Do you need a DAC for internet radio only?

Not really. The Duet has its own internal DAC (actually a pretty good one at that - Wolfson) so you can just use it to "stream" internet radio via your preamp. A good external DAC will definitely improve the quality of playback if you're feeding the Duet CD-quality (or better) sample rates (i.e." 44.1/16. 48/24, 96/24, 192/24). Unless you have cash to spare, the purchase of a good DAC for internet radio playback (only) is probably overkill.

The Internet Radio streams are not very high resolution, and an external dac won't hurt, but for radio only, will not add much.

I just love internet radio, but hi-rez, it is not.

Ken

Thanks for the responses. It was pretty much what I thought. My Jutebox is 15 years old so it is a matter of time, (knock on wood) maybe I'll start with the Squeezebox only then start to set up a computer based playback for my CD's. This will occupy a lot of time, I have to educate myself since I don't know a FLAC from a WIDGET!

Thanks again, Mike

If you get the Duet, you should try ripping some CDs or downloading some lossless files. You will be very surprised at how good these music files will sound compared to your CDs played via your CD player. Then, think how good the same files will sound fed through a good DAC. You can have the same quality sound that you get via the Modwright in a music server that allows you access to literally every song you own (and so many more) via one touch of a remote from your sitting area - you never have to get up! You will be hooked. This is the way of the future for digital playback - and you don't have to compromise on the sound. You may want to read up on things first. Before you spend anything, go to PS Audio's website and learn about their new DAC (Perfect Wave DAC) and the forthcoming "Bridge," which will transform this DAC into a true high-end music server. If you’re interested, I'll know more about this DAC in about three weeks, as I am awaiting one for audition.