HiWire Posted February 24, 2020 Report Share Posted February 24, 2020 I was talking to my dad this weekend and he wanted me to investigate a DAC/front end for his stereo system. His current source is a Technics 5-disc CD changer from the 90s, amplification is a Technics surround sound receiver of the same vintage (early-mid 90s), and no-name cables. I was thinking a Schiit Modi 3 might be a good start, but the system would need more smarts, so maybe something with streaming/network capability and DAC would be better. He does have music files stored on a bunch of hard drives, so maybe one large 6-8TB hard drive to consolidate them along with a wifi + interface head? He has an Android tablet, so maybe he could use that to control the stereo stuff. He wants to keep the amplification, so definitely something with RCA outputs... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnwmclean Posted February 25, 2020 Report Share Posted February 25, 2020 Maybe a cheap DAC streamer is the go, something like a iEAST Sound Streamer. You’d need a 3.5mm stereo to RCA cable, the Android tablet should work fine with an existing wifi network. I agree consolidate the music files onto a single (wireless) hard drive, then a media player of sorts installed onto the tablet. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiWire Posted February 25, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2020 Thanks! I guess the other option would be a mini PC of some sort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n_maher Posted February 25, 2020 Report Share Posted February 25, 2020 First rule of providing recommendations for audio gear for family - keep it SIMPLE. That said, I've been searching for a non-amplified, nice, user-friendly music server for what feels like years. Still haven't found anything that I like that doesn't cost north of $2k which just isn't within reach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiWire Posted February 25, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2020 (edited) That's my conclusion, too. The good ones get pricey fast. I can barely figure out a machine I'd get to run Plex for myself (not that I need it)... I wouldn't dump anything on my dad that would require a manual to operate. Edited February 25, 2020 by HiWire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Chalk Posted February 25, 2020 Report Share Posted February 25, 2020 iPad + y-cable 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chinsettawong Posted February 26, 2020 Report Share Posted February 26, 2020 A Raspberry Pi + Hifi-berry DAC + Volumio could be a good choice. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiWire Posted February 26, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2020 (edited) Good call... I'll look into it. A few moments later Went down the Pi hole and found the Khadas Tone Board... anyone tried it? https://www.khadas.com/tone https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/review-and-measurements-of-wesiontek-khadas-tone-board-dac.4823/ Edited February 26, 2020 by HiWire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiWire Posted March 10, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2020 (edited) I noticed the new Cyrus One Cast in today's Hi-Fi+ email – seems to do the job, but obviously it won't be inexpensive at all. The What Hi-Fi review damns it with faint praise: https://www.whathifi.com/us/reviews/cyrus-one-cast The NAD M10 also gets a mediocre grade from What Hi-Fi (do they hate digital amplifiers?): https://www.whathifi.com/us/reviews/nad-masters-m10 There seem to be a lot of new products for a "smart stereo" – few of them do the job as well as a traditional set up, for less money. I might go with a used Arcam Solo Music (3rd gen – 2017) 80W digital amp if I can find one – the local going rate is still around $2,000 for a gently used box, though, and the 2nd-gen Arcam Solo (Neo) is about $750, with an analog amplifier of about 50W at 8 ohms. Edited April 1, 2020 by HiWire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiWire Posted June 16, 2021 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2021 Bluesound announced their new generation Node and PowerNode products last month: https://www.bluesound.com/news/2021/bluesound-introduces-new-generation-of-node-and-powernode/ The PowerNode might be the perfect source/amp box for my dad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
screaming oranges Posted August 3, 2021 Report Share Posted August 3, 2021 For the past month, I've been using the Node 2i as a fast way to stream music. Came across a used unit on eBay for a decent price. I'm happy with it. Haven't really tested any other streamers though, but it's simple enough to control through phone app. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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