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Need help on buying a streamer / network player

Please help me to pick the right streamer.

I am currently streaming wirelessly from a NAS to a Windows laptop, and play using Foobar2000, digital (USB) out to a DAC.  There are some intermittent "interruptions" while playing.  I think that is caused by Foobar because the computer is fairly new, a powerful one and not running anything.  Also, I can't setup Foobar such that I can create smart playlist based on my rating, part of the reason is I play FLAC files with separate cue sheets.  Thirdly, I can free up the laptop for somethign else.  So, I am thinking to get a streamer, but I have some specific requirements:

1) There is no ethernet cable.  So, need to discover and stream music from the NAS wirelessly, and I can control it using my phone or tablet wirelessly.  If I buy a server and move all my music, than I don't need wireless for streaming, but I still need wireless to control it.
2) Can handle cue sheets.  I can split them up by track, but then it is (a lot of) additional work.  But if I can't find one, this may be one of the requirement to be dropped.
3) When I compare Foobar to Groove, I like Foobar better.  So, I hope the player in the streamer sound as good, if not better, than Foobar.
4) Stable.  No intermittent interruptions or drop out.  I read some comment for the Bluesound Note 2i that it sometimes failed to connect to NAS wirelessly.  Same thing happened on my Windows computer, sometimes the NAS drive disappear.  
5) <$1000 
6) I don't need a DAC, but it seems most of them has it.
7) I don't need multi room support

I am surprised many doesn't support wireless.  I gather the list below, and would like any feedback on them about stability.

1) Yamaha WXC-50
2) Bluesound Note 2i 
3) Primare NP5 Prisma
4) DenonDNP-800NE
5) find another software on the computer

Especially, I am interested to know CUE support, stability, and sound quality.
I know the Bluesound is widely recommended, but I read the audioscience testing saying that the Toslink is having some problem.  It also doesn't support CUE sheets.

Buying a streamer or network player is much harder than I thought.  =(
gte357s
thyname's avatar
thyname
3,107 posts
 
NAS is not a server. Total different things. Unless is a really powerful, with a strong processor and enough RAM.

I would second Innuos here. ZEN and higher if you can afford them. Innuos is a one-box solution: server, streamer, CD ripper, storage 

As for streamer, take a look at these two brands: (1) Sonore, and (2) SOtM. They have solutions for all kind of budgets. Sonore microRendu (now discontented) can be found for less than $300 (you need a DC power supply), and SOtM sMS-300 in around that price range. They of course have higher priced / higher performance models, like opticalRendu or SOtM sMS Ultra Neo
thyname's avatar
thyname
3,107 posts
 
Oh... and get Roon. Best purchase I have ever made in this hobby, by far. I bought Lifetime about three years ago. Until recently, the Roon Lifetime used to be $499
mahler123
3,322 posts
 
@gte357s 

I second the Bluesound Node and Vault recommendations as they sound pretty decent.  There are occasional software glitches.  A Mac Mini with Audirvana in my setup sounded better than Bluesound, but not a huge difference.  The Bluesound software works better than Audirvana Plus, but I haven’t used the most recent updates on the latter so I may be out of touch there.  The Bluesound software tends to crash as well, usually with failed updates
mrklas
441 posts
 
@gte357s 
My set-up issues were directly related to me.  I decided to switch from wifi to ethernet to make it easier for remote 'trouble shooting'.

And now that my system is set-up correctly I wouldn't change a thing.  Also airplay is useful when entertaining....others can share music.
mrklas
441 posts
 
@gte357s 

My NAS is a Western Digital PR 2100.
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