Why does streaming need to be so complex

I bought a Node 2i and couldn't be happier. Using a MHDT Pagoda since it sounds better than the onboard dac, but it's no slouch.

I would punt on looking for streamers that do Amazon HD for now it was so recently announced it will take time for companies to add it. I use an Auralic, the discontinued Aries Mini, and couldn’t be happier. I’ve been using it for 3.5 years with no issues.

Any smartphone, tablet or computer with apple lightning or usb digital outputs to an external dac can be used for high quality streaming using most any source or app including somehing new like Amazon hd music. . No special devices needed.

@mapman i agree -but here is the limitation to that. Don’t think iPhone 8 or newer can stream 24/192 and secondly you will need a Apple USB camera adapter and from there a USB to SPDIF converter (my Benchmark DAC does not have USB). The converter and adapter adds so much jitter and noise that it becomes the weakest link and the process starts all over again. 

I use the camera adaptor with a Chord Mojo DAC and it sounds fine. Have you tried it? That’s the only way to know. Not a big investment. Many people (including me) use it with very high quality headphone setups as well.

You do need a compatible connection type on the dac of course.

Many things determine jitter including dac used. I believe Benchmark is pretty jitter resistant.

I think people do themselves a disservice automatically rejecting using their existing multipurpose devices as a digital source with their hifi gear. I think most might be pleasantly surprised. Easy to try and see for oneself first before investing in expensive specialty devices.

@mapman thanks. Can you confirm if iPhone can transmit 24/192? Also do you know of any decent usb to SPDIF converters? 

Op.
I think it should as I use an older iPad mini2 to do exactly as Mapman states to stream Amazon Music and Qobuz to my integrated amp via lightning to USB adapter.
It shows 192 on the screen on said 192 streaming tracks.

From what I read I’m pretty sure iphone cannot do true 24/192.....yet but can’t say for sure.

If so, its possble apps running on iphone know the limits and resample higher res sources to lower res to be able to play but not at original resolution.

Cd res streaming is pretty easy these days but higher rez streaming is still a more limited niche with arguably marginal benefits so that will be trickier.

I don’t use that specific converter but sure there are many choices that would not cost much to try on Amazon and elsewhere I would expect.

Fwiw i am one that is in the original technical camp that determined cd resolution was technically the right resolution to cover the 20-20khz range that most people are at best able to hear (Nyquist Theorum).

Also I don’t think there is much material out there of interest to me recorded, mixed, mastered, delivered and streamed at those high resolutions, Rather in most cases CD res recordings are merely upsampled and possibly processed to sound different and perhaps better to some at high res, but high res in that case does not mean more detail.

Its like watching digitally remastered TV shows from the pre hi res tv age made to look their best on high res tvs, but detail is no better than original. You can’t recover detail once lost, just dress what's there up to look better. Lipstick on a pig per-se.

So between these two things I have had very little interest in high res audio. Some day I will probably subscribe to Amazon HD and maybe care more. I would not want to miss anything even if in fact its not there in most cases.

Lack of an industry standard for services, iPhone/iPad only support and an ever changing eco system.

This is a major reason, in addition to cost, I've yet to be able to leave my Logitech Music Server. In addition to hosting my ripped and downloaded music it has just great internet radio support.

PS - Have you checked out hte latest miniDSP ? They have streaming + DSP correction in the digital domain now.

This article by John Darko sums it all up. https://darko.audio/2019/03/the-inconvenient-truth-about-mqa-on-ios/

As per my original post - there still remains a lot of gaps in the streaming world. There are some excellent and expensive audiophile streamers that fail to offer all services - the only one I know that does a decent job with hi res source is Bluesound Node 2. Again not the best product - but excellent vendor partnership program and customer service. 

Op, your Oppo105 has Tidal app. You don't need to use outboard DAC since Oppo DAC is very good. You can use Wifi or hardwire your Oppo to a router. Use XLR balanced out line level. Use a class A tube preamp and solid state amp. Use ipod or any tablet to browse and control the Tidal. less wire and direct stream will improve SQ.

