Exchanging SU with SN2+DAC+Computer?

The great thing about the SU is that you have full Tidal and Spotify integration, Internet radio and the ability to stream from the Qnap, all being controlled by the Naim app. I don't understand why you'd want to complicate things and need to run a high power computer just to play music, whereas the nas uses very little power and wakes and sleeps automatically. I have no knowledge of using a PC for music, but it sounds like a lot of hassle for little gain. 

You can stream your music from your NAS to a PC, or you can use a local hard drive, and play it through a dac.  The only problem is that a standard PC is a noisy piece of kit and, I found, that that noise has an impact on sound quality.  You can tweak PCs or purchase more suitable PCs but personally I found moving to a Mac mini gave me a better platform than either of the PCs I had in the house.  There are a number of different pieces of software that can be used such as JRiver whcih works on PC and Mac or Audirvana, which I use, that works on Macs. I'm not sure with JRiver and others but Audirvana has fully integrated Tidal and Qobuz but not Spotify.

PC audio can sound very good indeed and has lots of flexibility but it's not plug and play in the way that SU is.  Having to turn on a PC to play that music though is no more inconvenient than turning on your SU - as with the rest of my system I very rarely turn off my Mac Mini.  

My recommendation would be to try a trial version of JRiver into a dac and see what you think and compare to your SU. This is what I did with JRiver on a couple of PCs and Audirvana and others on a couple of Macs before I went down the Mac route.

I should have added, perhaps, that both Audirvana and JRiver can be controlled remotely from an Ipad etc.

I complicated things moving from SU to Audirvana > Mac Mini > USB > Hugo TT but not much effort in return for a massive SQ gain

Audirvana app works a treat streaming music from NAS and no dropouts with TIDAL

I'm not sure your current setup needs an external DAC to play movies - can't you use an SPDIF connection and the SU internal DAC? I would apply the same logic if you want to upgrade: NDX/Supernait is a great tried and tested solution and a big step up from the SU. Of course you could use a Mac Mini or other computer, as many do instead of a Naim streamer, into a DAC, if you prefer, and if you're happy to set it up.

A Mac Mini running Audirvana makes for a high quality renderer combined with music store, nomneed to stream music across the network with sometimes attendant problems, however  care needs to be taken to block RF interference from the DAC (e.g with a separate isolator) unless the DAC has good RF filtering. There is much on other threads about this approach. Audirvana has Tidal (and other online streaming) integration.

Sounds like an unnecessary complication.

If you'd like to upgrade your system to achieve better sound quality, than it would have to be either SN2 +NDX or N272+NAP250.
Both cobos cost roughly the same amount of hard-earned cash.

For storing and streaming music - NAS is the only way to go in real life. It's inexpensive, always on and just works.

Adam Zielinski posted:

Sounds like an unnecessary complication.

If you'd like to upgrade your system to achieve better sound quality, than it would have to be either SN2 +NDX or N272+NAP250.
Both cobos cost roughly the same amount of hard-earned cash.

For storing and streaming music - NAS is the only way to go in real life. It's inexpensive, always on and just works.

As good as those two options are I would be very surprised indeed if they were the only two options available that would improve upon a SU to achieve better sound quality, and that's ignoring the fact that the OP asked specifically about a computer based solution.

dayjay posted:

Adam Zielinski posted:

Sounds like an unnecessary complication.

If you'd like to upgrade your system to achieve better sound quality, than it would have to be either SN2 +NDX or N272+NAP250.
Both cobos cost roughly the same amount of hard-earned cash.

For storing and streaming music - NAS is the only way to go in real life. It's inexpensive, always on and just works.

As good as those two options are I would be very surprised indeed if they were the only two options available that would improve upon a SU to achieve better sound quality, and that's ignoring the fact that the OP asked specifically about a computer based solution.

True. But perhaps we can convice the OP to look for simpler solutions. Even keeping SuperUniti and simply setting up a NAS

Adam Zielinski posted:

dayjay posted:

Adam Zielinski posted:

Sounds like an unnecessary complication.

