Help with Streamer/Media Player and DAC

[ambd]

Hi All,

First of all, I want to thanks all the community, and specially Amir and Erin, for being beacons of truth in a world (the audio world) that is usually riddled with mirages.

I am a newcomer to this forum, and this is my first post and I want to thank you all for allowing me to be here. I have spent tens of hours already reading the reviews here and many threads.

Having said that, I am not new to audio, I became an audiophile more than 20 years ago. During my journey, I had many speakers such Danley SH50, Triangle, PSB, NHT, Tyler Acoustic, and even custom horn speakers. I also had many tube and solid state amplifiers, custom made and brand ones, preamplifiers and DACs.

Around 2015, I had to do a radical downsize due to moving overseas and I sold all my equipment.

Now, I am finally rebuilding my system!! with the guidance and knowledge of the reviews and the community here. So, I just bought a pair of Whaferdale Lintons (love their sound in a mid size room) and I also bought a Audiophonics NC252 stereo amplifier. I have a small NAD 3020 V2 that I am using temporarily as a preamplifier (soon to be upgraded) and phono pre. I also have a Technics 1210 MKII turntable and many GBs of high quality Flac files. It is still a work in progress

So, I would like to ask the kind help of the community to suggest me some solutions to play my FLAC files collection. My plan is to buy something like a Bluesound Node, put all my Flac files in a NAS drive, and play the files from the NAS using the Bluesound.

The DAC of the NAD 3020 I am using now is not that good. So, the question for you all is, what streamer with good specs that can play files from a NAS drive and that can be controlled from my android smartphone would you suggest? and what DAC with good specs would you suggest? Maybe there is one device that can do both things performing well?

Thanks a lot in advance!!

Alan B

 

[bargainguy]

Welcome. I have the Eversolo DMP-A6, and according to Amir's tests, I'm getting ~115dB SINAD from the RCA outs. It's a smidge better via the XLR outs.

It will run a NAS system, and is also internal SSD storage capable up to 4TB, which is the way I run it.

Everything is controlled via the touch screen or the phone app. Unit doesn't come with a remote, but with the app, I really don't need one.

It's been a revelation as far as listening impact and ease of use. Wish this kind of product was available long ago at the price.

 

[ambd]

Welcome. I have the Eversolo DMP-A6, and according to Amir's tests, I'm getting ~115dB SINAD from the RCA outs. It's a smidge better via the XLR outs.

It will run a NAS system, and is also internal SSD storage capable up to 4TB, which is the way I run it.

Everything is controlled via the touch screen or the phone app. Unit doesn't come with a remote, but with the app, I really don't need one.

It's been a revelation as far as listening impact and ease of use. Wish this kind of product was available long ago at the price.

Thanks! I will read the review of the Eversolo then. I just saw it, it is the kind of device I need.

 

[ambd]

Welcome. I have the Eversolo DMP-A6, and according to Amir's tests, I'm getting ~115dB SINAD from the RCA outs. It's a smidge better via the XLR outs.

It will run a NAS system, and is also internal SSD storage capable up to 4TB, which is the way I run it.

Everything is controlled via the touch screen or the phone app. Unit doesn't come with a remote, but with the app, I really don't need one.

It's been a revelation as far as listening impact and ease of use. Wish this kind of product was available long ago at the price.

Are you able to play (already created) playlists of local files in this device? I have been also considering the other route, which is a wiim plus a separate DAC, but somehow it seems that there is a lot of IP related details that I would need to explore to get to a comfortable place. Price wise, the Eversolo route is around $860 and the other route will not be really much cheaper if you want a good DAC, such as a topping. Sinad wise, I do not think we humans can hear any difference/improvements beyond 96ish SINAD. I may be wrong though.

 

[Vincent Kars]

files from a NAS drive and that can be controlled from my android smartphone

Make sure the NAS is UPnP compliant. UPnP is the open standard for streaming AV. Popular brands like Qnap or Synology do support it.
If you want to give it a shot; enable media sharing on a PC because Win is UPnP compliant.
On the Android try Foobar mobile as a renderer or an app like BubbleUPnP.