@junzhang10 I did that for a while. I like Amazon HD and the price is better and in the long term the savings add up. OPPO has no customer service and no future updates available. As a matter of fact I have the OPPO 105 for sale on CL. My current set up consists of driving amazon HD through Fire TV into OPPO HDMI in and coax out to my benchmark DAC. To my original point the Fire TV down samples the music again to be up sampled by benchmark DAC. Audiophiles are always searching for that purest source with least links. 

I’ve been happy with using a small form computer for my source and a good DAC out board. maybe you should look at setting up a dedicated mini computer like a Mac mini or Assus Vio, digital out or usb out will be avail. all services are avail and you can set up a tablet-phone to act as a remote. I had my Assus Vio set up for dedicated streaming by my computer tech friend he ditched much of the stuff running in the back ground that improved things quite nicely.

I also use a wireless keyboard with a track pad on one side for times when I need to type stuff more convenient then typing on a touch screen. Only thing you need is a monitor I use my TV since its in the same room, my friend uses a small touch screen monitor mounted on a swivel, the monitor is like 12" diagonal not much bigger then a tabet. Or use a tablet. 
 

one last thing I like about the small form computer is the power supply is out board think in line wall wart so some isolasion phisixaly . 

ghulamr

I'm one or two steps behind you in regards to HD streaming or a source to provide the proper HD music files. I have a VAC PA 80 80 amp, ARC L15
pre amp for two channel. For 5.1 I have the Emotiva MCA-1 AV receiver along with the Oppo BD 105 blue ray player . Wanting to add a DAC for quite some time I'm finally leaning towards the Audio GD-C 2 Master 11 or the MHDT Pagoda
and both have the PCM 1704 D/A converter chips and they are considered one of the best chips out there. So my delima is finding a simple and effective way of supplying HD files to the DAC.  There is a App called USB Audio Player Pro
So in an ideal world I would just connect my phone and play Hi res music file to my heard desires. Or I'm I just dreaming???

From USB Audio Player Pro:
"Supporting USB audio DACs to play audio files up to 32-bit resolution at any sample rate! Will play any popular format including wav, flac, wavpack, ape, mp3 and DSD files. This app is a must have for every HiFi enthusiast, bypassing all audio limits of Android. But even without a USB DAC, the app supports many of the HiRes audio chips found in the latest phones, allowing to play at much higher quality than standard music players, even the ones that come with your phone!"

Just buy the Bluesound and enjoy the music.  As you stated it does everything you asked for except for costing $1500.00.  You have an external dac that you can choose to use if you want.   ???

Eric I still run Logitech Media server for the same basic reason. I added Plex a few years back.  I will probably wait to see what happens with amazon hd music integration into various platforms in the immediate future and go from there but I already have access to more great sounding streaming music than I will ever have time to listen to.  Great times to be a hifi and music lover.  

@mapman, glad to see I'm not alone. I still run LMS as well and use Plex more for concert movies. I even figured out a way to use IPeng player on my phone so I can airplay to the speakers on my deck, but it doesn't always work right.  My buddy has a great collection of live stuff that he gives me access to through Plex. 
My Squeezebox must be almost 15 years old and still works great. 

My son attend college. So I have the student discount subscription of Tidal which is cheaper than Amazon HD. Also I was lucky to get the Oppo205 before they close down. I am streaming MQA through 205. They removed Tidal App from 205. So I will keep the 105. It is so nice that I can browse Tidal using my iPad. Aslo Oppo is a universal SACD/CD/Blueray player. I have collection of SACDs. I can't use an outboard DAC to do DSD. I am planing to do a ModWright for my 205. I have heard ModWright 105 and like it a lot.

I have a Bluesound Vault 2i and it has literally changed the way I listen to music.   It changed my life........

I’m hoping “5G” will simplify streaming. Perhaps eliminating the need for “Cores” and permitting cloud storage.

 A couple of things. Any decent stream is simply a fifo on the machine you are doing it on. I'm not sure, but Apple seems to screw this up. As long as you have a good DAC it should be easy.
 I'll have to build a Linux sound server to really get control of this.

Auralic's Lightning DS now includes Amazon HD: