Streaming - how many are doing it?

[HiFiFan]

This is what I use. Sits between a music server and my DAC. It is a ROON endpoint so you can stream ripped or downloaded material, Qubox/Tidal, radio...

https://www.sonore.us/opticalRendu.html

The blurb on the page should help answer some of your questions hopefully

I recommend you check out https://audiophilestyle.com (used to be computer audiophile)

[Diapason]

I'm very close to buying a Wiim Pro to replace my Chromecast Audio. The main reason for this replacement is that the Chromecast can't do gapless, and listening to Rachmaninoff's Paganini Variations yesterday was downright painful.

Firstly, for the cheaper streamers, the advice (not surprisingly) is to use it in the digital domain only if you're looking for audiophile sound. The DACs (and ADC if fitted) are generally at the lower end of the spectrum. The good thing is that the digital volume control is apparently well implemented, which makes life easier in a family situation here.

To answer your questions, based on my reading for the Wiim:

Generally a mobile app is needed, yes. I believe there is the possibility to interact via a webpage on your network, but I'm not sure if full functionality is there. Some basic playback controls can be accessed via remote, but that's not going to cut it for the full suite. If you don't want to be connecting to apps, I think you need to look elsewhere.

Can they "manage" digital files? I'm not sure what level of manage in general, but they certainly can't do everything. If the files are on your network the streamer can generally find them and play them (that's what I do). I think SMB shares are not possible with the Wiim, but upnp is ok. You CAN'T just attach a hard drive and play away, which means they're not an all-singing, all-dancing solution for those with hard drives full of material and no computer or network attached storage.

None of this affects my use case, so I'll probably go ahead, but I can easily imagine buying one of these things and discovering it doesn't *actually* do everything you need.

[Alltheyoungdudes]

Have been streaming for probably 15 years or more...

1. Initially via a Squeezebox Classic, streaming about 1,200 of my own albums ripped to FLAC with EAC and stored on a home PC. (There are quite a few hard-to-find CD masterings that makes this an ongoing necessity.)

2. Then with a Tidal Hi Fi Subscription which I still have (but is used mainly by another family member.)

3. Latterly have been using Amazon Hi-Rez which sounds great and well worth the tenner a month.

Current streaming system includes a Marantz PM7000n Streaming amp in the main living room area. (The HEOS app allows me to stream from all of the above sources and more.)

Also have Yamaha MusicCast Streamer in the man-cave/home office connected to another Marantz amp.

Still play CD, SACD, DVD Audio, Blu Ray Audio - and vinyl.

[hudo]

Mini PC i3/16GB RAM with Roon Core - (Fiber LAN to prevent el. noise leakage) -> Pi2AES running RopieeeXL OS and LPSU -> AES and USB to Holo Spring 3 (AES for NOS playback, USB for upsampling to 768k/1.5m).
Streaming Tidal and from local Synology NAS.

To prevent noise coming into Pi2AES I added LAN fiber converter in front of it, all connected to linear power supplies (fiber converter and Rpi).
Don't know if it actually makes any real difference, but i think i hear some:) Hard to do ABX test since it takes me 1h to reconnect everything.
Only thing i tried quickly was to connect Holo DAC directly to Mini PC instead of Pi2AES, and that was definitely audibly worse. Think cleaner Pi2aes makes difference, and for its price (total around 500-600€ with LPSU and fiber), i am quite happy with digital chain. Would like to test some fancy expensive Aurender just for fun...

[Brutus1968]

.....
To answer your questions, based on my reading for the Wiim:

.....

Thanks a lot for all the replies. Now I have something more to read and learn.

Best

[peelaaa]

I have amazon music. Use it in car via the phone app. And in house when no time to stick the vinyl on. Use the analogue output out of one of the amazon speakers. I'm sure I can improve on that.

Used to use google music via chromecast audio before it changed to youtube music. Still have all my cds uploaded to the cloud.

Also used a squeezebox touch for awhile. Still have it in fact

[tony]

I am at the basic end of this genre. I use old Sonos controllers bought secondhand on adverts in various systems around the house. Spotify simply because that was the choice of the rest of the family. It definitely is very useful when deciding if some album or artist is worth chasing down.

My preference is playing music from a hard drive using wtfplay. I suppose it is my version of vinyl. It is command line so very old school.

Love the ability to listen to local or worldwide radio at home or in the car. I can see how we will all be sucked down the streaming route in the years ahead. The Eversolo DMP-A6 unit that Mick has would be on my wish list if I decided to get a better unit. Functionality and options on it are really good.
I also use Youtube a lot to listen to live performances. It is amazing in my view. Getting to watch stuff from the sixties, seventies and eighties from my favourite artists. I remember paying silly money for cassette tapes of these recordings which were often shown on tv stations.