[ibdrew]

Trying to figure out the best way to access my Flac (lossless) music files which are stored on a couple of external SSD drives. I am currently playing them from my PC - USB into my Peachtree NOVA 300 amp. The amp has a decent DAC onboard. I am not happy with the sound. I am considering a Cambridge Audio streamer ($1300). Evidently I can directly plug my SSD drives into it and completely bypass my computer along with all of its inherent issues. I have also been hearing about the Bluesound Node which is about half the price. I think that I can also plug my SSD drives into it and bypass the PC. At some point I also might look into these hi-def streaming services however my main goal is to get the the highest quality sound out of my digital music collection stored on hard drives. Going through my PC currently, the sound is no where near the quality I can get from a direct source, such as my CD player. Is anyone out here able to comment on the Cambridge streamer or the Bluesound Node? Or any other suggestions?

Thanks, Drew

​

 

[Somafunk]

I have the Cambridge CXNv2 and can only say good things about it, quite often it’s the interface that lets down such streamers but this has it all, I mainly use roon/tidal but also Apple music/2tb ALAC files on sandisk hd and ive not experianced a single disappointment with it in nearly 3 years of use. It lets you know when an update is available and asks you to accept, takes seconds and it’s done. The StreamMagic app is very good, excellent choice of thousands categorised radio stations, the display is very good and can be read from a few metre’s away. It has an excellent dac, good build quality and balanced xlr outputs for active speakers, i couldn’t find anything else that bettered it for what I paid with a 5yr warranty so it was a no brainer choice.

Here it sitting on my desk with the Dynaudio LYD 48’s and Dynaudio 18s sub, I have a pull out shelf bracket to mount it under the desk/above the file cabinet when I have time.

 

[ibdrew]

Trying to figure out the best way to access my Flac (lossless) music files which are stored on a couple of external SSD drives. I am currently playing them from my PC - USB into my Peachtree NOVA 300 amp. The amp has a decent DAC onboard. I am not happy with the sound. I am considering a Cambridge Audio streamer ($1300). Evidently I can directly plug my SSD drives into it and completely bypass my computer along with all of its inherent issues. I have also been hearing about the Bluesound Node which is about half the price. I think that I can also plug my SSD drives into it and bypass the PC. At some point I also might look into these hi-def streaming services however my main goal is to get the the highest quality sound out of my digital music collection stored on hard drives. Going through my PC currently, the sound is no where near the quality I can get from a direct source, such as my CD player. Is anyone out here able to comment on the Cambridge streamer or the Bluesound Node? Or any other suggestions?

Thanks, Drew

​

Great to hear, I am probably headed in that direction. So you have had good results playing your external drive directly through the Cambridge?

 

[Somafunk]

So you have had good results playing your external drive directly through the Cambridge?

My sandisk 2tb hd is connected to my iMac and I use roon so everything shows up as it should in the roon interface on my iMac/iPad/iPhone, I don’t currently have the sandisk hd connected directly to the CXNv2 as I occasionally burn whats left of my cd collection to the sandisk but I have previously and with the StreamMagic app on iPhone/iPad it’s easy to browse files.

No issues whatsoever.

 

[rushfan2023]

I use an Android phone to control the StreamMagic app, with an SSD into the CXN v2 via USB. Excellent sound and quick control.

 

[scottm18]

I have the Cambridge CXNv2 and can only say good things about it

I don't understand all the accolades this is getting... because the main component-- the DAC--is like a hundred years old . I mean seriously, this Wolfson was used in my 2011 Blu-ray player from Cambridge... So that's really them taking "keep it in the family" (British) to the extreme. Only this year did they *finally* upgrade to a Sabre for the AXN/MXN.

But...I suppose if I digitally connect to my Oppo 205, that doesn't matter and then I can take advantage of the class-leading StreamMagic software, a nice I'll be useless front screen & a nice selection of inputs and outputs.

 

[2ManyDACs]

I see this is an old thread, but thought I'd try...
When I hook up the CXN V2 to my preamp via unbalanced RCA interconnects, I hear repeating beeping out of my speakers when the streamer is taken out of stand by mode. When I hook up the streamer directly to my preamp via balanced XLR cables, no beeping.
Any thoughts / solutions? I'd like to use my preamp in the signal chain (which does not have balanced connections), rather than going directly to my amp.

 

[Lead Belly]

I use an Android phone to control the StreamMagic app, with an SSD into the CXN v2 via USB. Excellent sound and quick control.

I’ve only ever used my CXN2 to stream music from my iPhone (CDs ripped, downloaded to phone, and played via Apple Music/Airplay). With a stable wifi connection, is there an advantage to plugging a hard drive straight into the CXN2 instead of streaming over WiFi?

 

[rushfan2023]

I’ve only ever used my CXN2 to stream music from my iPhone (CDs ripped, downloaded to phone, and played via Apple Music/Airplay). With a stable wifi connection, is there an advantage to plugging a hard drive straight into the CXN2 instead of streaming over WiFi?

In my opinion, slightly sounds better.

 

[scottm18]

I wish I could hear this IP but I never felt like I could really consider it because it uses the same internals (DAC/upsampling) of my CA 752 Blu-ray player from a dozen years ago!

I think I'm going with an Orchard Audio streamer device. Really impressed with their design.