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New Guy From The Houston, TX Area


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Hello, everyone!

 

First, I want to apologize for the long post. I'm new and enthusiastic. I hope y'all can understand the feeling and forgive me for being long winded.

 

I was a young fellow in the 1980s. When I was in the USAF one of my buddies had a Carver receiver (TFM series, I think) running through a pair of JBLs. I lusted after that system but couldn't afford anything of the sort. He was single & living in the barracks. I was married junior enlisted and living in off base housing. Money was really tight back then. Frankly, it remained tight for a few decades after that. I have only recently found myself in position where I could enjoy some of the things in life that I have always wanted but couldn't see my way clear to pursue. 

 

It's amazing what time and perseverance can do for a guy, isn't it?

 

I just joined the site as a new Carver owner; or rather, an older guy who just got his first bit of Carver kit - a M-0.5t power amp, a CT-7 preamp & a TL-3200 CD player. I believe the fellow I bought it from might be a member of the site. I know I saw him post on TCS Facebook group. That's where I found the M-0.5t in the first place. He was absolutely a pleasure to deal with. His wife is just as nice as can be. He also had a very friendly cat!

 

According to him, the CT-7 has a wonky left line output. He believes the problem with the preamp is likely just a bad/loose RCA port. I believe he is right. I just downloaded the schematic from the site. While I'm a complete novice when it comes to schematics, I noted that the headphone amp and the output port lie downstream of the buffer amp. We tested the unit using headphones. The CT-7 worked well through headphones. 

 

The previous owner told me that he'd get a horrible squealing noise which blew the tweeter on a couple of his speakers unless he propped up the output port with a coaster and a folded up napkin. For a while he ran the CT-7 though an Adcom amp that had attenuators/volume pots, which allowed him to get the workaround working prior to running the  amp at volume. The M-0.5t has no such thing going for it. It's a straight 140 watts.

 

Looking at the port I can see that it does move a little when pressure is applied to it. So, a repair is in order before I connect my speakers and start using it here.  

 

The plan is to run a Dual 1264 turntable, the Carver CD player, the CT-7 & M-0.5t through a pair of Vandersteen Model 2Ce Signature (series i) speakers. I still need to figure out streaming. 

 

I have a couple of questions and don't know if they're appropriate for this introduction forum. Being new I am still trying to figure out the rules. If it's a violation of any policy please let me know. I will delete the questions immediately and post them in the appropriate forum. I do not want to run afoul of the rules around here. You have already been a huge help through file downloads. It looks like the wealth of experience on this site will be a huge help beyond just Carver gear. There seems to be a bunch of old electronics pros here.  

 

Question 1: Is replacement of a line out RCA port something that a total novice with a soldering iron can accomplish, or is this something best addressed by taking it into a shop? I have a pair of sacrificial speakers. I wouldn't be upset about if I blew a tweeter in one of them. 

 

Question 2: What do you guys do for streaming?

 

I'm an infrastructure tech working in the bowels of a gigantic multinational corporation - more of an IT generalist, really. I'm toying with the idea of building a NAS/streaming PC using Linux. I have a tub of FLAC rips and a subscription to Amazon Music. I have a computer case that looks like an amp. The thing is that I know there are a bunch of pre-made streaming devices out there. That's the sort of thing that's been off my radar. 

 

So what do you guys do for streaming?

 

OK - wrapping up - I'm really looking forward to the interaction here.

 

Happy holidays to you and yours & here's wishing all of you the best in 2023! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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OK, @Thangleby, Here's a few answers for you.

 

In terms of the issues you are having with the gear you acquired, it's hard to assess your ability to repair on your own..., and folks here are cautious, mostly because we don't want to see the Carver gear get damaged, and also mostly because Carver gear is unique (amps) and it does take some expertise to work on.  NOTE: I am NOT a tech, but I am also not afraid to take the top off my amps and preamps, and other Carver gear, to look for obvious issues.

 

So, here's my suggestion, really my opinion - and it's worth nothing - so take it as input, not as direction, as you make your own decisions.  (And it sounds like you are the same point in life as many of us here - and that gives you wisdom, the kind that knows how hard and far to go, with caution and safety, ... and "sacrificial speakers!! LoL).

