[wagninger]

Hello,

I am new to the world of streamers and have experimented with a Raspberry Pi and several OSs, currently using Moode OS, Streaming qobuz and using an iPhone with jPlay as the remote control.

This is unsatisfying, because I can't really manipulate my qobuz library that way, make playlists, add new favorites, and I'm paying a 52€/year subscription for a remote.
As far as I understand, I have 2 options:

1. Get a "real" streaming device, it runs qobuz natively and can be remote controlled via their own app, which can hopefully also manipulate the qobuz library like the native app can?

2. Get a Mac Mini as a Roon Core, plug it in and use the various Roon apps as remote controls, which can manipulate the qobuz library or at least have their own system of creating playlists, providing recommendations etc.

Please correct me if this is wrong already. Assuming it is mostly correct:

Will I get any benefits in sound if I'm using an external DAC, in this case the Ferrum Wandla, if I use a high end streamer? Information out there is conflicting, but leaning towards it making a difference.

A Roon core with HQPlayer should sound amazing though, and getting a Mac Mini plus HQplayer would not break the bank.

What do you recommend?

Cheers,
Andy

 

[AussieMick]

Hello,

I am new to the world of streamers and have experimented with a Raspberry Pi and several OSs, currently using Moode OS, Streaming qobuz and using an iPhone with jPlay as the remote control.

This is unsatisfying, because I can't really manipulate my qobuz library that way, make playlists, add new favorites, and I'm paying a 52€/year subscription for a remote.
As far as I understand, I have 2 options:

1. Get a "real" streaming device, it runs qobuz natively and can be remote controlled via their own app, which can hopefully also manipulate the qobuz library like the native app can?

2. Get a Mac Mini as a Roon Core, plug it in and use the various Roon apps as remote controls, which can manipulate the qobuz library or at least have their own system of creating playlists, providing recommendations etc.

Please correct me if this is wrong already. Assuming it is mostly correct:

Will I get any benefits in sound if I'm using an external DAC, in this case the Ferrum Wandla, if I use a high end streamer? Information out there is conflicting, but leaning towards it making a difference.

A Roon core with HQPlayer should sound amazing though, and getting a Mac Mini plus HQplayer would not break the bank.

What do you recommend?

Cheers,
Andy

Roon is such a brilliant integration. Of all of your library, be it streaming or local files, and its compatibility with HQ Player is popular. How about your Mac mini idea plus something like a SOtM SMS-200? Quieter, smoother and richer than connecting your PC or similar direct to your DAC and you get to keep Roon.
Or you could look at dedicated streamers from Lumin, Innuos and Auralic that perform the same functions with better sound quality? The apps from Innuos and Auralic in particular are excellent (but still a little short of Roon).
My long term experience is Innuos with its Sense app, where the Qobuz integration is super.

 

[warp2600]

I run Moode OS on a RPi-cored Allo USBridge Sig streamer. I chose the free mconnectLite app to control playback. I don't use Qobuz or any other streaming services (I only stream my own audio files through DLNA) but the mconnectLite app features Qobuz and creating playlists. Why don't you take a look at mconnectLite in the Appstore?

 

[keithc]

There are many high-end streamers that differ from a standard computer in their very highly-tuned optimization of both hardware and software to minimize electronic noise and provide the cleanest, best clocked output to a DAC. Examples include companies like Taiko Audio, Lucas Audio Lab / LDMS, Antipodes, Grimm, PinkFaun, Innuos and if you are willing to go non-Roon, also Aurender. These can get into mega-bucks systems but many audiophiles who have experienced this upgrade path would vouch that the positive sonic impacts are unbelievable; needless to say there's also a crowd of "bits are bits!" believers who would disqualify this claim. To each and their own.

 

[Deleeh]

Hello,
The M1 doesn't look wrong even if it was a sort of dedicated version so to speak.
However, you would have to connect the Dac through the M1 at the end without anything that would suppress signal noise.

Other options would be to build a Roon Nuc.
There are now many possibilities here and the costs remain manageable and so Roon can be controlled separately as a core by connecting it to the network.
Other alternatives would be Holo Audio Red Streamer and Magna Hifi Mano streamer.
The latter are pure streamer units, the Red also has a DDC option on board which can be used but not together but separately.
This means either streaming or DDC function.

 

[medon]

Hello,

...
Will I get any benefits in sound if I'm using an external DAC, in this case the Ferrum Wandla, if I use a high end streamer? Information out there is conflicting, but leaning towards it making a difference.
...

