Streamer with decent app

@fuzztone what do you mean persistent queue? 

The next two steps up the ladder would certainly include the Step 1 Marantz PM7000N ($999) and the Step 2 Marantz Model 40 ($2499). Both have plenty of power, decent phone apps, voice control via Amazon Alexa if you want, and way better than average SQ. You can cobble components together streamers and DACs and amps, and perseverate over interconnects if that's your thing, but with the exception of maybe the Rose RS250 (Step 3?) at $3695, nobody is building better quality, better value, integrated streaming platforms. 

Thoughts on the bluesound powernode?

If you like the Sonos interface you can find Sonos Connects for cheap on the used market. Then for $500 have Wyred 4 Sound modify it, they replace the S/PDIF output stage and clock. I have been using one as a ROON endpoint for many moons on a secondary system and it sound purdy dang good and has been totally reliable. Then you got $2.5K to burn on a DAC/AMP. Like a used Hegel H190 or Rost

https://wyred4sound.com/products/sonos-connect-modified

If you go Bluesound just get a node and go digital to a integrated with DAC. Beat the pants off a powernode. Tidy 2 box setup.

Aaaand if I am not mistaken you can use airplay (16/44 only) with the Rost or H190) . So you use phone app to stream with a native music service app but control the Rost with remote.

ROON, and use it’s ARC for remote listening, and your choice of streamer, done!

Sticking to one box solutions, the next step up would be a Bluesound Powernode or an NAD C700.  Next step up in performance would be the NAD M10 v2, which looks to be currently on sale for US$2,499.  All use the BluOS app which, by most accounts, is probably one of the best out there.  

The "persistent queue" mentioned above probably refers to the fact that when you load an album or a playlist, it just gets added to the play queue.  The play queue does not automatically reset. This makes it easy to create new playlists.  The downside is that if you don't clear out the play queue (by merely pressing a button), when you load an album or playlist and hit "shuffle," it will shuffle everything in the play queue.  For some reason, this feature seems to drive some users into a fit of rage.

Other all-in-one units out there are the Naim Unity Atom and the Hifi Rose RS520, but both are beyond your USD 3k limit.

I have an older Powernode 2 in a second system, and it is a pretty good sounding unit.