New to streaming - again.

[Mikeandvan]

I want to live stream from Spotify, so I recently bought a Pioneer n30 streamer, the SQ seems to me pretty bad. So what I now want is still to listen to Spotify, that is all I want from a set up, no downloading, file saving, etc, just live wireless streaming. What do I need for a wireless set up? I cannot be bothered with wires trailing 12ft from my sofa to my amp. Obviously I am looking for a step up in SQ. I have no dac, just a laptop. I am utterly confused as to what else I need, as there seems to be array of options. I understand all I need is my laptop, but as stated I am looking for decent sq as well. I heard the topping dac at only £100 is terrific value, so that would be a good choice I think, what else do I need apart from a dac? The reason I bought the Pioneer was to give me the wireless option, but I understand there are other ways to gain wireless. I only want to spend a few hundred, but am after the best sq I can get for that price, the Pioneer seems to me really bad. The old Pionner I had - the N-50 was better, but that doesn't support Spotify !!! I know I should have listened to your advice! (it does support iTunes, but that is bloody rubbish!!). I will also be buying a new passive pre amp for my Quad 306 soon, as I am sick of changing cables with my one input 'Little bear'!!! It that has any bearing on things. A pre with a decent dac may'be? But I doubt that will be cheap, or as good value as I've heard other dacs like the Topping can be.

[Pepperamip]

Mike there's a few ways you could do it.

Probably the simplest would be to buy the topping dac you mentioned then a chromecast audio. Link the two with an audio to spdif optical cable and Spotify will pick up up the CCA from within the app. For me that was the easiest and cheapest way to get Spotify through my system and it sounded good too.

Another way would be to buy a raspberry pi with a dac hat (hardware attached top) and have an all in one solution without the need for an external dac. Something from the likes of Allo give superb results for the money but there are others out there you could try.

There are numerous other ways but they are two I would go for.



Sent from my CLT-L09 using Tapatalk

[twotone]

I’ve just bought a Yamaha RN 830D stereo receiver to basically get rid of multiple boxes and it has everything you need for streaming and you can connect a TT too and stream the TT music round the house to wireless speakers or another system

There’s another receiver with even more options, an Onkyo equivalent a bit cheaper but I’m sure that has CCA built in too and it has HDMI ins and out.

Both amps have built in Dacs and can be had new from about £500 each or a bit less for the Onkyo if you look around

[Mikeandvan]

I’ve just bought a Yamaha RN 830D stereo receiver to basically get rid of multiple boxes and it has everything you need for streaming and you can connect a TT too and stream the TT music round the house to wireless speakers or another system

There’s another receiver with even more options, an Onkyo equivalent a bit cheaper but I’m sure that has CCA built in too and it has HDMI ins and out.

Both amps have built in Dacs and can be had new from about £500 each or a bit less for the Onkyo if you look around

I'm very impressed with my Quad 306 so am going to base a system around that a decent passive. Vinyl and CD are my primary listening sources for now.

[Mikeandvan]

Mike there's a few ways you could do it.

Probably the simplest would be to buy the topping dac you mentioned then a chromecast audio. Link the two with an audio to spdif optical cable and Spotify will pick up up the CCA from within the app. For me that was the easiest and cheapest way to get Spotify through my system and it sounded good too.

Another way would be to buy a raspberry pi with a dac hat (hardware attached top) and have an all in one solution without the need for an external dac. Something from the likes of Allo give superb results for the money but there are others out there you could try.

There are numerous other ways but they are two I would go for.



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Thanks Paul, this was what I was thinking. I don't know why I bought this Pioneer! The quality seems pretty bad, but I wonder is that the hardware or Spotify, I am new to this and its a lot more complicated than playing a record or cd! I also want only wireless streaming, but I do want the best quality I can get with those specs, and at not too much money! To be honest, the Pionner is just a huge black box, and I don't even know what's inside it, just a dac and what else? I mean you only need a laptop to stream.

[twotone]

I used a Denon DNP 720AE steamer for about four years it cost me £199 and it was excellent sound wise so I would presumes that the pioneer would be better than the Denon so either your source is poor or the pioneer isn’t set up properly.

