Any Recommendations on the Best Music Streamer?

Music Talk
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Hey everyone,

I am in the market for a good music streamer and would really appreciate some advice. I am mainly looking for something that delivers great sound quality, supports major streaming services like spotify, tidal and apple music, and is reliable and easy to use. Compatibility with my existing speakers and amp setup is also important.

My budget is flexible so I am open to both affordable and high end options. Whether it is a standalone device or something that pairs well with a DAC or AV receiver, I am open to all suggestions.

What are you all currently using? Are there any models you absolutely love or ones you do avoid? Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and recommendations. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

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Easily this one:

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By all accounts the base Bluesound nano is pretty good as a transport (I.E. with an outboard DAC).
Personally it’s the UI that’s as important as the sound quality and in all honesty, unless you have a mega bucks HiFi I doubt you’d hear the differences.
Try and get some demo units if you can.

My HiFi is £20k + and I use bluesound streamers (a Node, Node2i and an Icon) and they are plenty good enough for this level of system.
I’m sure a more expensive streamer might sound 5-10% better but the cost would be 3,4,5 times the bluesound so you pays your money and takes your choice.

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I have been using the WiiM Ultra Music Streamer for a while now (picked it up a few years ago), and it is been working flawlessly. It is compact, well-built and integrates seamlessly with all the major streaming services you mentioned—Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music, plus Qobuz and Amazon Music.

Here is product link which I used when ordered:

https://www.amazon.com/WiiM-Streamer-Touchscreen-Compatible-Headphone/dp/B0D41YCLW8/?th=1

A few features I really like:

  • Excellent sound quality with a clean, detailed output.
  • Multiple connection options (Wi-Fi, Ethernet, optical, coaxial, and USB).
  • Easy app control for switching sources, adjusting EQ, and browsing music.
  • Gapless playback and high-res audio support (up to 24-bit/192kHz).
  • AirPlay 2 and Chromecast support so it plays nicely with different setups.

It’s been super reliable, and I’ve had zero connection or playback issues over the years. Definitely worth checking out if you want something that’s easy to use but still delivers on sound quality.