What’s your preferred connection?

[mmorrison55]

I stream from an Antipodes server using Roon. All of my discs are now ripped to the server and I use Roon to connect and stream from Tidal. My CD/SACD player is no longer part of the system, the server does everything, and the only input I use on my 140 is ethernet. I could also use USB and I think most of the streamers you mention should offer at least a USB output if not ethernet network output as well.

My guess is that you will probably find USB or ethernet provides a better result than any of the 3 inputs you mentioned for streaming output so I would be looking at one of those choices where possible. I'd also tend towards AES/EBU over Toslink/coax in theory if you have a device with AES/EBU output. For a turntable you're probably better using one of the Devialet's analog inputs configured as a phono input.

I can recommend the server route. I found I got better sound streaming files ripped from my CDs over the network than playing the discs themselves and using coax to pass the digital output from either an Arcam CD37 or Oppo 105 to my 140 over coax. It took a couple of months to rip my whole CD collection to the server but I simply ripped discs while listening to music from my disc player (my Antipodes has a disc drive for ripping). Once that task was done I simply retired the disc player. Once you have everything you want on a server it's a simple matter to rip new discs before playing them or buying new music as downloads.

If you're going to have to buy everything you want to send through the 200, think hard about how you want your system to work. Especially when it comes to streaming, whether that be from discs ripped to a hard drive or from some streaming service, you also have USB and ethernet as input options which are worth considering. I think you can add an internal drive to the Auralic Aries G1, I know I added an internal SSD to the Aries Mini I used a couple of years ago before getting a Devialet. What I can say is that if you had asked me 2 years ago what my system would be today, I would have said it would include a disc player and that it probably wouldn't include input from a hard drive. That all changed when I got a Devialet 20 months ago and  found myself with a pile of options that I didn't have with the NAD M3 integrated amp I was previously using. Once I tried a free trial with Roon and streaming Tidal a couple of months later, the writing was on the wall for a disc player in my system and less than 3 months later it was gone. When it comes to considering what types of input connection I would be using, 2 years ago I would have said analog inputs and perhaps a coax or USB input for some digital input. Today the only input I'm using is ethernet. Everything changed, and changed quite rapidly. That's why I say that if you're going to have to buy everything you want to send through your 200, start thinking about just how you want your system to be working in a year or two's time because there are other input options than the 3 you mentioned and you're likely to find that the way you access music can easily change once you start streaming though a Devialet if you use ethernet or USB inputs.

Thanks again for another detailed reply. It’s much appreciated! I do like the idea of the server and ripping discs. And since it seems for the time being I can use my oppo for double duty (based on Axels reply), I can do a bit more research as to what will best suites my needs. The antipodes looks like a nice solution but unfortunately a bit out of my range at the moment. The Auralic Aries g1, I will have to look into internal HD. I know you can attach external HD via usb and use their “lightning” or some process as they they call it to manage and play your collection and stream via one app interface. John Darko has a nice review On the Auralic Aries g1

 95% would be streaming, so anything that can airplay my Applemusic subscription is my 1st choice. I’m not against going to tidal or similar hi res streaming service, so whatever streamer, server I go with will hopefully support many formats.

Thanks again,

Mike