Would this be a good starter system for streaming?

If your source is Roon, running Roon core on your PC, and your target is a USB capable DAC, forget the Rendu and make your own Roon streamer from a Raspberry Pi 4 with Ubuntu 19.

$150 in cost to build, including a 128 GB micro SD card, giving me tons of space for additional Linux packages.

I’m using it to play to my Mytek Brooklyn.

Check with the DAC maker to see if they know if their USB receiver chip has been added to the Linux kernel. Most have been.

Best,
E

Op there are a number of ways of building a great digital front end.

Part of this discussion is what is important to you and how you are planing on using the system.

You have two options one is to buy a great dac that will elevate the sound of the system signifigently, really great dacs are in the $2-3k price range and really amazing ones are about $5k and above.

If your budget is eaten up by the dac then you can use a laptop to get you started with streaming and then circle back and move into a much better sounding server such an an Innous or Aurender at the next go around.

Or you can look at a really good streamer/dac with or without the addition of a server, you only need a server if you want to store a CD library or have to add streaming music sources such as Tidal or Obouze to a dac that does not have a network streaming card.

Most streaming dac's will play Tidal or Obouze, Spotify and similar popular sources via an app.

There are a few very good affordable streaming dacs, the Teac NT 505 and the Lumin D2, the Myteks,  the next class up is the Lumin T2 and a few others on the market, then the uber class dacs like the new Bricasti M3 which is quite extraordinary but with a streaming card would be more expensive than your stated budget, we don't sell the Auralic but they also make a good dac/streamer.

Our advice would be to purchase the best dac you can first, use a laptop for now or get a really good streaming dac like the Lumin. 

Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ Lumin, Mytek, Bricasti,

Has anyone tried the new Bryston BDA-3.14 Streamer / Dac.  This one is close to the budget and provides the combo streamer now.  I am thinking myself to compile a system described above.  Some good options posted.  Thanks.  SB

I have heard a Bryston integrated with built-in streamer. That sounded very good with Orangutang O/93 speakers. I assume their separate streamer sounds as good or better.

I would otherwise look st something like Volumio Primo as streamer and spend more on a dac. Streamers are still betting better.

I’m in a similar spot as the OP. But I’m having doubts as to whether my CD collection is worth ripping because some may not be in pristine condition and most of my recordings are available by stream.  
I’ve been able to compare specific CDs to Tidal streams.  I found that when the recordings were excellent there really isn’t that much of a difference in sound.  Otherwise, sometimes the Tidal stream sounded better than the CD and sometimes the reverse. Not sure I want/need an iPad screen with multiple choices of the same song.

The Aurender 10 is a simple, elegant, and  expensive solution to ripping and storing.  However I am uncertain about the value proposition.

I think I’m heading in the direction of a really great DAC and an adequate streamer that may be upgraded in the future.

Any thoughts on Denefrip DACs as a value solution?