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

I use MacMini - Itunes/ALAC - WiFi -Airport Express - Benchmark DAC1 - Power amp.  WiFi makes playback program, computer speed, amount of memory etc. irrelevant.  I use ALAC since it is format used to send the data over WiFi (one conversion less).  WiFi allows to keep computer away from the audio system.  I also use computer during playback (won't affect the sound).  Airport Express has decent jitter spects (258ps measured by Stereophile) but only on the Toslink output.  Analog output is pretty bad showing jitter of 2400ps.  Apple TV receives data at 44.1kHz but outputs it at 48kHz.  That requires interpolation and might affect the sound.  My DAC suppresses jitter (no noise - very clean sound).

I don't understand problems with USB.  With good cable and asynchronous USB DAC it delivers jitter free music.  What is common with WiFi (or any other bridge) is lack of timing that is recreated on the other side of the bridge.

kijanki, a few comments ...

1. When you say WiFi, I'm assuming you mean you're using Airplay. The problem is that Airplay doesn't support anything above 16/44.1. So if you want to stream hi-res, e.g. 24/96, I don't think that's an option with your current wifi setup. I could be wrong though.

2. Apple TV sample rate - I understand that it outputs at 48kHz but I have never seen conclusive data that it impacts the sound to the point where the difference is noticeable to the average listener. The question is if it's worth going to Airport Express (which probably has worse jitter problems) over the Apple TV.

3. I have thought about using Airport Express instead of Apple TV, but I'm not sure if I'll be trading one problem with another - i.e. better sampling rate but worse jitter. I use Cambridge Audio 851D, so not sure how well jitter suppression works here.

Part of me says that I should just stick with Apple TV over Airplay until the streaming technology improves substantially.

arafiq,

1. you're right, but all my music is 16/44.1 - good enough for me.  Most of music comes as 16/44.1 while a lot of higher rate music is the same upsampled 16/44.1 - not sounding any better (My DAC upsamples anyway)
2. I have no experience with Apple TV but I have read a few posts on this forum claiming detectable sound difference.
3. 258ps of jitter is not a lot but might be audible.  Jitter is basically addition of noise that is proportional to signal level and undetectable without music.  Pretty much every DAC has jitter suppression either in form of PLL or asynchronous rate converter (that suppresses better). Placing reclocker in front of the DAC is always helpful.  Once you get rid of jitter at the end nothing else affects the sound.  I'm so far happy with my setup but in your situation I would investigate Sonos, Bluesound etc.  More people today switch to computer server for convenience, therefore more bridge devices will become available - perhaps Apple TV with multiple output rates?

The Bluesound Node is not a storage device, only the Vault is the storage device. I have the Vault 2 and a Node 2 currently. 

 "SO, mahler, how do you like the bluesound?"

  I was holding off answering this until I got a little more experience using it.  In general, I like it, but it is far from perfect.
  In answer to some of the questions posed since my post of mid january, I don't think that one can use any of the components unless you get the Vault.  The Vault is the only part of the system that can store music and controls the GUI, among other things.  I knew that going in, so that isn't a problem, but I do think the ads are misleading in that department.
  The sound is great.  I did a few comparisons with CDs that I had ripped to the Vault and playing them from my Oppo 105 and the differences are trivial at best.
   One problem is the App, which isn't quite ready for Prime Time.  It works a lot better at identifying albums than i tunes, but that is a low bar to step over.  It doesn't do the best job of organizing and finding albums compared to some other apps out there.  It is somewhat counterintuitive and difficult to make plays lists with.  It also frequently gets updated, which might be a good thing but which crashes the whole app and requires a reboot of the the components.
This also happens when Apple updates the iPad or the Android updates occur.  It isn't the hassle free panacea that I had been seeking compared to doing a Mac and Dac.  Nothing for me will beat popping in a disc and hitting play.
  It is an improvement over iTunes, but it could be so much more.