Spotify over bluetooth to DAC is a waste of time imho. Get a WiiM Pro instead and you have something better. Get off spotify and try a lossless service like Apple music or Qobuz to hit a sweet spot.

A Bluesound node for spotify is an expensive equivalent, but with your DAC and a Wiim Pro you can get an equal, or arguably slightly more versatile setup. Scale up your source before spending loads on a streamer with features you won’t need.

I made a post containing an ‘alternative’ audiophile playlist, and so pretty much anything on this would be a good starting point.

Wut

😂

Yeah. Don’t get drawn in by the price. A streamer is a streamer. As you suggest the DAC bundled in the streamer can make a difference. And there are screens. Different outputs.

I use a Raspberry Pi 4 over asynchronous usb into my Audiolab 9000a and it works perfectly. I also have a WiiM Pro I stream to and then go optical to the same amp. Both sound identical.

No need to spend big money on a streamer.

Some do. Some don’t.

Tidal and Roon ARC are both bit perfect on Android and Apple phones. Qobuz is not yet, as far as I know.

Yes. You are the only one.

LDAC

My Wharfedale Lintons and Audiolab 9000a help most things sound great. These speakers and warm and friendly to a wide range of genres. Anything that sounds thin or just bad is probably the original mix. But that’s fine. There is an endless amount of new/unheard music out there to take its place.

I don’t get the Bowie comment. Station to Station and Low are absolutely fantastic sounding albums.

There is no difference, except in how you hook your streamer to your DAC. Read up, but optical and coaxial can cause slight issues with timing. Whereas usb leaves the DAC to control that, so you would always get the same result.

So the sound depends more on the quality of your DAC for usb, but for optical and coaxial the ‘quality’ of the streamer can have a little impact on the output. But only a little.

The quality of your source (lossless etc.) and the mix of your source (well produced or not?) makes way way more difference.

Buying refurbished or ex-display and getting the same 2 year warranty everyone else gets.

Using a raspberry pi 4 as an asynchronous usb streamer, saving hundreds on market sold streamers.

It’s all still compressed.

Ok