What is your favorite budget streamer?

I think the Icon looks awesome. After owning my Vault I would buy one sight unseen and that's something I rarely do.

Bluesound are the best streamers under $1k.  You are really buying into a platform that is copied by an entire industry.   Lenbrook has tremendous resources and more experience than just about anyone in this space.

Thanks to everyone for some awesome recommendations. I am leaning towards increasing my budget and getting the new Bluesound Icon. I have a Node, Node2i, Vault and Node X and have been really happy with the GUI and the customer service. I usually run an external DAC but the new Icon has a Dual-Mono DAC design. It has two ESS SABRE ES9039Q2M DACs and balanced outputs. It it sounds good, I will move I into my main system and swap out the current streamer and DAC.

It (refers to Wiim Ultra) is also galvanically isolated, just like the iFi Zen Stream.

I need to self-correct it.  Wiim Ultra's USB output is not electrically isolated.  If you want to get the best USB output from a streamer under, say, $500, IFI ZS is probably only one you could get right now in the market.

@audioman58 

Innuos  mini pulse streamer , with LPS power supply option 

up to 2-3T SS drive internally and very good app.

And you’re getting these where for $350 or less?

@tenpop  If a dac is taking an asynhronous input (USB) from a streamer's output, it does not rely on a clocking device inside the streamer. With other inputs, you have unnecessarily turned a streamer from just a rendering device into something else and created problems. 

You could empty your wallet, 20k, 30k on a streamer just to fix a problem that never had to be created (in the first place),. 

@deep_333 , re: streamers Asynchronous output. Very interesting as I just picked up an Ayre QB9TWENTY.  I'm absolutely loving it, just using with a laptop so far. Very special dac! I've wondered as I explore streamer options to pair how important it be that the streamer outputs in an Asynchronous path?? Sounds like it's vital. Is wimm one of the only ones?  I would certainly upgrade to Lumin or Auralic's new S1 but didn't want to immediately disregard the ultra... The feature set looks fantastic for the price.  And what about the new mac mini m4 optimized as streamer?
Appreciate any thoughts from you and the group, as you're the only one who has mentioned this "not so insignificant point"
 

MNX10, it does it all and it's simple, has good software, supports all the streaming services nativity. When I was looking to add a budget streamer to my vintage system, this one ticked all the boxes for me. 

My only issue is, got the silver one, like 6 months after they came out in black. 

WiiM Pro which supports Amazon music. This is an amazing company.

For my 2-ch system, I have BS N130, NAD C658, and NAD M12 streamers (all in their boxes), while I use my wife's (broken screen) Samsung phone running DeX to stream anything through a DeX dock and HDMI audio stripper to Coax S/PDIF output. Connect the Coax (or Toslink) to a DAC (volume controlled with the phone). DeX allows wireless keyboard control, and/or voice. Works great, sounds great, cost very little, practically invisible, and if you use a monitor (as I do) - then the phone and dock can be completely out of sight (as I have mine).

I know this will get lost in the rah rah noise, but look at a Hollis Audio Labs MS6 streamer with a GAN power supply. Little nuc based running W10, streamlined for maximum audio performance. Better than a famed custom MacBook laptop and even beats any Node variety I've heard by quite a ways. You can run via traditional monitor screen and mouse or headless using your phone to control Foobar or via Chrome Remote Desktop. Lots of tweaks to the operating system to maximize performance on audio only. Don't expect to play games on this guy.

HAL MS6 Server thread on Audiocircle

In my opinion, worth looking at for sure.

I happily have the a BS Node N130 on a system.

In your $350 price range, I'd order both, the Bluesound Node 130 which as @coronado2 said, is on "special" now for $349 since it will soon be discontinued for the three new models of "Nodes" they have come out with, AND the Wiim Ultra. Test them out within the return period at Amazon and see which one (if either) is demonstrably better sounding to you in your setup. 

I have 1 Bluesound vault purchased in July, 2018 and 4 Bluesound streamers purchased shortly after, and all have worked flawlessly. 

I have a WiiM Pro  - Schiit Bifrost (fully upgraded) - NAD D3020 VII - Tekton Lore for my bedroom set up. The Bifrost was a real upgrade for the system.

The WiiM streamer works flawlessly streaming Tidal through Tidal Connect.

The Ifi streamer. I have everything from the Node N100 to an Esoteric NO5, and for the price it’s amazing.

Node Nano, assuming you do not need to bring the big guns out as per your post, se we are going for convenience, price, and functionality.  Bluesound has the best software in the business, which is why it is so damn popular, you can stream everything to it.  I stream Amazon Music, SiriusXM, and Spotify to mine and a lot of background music from SiriusXM for me.  See link here:  Bluesound music services

+++ for Bluesound NODE. It's just been the reliable one amongst my experiments with other streamers. The app is great and well-sorted. The outgoing N130 is being discounted to $349 new. Easy choice. If your DAC does USB Audio, you can output that from the N130 Node as well as coax and optical. 