If you'd like to upgrade your system to achieve better sound quality, than it would have to be either SN2 +NDX or N272+NAP250.
Both cobos cost roughly the same amount of hard-earned cash.

For storing and streaming music - NAS is the only way to go in real life. It's inexpensive, always on and just works.

As good as those two options are I would be very surprised indeed if they were the only two options available that would improve upon a SU to achieve better sound quality, and that's ignoring the fact that the OP asked specifically about a computer based solution.

True. But perhaps we can convice the OP to look for simpler solutions. Even keeping SuperUniti and simply setting up a NAS

OP wants 'to improve the SQ over my SU at the same time'

We could possibly persuade him that he prefers salt and vinegar crisps too but it won't answer his question 

dayjay posted:

Adam Zielinski posted:

Sounds like an unnecessary complication.

If you'd like to upgrade your system to achieve better sound quality, than it would have to be either SN2 +NDX or N272+NAP250.
Both cobos cost roughly the same amount of hard-earned cash.

For storing and streaming music - NAS is the only way to go in real life. It's inexpensive, always on and just works.

As good as those two options are I would be very surprised indeed if they were the only two options available that would improve upon a SU to achieve better sound quality, and that's ignoring the fact that the OP asked specifically about a computer based solution.

Naim streamers are computers.

Computers are streamers.

People who like Naim streamers often recommend them on threads about computer audio.

People who like computer audio often recommend them on threads about streaming.

Get over it 

Worth mentioning that some "computer audio" options are less like using a computer than others. MAc Mini, for example, run headless (no monitor or keyboard) and controlled for music by the Audirvana app, operates just like any porpose-built streamer device: it is small, just 6 or 7inches or so square by maybe an inch and a half high, has an on-off button that you can happily use to power on and off without worrying about crashing. I only see mine as a computer if I want to install an update to either Audirvana or the MacOS, when I use remote control 'VNC' software on a tablet, and it is not unlike updating the firmware on a streamer device except that you have a better chance of seeing if it is going OK.

AndyL posted:

I complicated things moving from SU to Audirvana > Mac Mini > USB > Hugo TT but not much effort in return for a massive SQ gain

Audirvana app works a treat streaming music from NAS and no dropouts with TIDAL

Thanks, interesting! I fuess you then also used a better amp than the SU?

ChrisSU posted:

I'm not sure your current setup needs an external DAC to play movies - can't you use an SPDIF connection and the SU internal DAC? I would apply the same logic if you want to upgrade: NDX/Supernait is a great tried and tested solution and a big step up from the SU. Of course you could use a Mac Mini or other computer, as many do instead of a Naim streamer, into a DAC, if you prefer, and if you're happy to set it up.

I do use the internal DAC of the SU to play movies which works fine. I first actually considered upgrading to a nac n272 but several posts on this forum that some people actually preffered the sq of a good dac such as the hugo fed into a cheaper network player or computer surprised me and got me thinking. At the same time I don't want to complicate things too much. I guess I should try this out before selling the SU ��

hifinerdwannabe posted:

AndyL posted:

I complicated things moving from SU to Audirvana > Mac Mini > USB > Hugo TT but not much effort in return for a massive SQ gain

Audirvana app works a treat streaming music from NAS and no dropouts with TIDAL

Thanks, interesting! I fuess you then also used a better amp than the SU?

I use monoblocs fed directly from Hugo TT without a seperate preamp

I am now thinking about getting the Chord 2Qute fed from my computer with Jriver through the SU amp to see if there is an SQ improvement because if I understand it correctly you can't update a SU with a better dac without a second scource?

hifinerdwannabe posted:

I am now thinking about getting the Chord 2Qute fed from my computer with Jriver through the SU amp to see if there is an SQ improvement because if I understand it correctly you can't update a SU with a better dac without a second scource?

True you can't run SU streamer > external DAC > SU amp