Choosing a network player/streamer

OK so I have the Bryston DAC3.  I bought the BDP3 and the BOT and had nothing but trouble with them.  As you mentioned the Manic Moose is terrible.  I tried using third party apps but they didn’t work well either.  I eventually sold off the BDP 3 and used the funds to pay for a streamer that actually works..  In my case I bought the Melco N100, because I also needed a new server, but then I added the Cambridge Audio CXN 60 be cause it has superb Internet Radio, Chromecast and AirPlay.  Both the Melco and the CA sound great through the DAC3.  The CA also has a capable DAC which I bypass but could live with if the DAC3 ever goes down.

  As you have discovered, the app to control a streamer is a huge part of the experience.  The BDP3 sounded great but the frustration level of using it took the fun out of listening to music.

“The Bryston interface is problematic and just not intuitive to use. So now I’m looking for a compelling reason to keep the Bryston BDP-3”

Do you like being miserable? If yes, then keep the BDP-3. As @mahler123 points out, the app to control a streamer is a huge part of the streaming experience. You like the Yamaha np-s303 sound and ease of use, so what else is holding you back to make a switch? 

I was just hoping someone could report having had good experiences with the Bryston. Possibly some easy methods that I have not discovered.  I hope James and Chris from Bryston might take some pointers from Audiogon members and make adjustments to MM.  I really like the format and build quality of the equipment.  I just wish it was easy to use like Yamaha.  If the MM software was similar to Yamaha's Musicast,  everyone would rave about how great and easy and FUN it was to use. 

In my opinion there is one other option to consider, and that is if you were interested in pursuing Roon.  In that case the Bryston BDP3 would make for a superb Roon endpoint.  And if willing to make the investment ... Roon makes for a superb interface, especially if streaming from one's own library, or from Qobuz and/or Tidal. Just my 2 cents. Yamaha player, to my knowledge, is not Roon ready, so Roon would not be an option.

No one has ever reported fun with Manic Moose - appropriately named. It takes a complete IT dept. to make software better. Or open source like LMS that does Roon too if you feel like another subscription.