+WiiM Pro, bit perfect digital output to your DAC, software easy to operate, Amazon HD, Qobuz, Tidal, Spotify, Pandora, and more all native in the app. App has both Parametric and graphic EQ if you want to play around a little.

Enjoy the music! 

A brand new Bluesound Node 130 can be bought right now for $349.00.

Can’t say it is my favourite - yet - as I haven’t heard it yet, but on the strength of a long French hifi forum thread singing its praises SQ wise I have a Ustars C19 winging its way here. RPI 4 based with Ropiee pre-installed but you can flash other OS’es if so inclined.

If you’re an iPhone user,  a Lightning to USB Camera Adapter 😉

+1 Auralic Aries Mini

Since you’re using your a seperate DAC the WiiM Pro using the Coaxial output works good for $149. The WiiM Pro has a coaxial output rate of up to 192 kHz and 24-bit.It can even be controlled with voice commands by an Amazon Echo dot.

A used Auralic Aries Mini if you can find one.

@deep_333 Only the Wiim pro has aynchronous USB out

I believe you mean the Wiim Ultra. My Wiim Pro+ does not have a USB output. It is also galvanically isolated, just like the iFi Zen Stream. The main difference is that it supports only up to 24/192 PCM and doesn’t include DSD, which isn’t a big deal for me. In addition, unlike ifi ZS, It has just one USB port, so if it’s used for local SSD/HDD storage, it can’t be used as a digital output. My point here is that Ifi ZS does not sound better than MXN10 because of the reinforced USB port. MXN10’s noise floor is as good and its preamp section outperforms both BS and wiim pro+.

Initially, I intended to buy the Ultra until I learned it doesn’t support AirPlay. That is another reason leading me to choose the MXN10 instead. Someday, I might find out how the Ultra compares sonically to the MXN10 when using USB out. Until then, I’m quite pleased with the MXN10.  I also encourage you to do the same some day.

Take a look at reviews from Stereophile, What Hi-Fi, Darko too to name a few.

Wiim has the best software, easiest to setup and use, with the most features. No bugs,  no issues. 

I was setting up a budget system in one of my bedrooms to utilize a pair of Polk Audio Monitor 10's that I bought new in 1988 and a Reisong A10 EL34 Integrated Amp I bought in 2020.  I was only doing streaming, and after some research I went with the Audioengine B1 Streamer for $189.00 and a Schiit Audio Modi+ DAC for $129.00.  I have been absolutely thrilled with the ease of use and performance of both items.  These together are under your budget, and since you don't need a DAC the Audioengine B1 would be well under your budget.  Hope this was helpful. 

I really do not think anything ~$1000 can beat Holo Audio Red. If one is willing to spend extra money on high performance cables and fuse, Red can perform way above based on my experience. 

Used Bluesound Node 130 (I currently own), or the new Bluesound Nano.....though I don't have any experience with it.

Wiim or ifi

Innuos  mini pulse streamer , with LPS power supply option 

up to 2-3T SS drive internally and very good app.

Raspberry PI and a PI2AES or just a PI if you only want USB.  PI2AES with AES is now only $200 and $150 if you don't need it so you'll have money left over.to invest in a good power supply

Had Wiim Pro Plus and MXN10 (refurb. $315). SQ wise, MXN10 > Wiim Ultra (per Darko) = Wiim Pro Plus.

@lanx0003 Only the Wiim pro has aynchronous USB out. It will use the OP’s DAC without getting bottlenecked by the streamer.

It is a not so small detail that no goofy reviewer has ever mentioned!! They probably tested it with bottleneck toslink or coax if they ran it to a external dac (facepalm).....not to mention a full PEQ (enable or disable) that it comes with to tweak things to taste for whatever headphone he’s got....and a whole lot of other features (for $300 new).

The Cambridge, Bluesound, whatever is simply no match...

The Wiim Ultra build quality of course reflects the price...plasticky....but, that is to be expected..... but they definitely seem to have some technical expertise and a good software engineer on their payroll.

Your title question is unrelated to your actual quest. Without context any answer is valueless. For example, if you ever want to play a stored track the Wiim Ultra is worthless.

Had Wiim Pro Plus and MXN10 (refurb. $315).  SQ wise, MXN10 > Wiim Ultra (per Darko) = Wiim Pro Plus.

deep_333 and oddiofyl

Bluesound and Wii are on my "look at" list. Thanks for sharing.

Wiim Ultra...I use it with a Schiit headphone amp for my headphones.

It comes with some neat features you won’t find in any streamer.

Bluesound Nano.    You can not do better for the money .   $299

old macbook?  chromecast?

A used Blue Sound Node.. Good luck.