Just realized I could throw my .flac files on a thumb drive and play through the smart tv > optical cable > DAC.
Imagine that, need to read more of the forum input...*laffs
Imagine that, need to read more of the forum input...*laffs
Alternatives to streaming via Apple TV/iTunes
My current 2 channel setup in the main living room is as follows:
iMac (iTunes) --> Apple TV (via Airplay/wifi) --> Parasound P5 (via TosLink) --> Parasound A21 (via XLR) --> B&W CM10
I usually buy CDs and rip them (using ALAC) into iTunes.
I don't really have any major complaints, but I often wonder if this is the most optimal route given the rest of my system. I don't want to do a CD player for various reasons.
I've heard folks using a Mac Mini to preamp/DAC via USB, etc. Alternatively, I see dedicated music servers/streamers but some of them sound quite pricey. I'm not sure if dedicated streamers will be a major step up compared to the Apple TV.
I guess I'm interested in finding out if (a) there are better options out there (no CD player though), and (b) if the difference in SQ will be enough to justify the extra effort/expense?
Another thing I often wonder is, if I plan to play music via my computer (or streaming services ala Spotify, Tidal), do I really need to keep a dedicated preamp such as the Parasound P5? I don't think I'll ever do a dedicated CD player source or turntable.
Any advise will be much appreciated.
iMac (iTunes) --> Apple TV (via Airplay/wifi) --> Parasound P5 (via TosLink) --> Parasound A21 (via XLR) --> B&W CM10
I usually buy CDs and rip them (using ALAC) into iTunes.
I don't really have any major complaints, but I often wonder if this is the most optimal route given the rest of my system. I don't want to do a CD player for various reasons.
I've heard folks using a Mac Mini to preamp/DAC via USB, etc. Alternatively, I see dedicated music servers/streamers but some of them sound quite pricey. I'm not sure if dedicated streamers will be a major step up compared to the Apple TV.
I guess I'm interested in finding out if (a) there are better options out there (no CD player though), and (b) if the difference in SQ will be enough to justify the extra effort/expense?
Another thing I often wonder is, if I plan to play music via my computer (or streaming services ala Spotify, Tidal), do I really need to keep a dedicated preamp such as the Parasound P5? I don't think I'll ever do a dedicated CD player source or turntable.
Any advise will be much appreciated.