MacBook Pro vs dedicated streamer

[Cable Monkey]

Two words. User experience. Get a dedicated streamer with a single purpose, that works and enables you to just relax and listen to the music without worrying about the next update, or dropping your laptop or any off that stuff. Using a laptop is like commuting to work on a BMX bike. Get a road bike and start enjoying the experience!

[Cable Monkey]

I’ll respond to your final paragraph. I’ve done the Pi, NUC and various other options. They don’t sound the same, they don’t look the same and in my time they’ve evolved from barely being able to be a Roon endpoint ( I spent many fascinating hours with a BeagleBone Black) to now where they are pretty effective. If the aim is to make do, I certainly could have done that. But...

Unpack

Place

Connect

Update

Play music

The above is the key to the widespread adoption of streaming. I can then take my laptop and do whatever else I want to do with it. But for so many people if you tell them the answer to their problems will be revealed the moment you have booted your laptop half of them will glaze over before you’ve finished your sentence and you will have lost them. Even as a self confessed nerd I accept that what I do excludes 90% of the population. A plug and play streamer is the answer. 

 

[Cable Monkey]

I suppose ultimately it comes down to priorities. My streamer is not that expensive. I have a Teac NT-505. So it replaced a streamer, DAC and pre-amp with all the attendant power supplies (except the pre which was passive). It certainly wasn’t a one for one swap! 🙂