Setting Up My First Streaming System - Advice Needed

[Yamaki]

And my two cents here is that I'd not run the digital signal through the Mini, which will process the sound file through it's electronics.

Rather, find a way to run your digital signal directly to the DAC and either bluetooth it or make a hard wire connection from there to your system.

[orosie]

There are a million different ways to go. Sounds like you want an inexpensive and easy way to stream, so I probably should not chime in as to what route I would recommend going.

: )

[jayvis]

Originally Posted by rushca01

You also have to consider the OS, so far I’ve been impressed with the bluesound OS. The MB50 uses dts Play-Fi which I also have on anthem avm60 and I’m not a fan of the Play-Fi OS. The play fi os also ties up your phone IE..it routes through your phone while the node2 just uses the phone to control the app.

Although you'll have to download the player's dedicated app to enable the player, you won't need to use it for any of the supported services like Spotify or Tidal. Just open and use the Spotify app (which I find to be very good) on your computer, iPad or other mobile device. The Play-Fi app seems to work easily and just fine for retrieving and streaming music files from any computer or mobile device. I think too many people and reviewers get hung up on one OS that they prefer and forget that the processing and sound quality are the most important variables. Get one, familiarize yourself with it and just enjoy the music.

[Killergurt]

Originally Posted by jayvis

Although you'll have to download the player's dedicated app to enable the player, you won't need to use it for any of the supported services like Spotify or Tidal. Just use the Spotify app (which I find to be very good) on your iPad or other mobile device. The Play-Fi app seems to work easily and just fine for streaming files from any computer or mobile device. I think too many people and reviewers get hung up on one OS that they prefer and forget that the processing and sound quality are the most important variables. Get one, familiarize yourself with it and just enjoy the music.

Makes sense! Can I stream Spotify through the Node 2? Do you think that the MB50 is worth the extra money over the Node 2?

[jayvis]

Originally Posted by Killergurt

Makes sense! Can I stream Spotify through the Node 2? Do you think that the MB50 is worth the extra money over the Node 2?

Yes, you can stream Spotify through the Node 2. We use Spotify Premium religiously and I moved my Node 2 to my second system upstairs so my wife could enjoy it. You could say that the MB50 was a more expensive splurge, but I found it to work more reliably and sound better in my main system downstairs. To me, an American made McIntosh item is always worth the extra money as long as it performs as advertised. I found the published reviews on it to be spot on and not just hype.

[Killergurt]

Originally Posted by jayvis

Yes, you can stream Spotify through the Node 2. We use Spotify Premium religiously and I moved my Node 2 to my second system upstairs so my wife could enjoy it. You could say that the MB50 was a more expensive splurge, but I found it to work more reliably and sound better in my main system downstairs. To me, an American made McIntosh item is always worth the extra money as long as it performs as advertised. I found the published reviews on it to be spot on and not just hype.

So, with the Node 2 I can:

1. Stream Spotify
2. Stream Tidal
3. Manage my CD library through BlueOS
4. Use Roon

And with the MB50 I can:

1. Stream Spotify
2. Stream Tidal
3. Manage my CD library through the DTS PlayFi thingie (?)
4. Use Roon (?)

If I wanted to use the DAC on my MAC, should I connect using Coax Digital/Toslink or USB? Reason I am asking is so that I know which cable to put my money towards.

[rushca01]

Originally Posted by Killergurt

So, with the Node 2 I can:

1. Stream Spotify
2. Stream Tidal
3. Manage my CD library through BlueOS
4. Use Roon

And with the MB50 I can:

1. Stream Spotify
2. Stream Tidal
3. Manage my CD library through the DTS PlayFi thingie (?)
4. Use Roon (?)

If I wanted to use the DAC on my MAC, should I connect using Coax Digital/Toslink or USB? Reason I am asking is so that I know which cable to put my money towards.

Coax is the more preferred/popular method.

[nicoff]

Originally Posted by Killergurt

Thank you guys, this is super helpful.

And lastly, what would you recommend to be the best way to rip all my CDs and create a digital library? Which software, codec, settings? I have around 500 CDs.

To rip your CDs you need:
1. A computer with a disc drive.
2. Software to do the ripping. I recommend dbPoweramp for this purpose.

Codec/Settings: Make sure that you use a lossless Codec. I rip all my files to FLAC. DbPoweramp lets you choose whichever Codec you want. If you decide on FLAC, dbP also gives you several levels of compression. You can use the recommended compression (more compression = less disc space needed).

With 500 CDs you will need about 1/2 TB of disc space (dependent on level of compression).

Keep in mind that any FLAC file can be easily converted to other Codec (WAV, ALAC, MP3, etc.)

[Killergurt]

Originally Posted by nicoff

To rip your CDs you need:
1. A computer with a disc drive.
2. Software to do the ripping. I recommend dbPoweramp for this purpose.

Codec/Settings: Make sure that you use a lossless Codec. I rip all my files to FLAC. DbPoweramp lets you choose whichever Codec you want. If you decide on FLAC, dbP also gives you several levels of compression. You can use the recommended compression (more compression = less disc space needed).

With 500 CDs you will need about 1/2 TB of disc space (dependent on level of compression).

Keep in mind that any FLAC file can be easily converted to other Codec (WAV, ALAC, MP3, etc.)

Thank you Nicoff.
I have a Mac-mini connected to an external CD drive, I downloaded DbPoweramp as suggested and did a test rip. I think that I would like to rip all my CDs as AIFF, unless you think that I am making a mistake (I have a 4TB HD for this).

I did encounter something that I don't know what to do with: I ripped a movie soundtrack CD, specified the path and expected to find one folder at the specified path with 16 AIFF files in it. What it did though, was different:

Since this is a soundtrack with various artists, it created a folder for each artist, in each of this folder a sub-folder with the movie's name, and then the AIFF in it. So instead of having one folder with all the songs I have 16 folders with all the songs scattered in. What was I doing wrong??

[jayvis]

Originally Posted by Killergurt

So, with the Node 2 I can:

1. Stream Spotify
2. Stream Tidal
3. Manage my CD library through BlueOS
4. Use Roon

And with the MB50 I can:

1. Stream Spotify
2. Stream Tidal
3. Manage my CD library through the DTS PlayFi thingie (?)
4. Use Roon (?)

If I wanted to use the DAC on my MAC, should I connect using Coax Digital/Toslink or USB? Reason I am asking is so that I know which cable to put my money towards.

I don't believe Bluesound has released an update to enable the Node 2 to be Roon ready yet. It has supposedly been in the works. Roon is just software to manage your digital music files. Although Roon supposedly has more management features, it doesn't offer much more than what is available through other device's operating system apps. The MB50 is not Roon ready.
I'd use a digital coaxial cable to connect to your C2600's DAC. I use Toslink because I only have one digital coaxial input on my preamp which I use from my CD player.