Looking for a Music Streamer with a Built-In DAC

[NipperDog]

I'm hoping for recommendations on a streaming DAC in the $3000 or less price range with the following features:

 

No built-in storage

No volume control 

If it has a volume control, it must have a bypass setting 

The ability to unfold MQA

Gapless Playback

Roon capable

A nice smooth musical sound (not edgy)

WiFi capability

 

Thanks Guys, for any suggestions you can offer me.

 

 

[NipperDog]

Thanks Firedog.

 

Boy, considering that I've only received one response to my query, what I'm looking for must be be a very unusual thing.

 

Maybe I need to lower my expectations a bit and eliminate a few of the features I'd like to have in a streaming DAC. But which ones?  ?

[NipperDog]

Let me preface my post by saying, I'm still new to all this so please pardon my ignorance. 

 

I've been looking at the Lumin line and I'm not clear on how they connect to the internet. I'm not seeing anything about WiFi on their website and I think they require a hard wire connection via ethernet cable. I do have an ethernet output from the wall but it's already connected to my router through my modem

 

How would this work in my case?

[NipperDog]

5 minutes ago, firedog said:

May have overlooked that, but all you’d have to do is connect them to an Ethernet port on the router. Or add an Ethernet switch to the router and connect things to that. Once a device is connected to your network over Ethernet, you’ll be able to also find it over your wifi. 

No, you didn't overlook it. I remembered after I posted the thread that I needed WiFi too and went back and added it to my post.

 

Thanks for all your help!

[NipperDog]

3 hours ago, davide256 said:

You should try the bridged Ethernet experiment with your PC or Mac Roon server before you use wifi as a deciding factor. It may remove wifi as the desired connectivity

option for your streamer.

 

Thanks, but this is so far over my head that I would need a telescope to see it.

[NipperDog]

On 6/15/2018 at 9:51 AM, firedog said:

One of the  Lumin  models

I had never heard of Lumin before you mentioned it here. At the moment I'm seriously considering the d2 model. I'm reading good things about it and the Lumin interface looks to be well-thought out.

 

Thanks for the suggestion!

[NipperDog]

Thanks to all of you that contributed to this thread, I really appreciate it!

 

I went yesterday morning to my local dealer and auditioned the Lumin D2. It sounded wonderful to me and I ended up buying one. It's been in my system for just over a day now and I can tell you that I'm truly amazed at how far digital has come in the 35 or so years it's been since I heard my fist CD. I'm streaming Tidal lossless and some of their recordings with MQA encoding. I don't claim to know the first thing about MQA and have no dog in the fight, but I am very pleased with what I've heard so far. If you're considering a streamer in the 2K price range, be sure to check out the D2.