  1. First, there are a LOT of threads here on the forum, over a decade's worth, read through them.  Allow those threads to build your own knowledge base and comfort level of diving in.  
  2. CAUTION CAUTION..., BE WARNED - there are things in a Carver Amp that can really hurt/KILL you - like capacitors that have not discharged.  DO NOT POKE AROUND WITH A SCREWDRIVER..., most of us use a plastic/wood chopstick or something made of wood or otherwise non-conductive material.
  3. CAUTION CAUTION..., BE WARNED - unplug the unit..., Seriously, I put these cautions in because I don't know you or your skill level..., and I'm NOT A TECH, and Don't want you to damage your gear any further..., I suspect your wisdom is beyond this - BUT someone else may read this later.
  4. Second, take the cover off, (take care here - those screws are notorious for cross-threading, and leaving metal filings behind that can become a problem in the future - threads here on that as well).  With the cover off, look for the following:
    • Cracked solder joints (use magnification - if you have it, or take pictures of suspect areas with your phone, and zoom in to see if there are cracked joints.  
    • Burned components that have fried due to damage or heat or?
    • General house-cleaning (blow dirt and dust out with a can of compressed air)
    • Focus on those RCAs in the preamp where they connect to the PCB (what you described sounds like a loose connection)
    • Focus on the RCA's and Speaker Terminals in the amp where they connect to the PCB
  5. Take pictures of anything you think looks out of place, or not right.
  6. Start a NEW thread and post the pictures you suspect as cause for concern in the right forum (go to Amps, for the Amp, and go to PreAmps, for the Preamp, and use the "start new topic" button.  Share the pictures and ask for specific advice.  Of course, do use the SEARCH function to look for relative threads, as noted.  Be patient, sometimes it takes a day or two for a reply.
  7. CAUTION CAUTION..., CAUTION AGAIN - IF you go further, you need to be aware of large capacitors that hold a charge and can shock and kill you - AND damage other components in your amp/preamp - if you are not careful.  You may already know this - I'm putting it here since someone else may read this thread in the future...
  8. BTW, No One here will scold you for "doing it wrong..." We're all pretty cool about things..., and the moderators (I am not a moderator) may move your thread to another forum area, if its misplaced.  No One here gets offended about much..., we're all pretty cool - even about those things that divide us - we have a common bond around Carver Gear.  People DO get upset about things like "SAFETY" and hence my two CAUTION items #2 and #3.

 

OK, that's the initial thoughts/opinion..., I can come up with.  Others may have more.

 

Relative to the first of your two questions - you can self-assess your own soldering skills, and if it's a cracked solder joint on the RCA connection to the PCB is the issue, this is not a horribly difficult task - but one can screw it up.  You'll have to make that assessment of your ability to reflow the solder joint on your own.

 

Relative to Streaming, there are a lot of solutions.  I stream using a ROON Core and 3 Roon Endpoints in my house where I have Carver systems playing Roon is a great solution to get the same high-definition music from Tidal and Qobuz streaming in synch around the house - but it's pricey.  I also have a Bluetooth receiver in my office to stream audio directly from my phone, when I don't need the high-fidelity FLAC etc. experience that ROON gives.  In my office, it is a BluDento streaming/DAC unit, that does the job. (There are threads on streaming on this site - use SEARCH - on the BlueDento and other streaming devices.  BluDento was suggested to me by a member here.)

 

Sorry if I sound overly CAUTIOUS..., I just want to be sure to cover things - and others may also pipe in with more detail and cautionary thoughts.  Several of us have IT, software, technology or otherwise similar backgrounds to yours, with big and small corporations.  You are going to enjoy it here and enjoy your Carver Gear, ...  And you likely will be afflicted with OCCD (obsessive Carver collecting Disorder)..., which means more amps, more fun and tuning with your "kit"..., and the "journey" that we all are on with Bob Carver's audio legacy. 

 

WELCOME !!!

 

It's excellent you found this site, and forum, and you will find a bunch of cool guys from all over the US, Canada, and the world that love Carver and want to see everyone who joins the forum enjoy the experience of great sounding audio that Bob Carver is known for delivering.

 

And now it's My turn to apologize for the long-winded post!  😉 LoL.

 

Merry Christmas Eve to all!

Edited by AndrewJohn
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2 hours ago, AndrewJohn said:

Hey, BTW, @Thangleby, where in Houston area do you live?  I used to live in Katy, worked in Houston proper.

Hey, Andrew!

 

I live in Spring - a few miles north of Houston. I moved to Texas in 93. Most of that time was spent in Huntsville (not as an inmate!) and Houston proper. 

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3 hours ago, AndrewJohn said:

OK, @Thangleby, Here's a few answers for you.

 

In terms of the issues you are having with the gear you acquired, it's hard to assess your ability to repair on your own..., and folks here are cautious, mostly because we don't want to see the Carver gear get damaged, and also mostly because Carver gear is unique (amps) and it does take some expertise to work on.  NOTE: I am NOT a tech, but I am also not afraid to take the top off my amps and preamps, and other Carver gear, to look for obvious issues.