Personally I don't like streaming at all. Bit hard to configure and not a crisp response. I prefer local playback. A silent PC with a big screen and a DAC with USB input, volume control and line and headphone out does it for me. I use an external SSD for the audio and a NAS for backup of all the PC's in the household.

 

[ahofer]

Make sure the NAS is UPnP compliant. UPnP is the open standard for streaming AV. Popular brands like Qnap or Synology do support it.
If you want to give it a shot; enable media sharing on a PC because Win is UPnP compliant.
On the Android try Foobar mobile as a renderer or an app like BubbleUPnP.

Personally I don't like streaming at all. Bit hard to configure and not a crisp response. I prefer local playback. A silent PC with a big screen and a DAC with USB input, volume control and line and headphone out does it for me. I use an external SSD for the audio and a NAS for backup of all the PC's in the household.

Typically that is provided by running a small music server on the NAS. MinimServer is a nice light server, but there are many. I liked MinimServer’s ability to read and handle custom tagging so that you can navigate with the tags, not just the directory structure.

On a PC, minimserver requires Java. Many consumer NAS (QNAP, Synology) have it as a configurable app, easy-peasy.

 

[ambd]

Make sure the NAS is UPnP compliant. UPnP is the open standard for streaming AV. Popular brands like Qnap or Synology do support it.
If you want to give it a shot; enable media sharing on a PC because Win is UPnP compliant.
On the Android try Foobar mobile as a renderer or an app like BubbleUPnP.

Personally I don't like streaming at all. Bit hard to configure and not a crisp response. I prefer local playback. A silent PC with a big screen and a DAC with USB input, volume control and line and headphone out does it for me. I use an external SSD for the audio and a NAS for backup of all the PC's in the household.

Thanks for the advice. I may go this route as it seems less tedious. I used to send my digital files from a MAC laptop connected to a SSD, using Audirvana application for bit perfect error free play, to a USB cable to a NAD DAC and the sound was amazing. You just reminded me of this workflow. To be sincere, it was as hassle free as it could be. At that time, I had the laptop permanently connected to the DAC via USB, but for this new set up I could only connect the laptop when I have the mental bandwidth to do some real listening.

This would eliminate the streamer, and I would only need a DAC. What DAC would you recommend?

Regarding sound signature, my Linton speakers are warm, but the Audiophonics NC252 stereo amplifier is very precise, if not cold. So, they both balance very well. In the future, I plan to add a Akitika PR102 preamplifier, which is also very transparent. So, in my case the ideal DAC should try to add more detail and precision to the sound.

 

[Vincent Kars]

my Linton speakers are warm, but the Audiophonics NC252 stereo amplifier is very precise, if not cold. So, they both balance very well. In the future, I plan to add a Akitika PR102 preamplifier, which is also very transparent. So, in my case the ideal DAC should try to add more detail and precision to the sound.

Wow, that's a lot of heresy in our objectivist church!

Unless you still have analog sources, I wouldn't recommend a pre-amp. Better get a DAC with digital inputs, volume control and line out + headphone out if needed.
Have a look here: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...version-2-dac-and-headphone-amp-review.13379/
Half price but still stellar performance: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/topping-dx5-review-dac-hp-amp.32179/
Browse the review section for more

 

[ambd]

Wow, that's a lot of heresy in our objectivist church!

Unless you still have analog sources, I wouldn't recommend a pre-amp. Better get a DAC with digital inputs, volume control and line out + headphone out if needed.
Have a look here: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...version-2-dac-and-headphone-amp-review.13379/
Half price but still stellar performance: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/topping-dx5-review-dac-hp-amp.32179/
Browse the review section for more

Lol! Yeah, lots of heresy. I am a former heretic, so you all need to kindly cut me some slack until I get completely converted to the other side! I am walking towards the truth slowly, but surely.

Regarding pre or no pre, that is interesting and if I may, I would like to ask for your advice. I have a turntable and lots of vinyl records. My main two sources are the vinyls and the flac files. The other need for a pre is to control the volume of the power amplifier.

In that sense, if I can find a DAC that has a good volume control, USB input, remote, and that has one other even line level input (where I can add a phono pre) then that would be even better. A subwoofer output with simple crossover options would be great but for the next 3 years (in this house) I do not need a subwoofer so I can do without that.

