@arafiq have not compared ATV to Bluesound, but compared to Sonos (both digital out) it is a clear step up in SQ. Bluesound iOS app then becomes your UI, and your music library in iTunes just another source. Bluesound does hires, as do many other streaming solutions, just not Sonos or ATV.
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
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
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- 37 posts total
Bluesound Node2 review :- http://www.whathifi.com/bluesound/node-2/review?oq=node%202&src=textfield&aq=node%202&ty... |
Hey Mark I too got tired of my Mac&Dac setup and got the Bluesound 2 Vault and Node. As has been mentioned upstream, thehy require an ethernet connection. It generally works well, except there are frequent updates, and you have to rest the whole system with each update (or at least I have to reset mine, perhaps other uses don't have to). Frequent unwanted i tunes updates were one reason that I bailed on Mac&Dac, so this does not make me happy. There is no substitue for Physical Media, imo |
I like to own the physical disc too but lately I have been converting my CDs to .wav and putting them on a hard drive. I use my OPPO 103D universal player to send the digital stream to my NAD M51 DAC and it sounds great plus the Playlist and cover art appears on my TV and my tablet which also serves as the remote/interface for all my media. I would love something like the Bluesound Vault 2 but I can't justify the cost right now with a kid in college... maybe next year. I almost bought the original Vault but didn't like the form factor and lack of coax digital out. So mahler, how do you like the Vault 2 ? |
I don’t know, but I don’t think Bluesound is doing a good job of explaining the technology as well as they should be. For example, they don’t explain how well streaming works if you only buy the Node 2 unit, i.e. no Vault. Currently, I’m using Airplay to stream music to my Apple TV. There’s very little information on how this can improve the sound. I'm sure someone has done subjective studies, but I can't find any info. Bluesound doesn’t support Airplay, so they advise that you buy an airport express and hook it up to the Node. https://support.bluesound.com/hc/en-us/articles/200271836-Does-Bluesound-support-Apple-AirPlay- Well, that’s confusing. Do I really need to buy an airport express? I don’t want to, because the whole idea is to simplify the setup with Bluesound, not add more pieces to the puzzle. By suggesting that the user add the Airport Express, I believe Bluesound is diluting the message. I’m assuming that they have an alternative (to Airplay) proprietary streaming protocol that can work well with a Mac/iTunes. We know that Airplay cannot stream hi-res music, but can a Node 2 stream in, say 24/96, given a Mac and iTunes combo? There are lots of obvious questions and not much information on the net. |
- 37 posts total