Suggestions for a streamer only (I have a great DAC)


I have a dCS Paganini DAC and Paganini Clock. I’m looking for a streamer only to pair with the Paganini to stream via Tidal.  That’s it, I don’t need a streamer/DAC/etc.  I don’t want to extra for pay for redundancy.  Any good suggestions on a streamer only  that you have paired to a high end DAC with good results would be appreciated. 

 

PLEASE no “try some at home on your system” responses …. that’s the reason I came here, for some recommendations. Price range $1500-$5000.

 

Thanks!

naperaudio

Showing 1 response by sdl4

As you can tell from the recommendations on this thread, there are many good streamer options out there. I have been extremely happy with the Innuos Zen Mk3 streamer/server (and the more expensive Zenith is reported to be just a little bit better if you want to invest a little more money). 

Before you decide on a streamer, though, I would suggest that you decide whether you plan to use Roon or not. Most Roon users rave about it as a music file management tool, but quite a few users complain that its sound quality doesn't quite match the sound obtainable with a streamer using its own software, such as Innuos, Aurender, Auralic, etc. I do not use Roon and have found the current Innuos Sense software to be excellent as well as less complicated and less expensive than a Roon set-up would be.

Before I bought my Innuos Zen, I wasn't sure I wanted or needed a built-in server integrated with a streamer (as the Zen provides). I planned to just stream from Qobuz and use a CD player for CDs. However, the Innuos has turned out to be perfect for those of us who don't have the interest or skills to mess with complicated computer interfaces. CD ripping to a WAV or FLAC file on the Innuos is so quick and easy (and great sounding) that I rarely play CDs from a player anymore. I haven't bothered to rip all my CDs to the Innuos, but whenever I find a CD I want to play, I just rip it to the Innuos and play it back from there. Playing a WAV file on the Innuos sounds better than my CD player does, and I can easily put together playlists that combine tracks from Qobuz with tracks from WAV files.

You have a lot of good streamer options, but I would urge you to make a decision about whether to use Roon or some other proprietary software before you buy any piece of streaming gear. You don't want to get locked into using software that is difficult to use or may compromise sound quality unless it has other features you value more.