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My audio system and streaming service are not yet on speaking terms. Help needed.

For 15 years I have enjoyed my primary home audio system to play a large CD collection that consists of jazz, rock, pop and classical, including some SACDs, using an OPPO BDP-95 as my player, Anthem electronic (AVM 20 and MCA 50), Paradigm Signature S2s on custom stands adjusted to my listening height and a Velodyne DD-15 in a room that allows for proper placement of the speakers and subwoofer along with decor that doubles as room treatment. It is hardly high end compared to some of the great systems some of you have assembled, but it has worked well for me, creating an immersive listening experience with a wide soundstage, clarity of placement of instruments and a balanced and naturally sounding output that is detailed but not harsh.

It's only been more recently that I turned to streaming services, first to stream in my vehicles, than through a pair of powered speakers set up in my home gym so I can more easily listen to music while I work out. I chose Tidal, enjoyed the quality of the sound and the ability to create playlists and explore deeper tracks or related artists, but I have not compared it yet to other streaming services. I have the Todal app on both my iPhone and iMac.

Then my Oppo conked out. While I do plan to try what might be a simple fix, with some emailed instructions from Oppo, I'd like to integrate my two systems, and am truly a newbie in that task. 

I currently use an Eero Mesh server and will soon have the option to upgrade my home Internet to Fiberoptic as that infrastructure was just added to my neighborhood this past couple of weeks, with the connection to my home coming sometime later this month. My listening room is on the first floor, as is the room with my modem and router. 

As for budget, while I don't have any real cap, I prefer to consider options in multiple price ranges, weighing marginal gains versus costs, before deciding. I would prefer to have the flexibility to transfer my disks to an external hard drive for ease of use. I have two 8 TB G-Technology external drives that I have long used to backup computer files, and store video that would consume too much space on my iMac drive, but lack the hardware to burn my CDs to those drives. So I have need for a music server or NAS drive in addition to a music streamer. My CD/SACD selection has been carefully acquired and curated by is hardly massive, no more than a thousand or so. 

As I mentioned, I do enjoy creating and tweaking playlists, so would be open to trying ROON to compare its use to using Tidal directly. I'd also like the ability to share playlists, including with people who use a different streaming service than I do, as I get as much delight sharing music as listening to it, a byproduct of being in a band a long time ago.

So please do fire away with suggestions, issues to consider and your own experiences -- most of you have vastly more experience than I do, so I appreciate whatever you can share.

 

 

jonsher
ghdprentice
7,035 posts
 

Qobuz is the best sounding service and has over 500,000 high resolution albums.

 

Streaming has a very low network demand. My system works without hitch when my iPad will not refresh a page. I operate my two systems with dedicated streamers using a wall wart wifi extender… so the dedicated streamers do not need internal wifi. I know of many +$150K systems working this way.

 

Streamers are critical components, just like preamp, amp, TT, or DAC. Streamers can provide better sound quality than a CD (those high res albums), or at least as good as CD when the same red book format is streamed. I had 2,000 CDs…. I gave them away.

‘I have been streaming and used everything from iPods, PC, MAC, iPads and dedicated streamers. In general, a dedicated streamer will be vastly better than other option. You can see my current systems under my UserID.

If you choose wisely you get what you pay for. I have owned dedicated streamers from $3K, $5K, $10K and $22K. In each case the sound quality tracked with the cost. While I owned a Aurlic Aries G2, the remainder have been Aurender. Aurender only makes streamers. Their flagship is the most used in audio shows because of its sound quality. I highly recommend Aurender. It does not support Roon. I have used a number of PC and Mac based control software. I am very happy to leave that connection in the past.

I prefer to have a box… like every other audio component. Slap it down and start playing. They have a software app (Conductor) to access streaming, any stored files, connect to your NAS and thousands of internet stations. It is highly regarded, however is not a Roon. I like to listen to music, and with the streaming output on my system equaling the sound quality of my vinyl rig, I find Conductor very good for finding, and consolidating my library… of files and streaming albums/songs.

 

There are a contingent of folks that have implemented elaborate high end audio network routers and auxiliary boxes and cables and believe they are getting outstanding sound. My feeling is you can do all sorts of contortions or get a high quality streamer. I was in IT for well over thirty years. I got the fiddling out of my system. I want to sit down and hear reliable audiophile level sound quality and not fiddle. A high quality streamer gives you this.

erik_squires
16,121 posts
 

I have Roon but I'm on the fence about it.  It does play Quboz and Tidal and your own library.  A recent addition lets you connect to your home remotely.

It also has built in DSP capabilities allowing you to EQ in the digital domain.

The longer I've had a Roon subscription the less I've liked it though.  Sound quality is fine but they have a strong engineering direction which never aligns with my own needs.  In particular I don't think they do a very good job of searching Quboz (it is weirdly erratic) and has no ability to set preferences between your personal library, Quboz or Tidal

audphile1's avatar
audphile1
5,128 posts
 

@erik_squires to set preferences between qobuz and tidal in roon go to settings, general

then scroll down to the STREAMING CONTENT PREFERENCES section. There you can select your streaming service of choice and configure your it. 
I love roon interface. Its radio station feature is awesome for discovering new music. Sound quality is very good however depends on the implementation of roon compatibility in your streamer (sound sound best using their proprietary software). 

erik_squires
16,121 posts
 

Thanks, @audphile1 - I didn't realize they had added that, finally.

Still feels like their Quboz searches are weird.

audphile1's avatar
audphile1
5,128 posts
 

Erik…my pleasure. 

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