Looking for High Quality Streamer Only Options (NO DAC)?


I'm looking to find a dedicated streamer, ideally <$2k. Here are the objectives: 

1. Must be Roon Ready

2. No internal DAC

3. USB, Optical or Digital Coax input

4. Great quality to feed an outboard DAC. 

The idea here is to hopefully avoid paying for an internal DAC and just by a stable streamer, giving the manufacturer the ability to dump all the parts and labor costs into the streaming side only. In other words, why pay for an internal DAC I won't use.  

 

128x128jbhiller

@jbhiller: re: Auralic Aries Mini as Roon endpoint… when it first came to market (almost a decade ago), I don’t think it was yet certified as “Roon Ready” so older documentation may not indicate it can run as an endpoint. However, with firmware upgrades, it did get the capability to run as a Roon endpoint. I’m streaming Roon through mine as I type. 

As a side note, I think Aries Mini was a device before its time. Not sure why Auralic took it out of production (though they’re still supporting it and occasionally updating firmware). Perhaps they couldn’t compete with Sonos, Bluesound, etc. However, as Wiim has so successfully made inroads into affordable streamers, I think the Aries Mini could more than hold its own in that realm. It lacks any DSP other than four filters & resampling, but it can send hi res audio out via USB. 

@jbhiller there’s a used Aurender N200 on USAM. Great streamer with excellent UI and customer service. It made a huge difference in my system going from Lumin U1 Mini and my DAC’s network renderer as streamer to this unit.

I have no affiliation with this seller so if you’re interested you will need to do all the due diligence to ensure a smooth transaction.
https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/650156639-aurender-n200/

 

Bricasti M3

I’d be careful about Bricasti for a streamer.  I’ve created a database on streamer specs from Hifi News reviews over the last few years.  Why?  Because Paul Miller does “Lab Reports” at the end of every one of them, and he does the most objective, consistent measurements of streamers in the industry.  Anyway, the jitter measurements for the streamer board of the M3 are the worst I’ve ever seen.  The M5 has been around for years, I think, so if they’re using the same tech, not good.  By way of example, his measurements for the Pro-ject and the Volumio are multitudes better, comparable to the high priced Aurenders et al. 

Bricasti M3 is an excellent DAC but the network renderer is just not great. Use it as DAC only.