Hello all. Im really curious about how much you really need to spend, diminishing returns, for a high quality streamer/audio if you dont need a DAC. I have an Arcam AV41 and am extremely happy with the sound but would like a streamer to go with it. I have been told I dont need anything more than a Wiim Ultra or Pro and other say an Eversolo T8( just an example) will have better sound due to Femtosexond clocks and better components. Trying to find out what's true before buying something. Would really appreciate any input because I am new to streamers and really dont know.
Another word for a non-DAC streamer is a computer. Raspberry Pi-based solutions are cheap and effective. You can also dedicate a tablet to the desk to have a nice display. I use them as endpoints for Roon, but there are several pi and android-based streaming solutions, such as as Emby and Volumio, or you can use a chromecast-enabled device or get one of the old Chromecast Audio dongles (now they only make the TV versions, which you can also use).
It's even getting to the point with the new Pi designs that they can support additional computing intensive tasks such as EQ. If you are not too comfortable with tech, I'd recommend getting one pre-built. Although I have to say, burning a streaming OS onto an sd card and rebooting the pi is really easy.
Update: if it's just Qobuz and Amazon, I *think*
Chromecast might be simplest. Someone suggested Wiim above, which is pretty cheap, compatible with multiple protocols, and has added features like EQ. The cheapest Wiim is
this one, but the
Wiim Pro might be more flexible. It's certainly possible to spend more on a streamer, but remember that all you get is functionality and support, not sound improvement (at least no sound improvement that any vendor has even tried to demonstrate, and I predict they never will, as it is a solved problem).
