Suggestion for $10K soup to nuts digital?

@baylinor Even as a dealer, I agree with your post. But whether we do so this in a professional capacity or in a personal one, everyone will list the brand ms and products they most advocate for. Some dealers may be doing it to try to capitalize on the situation, but most dealers (including myself) truly believe in the products they carry.

It’s a public forum and everyone should be allowed a say, but if there was some sort of badge or label under our usernames that show if someone is a verified dealer, I would be supportive of that. 

I also agree that the Aurender mobile app had some painful user experience issues, but the Aurender Lite 3 app was just released and is still accepting feedback from the beta community. It has a sexier user interface than the previous version and is a much better user experience overall. 

What about just purchasing software for your Mac - Roon and HQ player? You can then either go straight into a network ready DAC or purchase an endpoint - like Sonore - to "convert" the ethernet into USB for a USB DAC. Roon and HQ player will cost you under $1K to purchase and are loaded with features, including some very high level filters in HQ player. Of course dealers will tell you that "a dedicated streamer is needed" but no one on this planet can demonstrate a rumor of difference across every measurable characteristic nor a plausible mechanism for why the sound could be any different. This is NOT a bits are bits argument - it is a modulated analog signal encoding digital data is a modulated analog signal encoding digital data when the signal is received by a modern receiver argument.

This leaves you $9K for the DAC! That would be a fun for shopping. 

What about just purchasing software for your Mac - Roon and HQ player? You can then either go straight into a network ready DAC or purchase an endpoint - like Sonore - to "convert" the ethernet into USB for a USB DAC. Roon and HQ player will cost you under $1K to purchase and are loaded with features, including some very high level filters in HQ player

I am new to digital, but the last millennium CD player always worked fine.

However the amount of computer noise I had recently using my new DAC as an ADC was astounding.

So I am not sure any old computer makes for a de facto good starting point??

Are those all in one solutions like a TDAI with the Roon player built in worthwhile?
(Or worthwhile is one needs an amp and player?)

miniDSP SHD

@m-db 

Lumin T2 and Roon Nucleus+.  Way under 10K OR used Lumin X1 and Roon Nucleus+ also throw in a NAS drive and you are still under 10K if you get the Lumin T2.

Let us know how you make out with your decision!