Streaming Curious

I'd like to renew the discussion a bit and focus more on where I'd want to look to get similar SQ to my vinyl setup.  I've heard a few streamers and in general think they sound very compressed and 2D.  The depth and air of vinyl is completely absent I feel.  From what I read, you can get very analog-like resolution from digital, but the last vapors of signal are what I'm not sure of when you make it digital.  I'd like to do some research and listen to something I'd actually be happy with back to back with vinyl on my setup.

I really don't know much about streamer/DAC separates or integrated.  I'm going to try the Bluenote, but think I'll start looking for a higher SQ replacement now just in case.  I like to get used equipment if I can, but it's not mandatory.  Suggestions welcomed...

I've heard a few streamers and in general think they sound very compressed and 2D.  The depth and air of vinyl is completely absent I feel.

Sorry, but this seems a bit silly to me.  How much do you have invested in your vinyl equipment?  And you think investing 500 bucks on a cheap streamer is going to compare to a vinyl rig?  Get real dude.  Pony up for a good streamer or you’re just setting yourself up for disappointment.

OP,

So what is your current vinyl rig and phonostage… and the rest of your system? We really need to know to be of any help. There is a place to put photos and ID your equipment under create virtual systems. That would be really helpful. 
 

I can hear John Cleese saying “And now for something completely different”…

@fburkeen you won’t likely get digital streams to sound just like your vinyl because many (most?) of those files will be drawn from different origins and, in many cases, not even the same master. Add to that the colorations inherent for older vinyl masters and it can become an either-or scenario. FWIW I think all the albums I heard as original production master reels (1960s-1980s) played on original Stüder production decks probably sounded better than any vinyl OR digital setup could muster 😉

The likeliest way to get sound indistinguishable from your turntable is to digitize your vinyl and play it from file storage. Streamed files can sound different from many/most (all?) of your albums because those tracks are different in specs from the “same” tracks on your albums, at least marginally and perhaps dramatically. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. It is a factor not best adjusted by one streamer model over another because streamer functions simply are not demonstrated to address such variables.

The suggestion by @ellajeanelle seems to me most inline with your present interest: use a computer you already have and are familiar with to trial multiple software and multiple streaming platforms instead of marrying yourself to one particular inexpensive (or expensive) software-x-hardware option. Multiple streaming platforms probably use many of the same (newer digital) source files, but since most do not state which pressing/master they’re serving you, confirming perceived differences can be a challenge.

What I’m getting at: if you compare several (vinyl) pressings over several decades of, say, a BB King album, you will hear surprisingly different versions. Some of his earliest pressings were on Crown IIRC; very polarized feelings about the QC of that label alone, never mind other labels some represses may be on. Whether or not some of those represses were done fully analogue or digitally would probably influence how you perceive the overall sound, too. And that’s all variation before even considering a fully digitized stream of said album.

You might get more info by trialing different software and services on (general purpose computer) gear you already own, instead of trialing one (software / OS) approach on gear you’d have to buy. If you buy a streamer now, you’re not trialing streaming as much as you’re trialing whether you like one given streamer model x and associated UI in your system.

The Bluesound Node is a good choice of streamer. It is easy to set up and use and has a good app, almost as good as SONOS. It has a decent DAC, but you might want to use a separate DAC and use one of the digital outputs from the Node to a separate DAC. It has a remote and a headphone jack and control LEDs for necessary feedback for setup and updates, although no display. It also has inputs so it can function as a sort of preamp (Peachtree uses it as such for one of its GaN amplifiers). If you are looking for a good DAC to mate with it, the Denefrips Ares 12th or Enyo are good choices or one of the newer S.M.S.L. DACs are good options. (Knowing you are coming from the AirTight-Devore tube and high sensitivity speaker part of the hobby, I can still recommend it.)