 

So, here's my suggestion, really my opinion - and it's worth nothing - so take it as input, not as direction, as you make your own decisions.  (And it sounds like you are the same point in life as many of us here - and that gives you wisdom, the kind that knows how hard and far to go, with caution and safety, ... and "sacrificial speakers!! LoL).

  1. First, there are a LOT of threads here on the forum, over a decade's worth, read through them.  Allow those threads to build your own knowledge base and comfort level of diving in.  
  2. CAUTION CAUTION..., BE WARNED - there are things in a Carver Amp that can really hurt/KILL you - like capacitors that have not discharged.  DO NOT POKE AROUND WITH A SCREWDRIVER..., most of us use a plastic/wood chopstick or something made of wood or otherwise non-conductive material.
  3. CAUTION CAUTION..., BE WARNED - unplug the unit..., Seriously, I put these cautions in because I don't know you or your skill level..., and I'm NOT A TECH, and Don't want you to damage your gear any further..., I suspect your wisdom is beyond this - BUT someone else may read this later.
  4. Second, take the cover off, (take care here - those screws are notorious for cross-threading, and leaving metal filings behind that can become a problem in the future - threads here on that as well).  With the cover off, look for the following:
    • Cracked solder joints (use magnification - if you have it, or take pictures of suspect areas with your phone, and zoom in to see if there are cracked joints.  
    • Burned components that have fried due to damage or heat or?
    • General house-cleaning (blow dirt and dust out with a can of compressed air)
    • Focus on those RCAs in the preamp where they connect to the PCB (what you described sounds like a loose connection)
    • Focus on the RCA's and Speaker Terminals in the amp where they connect to the PCB
  5. Take pictures of anything you think looks out of place, or not right.
  6. Start a NEW thread and post the pictures you suspect as cause for concern in the right forum (go to Amps, for the Amp, and go to PreAmps, for the Preamp, and use the "start new topic" button.  Share the pictures and ask for specific advice.  Of course, do use the SEARCH function to look for relative threads, as noted.  Be patient, sometimes it takes a day or two for a reply.
  7. CAUTION CAUTION..., CAUTION AGAIN - IF you go further, you need to be aware of large capacitors that hold a charge and can shock and kill you - AND damage other components in your amp/preamp - if you are not careful.  You may already know this - I'm putting it here since someone else may read this thread in the future...
  8. BTW, No One here will scold you for "doing it wrong..." We're all pretty cool about things..., and the moderators (I am not a moderator) may move your thread to another forum area, if its misplaced.  No One here gets offended about much..., we're all pretty cool - even about those things that divide us - we have a common bond around Carver Gear.  People DO get upset about things like "SAFETY" and hence my two CAUTION items #2 and #3.

 

OK, that's the initial thoughts/opinion..., I can come up with.  Others may have more.

 

Relative to the first of your two questions - you can self-assess your own soldering skills, and if it's a cracked solder joint on the RCA connection to the PCB is the issue, this is not a horribly difficult task - but one can screw it up.  You'll have to make that assessment of your ability to reflow the solder joint on your own.

 

Relative to Streaming, there are a lot of solutions.  I stream using a ROON Core and 3 Roon Endpoints in my house where I have Carver systems playing Roon is a great solution to get the same high-definition music from Tidal and Qobuz streaming in synch around the house - but it's pricey.  I also have a Bluetooth receiver in my office to stream audio directly from my phone, when I don't need the high-fidelity FLAC etc. experience that ROON gives.  In my office, it is a BluDento streaming/DAC unit, that does the job. (There are threads on streaming on this site - use SEARCH - on the BlueDento and other streaming devices.  BluDento was suggested to me by a member here.)

 

Sorry if I sound overly CAUTIOUS..., I just want to be sure to cover things - and others may also pipe in with more detail and cautionary thoughts.  Several of us have IT, software, technology or otherwise similar backgrounds to yours, with big and small corporations.  You are going to enjoy it here and enjoy your Carver Gear, ...  And you likely will be afflicted with OCCD (obsessive Carver collecting Disorder)..., which means more amps, more fun and tuning with your "kit"..., and the "journey" that we all are on with Bob Carver's audio legacy. 

 

WELCOME !!!

 

It's excellent you found this site, and forum, and you will find a bunch of cool guys from all over the US, Canada, and the world that love Carver and want to see everyone who joins the forum enjoy the experience of great sounding audio that Bob Carver is known for delivering.

 

And now it's My turn to apologize for the long-winded post!  😉 LoL.

 

Merry Christmas Eve to all!

@AndrewJohnThank you so much for that in-depth response! I'd also like to thank you and everyone else for being so welcoming!

 

My experience with a soldering iron is limited to soldering a long ground wire to a shorter one so my turntable's ground wire would reach my my receiver. One of the things I would like to pursue is learning how to read a circuit, diagnose an issue, and make repairs on a component level. It's something I have long been interested in learning. 

