Best Streamer for under (or not much over) $1K
You can bluetooth Pandora from your phone. This thing will do that: https://www.crutchfield.com/S-b7tw9CcgBXd/p_244NP5/Primare-NP5-Prisma.html?XVINQ=GLX&awkw=932783... Then buy a Schiit Modi MultiBit DAC and you’re there at $850 for two small boxes. It WILL sound better than BluNode. |
Gents, Thanks for the many good ideas. Some comments and questions to the recent ones: Currently my source for Pandora Premium is a Squeezebox Duet streaming directly from Pandora.com over WiFi and controlled by an iPeng app on my iPhone. I want to preserve the native signal and perform good quality DAC on the original stream and route the analog signals into my preamp, and retain the full control of Pandora via sone App. I’m not sure what other Apps retain full functionality of Pandora Premium same as the Pandora app or iPeng. (The Pandora part of my streaming actually works very well. The motivation for the possible change is that my Node 2 which I use for Spotify seems to start crapping out and I was hoping for an opportunity to integrate all streaming and control into one device without sacrificing sound quality.) Would Bluetooth, Airplay or Chromecast accomplish that? I’m not quite clear how.Thanks again. |
I don’t do Chromecast but I see they have a Pandora app. That makes the Primare NP5 perfect for you. It also has its own phone app/player, Spotify Connect and claims most other services for when you graduate to Qobuz and/or Roon etc. All you need is an external DAC. You can start with $10 to $100 but I recommend a used (eBay or Schiit refurb) Modi Multi for <$200. Total outlay $800. If I was visiting England (like I had scheduled this year) I'd pick up an NP5 for myself @ <$500. Crutchfield will help you get it going. Good luck |
