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streamer for PWD DAC mkII - tired of a computer and complicated connectivity!

Hello All,

I have a PS Audio Perfect Wave DAC mkII (PWD II) and I am sick and tired of having a computer connected to my hi-fi system.  I find it far easier to clean and play a record than it is to play a digital file, this is not acceptable!

I would love to keep my PWD II as it is a great sounding piece of gear, but I need to feed it with a music stream that is simple, and eliminate the mac mini and software.  I would love to use a Sonos Connect, but it cannot handle high res music.  Is there any other solution?  Is there a competitor to Sonos that handles high res?  Can I plug in an Apple TV and play music from the network without needing to look at iTunes on a computer somewhere?  Is there a low cost streamer that can plug into the PWD?  Can I control a NAS drive connected to the PWD II via ethernet without a computer?

Or, do I sell the PWD II, raise some funds, and buy a Cambridge 851N or Sony HAP-Z1ES?  Both of these units look way simpler, and both have plusses and minuses:  The Sony supports DSD, The Cambridge supports iTunes Airplay (and I would assume I can stream Apple Music through that?).

Thank you for your help!
- Mark
marktomaras
marktomaras OP
544 posts
 
Moryoga,  that was probably a good move! I prefer listening to vinyl on my system though my whole quest for a digital plan here is to at least to be able to enjoy my digital somewhat!

for the time being I decided to reconfigure my Mac Mini and my set up somewhat and hold off on any additional purchases. I had an old SSD laying around so I installed that in the Mac Mini to make it a little zippier,  I connected the hard drive directly to the Mac Mini to  eliminate network funniness,  i've converted all my files to AIFF, and playing them using iTunes and bit perfect.   I've set the computer to never sleep, there's no display attached to it so it looks fine on the audio rack,  and since the computers use for absolutely nothing else, it seems to be always ready for the iPhone remote app. 

So that's the plan, I haven't tested it fully yet,  but I'll keep you posted on the thread! Thanks for your help so far. I hope in a year's time  there will be an interesting solution for me at a good price.
bhans
7 posts
 
marktomaras- Can you rip CD's with the mac mini? This seems like a nice option. I'm looking at the Bluesound Node2 right now but this might be something worth looking int.
marktomaras OP
544 posts
 
Yes, you can rip with the mini. Some models have a built in optical drive, some require an external drive to rip.  I like the idea of a bluesound vault 2 over the node. It is basically a node  with an optical drive for ripping and a hard drive for storage.  I have yet to use one, but they look interesting.  The app and usability will be important in making a decision on that brand.
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acousticfrontiers
22 posts
 
Bluesound Node 2. Sounds better than Sonos, app easier to use, TIDAL integration and just around your $400 price point. Above that Aurender N100, which is on a different level in many ways. If you can find a dealer with some stuff on demo so you can get a feel for the apps and how they work etc.

i agree that computers can be a distraction from listening to music. They always seem to need some attention. Now that piece of dedicated streamers has come down so much I see little reason for a computer.
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