Next step into Digital Streaming

I have been streaming and serving digital for years, and I can tell you that typical NAS or network drive solutions do not deliver the fidelity that an Aurender unit can when serving a file from its internal drive. I cannot fully explain technically why this is the case aside from the local file within the Aurender benefitting from a robust linear power supply, well isolated components, and quality clocking. I’ve built my own audio server with caching memory capabilities, investing thousands into my own Roon core in a fanless chassis with good Farad Super3 linear power supply and I have still found Aurender units to deliver much better quality streaming and local file playback. That server, sans the power supply, is now just my movie and file server, and I won’t doubt Aurender again. Just my two cents.

Thanks for the suggestions and recommendations, they are all appreciated. I have had my computer set up as a network server for several years already but it is inconvenient as I have to run downstairs and start it up or leave it running all the time? Maybe it's my imagination but I found the sound quality to be considerably better from the node than it is from the computer server? As luck would have it a used vault 2t dropped in my lap for less than 1/3 of new price so I jumped on it. I heeded the advice to match the products, I'm thinking a node and a vault should fill my needs for now and make a good entry level set up for now. If it works out well I'll move on up the line as so many of us do. With only $700 invested for the node and vault and can't see going to far wrong. Thanks again for the help and willingness to pass along your experiences.

Streamers should sound better than computers, which are noisy due to the non musical functions that they perform, and also because since playing music on a pc is an afterthought the hardware dedicated to ot is low quality.  The Bluesound line was the first multi room streaming line with high end pretensions and sound much better than PCs.  My problem with them was durability, with a lifespan of about 5 years, but not every owner here has had that issue.  My tip would be to decline to do their numerous updates, as the units tend to get hung up during them and can only be restarted with difficulty, if at all.