What to change too?

rjh3

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Hi

Currently have a 6 year old separates system (below). I never play CD's anymore, mainly due to the kids marking them.

Cambridge Audio Topaz CD10
Cambridge Audio Topaz AM10
Dale Zensor 1 Speakers

I have a sound bar in livingroom I use for streaming spotify, and a bose mini link in Kitchen.

I am looking at a few options and some advise.

Ideally I'd like to keep the speakers and amp, whats best to add to this to be able to stream spotify off my iphone, ipad?

Or keep the speakers and add a new piece of kit to do the streaming, therefore getting rid of the amp/cd?

I like the idea of a turntable with the amp, but records and young kids, many have to wait another few years.

I did look at the Cambridge audio CXN but at £799 its a little pricey.
 
A Google chromecast should fit the bill? Just hook it up to your existing kit.
 
you mean via a 3.5mm jack to phono, was hoping to avoid this solution as quality is prob not what I am after, or is it actually ok?

Would I also not need a DAC?
 
Yes, that's the cable. It outputs stereo using the chromecast's dac and is a perfectly acceptable solution. A short cable comes with the chromecast. Make sure you get the chromecast audio, not the video.
 
I've used chromecast using the stereo out and via an Audiolab M-DAC and there isn't a massive difference.
 
I have connected up my mac to my amp via 3.5mm jack - phono before and sound was ok but not the best. I would imagine the mac DAC is same or better than chromecast?
 
Sorry but I've no idea about macs. The chromecast is only £30, sometimes less on offer so it's got to be worth a try.
 
Thanks will add it to my options, but really looking for a new unit that will improve sound quality over the mac - amp 3.5mm jack wired solution and to allow wireless connection.

Chromecast will do the job just now sure on quality
 
If your on ios, then airplay would be an option.

I use an airport express and run a toslink to my chord dac. from there I run a a 3.5mm to rca directly into my amplifier. no loss in quality as the chord dac does all the converting.

I actually have a few AE's and use airplay for multi-room which is very handy.

if your concerned about quality from a chromecast, just run an external dac. Is a lot cheaper than the CA streamer.
 
The airport express so that's just basically apples version of chromcast, slightly dearer as well. Both would need to go through an external DAC to improve quality though?

Is there any single units that will do this in replacement of the amp + chromecast/airportexpress/mac wired to amp. Obviously the CA streamer will but that £799, just trying to look also for an option where I don't need to piece bits and pieces together.

Info so far has been great and worth considering
 
While you can get super integrated amps which include amp + dac + wireless, they aren't cheap (e.g. Auralic Polaris).

For a cheap setup better than your mac consider a chromecast audio (£30) with a Schiit Modi 2 Uber (£150) or Modi Multibit (£270) Dac into your existing amp.
 
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Well there is no difference between them other than using an external dac in the chain which is obviously built into the CA streamer, but that unit is a fair size?

My airport express in my bedroom is an old generation which the unit plugs into the wall outlet no external box and i just run an optical to my chord dac which is tiny. imo it's a much tidier look than a whole unit like the CA streamer.

fwiw i picked that ae off ebay for £17

I have attached a pic below to show what i mean regarding size. my Phono stage is behind my dac and just goes to show how small it is. all i do is turn on my amp and dac then sit bac with my mac, ipad or iphone and tream everything straight to my ae. job done.


IMG_9772.PNG
 
Agreed, as long as the dac is small (the Modi's I suggested are pretty small) then you could hide it out of the way.
 
I’d suggest this

Yamaha Wireless Streaming Adapter WXAD-10 - Nottingham HiFi

An excellent internal dac with AirPlay, Spotify, tidal, Bluetooth and other streaming devices built in.

You can also stream anything from your Mac making use of the Yamaha’s internal Burr-Brown dac for up to 24/192 files.

Ps, and it’s tiny.
 
What to change too?

Currently have a 6 year old separates system (below). I never play CD's anymore, mainly due to the kids marking them.

The locks? ;)
 
I have a samsung sound + soundbst hw-ms550 2.1 £399 which I picked up for £170 for the tv, but does sound good through Bluetooth with Spotify from iPhone 7

Does lack a bit of punch tho
 
The chromecast audio is really a no brainer. For 30 quid you get a wi fi receiver, an optical toslink for amplifiers with an optical input ,,and an 3.5mm or coax rca for older more conventional amplifiers. The quality of the audio is at least as good as any streaming source can deliver from Spotify, Deezer or tunein radio .. whats not to like. ?There are modes by which you can get your pc or ios device to act as the source, so you can play anything over your own network.. The quality over wi fi is much better than Bluetooth can manage.

At that price its worth a punt, I guarantee you will not be disappointed...and at the price there is nothing to touch it. A brilliant concept, limited, but brings a new life to old good amplifiers and speakers.
 
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I decided to get a Chromecast audio to try this out with 3.5mm - RCA to stream spotify via iphone, ipda, macbook and sound is ok.

Its not blow you away good, I'd say its ok and will do the job.

I am still thinking of a DAC but not sure it will make a vast difference, form what I have read it will, but just not sure if the difference is going to be what I am looking for. Going to sell my CA Topaz CD10 and if it sells I'll prob look at a DAC.

The DAC will more than likely just be the CA DAC magic 100 at £169

System

Cambridge Audio Topaz CD10
Cambridge Audio Topaz AM10
Dali Lektor 2 Speakers
 
I decided to get a Chromecast audio to try this out with 3.5mm - RCA to stream spotify via iphone, ipda, macbook and sound is ok.

Its not blow you away good, I'd say its ok and will do the job.

I am still thinking of a DAC but not sure it will make a vast difference, form what I have read it will, but just not sure if the difference is going to be what I am looking for. Going to sell my CA Topaz CD10 and if it sells I'll prob look at a DAC.

The DAC will more than likely just be the CA DAC magic 100 at £169

System

Cambridge Audio Topaz CD10
Cambridge Audio Topaz AM10
Dali Lektor 2 Speakers
I don't think a better DAC than the Chromecast will give better sound from the standard Spotify, Deezer Tunein Radio sources. It may well do so , with the higher priced premium sources from Tidal etc. I suspect that the data rates will mitigate against an improvement.
 
I am using premium spotify and itunes, ripped CD's
 
The Spotify premium is still at or below CD standard. , I use Deezer and in both of these the advantage of premium is that the adds are gone, the quality is a bit higher than the free one, and one can download. I have not used Tidal but my understanding is that they deal , at a higher cost, with Hi Res or above CD standard.
When you rip your CDs, presumably on iTunes, do you use the default compressed versions or the uncompressed option? .. With good kit, the uncompressed , full fat version will give the best possible sound..
 
I would need to check itunes while since I ripped a CD, the majority were ripped prob 10 years ago
 
Is Spotify configured for highest quality? It doesn't do it by default even when subscribing to Premium. Other than that I'd say you were largely wasting time & money trying to a sound that will blow you away.
 

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