Any ideas for what could fit that bill? And yes, I will start perusing the ASR DAC review library

 

[Vincent Kars]

I have a turntable and lots of vinyl records.

Most DAC's don't have a analog input so it is a pre-amp for you

 

[Count Arthur]

Most DAC's don't have a analog input so it is a pre-amp for you

The ADI-2/4 Pro SE has a phono input, but only for MM:

 

[dzerig]

You can get stuff that measures transparent (past human hearing) for very low prices until you get to power amplifier and speakers. I would start as cheap as possible (Wiim $150 thing is perfect, nothing wrong with the $220 one either) and a phone is cheaper than Eversolo stuff. Of course, the eversolo stuff is great and you really don't need much more.

 

[ambd]

You can get stuff that measures transparent (past human hearing) for very low prices until you get to power amplifier and speakers. I would start as cheap as possible (Wiim $150 thing is perfect, nothing wrong with the $220 one either) and a phone is cheaper than Eversolo stuff. Of course, the eversolo stuff is great and you really don't need much more.

True. Right now, with the NAD 3020 integrated amplifier (because the Audiophonics amplifier has not arrived yet), I use my LG V30 phone to play flac files and send that through a 3.5mm headphone jack to the NAD aux input. Not bad for now. Probably, the Wiim will sound better than my LGV30 but do not know if it will make a big difference. What is already evident is that my current speakers, the Whaferdale Lintons, are very revealing so I can notice when I am playing a low quality mp3 vs a flac or wav.

 

[dzerig]

True. Right now, with the NAD 3020 integrated amplifier (because the Audiophonics amplifier has not arrived yet), I use my LG V30 phone to play flac files and send that through a 3.5mm headphone jack to the NAD aux input. Not bad for now. Probably, the Wiim will sound better than my LGV30 but do not know if it will make a big difference. What is already evident is that my current speakers, the Whaferdale Lintons, are very revealing so I can notice when I am playing a low quality mp3 vs a flac or wav.

The reason for the Wiim is so you can hold your phone in your hand while you play music, instead of it being anchored to the NAD. Also you can attach the hdd files with a cable as well.

 

[ambd]

The reason for the Wiim is so you can hold your phone in your hand while you play music, instead of it being anchored to the NAD. Also you can attach the hdd files with a cable as well.

But, I cannot connect a hard drive to the wiim through USB, rather I would need to connect the NAS drive with the files to the same network the wiim is connected, right?

 

[dzerig]

But, I cannot connect a hard drive to the wiim through USB, rather I would need to connect the NAS drive with the files to the same network the wiim is connected, right?

NAS would be ideal, but you can also get this to convert usb to optical. or usb to coax and optical

 

[Vincent Kars]

but you can also get this to convert usb to optical. or usb to coax and optical

Won't work. These products convert USB audio to SPDIF. A hard disk is not a host so cannot generate USB audio.

I cannot connect a hard drive to the wiim through USB

Correct, you need a computer (usb host) to connect a external HD.

 

[ambd]

What

Won't work. These products convert USB audio to SPDIF. A hard disk is not a host so cannot generate USB audio.


Correct, you need a computer (usb host) to connect a external HD.

What I did was I connected my LG V30 USB output to an USB C adapter to optical and connected that optical to the optical DAC input of my NAD 3020 V2. I played high resolution flac files that way and it was a huge improvement, at least from my subjective perspective as a listener. The change was so dramatic that I was able to notice the limitations, for my taste, of the Whaferdale Lintons. Today, I started a return and the Lintons are going back.

Again, it is all subjective, but as a listener, with the high quality flacs playing from the LG through the NAD DAC, what I disliked about the midrange and the mid highs of the Lintons became way more evident. I realized that once I start adding better sources (laptop with audirvana or NAS drive) and a better DAC, the midrange and the mid highs frequency rendition of the Linton was not going to improve much for my taste. Also, the imaging of the Lintons in my room is not that precise, and the sweet spot is very very narrow.

So, currently I have no speakers and I need to decide what speakers to get. And, to be sincere, I have no idea where to start.

The journey goes on, and as an old fable says, it is about the journey and not the destination.