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Looking for a basic streamer without a DAC, preamp, storage and all that

I’m looking for a simple streamer to connect to my Schiit Bifrost DAC via USB, coax, or toslink. Every streamer I look at has some combination of features I don’t need: screen, preamp, phono stage, amp, DAC, hard drive, Roon-readiness, etc.

All I want to do is use Tidal Connect on my iPhone or iPad to send the content to the streaming device which will connect to my DAC which is connected to my system. For the sake of convenience, I’d prefer not to connect my phone or iPad directly to the DAC. 

So is there a really basic and pared down streamer that’ll just accept content from Tidal or the like or am I going to have to sort out which streamer has the least amount of features I don’t need and just live with it? Or am I just going to have to accept connecting my iPhone or iPad to the DAC?


pip_helix
mlsstl
1,437 posts
 
I haven't had any problems installing and configuring software for the RPis in my systems, but then I am fairly computer literate. There are a number of places where you can get good instructions. To my mind, probably the hardest thing is choosing which of the many options available that you want to use. I currently use two different ones -- one player uses the HiFiBerry OS with their HAT card and is very simple to set up. The other two player use the PiCorePlayer OS which has more options and thus a bit more complicated. I use PCP on those two RPis because the players have touchscreen displays.

As noted, there are many other options available.
surfmuz
400 posts
 
Simplest solution is to use Tidal ready Mconnect app with google audio Chromecast device and if you connect it to your DAC with mini toslink to Toslink cable you’ll get tidal’s MQA signal
surfmuz
400 posts
 
Oh... sorry, I just realised that Schiit Bifrost I not MQA ready, so you won’t get MQA decoded signal on its output, but still you could do high res over the network streaming with Chromecast Audio connected via Toslink optical and Mconnect app.. here is link to iTunes video how to do it: https://youtu.be/zkv0_2JAdEA
pip_helix OP
30 posts
 
@brockwired 

“In my living room I sometimes cast to my smart tv. I am using toslink to my DAC. Works great and eliminates a ground loop.”

I didn’t catch this earlier!!

 I don’t want to always have the TV on when I’m listening to music (infant in the house) but in the short term it seems I could run Tidal HiFi on my Apple TV and then run optical audio out from my TV to my DAC until I decide on a less “visible” solution like a Node 2i or SMS 200 or similar. 
tk21
238 posts
 
A DAC chip adds very little to the cost of a device like the Node 2i.
I have one and keep disconnecting it (to reduce clutter), then wanting to reconnect just because it is so versatile.  The DAC is easily bypassed. But its features include programmable remote control, basic bass management, multi-room play, and streaming services that overlap with what Roon offers.  Using the Node 2i, for instance, I can set up playlist buttons on a handheld IR remote, then rapidly switch between TV and Jazz/Indie music. Dunno how to do this using only Roon and a programmable remote.
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