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Best standalone music server?

So I am considering dipping my toes into the full digital world and was wondering what people here may consider as the best standalone music server, and here I am going to be specific.
I do not want to consider a home pc or mac based type of system at all!
Looking at adding one of the standalone models like for example the Wyred4sound ms1 or cocktail audio.
High on my list is ability to rip my cds directly at the unit itself, access to internet radio and other music apps (Pandora etc). High quality built in dac would be nice but if not then high quality digital out to run to an external dac. I will not be needing to access music files stored on another pc as my home pc is pretty old but fully functional for my simple needs. The only music looking to access from it right now are ripped cds and internet available music in whatever form.
So if it worked out well, yes it may be a replacement even for a cd player completely

Thank you
128x128uberwaltz
jb0194
476 posts
 
The Node 2 is a great overachiever that I have really enjoyed. I later chose a sonicTransporter i7 for storage and Roon core and added a Naim Uniti for Roon player/DAC/integrated amp. But I keep the Node 2 as my “radio” given its wider range of streaming service choices which I will try down the road. The free Tunein service is a nice background music option for me.
jb0194
476 posts
 
The Node 2 is a great overachiever that I have really enjoyed. I later chose a sonicTransporter i7 for storage and Roon core and added a Naim Uniti for Roon player/DAC/integrated amp. But I keep the Node 2 as my “radio” given its wider range of streaming service choices which I will try down the road. The free Tunein service is a nice background music option for me.
mikeg's avatar
mikeg
173 posts
 
If money is no object, the Ayon Audio S-5 Network Player/Preamp with direct Ethernet connection to a NAS drive with a single solid state drive is the best I've heard.  Very analog sounding.
mitch2
3,716 posts
 
Would really be interested in hearing from folks who have used a Mac mini as a server running Roon via Ethernet into a high'ish end renderer like the SOtM triple set and then USB from the SOtM to a good DAC, and compared that to a high end server/player like the Antipodes DX.  I own both server/player units (i.e., a mini and the DX) so I really want to hear about whether the mini into the SOtM stuff can equal the DX.  Another option would be to run the DX as a server with Roon into the SOtM triple set via Ethernet.  Does using the SOtM triple set negate the differences between the mini and the DX?
2psyop's avatar
2psyop
1,503 posts
 
Here is another idea. If you like it fine, if not okay too. I had bought a Bluesound Node 2 to add to my stereo. I already had a quality CD player and many, many CDs. So I wanted to rip all my CDs to a NAS to play via the Node 2 AND stream music via Spotify and Tidal. After many hours of ripping my CDs and tagging album artwork.... I started listening to an ever growing streamed library of music, much of which were the same albums I owned on CD. When I started listening to MQA I was really impressed by the sound. I questioned WHY I had ripped my CD collection in the first place. When I have a CD player to use when i want to listen to MY MUSIC, why not just stream music when I am not???? The Bluesound Node 2 sounds truly fantastic, but if you MUST rip your CDs.... get the Vault 2.
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