Noob question about streaming . . .


Okay, I’m not exactly a Luddite, but my audio journey started in the 70’s with Marantz separates, JBL speakers and a Dual turntable. Thaw about thirty years ago I got into home theater, with Parasound separates and four Bose 901s (no haters please — they work well for watching movies). 

Anyway, my Parasound AV preamp died, and I replaced it with a Marantz AV7706 preamp. I’m starting to explore its capabilities, which are light years beyond the old Parasound unit. I’m also exploring using it for music listening in addition to home theater, but streaming is new to me.  (I’m also exploring new speakers, but that’s a discussion for another day). 
 

So, with that background, here are my questions. I’m using the HEOS in the Marantz to stream music through Spotify, which I’ve used in my car for several years. Would a separate streamer be a significant improvement over what I have now?  My understanding is the Marantz’ built in DAC is good enough that I don’t need a separate DAC, unless I’m going to spend big money on one, which I’m not inclined to do right now (speakers first). Second, would a streaming service like Roon or Qubuz or Tidal provide significantly better music quality?  Spotify provides access to all the music I want, but I do realize that it’s limited in terms of sound quality. Help educate this old dinosaur. Thanks!

mbarrett635

With your system I’d recommend getting a Wiim Pro streamer for $150 and do a free trial of Qobuz and/or Tidal and see if the increase in sound quality is worth it.  Best of luck.

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_399WIIMPRO/WiiM-Pro.html

WiiM makes great stuff, and factory refurbished can be found at great prices...definitely try Qobuz and Tidal...

Okay, I’ve already signed up for Tidal, and am using the Hi-fi plus version. Here’s my next question to demonstrate my ignorance: if I can stream Tidal to my preamp via HEOS, what does the Wiim do for me?  I’m certainly not adverse to spending $150 to try it, but either way I’m relying on the same wi-fi to stream, and playing through the same preamp. Is the DAC in the Wiim the difference?  Thanks again. 

Listen to Tidal for a bit before making any more moves just to get a baseline. Helps to understand the improvements in each addition, if any.

 

How is the Tidal stream getting to the Pre?

 

Note: ROON ain't a streaming service. Its just software.