Just get Roon and configure it in whatever way makes you happy. It does everything and more than your existing and prior setups. It allows remote iOS or Android devices to control a server and your music files can be wherever you want and you can serve files to you DAC in whatever formats your hardware supports.
Asking for Help with Digital Solution
I am reaching out here because I simply do not have the
knowledge or experience with this stuff to make an informed decision. I currently play music in my main system
through the Antipodes DX server/player using uncompressed FLAC files. Previous to that I used a tricked out Mac
mini with LPS and SSD playing from iTunes through the Pure Music player. I
still own the mini and, although both sources sound good, the DX is in my main
system because it offers a naturalness that the mini doesn’t quite match.
I have been reading a lot about other solutions and lately about the possible benefits of separating the server from the player (or renderer). The latest trend seems to indicate using a server such as an Intel NUC, Mac mini, or even Antipodes own CX, paired with a separate Network Audio Adapter (renderer/player), such as a Sonore microRendu or SOtM’s sMS-200ultra (or in the case of Antipodes, their own EX) can yield the best digital sound yet. Software provider roon offers instructions for using an Intel NUC with roon ROCK (I believe a stripped down Linux) as a server that can both play stored files and stream music.
It would be very attractive to me if I could have a server and USB/SSD storage tied to my network, connected by Ethernet to a renderer/player then connected to my DAC by USB. This would be particularly attractive if I could provide music to other areas of the house by simply adding additional renderers and DACs that are connected by Ethernet to my network. However, I will not go down that road if it sacrifices very good sound quality I currently hear from the Antipodes DX.
So, my question is, can I achieve excellent sound quality if I switch to something like an Intel NUC and a separate storage device both connected to my router/network and then connected by Ethernet to a renderer/player located near my DAC? I can do all of that for a fraction of the price of the Antipodes CX/EX solution. Right now, I am scheduled for the Gen3 upgrade to my DX but I am certainly curious to hear from those of you who are more knowledgeable about this stuff than me.