Jump to content

alhambra

  • Posts

    5
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Country

    United States

Retained

  • Member Title
    Newbie
  1. You are correct - I have no modern digital inputs on the receiver as it is 10-12 years old. There is something on the back that they label as a "computer" input. This is the RJ45 (Ethernet?) connection. Can I use that? I do not currently have a DAC, so if I go with CCA, I'd either have to use its capabilities or put something between that and my receiver.
  2. Bluesman, thanks for the explanation. I think I understand now. I guess I wasn't thinking very well. DAC stands for digital to analog converter, so the output from any type of DAC must be via an analog connection to my stereo, right? Since I need to stream wirelessly from my pc (spousal objections preclude the use of running cables), any solution will require a DAC and wireless receiver to be connected to my stereo. I guess the attraction of the Sonos is that this is all bundled together and the connections are easy. Given the limitations of my stereo (1 RJ45 connection and RCA connections) are there DACs I could put between it and the CCA?
  3. So Sonos seems to be getting a lot of support as the easiest solution for me. My only real reservation is that it is over my budget. Ericuco recommended the NAD DAC 2. This also seems to be an easy solution. Does anyone have thoughts about the relative merits of these two units? Snowmonkey: I thought the way to combine the Dragonfly and the CCA would be to plug the dragonfly into a usb on my computer where it would serve as the DAC. Music could then be streamed via the internal wireless of my pc to the CCA which would be attached to my stereo via rca plugs. At least that's the way I thought it should work. Am I wrong? Also, I don't know what the BubbleUpnP Server is and why I need it.
  4. I don't know how to reply to multiple responses in one message, so I'll just put everything here. First, thanks to all for the feedback! I will first try to provide the additional information about my needs: I currently use my desktop computer to listen to Rhapsody while working. I almost never listen to cds on it. I use my stereo exclusively for listening to cds. I hadn't been thinking about it, but it would be nice if I could also access Rhapsody from my stereo. My music collection consists of about 1500 cds (none high resolution) and a few hundred albums. I am not exactly sure what you mean by online music collection. I have just started to rip my cds, but wanted to sort out my hardware before doing all 1500. I don't currently have a turntable, so will not tackle converting the albums for some time (although it would be helpful to know if I will need additional hardware/software to handle that). I have a wifi network set up that is currently used by my pc, a printer and a couple of laptops. I am fine leaving my computer on all the time. I do have an iPhone 5s and would like to be able to use that as my "remote" for the stereo. However, I don't want to use iTunes as my music player and was thinking about JRiver as an option. As for the suggestions people have offered so far (although I might not fully understand each product): The Sonos certainly looks like an easy solution, but is more money than I would like to spend. The Raspberry Pi appeals from a cost perspective, but I have limited computer skills and am concerned this might be over my head. It also sounds like Bluesman and Master are proposing to use it in two different ways if I understand their suggestions. Bluesman would have me use the Dragonfly as an external DAC for my computer and use the Pi as my wireless stereo connection, while Master seems to say use the Pi as the external DAC for my computer and the Chromecast as the wireless stereo connection. Am I getting that right? I have read a lot of great things about the Dragonfly. From this equipment, I like the idea of potentially combining the Dragonfly with the Chromecast. That would seem to give me a better DAC and a less technically daunting wireless connection to my stereo, while also giving me access to music streaming services like Rhapsody. Does this sound like a good idea?
  5. I'm just getting started on a project to convert my cd collection to flac files and have found lots of helpful info here on the ripping process. However, I'm still having some trouble understanding all the hardware options. Eventually (2-3 years), I will probably change/upgrade all my equipment, but for the moment I just hope to be able to put together something that works and sounds ok with my existing equipment and keep the cost of whatever I have to buy under $250 if possible. I am looking for a wifi solution because my desktop computer sits in my office, about 20ft from the family room where the stereo resides. My computer is new and has 802.11ac built in. My stereo is driven by a Rotel RX-1052 receiver. This unit has a "computer" input on the back which is an RJ45 connection. All other connections are RCA. Right now, the only music I have is my cd collection, so I don't need hardware that supports high resolution files. It sounds like I also need a USB DAC to improve the sound quality of the music coming from the pc. I found one product that seems to be a match - Audio Engine W3. Will this actually meet my needs? I have seen a lot of positive reviews of this brand, but would love to hear about other options to consider. Thanks in advance for the help!
×
×
  • Create New...