Cheap wifi with dac

Posted by: ian1948uk on 30 December 2016

Hi. Hope I'm in the correct forum but if I'm not will admin please transfer this post. I've got an old but still loved olive Naim system. I've decided to keep my CDX to play my 3.5k cds. I've recently installed JRiver on my Windows laptop (about 600 albums there already) along with the app on my iPad and iPhone. I can of course connect any of these to my 102 pre amp with a good lead. But I would like to try connecting via my home wifi but guess I would need a dac and a wifi receiver preferably combined (!). I don't want to spend a lot on this trial and tried a Chromecast Audio but gave up trying to connect to it no matter how I modded my BT Home Hub 5. Does anyone have a suggestion as what I could trial please? All comments and suggestions will be much appreciated. Thanks.

Posted on: 30 December 2016 by ChrisSU

If you just want something cheap to get you up and running, a Sonos Connect is a tried and tested solution, but don't expect too much in terms of sound quality. I would also recommend the Yamaha WX-C50 which does more or less everything a Naim streamer can do for not much money. If you can't get a Chromecast to work, you may have network issues that need sorting. If you decide that streaming is an option for the long term, I would strongly suggest that you plan a wired network to run it on.

Posted on: 30 December 2016 by Bart

Are your 600 albums in lossless format, or a lossy format?

I think that a Sonos Connect won't sound any worse than an iPad connected directly to the 102, and it's pretty inexpensive relatively speaking. A good way to get started. And you perhaps can buy a Sonos Connect from a retailer that will let you return it if you're not happy with it.

Posted on: 31 December 2016 by NickSeattle

AirPort Express gets you there for less than $100, if you don't mind using iTunes --  and you can use it through a DAC, or directly into your preamp. ChromeCast is another option.  All good enough to give you a taste, before you go all in with bags of money.  

Most agree that Wi-Fi is best used only for remote control, not for transmission of content, though some are satisfied with less reliability in exchange for the miracle of wireless living.  I run my Apple TV and AirPort Express with their Wi-Fi radios turned off, wired to the network, and like the performance.  I keep them in my system for guests with iPhones, mostly -- NDX is my main player.

Good luck.  Let us know how it goes.

Nick

Posted on: 31 December 2016 by NickSeattle

By all accounts, ChromeCast is very reliable.  If you could not get it to work as advertised, it is likely due to setting it up wrong.  

Theoretically, setting up a smooth-running network is not difficult; in practice, it can be a bit challenging, especially when adding new pieces to it.  Stick with it, and remember to reboot the router occasionally -- sometimes settings get stuck and cannot be unstuck any other way.  Any sufficiently motivated home-user can and must become a practical network expert, enough to get it done.

Nick