How do you listen to your digital files in your stereo?

Flac files on ReadyNAS, Asset UPnP (or Kazoo Server) software and Linn DSM streamer

 

How do you listen to your digital files in your stereo?

Macbook Pro to Airport Express

 

I don't listen to digital on my stereo, only used for vinyl.
Rip all of my vinyl to 320MP3 with a Audio Technica AT-LP120-USB turn table to my Windows system using Audio Creator 7. Store them on a Western Digital 4TB external hard drive and backup on a 2TB Western Digital. Use Windows to listen to them. Put the MP3 on thumb drives for listening in the car.

 

We have the Oppo 203 networked to our server drive (2-TB Western Digital) and I have slowly started FLAC-ing albums onto the drive (so far, my Frank Sinatra box).

 

FLAC & ALAC rips on an external hard drive connected to a 2014 Mac Mini (headless mode). Music player software is Audirvana+ 3.2

From there via USB to a Schiit Eitr, then coax into Rega DAC-R and analog out to preamp/amp/speakers.

 

Server:
Raspberry Pi 3 hosting LMS with Spotty (plugin Spotify) + 2TB usb drive with FLAC and MP3 files.
Clients:
Logitech Squeezebox Touch, Slimdevice Squeezebox 3 and 2 x Logitech Squeezebox Boom

 

iPod Classic on Pro-ject Dock Box with coax out to Marantz receiver's coax in. WAV files from CD-Rs of my records.

 

Optical output from Mac Pro to DAC

 

Asus Ultrabook (2TB SSD drive) to DAC (via USB) to Amp (via RCA interconnects). Mix of FLAC and MP3

 

flac from my htpc

 

MacBook to dCS U-Clock and DAC.

 

I have a small HTPC running JRiver that connects via USB to my Marantz SA8005 (CD/SACD player) which works as a DAC and sends the analog signal out to my Marantz PM8005 integrated receiver.

 

macbook with dragon fly with rca into rega amp...or bluetooth aptx into arcam blink into rega

 

Squeezebox touch into a DAC for the good system. Other squeezebox type hardware elsewhere (that works with the Logitech media server software). A plugin for lossless Tidal works very nicely.

The touch is a nice piece of hardware and once they die (I have a couple backups) I'll end up replacing them with something similar... so long as I can use an external DAC and it works with the LMS software.

 

At this point all my files are downloaded from ITunes and sent from my iPad or iPhone to an
Audioengine B1 Bluetooth Wireless Music Receiver inputed to my preamp. I will upgrade to a high quality dac and storage system for higher rez formats in the near future but, for now, it sounds pretty darn good for what it is.

 

My preferred method:

• Sony Walkman NWZ-A17 (I also have an assortment of other Walkman Digital Audio Players that I use on occasion)
  
• Koss Portapros

I also listen to them on my computer via Media Go (Sony's music management program) through either the computer's speakers for a set of headphones, and in my car via a USB thumb drive in my car stereo.

 

On my ten year old xp pc desktop computer with a sound blaster audio card fed to my stereo.

 

Exclusively. Computer setup with a DAC and soon passive speakers to match.

 

It starts with JRiver Media Center to handle the songs. Then out via USB to the wondrous FiiO E10K headphone amp that sends a digital signal to an old Onkyo receiver with a very good headphone section for my HD600s, or I can use the headphone output from the amp itself and just plug directly in with my Koss PortaPros, or Philips SHP9500s. There's also an analog out to my Klipsch Promedia computer speakers, which I don't use much because of apartment living-can't really blast them (and they can get loud). My music is almost exclusively digital, mostly lossless.

 

PC (JRiver 19) via ethernet to Cambridge NP30 Network Streamer/DAC.

 

Dedicated Thinkpad Laptop running Windows 8.1/JRiver Media Center 23 (64-bit version)--> Uptone Audio USB Regen powered by Lithium Battery Pack-->iFi Micro iDSD Black Label DAC--> Rotel Preamp

No USB cables (use USB adapters instead) and Blue Jean Low Capacitance copper RCA cable to connect to preamp.

 

I use a Cyrus Stream Xa Streamer. I have a hard drive plugged into the USB and a NAS for WiFi access.

 

All my music has been ripped from CDs into my MacBook Pro's iTunes library, as AAC 256kps VBR. I listen in a variety of ways: Sennheiser headphones plugged in to the audio jack of the MacBook Pro; streaming from the iTunes library to our AppleTV which plays through a Polk sound bar; a playlist-based selection from the iTunes library downsampled to 128kps for my iPhone, which I listen to with Apple AirPods. I also use the AirPods to listen to the iTunes library via my employer's MacBook that I use to work from home. None of this is audiophile standard, of course, but I am content with all but the sound bar; I hope to get a proper player one day that can play surround sound, as I have been collecting DVD-As for a while, in anticipation. I will also rerip to ALAC or FLAC at some point, although that seems a bit daunting.

 

2 TB drive with ripped CDs, SACDs, DVD-As (5.1 and 2.0) to Mac Mini running Roon with integrated Tidal.

HDMI out to XMC-1 pre/pro to 5.1 power amp, to SVS Ultra LCR, surrounds and dual subs.

Changed my life. Wonderful sound quality, Serious convenience. Constant smiles.

 

I rip all of my CDs to FLAC files using dBpoweramp on a Win7 system that also serves as my Roon core. All ripped FLAC files are stored on a 12 TB DROBO NAS that's connected to my LAN via Ethernet. I then stream to various Roon endpoints throughout the house. Works great. I also enjoy the seamless integration of Roon with TIDAL HiFi, to which I'm subscribed.

Not the cheapest setup (I purchased a Roon lifetime license), but it's so damned good I wouldn't consider anything else.