Weakest digital link: DAC - Streamer - Server?

Roon helps consolidate a library with multiple sources. You can use anything from a laptop to an expensive music server as the Roon core. Link your Tidal or Qobuz account to Roon and continue using your NAS for local files. A simple Raspberry Pi can be used as the streamer/Roon endpoint, and allows for the DAC of your choice. You can also use any of the countless streaming DAC's. Companies like Auralic have offered streaming DAC's for many years. I personally use an Okto Dac8 Stereo, which has an integrated RPi acting as a Roon endpoint. The Okto is $1500 and is a superb DAC, although difficult to purchase from high demand/low supply.

As long as all the devices are connected to the same network, it should work.

@alexb76 

People are still making claims about digital that have not been true for decades. This is just one of them. There used to be problems with jitter on TOSLINK, but then just don't use it. The rare time you may get jitter on SPDIF if poorly implemented, but then just change the cable length. Noise on SPDIF is a potential issue, so buy something with transformer isolated SPDIF. USB can present electrical system noise, so isolate it. Hard to comment on Ethernet noise. Many claims, nothing to indicate any level of testing. Theoretically possible, so if you feel the need add a filter.  Computers can have noisy power supplies, but then again, linear supplies create awful harmonics on the AC line with lots of current/power. But you can remote your hardware or buy a filter.

Agreed, items like Innuos are simple, and make sense for many audiophiles. Time is money, and most don't have the experience. A lot of the reticence of using PCs as streaming sources is not just USB, but inability to set up the system so that you got bit perfect, and Windows or OSX was not inserting sample rate conversion, limiting, etc. in the middle.

@Op

I applied this approach initially with the Node 2i and I do not notice any obvious difference between music on my PLEX Server- WD PR2100 - versus IDAL on my streamer DAC.

My server with PLEX installed is connected into my router via ethernet as is my stream/DAC.

I find I stream much more than I use my server - I can't recall the last time I bought a CD - mid 2000s. 

The upgrading from the Node 2i to Moon 280D did make a huge sonic improvement.  Lots of options at $2-3.5k price point.  Part of the reason I bought the Moon unit is they advertise they design upgradability into their equipment.  

And my stored music isn't changing format  - so really the only value I get out of new technology capabilities is with new music in high resolution format.  

Hope this is constructive.

You need to say your budget , that’s the biggest limiting factor if you only have $4 -5 k including cables ,power cords , dac  should be themodt expensive for sure 

even a computer can sound pretty good with a ether regen , ad a ddc reclocker 

to the dac , a good streamer server at least $4k with linear power supplies 

cables alone are at least a grand  buy the best you can at least buy a good dac first and good usb cable , 

@soix +1 couldn’t agree more with his take.

First I got an Innous Zenith MK3, then got a decent DAC (Musetec MH-DA005), now finishing it up with the Innuos Phoenix USB reclocker.

So start strong, then finish strong and lastly work the in-between to shore up any weakness in your sound chain.