Do I have to use a streamer/renderer to play music from an NAS?

to Steve:
Why do you advise against *lossless* formats like FLAC/ALAC?

Because on a truly resolving system, they sound worse than .wav files.  The problem is not the data, it's the on-the-fly decoding by the CODECs.  Broken.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

-- Why is Ethernet superior to USB? answer: both are asynchronous and therefore should be the same. But USB needs to be galvanically isolated to prevent noise propagation. Also, see above, network allows you to remote the whole thing and eliminate physical/mechanical noise

Ethernet is superior the USB because there are fewer hoops to jump through and less money to spend to acheive audio nirvana.  They can both be identical in SQ, but USB takes a lot more and requires a really good computer and power supply and USB ports/USB regenerator/USB cable/kill the background apps/select the right playback software and even then you are usually stuck with a substandard USB interface on your DAC.  No thanks.

I have my own stellar USB converter/interface that matches the performance of my Ethernet, but it's a lot more trouble.  Handy for Amazon Prime music and listening to sample tracks from Amazon though.

Steve N.

Wow, what a wealth of information

More like a load of misinformation.  If you want to end-up with a mid-fi sound, fine.  If you are looking to achieve world-class sound, be selective who you listen to.


Steve N.
Empirical Audio

Steve,

The OP appears to be relatively new to this "hobby," at least from a music streaming perspective if nothing else. He, like most people I believe, probably wants to get it as close to "right" the first time; sit back and enjoy the music; and make tweaks from there.

That's been my approach, based on listening experiences with my equipment and setup, along with visits to dealer showrooms to audition various pieces and with help from members of my audio club. I live in the DC area where there's no shortage of truly high-end audio/video dealers.  Before I spend thousands of dollars on ANYTHING, I first hear it in my system - or have the option of returning it.

There's is a lot of information and opinions in this thread.  I don't agree with it all and I'm sure not everyone agrees with everything that I've shared.  That's natural. 

Clearly, you have a lot of practical experience and technical expertise in this area.  Would you please elaborate on what you mean by the phrase, "More like a load of misinformation?" I can't speak for everyone, but I'd certainly like to know what you are referring to.

Johnnie

Posters that don't understand the importance of jitter will never get there.  Posters that think all you need is some server that outputs USB and that will deliver audio nirvana are wrong.  Posters that believe all USB inputs on DAC's are the same are totally wrong.  Posters that believe that reclocking inside a DAC eliminates the need for a low-jitter source are totally wrong.

Most of what makes digital sound good has to with low jitter, and I mean really, really low jitter, a few picoseconds.  It's ALL ABOUT JITTER, period.

The other thing that audiophiles must realize is that every poster is coming from a different place in the quest for the best SQ.  Even most reviewers systems are nothing to get excited about.  I've been there.  There are very few posters that have any technical knowledge either, although some think they do.  The challenge is to find some that you trust.

It's a lot like deciding what news organization to trust.  Too many people trust poor organizations with dubious motivations.  Too many people believe propaganda on Facebook from Russians.  Be careful who you trust.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio