Simple Wireless Computer Audio Setup


I am getting very frustrated with the seeming lack of a comprehensive strategy for setting up a simple solution for computer audio.

One of my daughters is in college, and I am looking to set her up with a simple way to play digital files from her macbook. She is in a very small studio apt w/ wireless LAN, and there is very limited room for gear. I should add that she is a music major and has always had good stereo gear available to listen to. She knows that she will have to give up a little in terms of performance. Also, we are on a budget because... well, she's in college and it's freakin' expensive!

I have lots of stuff lying around, so this is what I was thinking:
1- wireless from her macbook to an Apple Airport Express
2- Connect Halide DS DAC (a USB-> RCA cable set w/ a DAC in the middle
3- Connect the DS DAC cables to a pair of Quad 12L active speakers

Sounds simple, right? Well, you can't get there from here. The Airport Express only supports output to a printer on USB. I could stick another entry-level DAC in the middle, but by the time you add in cables it gets much more expensive.

Other options might include using the Logitech SB Touch. I use these at home and like 'em but I'm not sure that I want to go there now that they are discontinued. I looked at the Sonos, but it has the same limitation as the AE - no USB out. And I have also looked at wireless DACs, but all the ones that I have found (Cambridge, Nuforce) don't work on WiFi but on bluetooth. Why is this is a good idea?

So I am open to suggestions, if anyone has any.
bodotes
Another option would be to use a DLNA solution. Playback is a good, inexpensive DLNA server that runs on OSX. I stream to my Oppo-93, but any DLAN renderer would work. The interface is just too clunky for me to use on a regular basis with a high number of files. DLNA through my Oppo will play some hi-res stuff that Squeezebox won't play, such as 24/192 and multi-channel flac.
Actually, the sonos setup is great, and you just need a ridge and connect and she can stream all of her itunes library teo the quads. Pluss it is expandable. Only downside is it is limited to 16/44 ouput. Sounds way better than most ce players though.
Well, we went in a little different direction: Mac streaming to Apple AE, toslink to Wadia 151. Speakers are Golden Ear Aon 2. It's a minimalist system but it really sounds great, much better than any other combination we listened to. I wish that it supported Hires files, but that's probably more important to me than to my daughter (it's her system, after all)

We listened to several small passive and active speakers, including the Dynaudio 110A, Gallo A'Divas, Focal Little Bird, Quad 12L (mine), the Glow One and more. After hearing the Golden Ear Aon 2 it was no contest. I had not heard of this company before yesterday but I'm very impressed with the sound. It's not a super small speaker, and the fit and finish are not super high end, but it sure sounds like a big speaker. And as my people say; such a deal! I may buy a pair of Aon 3s for my office.
And a good pair of headphones, music can sound at its best regardless of space