Help with choosing music server

+2 on the Innuos.  I went from using my mac to an Aurender and now to an Innuos.  The Innuos is by far the easiest to use and best sounding.  Using the Aurender + itunes was very time consuming just to rip 1 CD.  Insert the CD, create a folder, google search for artwork, download artwork, add artwork to created file, highlight CD songs from itunes and drag to the created file and on and on..... With the Innuos you insert the CD and it does everything for you....plus I get to use Roon now, which I love.

You rip a CD and it pretty much gets organized the same way iTunes does.

I don't like amount of scrolling you have to do to get to particular album in Itunes, but if you create "smart playlists" for each genre (like "genre IS Jazz") then Itunes displays whole page of thumbnails of all records in the genre - much easier to use.

As for the server - I use WiFi on Mac Mini to transfer data (on 5GHz band) to Airport Express, then by Toslink to Benchmark DAC3.   I keep my computer ON all day placing it in the "SLEEP" mode at night.  It wakes up instantly.  Since I'm sending data (no timing) over Wi-Fi computer (playback program, speed, amount of memory) is not important.  Same (other than conducted electrical noise) goes for Ethernet or async. USB.

The new vault 2i has both wired and wireless internet if that is a big deal to you.
Personally I stick to wired as very little chance of any dropouts while streaming.
Owned my Vault 2 for nearly 2 years and only just now getting thoughts to possibly upgrade.
But I had same thoughts last year and stuck with the Vault 2 as to replace it was going to cost a heck of a lot more than the 1k I dropped on it!

It would have to be wireless for me, as my router is upstairs in bedroom, while listening room is in basement.
thanks for all the responses - appreciate all the help.

I had the same challenge when I got the Innuous (router in one place, listing room elsewhere and no possibility of running a wire).  I tried a powerline adapter. It worked but I was advised that it might degrade my sound quality since it transmits a signal over the power line.  I changed to a wireless bridge (under $100) which connects to the Innuous by ethernet cable.  Works pretty well, although it occasionally loses the signal even when I’m a few feet away. I got an inexpensive Netgear with two antennas.  Netgear makes one with four antennas and, of course, there are other brands. I’m wondering whether upgrading the wireless bridge would help.  In any case, a server with built in wireless internet probably would have similar issues.