Audiophile Music Streamer Buyer’s Guide
What Is an Audiophile Music Streamer?
Typically, a music streamer connects to your stereo system and plays music from any number of streaming services, a NAS drive or a computer. Unlike streaming from your phone over Bluetooth, a dedicated streamer can play lossless and high-resolution files at full quality, which is very close sonically to the sound recorded on the actual master tapes. Audiophile streamers can include internal DACs, power amps and more. Prices range from well under $500 to well over $10,000.
Streamer vs. Streaming DAC vs. Network Endpoint: What’s the Difference?
A network streamer (or transport) outputs a digital signal and needs a separate DAC. A streaming DAC has the converter built in and connects straight to your preamp or integrated amp. A network endpoint is a minimalist streamer, usually controlled from an app like Roon, built to feed a high-end DAC you already own. If you already own a DAC you love, buy a transport or endpoint. If you don’t, a streaming DAC is the simpler, often better-value choice.
Which Streaming Platform Should You Choose?
There is a long list of streaming platforms to choose from, and we recommend that you use a few based on your own audiophile needs and tastes. Our overall pick for the best streaming service is Qobuz from France. It has the most HD music and very high-quality audio. Tidal is another good service for HD. Spotify is the best of the mainstream streaming companies. Even its highest-resolution audio doesn’t compete with Qobuz and Tidal, but its playlists and overall music library are excellent. Pandora is a sneaky pick for our readers because of its ability to make very good playlists from very little listener input. Apple Music is showing up on more and more audiophile and consumer music streamers. Amazon Music might be the best overall pick for most people, because if you have Prime, you already pay for it. Spotify’s playlists are good, but Amazon’s are comparable. Roon is another very powerful platform that runs on endpoints and streamers. It supports many of the best streaming platforms but is best known for its excellent management of metadata. There are easily a dozen other streaming platforms, but these are some of our favorites right now.
Do You Need an Audiophile Music Streamer with a Built-In DAC?
This is a personal call. Streamer technology improves constantly, so you might want to upgrade down the road, which we always approve of. Keeping your DAC and streamer separate often feels like the best upgrade path. It really depends on your use and your overall budget.
Wired Ethernet vs. Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi works fine for most listeners, but a wired Ethernet connection is more stable for high-resolution streams and big libraries. If your router is far from your system, a good mesh network or a powerline adapter is a cheaper fix than a more expensive streamer. If there is any way to connect your music streamer with a wired cable, do that. There are good, inexpensive audiophile-grade Ethernet cables that audibly cut down on noise and improve on a Wi-Fi connection. In some systems, there is just no good way to connect other than Wi-Fi, and that is cool too.
How Much Should You Spend on a Music Streamer?
There are a handful of very impressive music streamers at $500 or even much less. At $1,000 to $1,500, you start getting into better power supplies and bigger LED screens for cover art and the user interface. Well into the four-figure market, you often get fewer features and less access to streaming platforms, but you get much more seriously built audiophile components. Significantly better power supplies, professional connectors like AES/EBU and much prettier industrial design often come with the higher price. There are very high-end streamers that go well into the five-figure price range, and you get more of what the $2,500 components offer, but in even more extreme configurations and with more consumer options.
Do Audiophile Streamers Hold Their Value?
Sadly, no. Audiophile music streamers aren’t always very expensive, but their technology changes pretty quickly, so they don’t retain a lot of value. They make a great starter item for a new audiophile. Older streamers can go into alternate listening rooms, or because of their often small size and light weight, you could sell them on eBay or a similar site and get a little bit of your investment back.
Audiophile Streamer FAQ
What is the best music streamer for audiophiles?
It depends on your budget and system. We like the Bluesound Node Icon as a good all-around option at a fair price. We like the Bricasti M5 for a performance-first, more expensive option. HiFi Rose is another favorite with FutureAudiophile.com reviewers in the slightly higher-end part of the market.
Do I need a music streamer if I have a DAC?
Yes. A DAC is a digital-to-analog converter, and while many come with music streamers built in, that is not a rule. If your DAC doesn’t have one built in, you also need a music streamer to access your streaming platforms.
Is a music streamer better than streaming from my phone?
Yes, sir, if sound quality is important to you. Phones are great, and most audiophiles use a tablet or phone to control their music streamers, but the quality of a Bluetooth phone connection is simply substandard sonically. For younger users especially, being able to control their music from their phones is just as important as sound quality.
What is Roon Ready?
Roon Ready means a streamer is certified to work with Roon’s music management software, which combines your streaming services and local files into one library.
Can a music streamer replace my preamp?
Some can. Streamers with a built-in DAC and digital or analog volume control can connect straight to a power amplifier. Check that the streamer you’re considering has a variable output.