[Mikeandvan]

I used a Denon DNP 720AE steamer for about four years it cost me £199 and it was excellent sound wise so I would presumes that the pioneer would be better than the Denon so either your source is poor or the pioneer isn’t set up properly.

By source you mean Spotify or laptop? Set up on the Pioneer was easy, just open spotify app and it finds the Pioneer.

[Pepperamip]

If you are on Spotify premium and have made sure its on high quality setting it won't be Spotify. If you haven't done this then you are not hearing Spotify anywhere near its best.

If you haven't tried Tidal yet look for an extended trial period and make sure you go with the hifi setting just to compare the two for quality. Tidal sounds better to me and is worth the £20 p/m it works out to be after the trial but Spotify wins with usability and available content.

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[Stryder5]

Mike there's a few ways you could do it.

Probably the simplest would be to buy the topping dac you mentioned then a chromecast audio. Link the two with an audio to spdif optical cable and Spotify will pick up up the CCA from within the app. For me that was the easiest and cheapest way to get Spotify through my system and it sounded good too.

Another way would be to buy a raspberry pi with a dac hat (hardware attached top) and have an all in one solution without the need for an external dac. Something from the likes of Allo give superb results for the money but there are others out there you could try.

There are numerous other ways but they are two I would go for.



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Chromecast Audio ( CCA) around £30 mini Toslink to Toslink optical cable to Topping D30 around £100. Analogue interconnects to preamp, and you're there.

Great sound easily optimised in Spotify and Google Home.

Gary

[struth]

need to be fairly quick to get a cca as they have stopped making the audio version.

[twotone]

need to be fairly quick to get a cca as they have stopped making the audio version.

The Onkyo amp I was thinking about has CC built in Grant.

Pretty sure that Onkyo now own Pioneer.

https://www.eu.onkyo.com/en/products/tx-8270-138381.html

ADVANCED FEATURES

160 W/Ch Stereo Power (6 Ω, 1 kHz, 1%, 1 Channel Driven, IEC); 170 W/Ch Stereo Power (6 Ω, 1 kHz, 10%, 1 Channel Driven, JEITA)
Massive Hi-Current EI Transformer
Non-Phase-Shift Amp Circuitry with Discrete Power Output Stages
Optimum Gain Volume Circuitry
AKM 384 kHz/32-bit (AK4438) DAC
VLSC™ (Vector Linear Shaping Circuitry) Noise Filtering Technology
Dual-band 5 GHz/2.4 GHz Wi-Fi® for Stable Connectivity
Supports Chromecast built-in*1, DTS Play-Fi*1, AirPlay, Spotify, TIDAL, TuneIn, and Deezer*2
FlareConnect Multi-room Audio Distribution to Compatible Components and Speakers
Receiver, Network Audio, and Multi-room Audio Control via free Onkyo Controller Application for Android™ and iOS*3
Bluetooth Wireless Technology for Mobiles, Laptops, and PCs (Version 4.1 + LE, Profile: A2DP v1.2, AVRCP v1.3)
Zone 2 Line Outs with Dedicated DAC for NET/USB Audio Distribution
FM/RDS and DAB/DAB+ Tuners with 40 Station Presets
HDMI Supports HDCP 2.2, 4K/60 Hz, HDR, 3D, Audio Return Channel, DeepColor™, x.v.Color™, LipSync, DSD*4, DVD-Audio, Super Audio CD (SACD), and CEC
Supports Dolby Vision™ Signal Pass-through
Supports Hi-Res Audio via Network (DSD 5.6 MHz*4 and 192 kHz/24-bit PCM*5)
Decodes FLAC, WAV, ALAC, DSD*4, AIFF, WMA Lossless, MP3, and AAC Formats Over Network and USB, MQA
Aluminum Front Panel and Volume Control Knob
*1 Requires a firmware update. *2 Availability of services may vary with region. Please confirm before purchase. Subscription may also be required. *3 For iOS and Android devices. Check App Store or Google Play for OS and device requirements. *4 After PCM conversion. *5 Not supported over wireless LAN or USB.

