Audiophiles, help me build a decent stereo

[nickwm21]

I can’t believe Google discontinued that thing…… bizarre. Such an awesome product.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[EWG]

I can’t believe Google discontinued that thing…… bizarre. Such an awesome product.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

I think the fact that they discontinued it is probably the best argument that they will screw us over someday when they are the overlords.

In case they are reading this, I was clearly kidding. It’s a joke.

[ghosthop]

Some of us are still salty they discontinued inbox in favor of merging features with gmail.

They are no good at maintaining a niche product.

[highangle]

Wtf listens to MP3s anymore?

Do you ppl not understand that lossy compression just isn't as good as lossless compression?

[EWG]

Wtf listens to MP3s anymore?

Do you ppl not understand that lossy compression just isn't as good as lossless compression?

A. Settle down. Ha.
B. It’ll stream lossless just fine.

[Flyoverland Captive]

What are you all doing for a digital source? My integrated amp only has analog inputs. I'm currently using an ipod 160GB with 3.5mm to RCA cable and figure there are better choices. I'm looking to keep it in the $250 range. I was thinking about a Bluetooth DAC or a Digital Audio Player.

Audio Engine makes good DACs; PS Audio too (but very spendy).

[AdironRider]

Thinking of canceling my sirius subscription and switching over to apply music for lossless audio. Tips on tying this in to a Denon PMA-600ne? My Macbook Air is old (late 2014) and the obboard DAC sucks for the 3.5 out. Thinking of getting a WIIM streamer and tying that in via USB C to avoid the macbooks onboard DAC but the internet is unclear on whether this defeats the lossless capabilities.

[Todds]

I think the USB-C connector for the WIIM mini is for power and not audio in.

[highangle]

Thinking of canceling my sirius subscription and switching over to apply music for lossless audio. Tips on tying this in to a Denon PMA-600ne? My Macbook Air is old (late 2014) and the obboard DAC sucks for the 3.5 out. Thinking of getting a WIIM streamer and tying that in via USB C to avoid the macbooks onboard DAC but the internet is unclear on whether this defeats the lossless capabilities.

Pure audio, for about $300 you can rig out a Nuc with Daphile realtime, and then usb out into the Denon's DAC while you look for a USB DAC with a higher-end clock crystal and maybe a gooder chip than what might come in a $500 integrated amp.

Daphile streams your DAC an exact copy of your lossless file or stream, rather than a resampled dithered processed stream based on a laptop mobo clock modulated and demodulated with Bluetooth compression and clocks. Any browser on your home network can control Daphile [MacOS can SSH into it] so you don't need a monitor and keyboard for your el cheepo Nuc or fanless after you install. You give Daphile a source - Flac and Ape files on a local drive, network share via CIFS/Samba or NFS, or internet stream address - and you're off to the races

Benefit of an external DAC like your Denon's is that it can typically have a better quartz crystal and psu with better electronic isolation than a mobo or even a PCI card.
Benefit of USB as an audio or bitstream transport is that the protocol offers error correction and buffering which optical does not.


Edit: You can also buy JRiver for $80, and set it up to output whatever stream you can get on your Mac bit perfect to your Denon's DAC.

[toast2266]

Does a reasonably priced stand alone music streaming device exist?

I want to play spotify on my home stereo. Currently I'm doing it through an old, retired smart phone, but that phone is starting to crap out. So basically I want that same functionality: I want to play spotify through my stereo, and I don't want to have to use my smart phone to control it (so something like the Amazon echo link that doesn't have a screen or any interface won't work). I don't want to cast the music from my phone / laptop to the stereo, I want a device that'll play the music on its own. I'm not overly concerned with audiophile level quality.

This seems like a pretty straightforward task, but everything I'm seeing that does it is like $3,000, which is a bit much considering I'm currently doing it with a 10 year old smartphone.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

Does a reasonably priced stand alone music streaming device exist?

I want to play spotify on my home stereo. Currently I'm doing it through an old, retired smart phone, but that phone is starting to crap out. So basically I want that same functionality: I want to play spotify through my stereo, and I don't want to have to use my smart phone to control it (so something like the Amazon echo link that doesn't have a screen or any interface won't work). I don't want to cast the music from my phone / laptop to the stereo, I want a device that'll play the music on its own. I'm not overly concerned with audiophile level quality.

