. Sounds better than Sonos, app easier to use, TIDAL integration and just around your $400 price point. Above that Aurender N100, which is on a different level in many ways. If you can find a dealer with some stuff on demo so you can get a feel for the apps and how they work etc.

i agree that computers can be a distraction from listening to music. They always seem to need some attention. Now that piece of dedicated streamers has come down so much I see little reason for a computer.
acousticfrontiers: perhaps you can help me out. Most of my digital music is stored in iTunes (Mac OS 10). I am using iTunes --> AirPlay --> Apple TV --> TosLink --> Cambridge Audio 851D DAC/Preamp.

Do you think Bluesound Node 2 will give me noticeably better sound quality over Apple TV? I understand that ATV samples at 48 kHz, but the question is whether the degradation in SQ is noticeable at this point. I don't want to introduce a relocker in the chain in order to keep it simple.

Secondly, I understand that AirPlay cannot support anything higher than CD quality. What other streaming options are there to stream hi-res music?

Thanks in advance

@arafiq have not compared ATV to Bluesound, but compared to Sonos (both digital out) it is a clear step up in SQ. Bluesound iOS app then becomes your UI, and your music library in iTunes just another source. Bluesound does hires, as do many other streaming solutions, just not Sonos or ATV.