Streamers - Auralic, Aurender, Lumin, others...

The Rivo+ offers excellent sound quality as a streamer, but you’ll need to work around some software glitches — for example, the Qobuz playlist doesn’t appear when you try to add titles to it. However, the Volumio app sounds better than Qobuz Connect so I stick with it.

@gabriel123  I am never really sure what status the Roon is - server or endpoint - I now have so many DACs and individual setups!

I bought a Roon Nucleus One and eventually migrated or backed up to it all the songs on my Innuous ZEN MK3 which I bought used here. It came with a lot of music on it that the orignal owner graciously left present for me to explore.

It is attached my my home server directly (an Ubiquiti build) and so I can access it from any network connection in the home. I tend to use wired over wireless connections. So it sits in a closet and my Innuos sits in my office attached to the network and my office sound system. When I open Roon on my desktop computer, it is one of my choices for output. The Innuos also shows up on my phone and iPad apps.

My streamer is attached to a mostly Laiv Harmony system and Closer Acoustics speakers in my home office.

https://www.audiogon.com/systems/12144#&gid=1&pid=1

My Bluesound Node is attached to a McIntosh integrated amp (MA252) in the living room and it too is to be found in my choices for output the app.

https://www.audiogon.com/systems/12143#&gid=1&pid=4

Slightly different rooms and sound characteristics, I guess, but both are available in the Roon app(s) as a place to output the sound.

Tim

@lanx0003 Qobuz isn’t available in my country so that’s not an issue. In fact, I’d probably use it as a Roon endpoint and only from time to time the native app to stream Spotify. Have you had a chance to compare it to other (more expensive) streamers, maybe?

@jjss49 Makes some excellent points about clocks and noise, switches and isolators but the most important thing is to get started . Pick a solid manufacturer with good customer service that's going to be around for a while. That's more important than worrying about getting the 9th degree of resolution, which can be achieved through cables and other means. However make sure you get a streamer with a clock input . 

Regardless of the connection the streamer makes a huge difference. It is all about power management, electrical and mechanical isolation as well as circuit design,. You have a good DAC, you need to mate it with an equally good streamer. My rule of thumb is that the investment in your streamer should equal you DAC which should roughly equal the preamp and amp. Each needs to be painstakingly researched an chosen to be in the right sound family (one you like... mostly DAC, preamp and amp) and compatible with each other. I came to this conclusion over time when I would upgrade different parts of my system until they where they seemed compatible and synergistic with no component holding the other back and the investment level tended to be in the same ballpark... For my main system today this is true for my main system all electronics as well as my headphone system.

So, research and invest in a great streamer.You will be happy you did.