This seems like a pretty straightforward task, but everything I'm seeing that does it is like $3,000, which is a bit much considering I'm currently doing it with a 10 year old smartphone.

You can still get an iPod


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[toast2266]

You can still get an iPod


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

Heh. Yeah, that's about where my search has landed. I'm kinda baffled that this isn't a more straightforward request. I can't be the only one that wants to play spotify on their home stereo without being tethered to my phone.

[liv2ski]

Toast, not sure what the solution is other than I use my phone with a 3.5 headphone jack plugged into my stereo. Works great, so maybe just have a 2nd phone to do it???

[basinbeater]

A lot of smart tv have Spotify app installed, or Roku, and then your tv can be controlled with the phone, or Roku remote, and tv can send digital signal to DAC...

[ghosthop]

A friend streams from a raspberry pi using Volumio. I think his system is slick but he has a high-end DAC and killer speakers in the signal chain which may color my impression.

[toast2266]

A friend streams from a raspberry pi using Volumio. I think his system is slick but he has a high-end DAC and killer speakers in the signal chain which may color my impression.

Yeah, I've seen that sort of thing mentioned elsewhere. Putting that together might be a bit beyond my skill level though.

And the fact that people with high end systems are resorting to putting together a thing with a raspberry pi kinda tells me that what I want doesn't actually exist.

[JimmyCarter]

Does a reasonably priced stand alone music streaming device exist?

I want to play spotify on my home stereo. Currently I'm doing it through an old, retired smart phone, but that phone is starting to crap out. So basically I want that same functionality: I want to play spotify through my stereo, and I don't want to have to use my smart phone to control it (so something like the Amazon echo link that doesn't have a screen or any interface won't work). I don't want to cast the music from my phone / laptop to the stereo, I want a device that'll play the music on its own. I'm not overly concerned with audiophile level quality.

This seems like a pretty straightforward task, but everything I'm seeing that does it is like $3,000, which is a bit much considering I'm currently doing it with a 10 year old smartphone.

Cambridge Audio CXN is a bit cheaper than 3k but still expensive vis a vis a 12yo cellphone at $1k

Same with this:

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_246NEO....html?tp=71429

Or something like this if you’re so inclined

https://www.headphonesty.com/2021/04...h-touchscreen/

[utagonian]

How about a cheap laptop computer?

[toast2266]

Cambridge Audio CXN is a bit cheaper than 3k but still expensive vis a vis a 12yo cellphone at $1k

Same with this:

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_246NEO....html?tp=71429

Or something like this if you’re so inclined

https://www.headphonesty.com/2021/04...h-touchscreen/

Thanks. Those seem like they're probably the cheapest options that do what I want aside from just buying an iPod or tablet to dedicate to the task.

I guess I need to decide whether I want to go down that raspberry pi rabbit hole. That site you linked makes the whole thing sound pretty straightforward, but I'm 100% positive I'll find a way to fuck it up and make it a giant time suck.

[skaredshtles]

Seriously, though - your best bet is to just get an el-cheapo smartphone to replace the one crapping out. Seems almost any pre-paid cheap phone would do - I'd wager you could find a black Friday deal on an Android phone of some sort brand new for less than $30.

[grabtindy]

I've always used an old laptop or mac mini for a media server. It does seem like the audio market only serves the very high end if you don't want to use a phone/computer. Most macs historically have a better DAC than the mid to high end dedicated audio brands.

[The Tortoise]

If you're going smartphone, the LG phones had good DACs and headphone amplifiers. It was kinda their thing.

[highangle]

Celeron NUC w/8gb ram 256gb ssd & Windows 11 = $288


NOS Celeron NUC [barebones] = $115

[highangle]

HP refurbed Elitedesk i5 8gb ddr4 240gb ssd Win10 Pro = $119.40 from Zon

[Will pull a lot more power than the Celeron NUCs, and probably have an audible fan, but it's $120 for a full-blown desktop that can mount on the back of a monitor

[AdironRider]

I just picked up a Surfans F20. Works as a DAC and as a great little portable media player with excellent sound.

It allows me to carry true lossless audio files, dedicated line out, and has a click wheel, which is by far the best interface for this type of stuff.

No streaming though.