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Need suggestions for streaming files to my stereo

Hello everyone. I'm looking for a way to stream files (AAC, ALAC, FLAC) to my home stereo. The files are on my PC laptop, or on iTunes on my iPhone etc. I pretty much exhausted my budget on my power amp and speakers so Im looking for the best budget pieces I can afford to get the music flowing for now. I currently have Kef ks50s, a Red Dragon S500, a SMSL Sanskrit, and a Google Chromecast Audio.   I'll likely pick up a Schiit SYS preamp. 

With this current setup I can only pretty much stream Pamdora, since Itunes won't work with the CCA.   It's looking like the lowest cost option available is to use different software to handle the music files such as JRiver, or PowerDVD Ultra, but I'm unsure if this is the best way?  Any other ideas, software, hardware etc?  I have an insanely low budget of around $200 left to buy the rest, let's see what you guys can think of. 
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prpixel
876 posts
 
Another option around your budget is a device based on Play-fi.  I occasionally see the Definitive Tech or Polk Play-fi devices on eBay for $150-$250.  Sometimes a Paradigm unit pops up in that price range.  Play-fi supports 24/192.  Also, it has dual-band WiFi for all those people above.  I have two Def Tech W-Amps driving my Living Room and Dining Room.  Play-Fi supports DNLA, so it should see the media on any shared directories on your network.The App has come a long way and matured nicely.  

If you could stretch your budget, then +1 on Auralic Aries Mini.  The Mini is a self contained solution; stick a 512GB SSD in it and it's both Player and Server.  

Again, if you can stretch your Budget, then +1 on Bluesound Node 2.  I've seen them come up on Ebay for $350 new.  The Node supports 24/192 and MQA.  
audiofun
799 posts
 
I use an iFi iOne. I now have a bed room system composed of a 3rd gen iPad a set of Voice Box Axiss speakers and a home brew amplifier. Awesome sound over a Bluetooth link. I plan to add more iOnes as it allows me a very easy way to link my Bluetooth devices. It can feed a dac via spdif or one can use the analog outs. It also can be fed from a computer via USB. It does more than I care to type right now. Check out the ifi site. All for about two hundred bucks.
drabina
2 posts
 
Check out Raspberry Pi with Kodi software as your main audio/video library manager. Cheap, easy to use and you can use BubbleUPNP to cast music to your Chromecast. I have Chromecast Audio connected to all amps in my house and use phone to cast music from library stored on my NAS box to any amp in the house. Pretty inexpensive Sonos alternative.
rrwolfgram
14 posts
 
Apple TV is the way to go!  Especially on a budget, it will work great with iTunes and your iphone and gives you more options in regard to the streaming world of apps and entertainment.   Bluesound is too expensive and can be a real pain to use with iTunes. I also found that $500.00 should bring more quality and it simply does not.   

One thing of note is that you must have itunes open to access your iTunes library.  Anything on your phone will play anytime without your library being open.  The quality is very good.  You can't hook up an external hard drive to Appletv it won't access your music files.  

We love the appletv but we only really use it to stream music from our iTunes library.  We paid $80.00 plus tax so not bad.  


thunder240
7 posts
 

OP,


Please don’t feel that in order to get “audiophile” quality sound you need to spend $500+ on a Bluesound Node or Aurelic Aires Mini. These are great devices, but they are more than twice the budget you stated of 200. People on forums such as this have a nasty habit of ignoring budget and simply recommending one of the devices they have experience with and like, or worse, something they’ve read about and which is well reviewed. (In the case of the latter, all they are doing is serving as an echo chamber.)


There are three functions you need fulfilled by one or more products


1. Software that can stream your music from your devices (PC and mobile device) to your network, in other words server software 

2. Hardware that can receive your streaming music from your network and turn it into PCM signal, either TOSLINK, SPIDF, or USB

3. Software that you can use to control what you play (you will need this on both your PC and your mobile device


You may already have 2 in the form of your chromecast. I’ve never used chromecast myself, so I can’t advise you what server and playback software are compatible, but I’m sure you can research this.

Airplay is a viable option, assuming you are running software on your PC that supports it, but as far as I know, the only software that does is iTunes. Also, the Airport Express, which performs function 2, only offers TOSLINK out. If that works for you, great. From a SQ perspective, Airplay can be improved upon. It relies on your playback devices (PC / mobile) to decode the music files to PCM, and streams the PCM. So a spike in network activity can cause your music to freeze. Also, jitter is quite high.


If chromecast and Airplay  also won’t work for one reason or another (e.g. it isn’t compatible with your DAC, or you want to stream hi-res tracks and it only supports resolutions up to 48k/16), or you better sound quality, then I suggest you check out what can be done with DNLA / UPnP. Tons of devices support these protocols, some of which you might have lying around without realizing! e.g. almost every network DVD player made in the last 5 years can be used as a DNLA / UPnP streamer. And there is plenty of free or very cheap software that can perform functions 1 and 3 available for Mac, Windows, Android, and iOS. If you don't already have a DNLA / UPnP device on hand, then for well under 200 you can build an audiophile grade DNLA / UPnP streaming device using a Raspberry Pi, which I'll describe in a moment.


For function 1, options include JRiver, Kodi, Plex, anything from this page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UPnP_AV_media_servers_and_clients 


For function 3, JRiver and Kodi both can perform this as well, and both have their own remote clients for mobile devices. I happen to like 8 Player for iOS. There are tons of other free options, so try out several and pick the one with the functionality and interface that you like.


For function 2, if you want to build a dedicated DNLA / UPnP streamer using a Pi, start by picking up a Raspberry Pi 3B, and get an 8 or 16 GB microSD card and install your audio playback OS of choice (free options include Moode and Volumnio, JRiver and Roon both make software that costs money). Also buy a power supply (you can go cheap switching supply or expensive linear power supply) and Hifiberry Digi+ or Digi+ Pro (to obtain PCM output over TOSLINK or SPIDF — otherwise the Raspberry Pi can already already give you USB output), and finally a case that is sized for the RPi together with the Hifiberry (HifiBerry makes some of there own, but there are others, or you can improvise. If you plan to connect the Raspberry Pi to a wireless network, be sure to use a plastic case, since a metal case could degrade your signal. If using wired ethernet, then you have no such problem. The solution I just described costs less than 100 and will give you sound quality that will rival and possibly exceed the Bluesound and Aurelic Aires Mini. 


If you decide to go with the Bluesound or Aurelic, you are getting good products that will provide you with reliable streaming playback. Without a doubt, the biggest issue with the DNLA / UPnP improvised approach that I described is that it isn’t a commercially built and debugged all-in-one solution. There will be times when your server software crashes, or when your RPi freezes, or whatever, and your improvised solution needs a full reset. 


Goodluck!


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