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Hunting Unicorns

Why is it so difficult/impractical/impossible to design a music server requiring no external control device such as a laptop or tablet? The Aurender A100H seems nearest to what I want -- onboard storage, USB output, no DAC, no volume control. But as I understand it, even this requires "iPad control via the Conductor app" and offers no access to web-based streaming radio stations. So, like many others posting here, I'm "wasting" a Macbook Pro as my digital music source, feeding USB to a streamer/DAC/digital preamp combo device. 

To rephrase: why can't I have just one box receiving everything from everywhere, and sending anything via USB to my favorite outboard DAC? Of course this unicorn WOULD have its own dedicated remote that is not itself a computer.

Advance apologies for what is very likely a dumb question generated by an ancient, analog-wired brain.
hickamore
djones51
4,947 posts
 
What is this streamer/DAC/preamp device you have? Doesn't the streamer part do internet radio? 
hickamore OP
647 posts
 
The current streamer/DAC/preamp is Cambridge 851N. It probably does wireless internet radio, but since audio is better from USB, I just use that for convenience since I need the laptop anyhow.

djones51
4,947 posts
 
There are components that will do what you want except for the remote control as far as I know they all use an app on a tablet/smart phone/ computer or web interface to control the media. Might be something out there but I have never come across it.
hickamore OP
647 posts
 
erik_squires the hidden Linux box plus inexpensive streamer sounds good, but apparently you still need at least a phone. My unattainable object is something requiring no external multi-purpose device. From ddude03 above I gather that even Lumen needs your phone. 
jond's avatar
jond
5,739 posts
 
If there was such a product I suspect the "remote" would end up looking like a tablet because of the amount of info that needs to be displayed. If you want the same functionality as a control app you either need a control app or a device that acts like one.
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