Streaming

First and foremost, there are good sounding recordings, and bad sounding recordings, no matter the format. Some streaming sources do sound better than others, and that is based on the file format and bitrate. Like anything in our hobby, there are good sounding devices, and better sounding devices, price USUALLY being the differentiator.

@jw944ts - I own a Auris BluMe Bluetooth receiver and it a very good for what it does. I previously owned a couple of less expensive Bluetooth receivers and I found the BluMe to be superior in Sound Quality and far superior in maintaining a stable connection.

However, the Auris BluMe is not a streamer. You stream music from some bluetooth enabled device, like a laptop, smartphone, etc., through the BlueMe. It simply wirelessly connects your source device to your system.

Bluetooth is reported to be lossy and compressed. You can find plenty of information on the internet regarding this. A dedicated streaming device connected directly to your system via analog cables, or digital cables, theoretically should sound better.

That said, I stream Spotify Premium (a lossy format) from my laptop via bluetooth to an Auris BluMe connected to my integrated amp. The BlueMe has a built-in DAC and it produces pretty good sound. I also run a digital cable out of the BlueMe to an external DAC, then into my integrated amp. I don't hear much difference between the analog out of the BleMe and the digital out through my DAC.

If you are happy with the sound and functionality you have now, stop right there. However, if you are not happy with the sound quality you are hearing, and/or the functionality of the streaming method you are using, do some research of dedicated streaming devices, such as the Bluesound Node 2i.

At about $550, the Bluesound Node 2i is nearly the defacto standard for dedicated audio streamers. You might want to check it out to see if it better meets your need for Sound quality and fuctionality. BTW, it also has bluetooth, so it will also do everything you are doing now, plus a whole lot more.

I appreciate all the help, but I remain confused in my limited understanding of the digital world....if I now understand, my iPhone is the streamer, sharing with the BlueMe via Bluetooth...both those devices, doing these functions, are, to some degree "lossy"(new term I just learned).  As my preamp is vintage, and has only analog inputs, and my router is in another room, Im still a little confused as what "better" options are available to me....is WiFi LESS LOSSY than Bluetooth?  How do I get a less lossy digital signal to my preamp, given the above limitations?  Thanks for your help, and I apologize for being a digital age virgin...lol

Yeah, I'm not deep pocketed enough to have enjoyed the best of the best, but all this long, long, longtime audiophile can say is that I'm just plain wild about streaming.  For better or worse, my current weapon of choice is a Mytek Brooklyn Bridge.  My ammo is Qobuz and Primephonic.  My delivery vehicle is Ethernet.  Fidelity-wise, streaming doesn't always outclass my vinyl and SACD gear but it does so often enough to make me a happy camper.  The vast amount of material available via streaming makes it a slam dunk.

JW, bluetooth is a way to transmit digital signals. It is low fidelity but fine in a car.  WiFi is the "network" environment to enable transmission of digital signals either with or without an ethernet cable. My set up.....modem receives wifi signal from my service provider via coaxial cable. Modem is physically linked to the router with an ethernet cable, which distributes the signal creating transmission of your "wifi" network. Everything runs off the network. I have a one box streamer with a dac that is ethernet cable connected to my router. The streamer-dac is connected to my integrated amp with analogue cables. I use a music streaming service Qobuz that I access through my Ipad or iPhone with an app....it's fairly simple and you don't need to be a computer expert. I've been into streaming music since it first was available, years ago.