I've decided that I want to start streaming my music, but at the highest quality I can afford.
My system at the moment:
Roksan Caspian M-series 1
CD player
pre amp
mono blocks
Vienna Acoustics Beethoven Baby Grand speakers
I've just been thinking, after writing everything else below: Do I have to stream or could I just buy a good quality 24/192 DAC, connect a 3TB external harddrive to it and listen to the music files that way - but I guess it won't as easy to use: I won't be able to find the albums as easy or have the Android app for the Cambridge Audio Stream Magic 6.
I think streaming (even if I won't use the radio streaming service) is still the way to go................
I will want to use my ampifiers I have at the moment.
So I'm looking for a NAS, but what type am I looking for (as I've never thought about getting one before): Should I get one where it has a four slots which can accept harddrives, or which has a single harddrive?
So the NAS will have to be situated next (or as close) to my router?
What cables will I need?
Do I connect by USB or other means - I've heard about toslink??
As I want to listen to 24/96 and 24/192 files I think it will be best if I connect by ethernet - but my wifi connection might be alright (8MB connection) -I'll have to try it and see.
I have made copies of quite a few of my cds into FLAC .cue files just in case something happens to my cds and I will be able to burn them onto a cd again easily - Can streamers play .cue files, and play each track individually which will allow me to go forward to the next song in the cue, as you would when listening to a cd on a cd player?
I will be using EAC to rip the rest of my cds (or all of them if the streamer can't play FLAC .cue files) onto a harddrive into FLAC, but is there a certain way to do it, which will make it easier to read when on the NAS?
I'm looking at the Cambridge Audio Stream Magic 6 (£699.00), but I've also come across the Pioneer Elite N-50 (£399.00).
They both seem very similar for different amounts of money.
Anything else I should be thinking about?
Thanks