Assuming you already have the Wandla DAC, I honestly would recommend to get a dealer to borrow you some streaming options.
Most DACs I tried so far have been more or less sensitive to the quality of the incoming data stream - no matter if fed via USB, SPDIF/Toslink or i2s.
The only exception was the RME ADI 2 DAC fs, which seems quite indifferent regarding the input signal's quality.
All other DACs including Denafrips (even incl. DDC), HoloAudio Spring, T+A DAC200 somehow suffered from audio quality loss if using bad transports / bad cables.
=== edit: "bad" in this context includes $$$ (triple digit) options regarding transports and cables. ===
=== edit2 (sorry): since I did NOT try out all the $$$ options available on planet earth, there may be perfectly fine $$$ solutions. ====
All stories that the digital transport upstream of the DAC make (big) differences are true, unfortunately.

 

[wagninger]

I run Moode OS on a RPi-cored Allo USBridge Sig streamer. I chose the free mconnectLite app to control playback. I don't use Qobuz or any other streaming services (I only stream my own audio files through DLNA) but the mconnectLite app features Qobuz and creating playlists. Why don't you take a look at mconnectLite in the Appstore?

I bought mConnect because I hate advertisements, but I really dislike the app - jPlay is much faster and nicer looking, and honestly I haven’t found a lack of functionality after I let the 14 day trial run out, been using it for free since then

 

[wagninger]

There are many high-end streamers that differ from a standard computer in their very highly-tuned optimization of both hardware and software to minimize electronic noise and provide the cleanest, best clocked output to a DAC. Examples include companies like Taiko Audio, Lucas Audio Lab / LDMS, Antipodes, Grimm, PinkFaun, Innuos and if you are willing to go non-Roon, also Aurender. These can get into mega-bucks systems but many audiophiles who have experienced this upgrade path would vouch that the positive sonic impacts are unbelievable; needless to say there's also a crowd of "bits are bits!" believers who would disqualify this claim. To each and their own.

Yeah, that’s why I’m asking on this forum - others would immediately say, all DACs sound the same and for streamers it’s doubly true. I was just hoping there is a consensus on different tiers like tier 1 - raspberry pi as transport to external dac, etc

 

[warp2600]

I bought mConnect because I hate advertisements, but I really dislike the app - jPlay is much faster and nicer looking, and honestly I haven’t found a lack of functionality after I let the 14 day trial run out, been using it for free since then

I'm confused. You say in your OP that your JPlay experience is unsatisfactory - no playlists, favourites etc. + you pay a €52 subscription.

P.S. I have JRiver Remote on my iPad and it looks nicer and neater than mConnect and I also use that for streaming files from my Mac Mini but I recommended mConnectLite to you because Qobuz is right there on the main page and it is free. Perhaps jRiver can stream Qobuz too, I don't know.

 

[joeling]

I am also dipping my toes back in streaming trying to find something to compete with my CD transport.

Aavik S280 - sounded amazing paired with their own electronics at the recent Malaysian Hifi show. Unfortunately, the unit is not comptible with my DAC

Lumin U1x - also heard this at the same show. Decided to try it out. Waiting for delivery. Hopefully does not end up like the Aavik

 

[medon]

Yeah, that’s why I’m asking on this forum - others would immediately say, all DACs sound the same and for streamers it’s doubly true. I was just hoping there is a consensus on different tiers like tier 1 - raspberry pi as transport to external dac, etc

Of course all DACs sound the same, and streamers as well... and cables, and power supplies... and BTW, the earth is flat.
But you already have the naggin' suspicion it might be not this way, IMHO there's only one way: Try out, at home, with your AC, your HiFi setup.

In general, gear with classic big AC power supplies (LPS, toroidal transformers and so on) might be less sensitive to "dirty" power, and decent cables for digital and analog interconnect will make a difference. And proper power cables, of course.
But beyond these general points... it might well be that "cheaper" gear sounds better to you in your system than more expensive gear.

And no, cheapo streamers will not cut it -- I started out in early 2022 with the old Google Chromecast Audio, streaming via Toslink into my DAC (then: Denafrips Ares II). The sound was really, really bad. Moving up to other SPDIF streamers made things a lot better (Argon Solo, Primare NP5), but only the step into $$$$ territory (Auralic Aries in my case) made a decent jump in SQ. Still, even after upgrading the DAC to Venus II, an additional DDC in between the streamer and DAC brought further improvements.

It's all about the synergy between streamer/transport and DAC.
Ah, BTW -- if you would be happy with the sound of the RME ADI 2 DAC fs -- this one seems rather indifferent about the input signal's quality.
The DAC itself is decent, but unfortunately Denafrips DACs sound better to my ears in my chain.