Hidizs AP 80 Pro - Alternative to Laptop with long USB cable and Schiit DAC?

Your Onkyo doesn’t seem to support LDAC Bluetooth codec, which means the Hidizs would need to use a lossy compression algorithm to send the audio to your receiver. Not exactly ideal.

There are two ways to cut down on the cord length. You can connect a streamer to the Modi 3 or you can connect your receiver to your network and stream directly from the PC to the Onkyo. Either method would utilize a protocol called DLNA / UPnP which is lossless and bit perfect.

The streamer can be a PC that you don’t use a lot anymore or something like a WiiM Pro or a Raspberry Pi. The WiiM Pro would be the easiest to set up. Just connect it to your network and link it to the Modi with a digital coax cable.

Alternatively, you can connect your Onkyo to your network and send the audio directly to your receiver. Unfortunately, this also means you’re completely bypassing the Modi 3.

If you want to stream from your PC, I suggest a Windows app called Stream What You Hear (link). This sends all your computer audio to a DLNA / UPnP device.

@kraftwerkturbo -- "alternative (storing and playing my files, converting to analog, feeding my receiver) to my current setup"

How about the following option -- share the music folders on your laptop so they are accessible to your local network. (Or alternatively, buy an inexpensive NAS and store your files on that.)  Then, purchase one of the inexpensive Wiim players which can be located right by your Onkyo. The Wiim has a built-in DAC (OK quality, but your Modi is better) or it can feed your Modi via an optical or coax cable.

Such a setup would give you access to your local files as well to a number of quality streaming services such as Tidal, Qobuz, etc. Wiim are also one of the easiest players to set up. All of this is controlled by an app on your iPhone or Android phone.

Connect Onkyo to Network: need find out how 'convenient' acces to music is via Onkyo on network. How does the Onkyo DAC compare to the Modi?

Will look into cost of a Wiim (is that a "streamer" or a "netowork player" or ???)

I assume music 'control' is then still through the laptop? Or through the Wiim 'app' by phone?

Wiim Pro 

Air Play 2 receiver

Would this (are same model) do?  I have Android phone. 

https://reverb.com/item/72742633-wiim-pro-wi-fi-hi-res-streamer?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=18078399966&utm_content=campaignid=18078399966_adgroupid=145854276928_productpartitionid=1726287611010=merchantid=780401392_productid=72742633_keyword=_device=c_adposition=_matchtype=_creative=617058724078&gclid=Cj0KCQjw_5unBhCMARIsACZyzS2htP7pCjfJ4HIHsBllk03UbaNEcEp0MaKeLwKOJywhpZT4sewMniEaAqGxEALw_wcB

Or this

https://www.ebay.com/itm/125856946672?hash=item1d4da899f0:g:QtEAAOSwB1xkBtRE&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAAwMMTLNCjEV7qsBL7OEDHc4yxe395liAbzYsa2S60lBpZzoV9Lbf5WLInLGkvB8trHEgValT5hBc49BwCVkp%2BFg1IvyiRKlbgnkPCn%2FKPY1%2FlYbOMfVwGM4r776qRH9CoVnXh6rA7WYCvErKiVQDJD5D6g4OlhlHre9ZyupQvNqyRke5edKmE%2B6ClyO%2FlV8E1tte7jod5PwhcTE7TkfCooFtHreTbiN2zu7FX3x34CbAlTK01tnZQgFy4Y%2FyCsQdmiA%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR6bGuoLFYg