CONNECTION FEATURES

4 HDMI Inputs / 1 Output (4K/60 Hz / HDCP 2.2)
3 Digital Audio Inputs (2 Optical and 1 Coaxial)
Gold-plated 3 Analog Audio Inputs
Gold-plated MM Phono Input with Phono Equalizer
Gold-plated Zone 2 Line Outs
Gold-plated Subwoofer Pre Out
Two Pairs of Speaker Post with Screw Knobs for A/B Drive
5 V / 1 A USB Port for Audio Playback via USB Storage Devices (Front)
5 V / 500 mA USB Terminal for HDMI Media Player Power Supply (Rear)
IR Input and Output
LAN Input with IP Control Capability for Home Automation Systems
Thick, Detachable AC Power Cable
Gold-Plated 6.35 mm Headphone Jack (Front)
ADDITIONAL FEATURES

Graphical User Interface with Overlaid On-Screen Display (OSD) via HDMI
Quick Recall Preset Buttons on Front Panel
Input Selector Knob and Physical Tone/Balance Controls
Advanced Music Optimizer Improves Compressed Digital Audio Quality, Including Bluetooth Audio
Direct Mode and Double Bass Mode
Crossover Adjustment (40/50/60/70/80/90/100/120/150/180/200 Hz)
A/V Sync Control (Up to 500 ms in 5 ms Steps at 48 kHz)
Front-panel Speaker A or B Drive Selector Button
3-Mode Display Dimmer (Normal/Dim/Dimmer)
Sleep Timer and Battery-free Memory Back-up
Full-sized RI Remote Controller
Network Standby Mode, HDMI Passthrough, and Auto Standby

[struth]

thats handy then..

[Mikeandvan]

If you are on Spotify premium and have made sure its on high quality setting it won't be Spotify. If you haven't done this then you are not hearing Spotify anywhere near its best.

If you haven't tried Tidal yet look for an extended trial period and make sure you go with the hifi setting just to compare the two for quality. Tidal sounds better to me and is worth the £20 p/m it works out to be after the trial but Spotify wins with usability and available content.

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I just had a look in settings, and it was on 'normal', the other settings were 'high' and 'very high'! Didn't really make sense why it gave those 2 options, does that mean it won't play songs which aren't very high quality? As I did notice a difference in sq between different LPs, and it was the same on iTunes, Dusty in springfield sounded good, whereas her first LP didn't, in both spoify and iTunes.

[Mikeandvan]

Just struggling to understand the various streaming options hardware wise, and why people choose them. So I know I need a DAC, and something like a Chromecast as I want wireless, but then what else should I get? What are the Raspberry pi things?

[struth]

Initially if all you want to successfully is stream spotty through main system is a cca as your dlna/upnp unit. Your phone can stream to that wirelessly once set up. Needs to be set to highest in Google settings.

Spotty premium on phone, or pc and set to highest in its settings. Cca will appear in spotty, s connect system and can be connected that way.

The cca can be used with its own dac via a 3.5mm to two rca cable to your amp, or you can buy a dac that has an optical connection, to go between and use a mini toslink to toslink cable. This is the base way to stream a service with acceptable sound.

A rpi is just a different type of cca as far as your usage is concerned at moment. Also a bit more complex. It requires a program written to it as an operating system. Basically it's a mini pc to which hats can be attached to do various tasks like a spidif board or a dac board.

[Mikeandvan]

Initially if all you want to successfully is stream spotty through main system is a cca as your dlna/upnp unit. Your phone can stream to that wirelessly once set up. Needs to be set to highest in Google settings.

Spotty premium on phone, or pc and set to highest in its settings. Cca will appear in spotty, s connect system and can be connected that way.

The cca can be used with its own dac via a 3.5mm to two rca cable to your amp, or you can buy a dac that has an optical connection, to go between and use a mini toslink to toslink cable. This is the base way to stream a service with acceptable sound.

A rpi is just a different type of cca as far as your usage is concerned at moment. Also a bit more complex. It requires a program written to it as an operating system. Basically it's a mini pc to which hats can be attached to do various tasks like a spidif board or a dac board.

