Least Expensive Reasonable Quality Means Of Playing Music Off NAS For Second System

[KingCrimson]

My main music system is an amp, speakers and an Aurender N100, and DAC in my downstairs listening room. This is being fed by a Synology NAS which is upstairs by my Comcast connected router. A change at work has me starting working from home almost all the time and my office is where the router is. I have a cd player, integrated amp and speakers in that room now. What network player, or other device, could I buy for the least expensive price that is still good quality as a way to access and play the music on the NAS?

[ericuco]

Minimserver is fairly popular here on CA.

[Audio_ELF]

How about a Naim MuSo? Maybe not as you have amp and speakers, etc. already.

 

A Marantz NR6005 perhaps? Auralic Aries Mini? Raspberry Pi or CuBox or similar and AudioQuest DragonFly DAC.

[maelob]

How about your work computer? That would be the cheapest

[Cebolla]

Minimserver is fairly popular here on CA.

MinimServer is a UPnP media server application, so is used to supply the music files to the network audio players (aka streamers aka renderers), not play them.

[tboooe]

Why not Sonos? Easy to set up, can output either analog or digital so it can be used with the existing integrated. If you want to in the future you can upgrade to a nice dac and use the digital output of the Sonos. Not the best overall performance but pretty cheap, easy to set up, easy to control with Android or iOS app, and reliable.

[Albrecht]

My main music system is an amp, speakers and an Aurender N100, and DAC in my downstairs listening room. This is being fed by a Synology NAS which is upstairs by my Comcast connected router. A change at work has me starting working from home almost all the time and my office is where the router is. I have a cd player, integrated amp and speakers in that room now. What network player, or other device, could I buy for the least expensive price that is still good quality as a way to access and play the music on the NAS?

 

Halide USB DAC includes all cables right into your amp. Or, the IFI USB DAC. Then, the new Sonore Sonic Orbiter.

 

Next best bang for the buck is a SqueezeBox touch modified to do UPnP, & USB out into the above: especially if you have a large library on your Synology.

[Audio_ELF]

Next best bang for the buck is a SqueezeBox touch modified to do UPnP, & USB out into the above: especially if you have a large library on your Synology.

Not sure about that ... a second hand Squeezebox Touch is likely to cost MORE than the new Sonore Sonic Orbiter SE. :-)

 

Not sure why (if you used a Squeezebox Touch) you'd want to modify it for UPnP though, surely just use LMS (Logitech server software).

[master]

Least expensive (provided you are open to wireless streaming) would be a Raspberry Pi running MinimServer (free).

 

You could also throw in a couple of Chromecast Audio for multiroom streaming/or even simply wirelessly stream from the Raspberry Pi.

 

I don't recommend the Sonos, sound is pretty average though it rocks in terms of features and wireless capability. However, not a really great sounding speaker by any stretch of the imagination.

[tboooe]

 

I don't recommend the Sonos, sound is pretty average though it rocks in terms of features and wireless capability. However, not a really great sounding speaker by any stretch of the imagination.

 

Just to clarify I was not recommending the Sonos powered speakers products. I was talking about their streaming boxes only so that the OP can utilize his existing integrated amp and speakers.

[KingCrimson]

How about your work computer? That would be the cheapest

 

Unfortunately my work laptop is completely locked down with a corporate image. No software can be installed and almost everything useful is disabled.

[KingCrimson]

The Marantz NA6005 was a good suggestion, thank you. $650.00 is affordable but I have not found any real reviews of this. Not sure of the sound quality.

 

It would be very nice to be able to use Tidal too if that is possible.

[Albrecht]

Hi,

 

Yes, a Touch would be best served to do just LMS...

 

Touch, LMS, Hahlide

 

Sonic Orbiter LMS, Halide (Plus more options with SO).

[realhifi]

The Marantz NA6005 was a good suggestion, thank you. $650.00 is affordable but I have not found any real reviews of this. Not sure of the sound quality.

 

It would be very nice to be able to use Tidal too if that is possible.

 

Pics attached are services available through a Sonos Connect. As you can see, Tidal is one of them. Cost of a connect is $350, cost of a little dac to use it with can vary but you can get a Schit Modi 2 Uber for $149 making total cost $500. Crazy good source for that amount of cash.

 

[TubeLover]

Pics attached are services available through a Sonos Connect. As you can see, Tidal is one of them. Cost of a connect is $350, cost of a little dac to use it with can vary but you can get a Schit Modi 2 Uber for $149 making total cost $500. Crazy good source for that amount of cash.

 

David, that Shiit Modie 2 Uber is an incredible value, as, apparently the Sonos Connect is, so I can easily understand what a great source that would provide for that budget. I have no experience with either, but, any idea where the Sonore Sonice Orbiter would rate against the Sonos? That would represent even less cost to the OP. I have never heard anything but positives about the Sonore stuff, so, just wondering. It's apparently already Roon ready too.

 

JC

[realhifi]

Pics attached are services available through a Sonos Connect. As you can see, Tidal is one of them. Cost of a connect is $350, cost of a little dac to use it with can vary but you can get a Schit Modi 2 Uber for $149 making total cost $500. Crazy good source for that amount of cash.

 

David, that Shiit Modie 2 Uber is an incredible value, as, apparently the Sonos Connect is, so I can easily understand what a great source that would provide for that budget. I have no experience with either, but, any idea where the Sonore Sonice Orbiter would rate against the Sonos? That would represent even less cost to the OP. I have never heard anything but positives about the Sonore stuff, so, just wondering. It's apparently already Roon ready too.

 

JC

 

My take (for what it's worth) is that if you have high res files you want to stream then the Sonore would be the one to go with whereas if you are streaming red book (and lower) along with wanting to access streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Deezer, etc, then the Sonos would be the better choice. I mainly use a Sonos to play Deezer, Tidal, Apple Muisc, Internet Radio, etc and have a computer hooked right up to my system for ripped CDs and high res files.

[jcn3]

Why not Sonos? Easy to set up, can output either analog or digital so it can be used with the existing integrated. If you want to in the future you can upgrade to a nice dac and use the digital output of the Sonos. Not the best overall performance but pretty cheap, easy to set up, easy to control with Android or iOS app, and reliable.

 

This is a great recommendation. A Sonos Connect functions as a source with either fixed or variable line outs (analog or digital). Plug it into an amp or powered speakers and you're good to go!

 

Note: only handles up to 16/44.

[Ajax]

I recently purchased an Auralic Mini, which I am feeding with files from a local USB connected external drive and controlling it with their new Lighting LS App on my iPhone.

 

It will stream internet radio stations and read files directly from your NAS and has a good quality internal DAC with RCA outputs as well as digital out (coaxial, optical, USB) for an external DAC. Very happy with sound quality and convenience, US$550.

 

There is a thread here at CA under Networking.

 

AURALiC