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So I want to stream Spotify through my hi fi separates system. Is the best way for optimum quality as follows... LAN cable to laptop, then to DAC then to hi fi. I guess the laptop has no influence on quality?
TBH honest - I just use an Airport Express into the amp.
Spotify on the phone or Mac streams straight to it.
Might be wrong but I can't see what benefit a 3.5,, to a DAC is going to give you - unless you have an optical from the soundcard.
You are talking uncompressed?
The files from Spotify on extreme quality stream at 320 bits, so I was assuming then the job is to get the file to a quality DAC? I guess they are compressed, but the same applies if I downloaded FLAC files?
3.5mm cable from headphone jack on laptop to rca input on amp. Job done.
If you are not using Spotify Premium, then the quality of the streams is limited to 160 kbs through the web browser, so not much point in spending a lot of money on a USB DAC.
There's plenty of cheap ones available as well which may be worth it.
Lots of discussion on DAC pros and cons on this thread.
[url= http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/any-dac-users-out-there-thoughts ]http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/any-dac-users-out-there-thoughts[/url]
If you have an Android phone then chromecast audio or if you have an iPhone then an airport express. Both give you the option of audio out or optical digital out if you want to use a DAC. I can't see you needing anything better for Spotify.
We use a (first edition) Chromcast. Works well. Hit 'cast' and it switches on the amp, TV etc without having to touch a remote.
Android phone
Using a phone and it drops to 96kbs.
I use an Airport Express into the preamp. I was expecting to get a DAC as well but the DAC in the Airport Express is damn good in its own right.
Chromecast audio 🙂
I have tried a chromecast audio, but was disappointed with the sound quality, I was using iphone5 with Spotify premium. I guess the chromecast audio has a DAC in it so maybe that is not as good as an external dac?
I'd do what mattyfez suggested, it's nice and simple.
Chromecast audio has a high quality mode that needs be switched on to get good sound through a hifi - "high dynamic range" - was that turned on?
It's apparently also possible to connect it up to a DAC.
Personally I have a Raspberry Pi with an IQAudio PI-DAC+ on-board DAC and it sounds pretty good. If the CC Audio had come out before I bought it I would have tried one.
I've got one of these:
[url= https://www.cambridgeaudio.com/products/network-players/stream-magic-6-v2 ]https://www.cambridgeaudio.com/products/network-players/stream-magic-6-v2[/url]
I bought it to stream FLAC files from my NAS, but then they upgraded the software to include Spotify Connect. Which was nice.
Markwsf ..,,,thanks so much for pointing out the better quality sound setting available on chromecast, I didn't know about that so I'll try that tomorrow
And the chromecast does have optical digital out (same 3.5mm jack as the audio) if you want to feed that into a suitable DAC. Check that spotify isn't the quality problem as I wasn't aware the stream was ever as compressed as people say above, 96Kbps would surely be noticeably poor.
I'm very impressed with the sound quality from a Chromecast Audio - and they're only £35 🙂 You do need the Spotify subscription so you can get higher sound quality setting though.
Alternatively, from your headphone jack is lousy quality. As per that thread up there about DAC's - if you want to run the sound direct from your laptop then the Behringer DAC for £25 is very impressive.
With both Chromecast and the Behringer thing I can hear stuff that I've not heard before on CD - Technics deck and Denon amp - so I'm really quite impressed
I use an Android phone to stream directly to a Cambridge Audio minx xi amp. It works really well.
Chromecast Audio sounds great to me and reviews very well.
Picked mine up for £23 at the airport so gave it a go. Hooked it up to the hotel WiFi when away, powered off my backup battery and plugged my decent headphones in and streamed Google Play. It sounded way better than my phone, lots of detail and previously unheard stuff. Optical out to a DAC should be even better. Hope you can get it working well, I'm very impressed with mine.
We use this:
http://www.alphr.com/accessories/1001167/gramofon-review-the-spotify-streamer-to-own
Slightly more expensive than the Chromecast (but not ruinous) and supposed to sound better, but I haven't listened to them both back to back myself. Either way, very easy to set up and a lot less faff than your intent in the OP.
i stream phone my phone to apple tv, then TV out from the headphones into my hifi amp. It's sh#t. The sound is rubbish, very tinny and overdriven.
interested in these solutions suggested. i had no idea bout high quality streaming , thansk for that! is there a way to set it up so its stream highquality only when connected to wifi?
I use a sonos into my HIFI
interested in these solutions suggested. i had no idea bout high quality streaming , thansk for that! is there a way to set it up so its stream highquality only when connected to wifi?
You can change the quality on Spotify premium, but only manually I think.
Markwsf ..,,,thanks so much for pointing out the better quality sound setting available on chromecast, I didn't know about that so I'll try that tomorrow
+ 1,000,000!
Just tried it, what a difference! Just had a look and its called Full Dynamic Range.
I have a 15 year old Sony Hifi, running through a speaker switch to speakers in four different rooms.
The first big improvement was when I added a Chromecast Audio at Christmas (used to plug a tablet into the hifi and then control it from my phone)
This is the second big improvement, enabling that dynamic range is a very noticeable improvement, switching it off sounds like putting your fingers in your ears.
Anyone know what quality setting is used when streaming through Chromecast from phone? Normally mine is set to standard quality but when streaming to Chromecast all the quality options are faded out.
Also just tried the chromecast high Q setting, amazing difference! Not sure a DAC in between the chromecast and amp will add much. (Heard some drums on a black sabbath track I have never heard before... Streaming Spotify on extreme quality)
I bought a Neet Airstream and plug it into the amp.
Set online to be the highest quality and it sounds very good.
The Neet has been very reliable and it just works.
I have two decices with Spotify connect built in, a Cambridge audio stream magic and a marantz NR1506 amp...both are great. For convenience, value and sound the marantz is tops