Streaming System Advice and Recommendations Please

[RobbieGong]

My friend and work colleague is looking to have a nice streaming system in the large open plan area of his lounge and has been drawn to this https://www.whathifi.com/advice/best-music-streaming-hi-fi-system-ps3300

He's into his tunes and hifi and we often discuss music and gear.

He knows I'm attached to the forum and has asked I seek advice and comment on his behalf, regarding the set up he's interested in ie:

Is it a good set up ? (It does look good on paper).

Will those speakers fill the room ? would floor standers be better ? and so on....

He listens to a wide range of music - namely, soul, funk, reggae, 80's / 90's club music . Depeche Mode, Luther Vandross, George Michael, lots of classic reggae - Marley, Burning Spear.......

He's after a full, detailed, weighty sound - good bass. No thin / weedy presentation please :)

Room dimensions are, roughly speaking - 10.4 metres x 6.7 metres approx (see attached for exact measurements)

[Primalsea]

I looked into loads of streaming options but just could not decide as nothing seemed to do everything I wanted. For my Birthday I asked the kids to get me a Raspberry Pi kit. I thought i could try it as a streamer and if doesnt work so well i can use it for something else anyway. They only cost around £50 - £60. I loaded the Volumio OS/ music server on and set the software tonconnect to my NAS drive and I was away. You need a tablet or smart phone to control the Volume software and a USB DAC unless you go for one of the inexpensive I2S dacs that fir directly to the Raspberry Pi.

Really good piece of kit for so little money.

[pgarrish]

He’ll have to buy stands for the ATCs which makes that an even more expensive system. I’d say forget the Cambridge and go for a pi or a chromecast and get some bigger speakers - if he likes reggae he needs bigger drivers in a room that size, or he needs a sub or two and saving over a grand on the front end will pay far bigger dividends if spent in speakers. No idea how capable the rega is so I’d leave that.

Of course, 3.5k second hand would open up some amazing options...

And I’d go for position 2 otherwise one speaker gets a lot more space to fill than the other

[WAD62]

My friend and work colleague is looking to have a nice streaming system in the large open plan area of his lounge and has been drawn to this https://www.whathifi.com/advice/best-music-streaming-hi-fi-system-ps3300

He's into his tunes and hifi and we often discuss music and gear.

He knows I'm attached to the forum and has asked I seek advice and comment on his behalf, regarding the set up he's interested in ie:

Is it a good set up ? (It does look good on paper).

Will those speakers fill the room ? would floor standers be better ? and so on....

He listens to a wide range of music - namely, soul, funk, reggae, 80's / 90's club music . Depeche Mode, Luther Vandross, George Michael, lots of classic reggae - Marley, Burning Spear.......

He's after a full, detailed, weighty sound - good bass. No thin / weedy presentation please :)

Room dimensions are, roughly speaking - 10.4 metres x 6.7 metres approx (see attached for exact measurements)

I'd recommend keeping the streaming and hifi as separate issues, whatever he goes for he'll need a decent amp and speakers...

The 'streamer' will ultimately plug into the amp, or DAC if he goes a more modular route

What does he want to stream, his own files, subscription services, or both?

Does he want the flexibility to expand to multiple rooms?

And finally is he IT literate? enough to build a pi?

[Yomanze]

Looks like very poor VFM, you can get A LOT for £3k that'll blow that system away.

I would use a PC as a media server, and not get a dedicated 'HiFi' one, they're just too restricting.

Off the top of my head I'd be looking at something like:

Intel NUC computer with Windows to use as a media server, or just a laptop
A DAC with a well-sorted USB input
Integrated amp

...that room's pretty big, not your typical 2 up 2 down English living room, so I would be drawn towards a pair of floorstanders.

[SLS]

For the OP's mate and people like me who wouldn't know a NUC or a Pi it hit us in the face, and think Windows was invented to make life a living hell, I would suggest:

The Rega Elex-R
Auralic Aries Mini
Neat Iota Alpha
would be about £2,800 including cables.

Aries is designed for idiots and 3 year olds and is just a brilliant streamer/server.
The Neat Iota Alpha look good and gave really good bass at a pretty good price.

For someone who is not an audio hobbyist, I would never suggest anything that cannot be bought new retail, preferably from Richer Sounds, or from a good dealer who can answer stupid questions and get it fixed if it goes wrong.

[Manicatel]

I'd strongly suggest a Bluesound Powernode2 & some floormounted speakers to the audition list. Floormounted speakers, as his music taste seems to be quite bass/rhythm orientated & floor-standers will likely fill a room more successfully than standpoints. As an example, Sevenoaks are selling B&W cm9 s2 for £1400. Add a Powernode2 for £800 & you've got a very simple, clean system for £2200 or so. Add Tidal streaming & thats all you need.

[Tim]

I'd strongly suggest a Bluesound Powernode2 & some floormounted speakers to the audition list. Floormounted speakers, as his music taste seems to be quite bass/rhythm orientated & floor-standers will likely fill a room more successfully than standpoints. As an example, Sevenoaks are selling B&W cm9 s2 for £1400. Add a Powernode2 for £800 & you've got a very simple, clean system for £2200 or so. Add Tidal streaming & thats all you need.

Best suggestion so far IMO ;)