Newbie Looking for Advice on Streaming Music


Hello Audiogon world.

I am new to this hobby but I think it will suit me well as it looks like it is an endless pursuit of perfection of sound without ever really getting there.  I love the endless possibilities, difference in thought, technology driven aspect mixed with old school art.

I am in the process of building my first 2 channel set up and recently picked up a Primaluna Dialogue HP and a pair of Sonus Faber Chameleons for starters.

Im looking to stream music from Tidal to the new equipment as simple as possible without compromising sound as much as I possibly can (budget permitting of course)

I have been doing some research and I must say this part of the equation is rather confusing with a lot of technical speak that gets brought into the discussion which is a bit overwhelming for a newbie trying to soak it all in.

Do I need to purchase a high quality DAC?
Can I just buy a streaming box like the Paradigm PW Link or Def Tech W Adapt and hook it into the Primaluna?
Do I go with the Halide Design DAC HD D/A Converter from computer straight into Primaluna?
I also read about the wyred4sound modified Sonos Connect.  Does that plus into a DAC or straight into Amp?

Apologies for all the newbie questions.  I did try searching and doing some research but found myself getting confused.  If someone could help me clear up what I will need that will set me on the path to researching the best value for my budget for each component I will need to accomplish my goals of streaming my music from Tidal.

Thanks in advance.  I think this will be a fun hobby!

Don

donblackie
Jond

Understood and I appreciate the point you are making which is "good sound" is all relative.  I guess what I am trying to figure out is, what is the appropriate level of component to pair with the stuff I have already purchased?

Is hooking up a bluesound appropriate for the amp and speaker combo I have?

The other hobby I have is race cars.  Id align this with putting a set up cheap tires on a high performance car. 
If you had a honda civic, you could go with budget tires.  
If you have a mercedes, you could go with mid range tires
If you have a ferrari, you more than likely want to go with high end tires.

Is my gear I already purchased the honda civic, the mercedes or somewhere in between? 

Should I invest my money first in a good quality DAC first (for which I can hook up a laptop to) then look for a streaming box after? 

Thanks for the advice thus far.  Im learning a ton

Don
 
Thanks jl35

Looks like the Oppo Sonica might be the sweet spot?  Looks like I can hook up my laptop and stream from Tidal.  Is the level of component appropriate for the amp and speakers I have already purchased?
Blue Sound is one option. There are many. 

Auralic has reduced pricing on their current new units (new releases on the way) so you could step up from the mini and get a unit with the DAC built in.

There are many terrific DACs on the market, at very reasonable prices, should you want a stand alone DAC.

I'd look at this as the start of a journey. You'll decide how far and deep you go. I'd be super excited, and it sounds like you are! Welcome to Audiogon.
I also have the Wyrd4 Sonos and it is excellent , but does need a DAC...Sonos has a great user interface and very easy to set up

You will need two things, and sometimes they come in one box. You will need a streaming device and a DAC. Simple to use streaming devices could be an Apple Airport Express, a Sonus Connect or a Google Chromecast Audio. Personally I prefer these units to dedicated audiophile streamers because these three are from brands with such a market penetration that each and every streaming service will have to provide an App - you are not locked in. These three all have an inbuilt DAC, and to be honest pretty good ones. So you could start with them and use their internal DACs first, to see if you like the system. In my own case, I use Chromecast Audio players in a number of diferent set ups, and I am rather pleased. Even in my main system with Quad 2805 electrostats the sound is very good. This of course is not surprising, given the excellent measured results with 16/44 (i.e cd quality) recordings. See here for measurements: http://archimago.blogspot.nl/2016/02/measurements-google-chromecast-audio.html
The Airport Express measures similarly well, but it is perhaps slightly less convenient because it needs continued contact with your tablet or smartphone: http://www.kenrockwell.com/apple/airport-express-audio-quality-2014.htm
If you think you can get better audio quality, you can get a DAC with optical input (all three streamers that I mentioned have optical outputs as well and produce bitperfect and hence identical digital output). Here, the sky is the limit, but the million dollar question is whether you will hear the difference, as differences will be minute at best. The Pioneer U-05 would be a very good DAC at a reasonable price, the Benchmark DAC 3 defines the high end of the market, and an Oppo UD 205 UHD Bluray player may be a very practical option, as it combines pre amplifier, UHD multi format disc player and DAC with external inputs. If you also want digital room equalization the new DSpeaker Antimode X4 will give you that, plus automatic crossover setting between main speakers and subwoofers. All four of these DACs have variable outputs (i.e. a volume control) so they can serve as pre amplifiers, but not all of them still have analogue inputs for legacy gear like turntables.
But if I compare the sound quality of even the analogue output of a Chromecast Audio with that of a good turntable like my Linn Sondek LP12, it is obvious that the 16/44 stream is far superior.