Streamers, servers, players - woefully overpriced??

A shame about the lack of proper support for your mRendu. Fortunately, I've had the opposite experience from Sonore. In fact, Jesus went out of his way to help me with a control/library app (Rigelian) when the developer of the app offered little.

False. Plenty of extremely cheap streamers available from Chromecast Audio to Pi. Lots of extremely affordable options.

Melvinjames, you’ve got some pretty impressive connections in Tech Support.  I invoked Moses to help me with my streamer but he was busy with the Jewish Holidays....

Try a DAP with USB audio out, you will be pleasantly surprised 

I agree with Thyname further anyone happy with the prices and satisfied with playback performance that’s great . Developing ever better playback performance is passion driven which obviously needs to have incentives like earning money at the same time.

I wouldn’t think about complaining about a $5.00 Starbucks coffee telling the waiter that I can make the same cup of coffee for pennies at home likewise of a great performing digital component you can build one yourself with off the shelf parts if you choose to do so , me no thanks I’ll go the other route .