Do I Need a Dedicated Streamer?

o_holter

... I’d like to invest in a streamer if I was sure it actually performed better than my laptop ...

Any good audio dealer would be happy to offer you a demo that would include a nice streamer and your laptop. Nothing equals hearing it for yourself.

@danb99 

Re: Mac Mini, it depends on what you need.

First off, keep in mind that you have a streamer built into your amp. There's no need to buy another box to get streaming capability. If you need more info on how to best use it, I suggest contacting Hegel to get their advice.

Here are my thoughts:

If you only want to stream from Apple Music, you're probably better off just using AirPlay and your iPhone. Adding a Mac Mini would only complicate matters in terms of remote control. Also note that the Music app on macOS doesn't perform automatic sample rate switching. Instead, it will resample the audio data to whatever is set in the Audio MIDI system app.

If you have music files stored on the Mac Mini that you want to playback on the Hegel, I suggest installing a free program called Kodi. This will turn the Mac into a UPnP server with the Hegel set as the client (or 'renderer' in UPnP speak). You can control playback using the Kodi web interface or from your phone using a remote control app called Yatse. There's no need to directly connect the Mac to the amp using USB - it will stream the audio data over your local network. See the links below for more information.

If you'd like to try another streaming service such as Qobuz or TIDAL, I suggest using the mConnect HD Player app on your iPhone. Tap on 'Play to' in the top left corner and select your Hegel from the list that appears. Then tap on the music service and supply your username and password.

Kodi homepage - link

Kodi - how to add music to the Kodi library - link

Kodi - how to set up UPnP - link

Kodi - how to set up remote control - link

Here's a link to a short tutorial on UPnP if you need more info - link.

mConnect Player HD - link

@danby99.  You've got great gear.  Streaming from you computer is your weakest source.  You have invested $$ into your system, just spend some more to get the best results.  

I am using a PC for streaming, mostly due to budget constraints. The PC is hooked to the router/modem via ethernet cable. The PC sends the stream, via USB, to the internal DAC of the AMP (Cambridge Audio CXA 81). I have also installed a jitter filter between PC and AMP, which helped considerably. I am using an Audioquest Forrest USB cable and plan to purchase an upgraded LAN cable. 

I know this is not optimal but it's still better than streaming from my iPhone via Bluetooth, even though my amp does a better than average job. The PC can also stream FLAC files, via Amazon HD, My Bluetooth is limited to 24/48, which is still CD quality plus.

BTW, thank you yage for the links. Very helpful.