[DelsFan]

An old NOOB here, sadly I know a lot about audiophile equipment that's...  two or three decades obsolete..
 
What do I need to purchase to use as a source (or data grabber), so I can listen to "hi-fi" or "MQA" music with a TIDAL subscription?  This would be in conjunction with my new headphone setup; let's say something in the $3000 to $5,000 range, DAC similar to Schiit Gumby, amp to be named later, and Focal Elear or Mr. Speakers Ether Flow headphones or similar - used Audeze LCD-X maybe.  
 
How do I get the music from the internet to - a something - to the USB cable which I know then plugs into my new MQA compatable (whether I need it or not) DAC (and then on to my amp and headphones, using Shunyata power cords and appropriately costly interconnects!)?  With the proper software downloaded, will my wife's 5 year-old MacBook pro grab a sufficiently high quality (so, near perfect) stream from my wireless router (U-Verse, 45 Mbs)?  Or do I "need" a $2000 to $5000 receiver/storage device like Naim and Linn and NAD sell?  Or perhaps something in-between?
 
In my study I have a desktop running 64-bit Windows 7 professional, but it is 50' from my "listening chair".  I presume I need a "controller" right there at my chair, at the ready, in order to make music selections.
 
I don't think I care, right now, about being able to store music, I just want to be able to sit comfortably in my recliner and listen to a variety of music using TIDAL's streaming service.
 
 And if the cheapest solution won't adequately "feed" $5000 worth of head-fi equipment, then what solution do I need?
 
I know it's a really Noob question, but all advice will be appreciated. 

 

[stuck limo]

Really simple, easiest solution without a DAC/MQA:
 
1. Install Tidal on the Apple laptop.
2. Use an RCA Y cable that plugs into the headphone jack on the laptop, then the other two ends will go into the headphone amp or speaker amp.
3. Listen to music.
 
With a DAC:
 
1. Install Tidal on the Apple laptop.
2. Plug in the DAC/attach DAC to computer using USB cable, then use RCA cable from DAC to the amp(s).
3. Listen to music.
 
Things to use with Tidal:
 
Hardware = laptop (any), regular DAC (for regular lossless streaming), or MQA enabled DAC (for MQA files)
 
Software = Tidal, or Roon (integrates hard drive files and Tidal files together in one easy to to use program) or Amarra
 
To control remotely: I think either Roon or Amarra have remotes you can install onto your iPhone or Android devices

 

[DelsFan]

stuck limo, thanks very much for the clear and concise explanation.  With what I have (wife's MacBook Pro) it seems a simple proposition.
 
 
Where I was getting confused (and the info may be changing by the day) was wondering if I purchased a new (Oppo UDP-203) Blu-Ray player would I be able to access music through TIDAL using the new player (as I can Netflix, etc. with my Panny Blu-Ray player now).  This would allow me to download (stream is probably the better term) music through the Ethernet connection and use the digital coax output of the Blu-Ray player to go to my DAC (alleviating the need to use a lesser quality USB cable for transmission of the digital signal to the DAC).
 
 
From the TIDAL site, it seems the Oppo 10x series players might support TIDAL but the jury is out concerning Oppo's 20x series 4K players.
 
FROM TIDAL:
Experience high quality streaming from your OPPO universal Blu-ray players. TIDAL streams to OPPO BDP-10x players.

How to Get Started
Update your OPPO BDP-103/103D/105/105D players to the latest firmware. Download the latest version of OPPO MediaControl app from the app store of your mobile device. After connecting the MediaControl app to your Blu-ray player, select TIDAL from the available media sources and follow the on-screen instructions to login to your TIDAL account.

From the Oppo Site:

Does the UDP-203 have any built-in streaming services such as Netflix or VUDU?  
In order to provide a premium user experience with quick start-up times and fast response, the UDP-203 is designed with a purist approach in mind for disc and file playback, and so it does not carry internet video and music streaming apps. Instead, an HDMI 2.0 input port that supports UHD resolution is available for users to connect an external streaming device. This approach affords users the flexibility to choose from a wide range of streaming devices and easily upgrade as streaming technologies evolve, while still taking advantage of the UDP-203's audio and video processing capabilities.

What the Oppo people say, "the UDP-203 doesn't carry internet video and music streaming apps,"  I think they mean, the unit is not designed to accept this kind of software AT ALL - as opposed to, "we didn't pre-load any apps but you can download the any you wish to use."
 
So then I wonder if my Amazon Fire ($89) box would "accept" the TIDAL software which I could then use to send the music to my Oppo Blu-Ray player through the HDMI output.
 
Gotta run!  Thanks very much for your help though; I now know at least how to immediately proceed with the MacBook Pro and the audio equipment I have immediately at hand.