Fairly new to streaming. Where to start?

Not to hijack OP’s thread, but along the lines of getting started streaming:

this thread had me do my first quickie stream to main music system: laptop/preamp/amp. easy, it works, I’ll listen later.

IF I like it, find I will use it, then, ’easy’ better quality? I will not pay for streaming service, that’s the first limitation.

how see to pick content?

better signal to preamp?
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My Quickie test;

Pandora (basic free) to discover artists I don’t know about, one of my specific stations/similar artists; or shuffle stations. I would never pay for streaming.

1. laptop so I can see and pick what I want.

2. Pandora for test.

3. sound from audio chip, audio software on intel motherboard, no sound card

4. headphone mini-rca out of laptop to preamp aux in, preamp to amp.
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Ouality Stages

a. initial limitation is free Pandora’s signal's quality to net
b. next is speed/quality of nearby wireless router (no lag, strong signal)
c. audio from intel motherboard to headphone out
d. mini-rca to rca cable
f. preamp mcintosh mx110z, tube, aux input
g. amp cayin a88t integrated line in
h. speakers are terrific, hence let’s hear pandora here.
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I already stream Pandora via darn good home theater, ethernet to smart tv to home theater typically changed to 2 channel to avoid pseudo surround av receiver may try.

Also streaming Pandora thru home office system, ethernet, pc headphone audio out, also from intel motherboard, Carver amp, B&W speakers and Velodyne sub.

Also streaming youtube music videos on home theater.
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Weakest links in this chain?
Easy ideas?

^^^“Weakest links in this chain?”
Pandora Basic Streaming, if you don’t want to pay then Pandora streaming quality sounds fine in your home and office system.

Pandora Audio Quality - 192 kbps AAC
Tidal Audio Quality - 1411 kbps FLAC

Anything less than 1411 kbps, you’re listening to a compressed file.

The Altair deal that uberwaltz mentioned sounds pretty good, especially since it has the optional ssd installed....one less cable to need.  Makes it a complete server.  Plus the older Altair allows for a different dac, if you like, but its internal one is excellent.  I've owned one for over two years and love it.  The Lightning DS is fine and like most other apps, gets improvements.  For myself, I like simplicity and this is a great one box solution.

Yes, the BluOS app is available for Android phones.  It's a very good interface.  Also, the Node 2i can stream both via Ethernet and wirelessly.

Last year I was where you are--listening for many, many years to vinyl and CDs. Then I ripped most of my CDs uncompressed to computer and fed to a variety of DACS to my system.

I added the Bluesound Node 2i last year.  It's opened a whole new world, so I agree that it's a good place to start. It's feeding the internal DAC in a Devialet right now.  But I gotta say when I fed from the Bluesound internal DAC I detected no difference.  Then I tried my Bryston DAC.  No difference.  Then my Berkeley Alpha.  No difference.  Wish I could do an ABX test to hear the difference.

In any case, have fun!

Got a Node 2i for 419 refurbished
Got a $30 coax cable
got a Topping D90 DAC for $630
I get good sound from this.  The functionality of the Amazon HD music ap is much better but the sound more than makes up for it.  You could save money if you want to try this out first.  I started with a $95 streamer and you could get a 300 DAC and for less than 500 you could get your feet wet.  I would skip that step because the sound of the above setup is much better and still reasonable.