Streaming Services

Seeing all these responses is wonderful. This is all new to me and I have been given a lot to go from - thank you everyone! I'm sure others will benefit as well.

I will share that I just bought this Conrad Johnson HD3 USB DAC because it is the same brand as my other electronics (see original post that began this thread + I also have Conrad Johnson DV2B Tube CD player). I thought this could get me going with streaming. CJ puts it this way for this DAC  "The HD3 is an audiophile grade digital to analog converter for use with a computer based audio source". 

This DAC only has a USB input.

Silly Question: Are there Streamers that can connect to a USB only device like this?

Thank you!

If you have a good DAC consider a dacless streamer, I have had and or borrowed several, the best sounding was the Stack Link however this had an awful app and refused to work in a mac environment, even the dealer couldn't make it work. OK was a Sonore Microrendu but too many drop outs, same with iFi Streamer it had DAC compatibility issues, Pro Ject was quite awful, more expensive ones were OK but no better than the Lindemann Limetree  Bridge I have now,

My MacBook can output an optical signal out of the headphone jack.  There’s a lot of respectable DACs on the used market for reasonable prices, you could get one that handles that optical input signal—Bryston BDA-1 perhaps?  Sending the signal over optical would isolate that electrical noise generating by the laptop.

I don’t recommend, although they have lossless available their selection doesn’t stack up.

I have a Node N130 with a better power supply and am using USB to my DAC. I’m using Amazon HD and Qobuz. Both have good user software and decent sound, but Qobuz has a better selection of music and if you pay yearly, it only a few bucks a month more.

All the best.

Well, pardon me but in looking back through posts, I see that mike_in_nc stated "I have used many streamers, and I’m happy with my Auralic Aries G1. It can output USB, SPDIF, or AES3 into a DAC".

It can be output to USB - great to know!

Forgive my ineptness here, I started this thread not knowing anything about streamers.