Where are the cheap home streamers?

I recently committed to separating my DAC from my streamer in the hopes that I could better manage upgrading needs along the way. One side up grades while the other doesn't etc.
I did find it difficult to find a streamer that checked all the boxes and a lot of that had to do with services followed by sound quality.  of course I am coming from a reasonable price standpoint because again, the technology for streaming is happening to fast for me to justify spending a bunch on a streamer yet.
Th bluesound products really are a great way to go while more of this shakes itself out.  Really versatile and can be used with Roon as well.  (Although if all you have is a Bluesound Node, you don't really need Roon).
My DAC is a Denafrips so I wanted to get high res files when available so that also limited me with the Bluesound that does not output those digitally when connecting it just as a streamer to the Denafrips.
For now I am giving a Raspberry Pi 4b with RoPieeeXL a shot using Roon.  Upgraded power supply addresses the biggest weak link with ese.  Initially I am having too many issues with dropped signal even though I shouldn't.  I am still working on it.  When it works, it's all I need.
Another product I might try is the Sonore Micro Rendue which get rave reviews.
Yes the Google Chromecast is awesome.

Here are some additional thoughts about the benefits of non-cd digital playback by Robert Harley in which he argues that jitter is higher from CD players than from hard-drive based playback solutions.  Older, but relevant: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/do-hard-disk-drives-sound-better-than-cd-2/

@danvignau 

yes

@austinstereo / O/P

klipsch streamer is playfi  costs about 
$130 (I forget exactly) and sounds better than Bluesound node 2i.   Unlike raspberry Pi it’s plug and play.  Their ap used to be quite bad so you’ll see early reviews as bad but is much improved.  If your customers use just Spotify the ap becomes moot/is no longer used after initial setup   I’m long past this level but it’s right in your customer’s sweet spot.  

They’re young right, and they’re  probably already using Spotify.   This (and tidal’s new similar system that not on much hardware yet) is key for you.  It unhinges the streamer from control/phone.  

The answer to your original question is that hardware is probably less than half the question.  Software has to be developed and maintained and that’s expensive.  Software is also probably more than half the decision for the user.  A big qualification in order if you want to sell any inexpensive streamer.  This can be solved by the maker/seller by adapting canned systems like playfi and can be solved by the user by staying with Spotify (or both). 

There are about 6 decently good flexible streamers in the $ 4-6 hundred range.  There are a couple of good threads on here where many gave good info about this. I did a summary in one of my posts (it was made less hastily than this one).  

Chrome cast sound is just bad.   It’s a moot point I k ow for you because the audio only is discontinued.  People who say it sounds good are either lying or don’t know the difference between good sound and bad.  It’s useful for SoundCloud, Bandcamp but.  Ugh.  Also, it’s a problem for apples.  

Finally, take a look at this below.  I haven’t used this gizmo but this reviewer is respected for his koweledge of digital audio (although not necessarily his politics or taste in music) :


https://youtu.be/NvF1lTsgv6o


Apologize to other members if I’m repeating their ideas (I didn’t read the entire thread) and to you if you k ow this stuff already.  

Hi @drugolf


you said 

“My DAC is a Denafrips so I wanted to get high res files when available so that also limited me with the Bluesound that does not output those digitally when connecting it just as a streamer to the Denafrips.”

I have the 700$ Denafrips DAC outbound from a Node2 .   I stream 24/192 to it w/o issue ( files in my local server ) .  The display in dac confirms resolution .

What am I missing?

be safe
Bill