Added value of separate server?

John Atkinson's recent Stereophile review of the Ayre QX-5 Twenty Digital Hub  suggests its digital-to-analog processing is superb, and when couple with the KX-5 Twenty preamp so is the resulting sound.

Files from the iMac are backed up daily by Time Machine to an external hard disc, so I assume the music files are among them.  I pay a fee for Cloud space, but I don't know if files are stored there or if I need to direct then there.  I haven't bothered learning about the Cloud, and may be missing a lot.  

A Bluesound Node 2 is inexpensive enough I might try it as a option; the same cannot be said of an Aurender N10.

I suspect my current setup is all I need if I can get the Roon remote app to run on the iPad.

db

Tremendous difference between a laptop and a purpose-built music server. Those who say no just don't know. My server beats any laptop, the differences are undeniable and obvious.

Be sure to check the Stereophile review of the Aurender. Middling at best, they say.

I find the server/player/renderer to be more important than the dac. The true source is usually most important. Amazing what digital can deliver when done right. Often times the weak link is ahead of the dac in computer based audio.

@grannyrig @jaybe

Wrong. Moving or serving digital files is very simple and every working computer and every router moves digital data around at high rates day in day out with no errors (error correction and detection algorithms ensure this). The critical technology is in the D to A conversion.

Of course, the server has huge impact on how you view and access your library - the interface can be feature rich or very basc like iTunes. Unless the digital files are being processed then any properly functioning device can deliver a bit perfect digital file to your DAC. Of course if your DAC cant handle jitter rejection then no two devices will sound the same ever - even a different cable could make a difference - but that is a DAC issue.

Yes guys, if you have a Benchmark DAC, your system will defy all known audio reality. It is also imperative not to actually listen to new/different things before forming your opinions.

Dave