Moderately priced dedicated streamer advice?

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2FlyingYorkies

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I'm looking to add streaming capability to a secondary system. I have a USB DAC input available, so that's probably the easiest way to get what I'm after.

For my main system i use the Aurender N100H and have had very good luck with it. Since it's also a storage device in addition to a streamer, I have my CDs loaded there, and have confirmed that they're accessible from other devices on my home network. Therefore, I have no need to duplicate the media storage functionality here. And obviously I have a DAC, so no need for an onboard one of those either. Just ethernet in, USB audio stream out. Connectivity to Tidal and Qobuz is a wide enough range of options. I have to say i very much like the Aurender's interface app, so in some ways that's almost as important as the player itself. i definitely use it far more often than the streaming app for my PS Audio DAC, for example.

I had considered the Bluesound Node 2i, but it has an onboard DAC that I don't need. The ~$500 price point is about where I want to be, though. Any other options worth exploring? Let's call max budget $1200, just for the sake of opening the field a little.
 
If it were me, I’d go with a Sonos Port and the Wyred 4 Sound mod.
 
That's an interesting option. I'll have to crawl around the back side of my equipment to see if I have a spare S/PDIF digital input, as that's all the Sonos/W4S appears to have in the digital domain. Of course, it feels "wrong" to pay extra to have the internal DAC in the Sonos bypassed, but I've had good success with my W4S preamp in the main rig, so I have reasonable faith in their abilities.
 
Most of the smaller streamers have a DAC that would have to be bypassed. Other than the Node and slightly more expensive is the Audio Labs 6000N Play which is said to sound really good for the price point. I haven't looked at it close but the Echo Link is supposed to work really well.

You might also take a look at the Cambridge Audio CXN to see what it offers, I don't believe it has a DAC.
 
We have a Sonore Signature Rendu SE we took on trade. Roon end Point. I can make you a good deal on that.

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