Streamer question

I follow the path of yage69 and x5owner1 with a little different twist. These days some DAC's have streaming capability designed into the product. Go look for a DAC with an internet connection port or Wi-Fi and work from there.

The A Cappella III by Musica Pristina exclusively uses Roon as it’s operating system, so you would not have to rely on maker to "keep up to date with the ever changing world of streaming". When looking for a dedicated streamer that outputs I2S formatted correctly for my Holo Audio May KTE DAC, I landed on this streamer. I have not yet purchased it, but had several really informative conversations with the maker, Kevin Welsh.

There are nearly endless choices for streamers currently on the market. You can spend anywhere from a couple hundred bucks to upwards of $40K. The more people you ask, the more unique answers you will receive. Musica Pristina is a USA company. Strike up a conversation with the owner and I think you’ll find him very knowledgeable about his product and digital audio in general. (I have no affiliation with Kevin Welsh or Musica Pristina).

I have a Lucas Audio lab mini somewhat customized. Lucas is one of my audio heroes and is honest, generous, and helpful as I've ever worked with in this business. For the quality he provides in service and build, can't beat the value. He'll build the best server you can budget for and support you for the long haul. You'll need it, too, as software, firmware, specs of DACs are always changing. 

I have a few streamers: Orchard Audio PecanPi, LUMIN U1 Mini and a Sonore UltraRendu. I am happy with all of them. But granted I have a little bit of a complex chain from the switch to the streamer, but sometimes the UltraRendu loses its IP address. I switched it out for the LUMIN and I haven’t had that problem yet. 

Thanks for all the input.
I have talked with owners of both companies and I like very much the way they approach the digital chain.
I have also looked at bryston bdp 3 3.5k as well as Wolf Audio 5K starting point
I am leaning towards lucas audio labs.


I did also look at lumin mini 
Dan