Thanks Grant that's cleared it up for me. I'm guessing the Topping Dac would have a better sq than the dac used in the Pioneer, that's my thinking anyway based on reccommendations. It also has the flexibility of standing in for dac duties for cd playback. I suppose I'll get a CCA for starters and see where I go from there. The Pioneer one box solution attracted me until I realised no streamer is ever a one box solution as you always need a pc/phone (I use a laptop)!

[struth]

With right software.. Aurirvana for instance on a 64bit pc you can stream tidal hifi to a dac via a long cable.
As you see there are a myriad of ways to skin the cat. All have different complexities, cost and results.
The one your after is fairly simple, cheap and works well. Sounds good enough too, if not top of range. Spotty is fun and has a great catalogue. There is an external equaliser you can get that works right In the pc program. I've got it although not using spotty at monent. It added a bit of flexabilty to sound.

[Mikeandvan]

I will try Tidal as well, don't mind paying £30 a month for both, bargain really when you consider what we all used to spend on records!

[Pepperamip]

Just had a quick look on tinterweb and the 6 month free trial Tidal were offering at the arse end of last year is now no more unfortunately.

Worth doing the 30 day trial though just to compare with Spotify but do put it in hifi quality to get the most from it.

CCA: Full dynamic range
Spotify: Highest
TIDAL: HiFi

Enjoy.

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[Mikeandvan]

Just had a quick look on tinterweb and the 6 month free trial Tidal were offering at the arse end of last year is now no more unfortunately.

Worth doing the 30 day trial though just to compare with Spotify but do put it in hifi quality to get the most from it.

CCA: Full dynamic range
Spotify: Highest
TIDAL: HiFi

Enjoy.

Sent from my CLT-L09 using Tapatalk
Thanks, I'll give Tidal a go, once I sort out a cca, just noticed your signature, did BTE fit the Khozmo attenuator for you or is it a separate box?

[Intenso]

Mike, I would advise you to buy the Topping via Amazon if you haven't already gone that way as it is an easy return if you don't like it.

FWIW I have a Xiang Sheng DAC01 that I find has a very acceptable sound without any nasties. Following some reviews I tried the Topping but found it flat and lacking the musicality of the XS so back it went to Amazon.

Easiest way to stream in my book is to buy a Rasberry Pi set up and a DAC of your choice.

There is a thread here started by Bigman80 that offers lots of advice.

As for a streaming service Tidal Hifi 0ffers a lot and there are some occasional deals on ebay.

HTH

[Mikeandvan]

Mike, I would advise you to buy the Topping via Amazon if you haven't already gone that way as it is an easy return if you don't like it.

FWIW I have a Xiang Sheng DAC01 that I find has a very acceptable sound without any nasties. Following some reviews I tried the Topping but found it flat and lacking the musicality of the XS so back it went to Amazon.

Easiest way to stream in my book is to buy a Rasberry Pi set up and a DAC of your choice.

There is a thread here started by Bigman80 that offers lots of advice.

As for a streaming service Tidal Hifi 0ffers a lot and there are some occasional deals on ebay.

HTH
Thanks Tony, the Iiang seems popular as well. I definitely like musicality!

[Mikeandvan]

Well, Xiang Sheng dac01 has arrived finally, CCA on the way, what cable do I need to connect the cca to the dac? And what input does it go in?

[mikeyb]

Well, Xiang Sheng dac01 has arrived finally, CCA on the way, what cable do I need to connect the cca to the dac? And what input does it go in?

Mini Toslink to Toslink for full HD audio - big choice here......


https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=mini+toslink+to+toslink+optical+cable&crid=1VQXO5R8XW3RU&sprefix=mini+toslink%2Caps%2C132&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_12

[Mikeandvan]

Mini Toslink to Toslink for full HD audio - big choice here......


https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=mini+toslink+to+toslink+optical+cable&crid=1VQXO5R8XW3RU&sprefix=mini+toslink%2Caps%2C132&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_12

Thanks Mike,nso is that 3.5 jack to toslink?

[mikeyb]

Yip basically it's a digital 3.5 to toslink and will give you the full audio that the cca is capable of [emoji6]

[Mikeandvan]

Yip basically it's a digital 3.5 to toslink and will give you the full audio that the cca is capable of [emoji6]

Aah, now I get it, thanks.