One of the things I love about Audiogon is that people are so willing to share their expertise and experience. Thank you all for your replies. Another thing that is fun about Audiogon is that there are so many different opinions. Given the extent of my ignorance (which is epic), I am often unable to determine which conflicting opinion is most likely to apply to my situation,
I will certainly search threads in the digital section. I will also try to focus my inquiry here a little better.
I am pretty much the Rip Van Winkle of Audiogon. When last I paid attention to serious audio, I learned about different preamps and amps and speakers and eventually had a system I liked - BAT tube preamp, Odyssey dual mono amp, Snell type A speakers. i moved and sold all of that. I have been very occupied with other things and have not paid much attention to audio for the last 30 years. Now I have the time and desire to listen to music again. I don't have much of a library - a few CD's and lp disks. I do have a nice turntable with a mm cartridge. I do have (left over from the old days) a nice PS Audio DAC with Cullen mods. I have some Omega speakers and 2 active woofers on order. I have 2 Marantz SR6009 multi-channel things, which I want to replace. .
So I need both a source of new music and components to play it. Because I don't have much of a collection, and because I haven't been paying attention anyway, I want a way to get access to, and information about, the music of the last 30 years, as well as classical, jazz and vocal that I am familiar with but do not have in my library. I don't really want to buy, store, or copy CD's and don't think I need significant storage.
That's the reason for my interest in Tidal, Roon and the like. But ... I really don't know anything about this technology. The very term "streamer" seems to be applied to a wide range of stuff. I see that some things called streamers are actually whole music systems - with DACs and integrated amplifiers. Others are basically preamplifiers. When they do have amplification, I don't know how to classify them - are they all class D? The descriptions don't say.
So - all I want is 1) high quality sound out of the speakers, 2) a comprehensive and convenient source of music and related information, such as Roon provides, 3) some sort of preamp out in stereo for the woofers, and 4) a connection for my turntable. I don't have a budget, but if I did I would describe it as flexible. What I mean is that I have plenty of money but also a sensibility anchored in the last century, and well into the last century, such that I am uncomfortable with profligate spending and frequently shocked at the prices in the grocery store. So I don't mind spending $100,00 for a car if I know why I'm spending it, but I won't spend it for a name or to impress my neighbors, or for a 1% improvement over a $50,000 car.
I welcome comments from anyone willing to educate me or point me to a source I can use to educate myself.