 

A few years ago I took a Pioneer SX-1250 to a repair shop in Houston to get it sorted. While conversing with the shop owner - a guy who has been in the business since the 1970s - he mentioned that competent electronic repair guys are a dying breed. He told me that he had a couple haul an old 1960s console stereo from Chicago for him to repair. According to him, the last guy in Chicago had died. He was an old, semi-retired fellow that was doing electronic repairs to keep his mind active. His son ran the business side of things (taxes mainly) so his retired father didn't run afoul of the IRS. When his father died the son closed it all up. The son didn't know anything about the actual repair side of the house and he already had a career he was happy with. 

 

The notion of people hauling old gear from Chicago to Houston looked like opportunity to me. I'd like to retire someday. Sadly, given economic reality, straight up retiring looks to be out of reach. I also think one needs to keep himself active and interested in something if one wants to do more than simply wither away once done with the daily working grind. I cannot imagine spending my days getting angry at television programs. I would much rather go to estate sales, find good gear that needs a cleaning and a little solder work, and resell it.

 

I figure that learning how to handle repair on a component level and doing it as a side sort of thing might be just the ticket to keeping me going a few years longer. It might also make enough dough to feed a hobby that at first blush seems like it can be a bit pricey. I can see buying, repairing, and selling as a good hobby - if not a really lucrative one. If nothing else it can help keep quality gear in circulation for a few years longer. Maybe it will help an aspiring audiophile find something he/she can love!

 

As far as I can see you gave some great advice in there regarding the repair. Believe me, I am very big on safety. Safety is actually a big part of the corporate culture where I work. I will take the advice to heart. Thank you so much for that!

 

Regarding streaming - I will definitely look into BluDento. Never heard of them before. 

 

I don't personally have a need for multi-room streaming. I do have an AV system in the living room which I cobbled together over the last twenty years. That is comprised of a cheap Denon AV receiver, a pair of Polk R50 fronts, Polk R30 towers as surrounds, an old KLH center I bought at a Goodwill for a pittance, and a JBL passive subwoofer that I just picked up on the cheap because I'm tired of buying used active subs which die shortly after purchase. The Denon offers Bluetooth. It's fine for casual listening if I'm on my laptop in the living room, watching YouTube videos, or streaming the Buffalo Bills. (Go Bills!) 

 

I'm also putting together a cheap bedroom system. It will be an experiment in ChiFi/Class D amps. I'm waiting on a Aiyima T10 preamp to be delivered in the next week or two. I thought to put it to use with the M-0.5t while I figure out the CT-7.

 

I'm curious about all that inexpensive new stuff coming out of China. It sounds to me like we might be in a new golden age of hifi. CheapAudioMan on YouTube certainly seems to think so. 

 

Once I have the CT-7 sorted and in place I plan to eventually use the Aiyima as a bedroom preamp/DAC coupled with a cheap Aiyima class D power amp to drive the sound from TV/Blu ray video and to stream during a lazy day abed reading. If I find the Aiyima disappointing for straight music listening through the M-0.5t and the Vandersteens, it will at least sound better than the cheap speakers in the television.

 

Well, as long as my sacrificial KEFs aren't sacrificed in the name of learning something new. If that does happen it's nothing more than another opportunity to find something else I like on the cheap. There's no shortage of people dumping their old surround sound speakers on various sites. I find the hunt almost as fun as the listening!

 

OK - I've rambled on long enough.

 

Thanks again, sir!

 

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Hello Thangleby, and welcome to thecarversite.com. We're glad you're hear. ;) There is a lot of information here, much technical know how, and a pretty good bunch of folks that are happy to help.

 

My streaming is done with network storage, flac files, and oppo blue ray players. The oppo 103 and 105 players have come down a bit from the stratosphere in price, and I think they're the best value for the money in streaming and CD/DVD/BluRay players.


Now that you've reached Novice status, please consider uploading some pics of your gear in the Members Systems area. We all like pics of all kinds of audio gear.


In the meantime, kick your shoes off, turn up the music, and welcome aboard.

 

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On 12/28/2022 at 12:19 PM, Sk1Bum said:

Hello Thangleby, and welcome to thecarversite.com. We're glad you're hear. ;) There is a lot of information here, much technical know how, and a pretty good bunch of folks that are happy to help.

 

My streaming is done with network storage, flac files, and oppo blue ray players. The oppo 103 and 105 players have come down a bit from the stratosphere in price, and I think they're the best value for the money in streaming and CD/DVD/BluRay players.


Now that you've reached Novice status, please consider uploading some pics of your gear in the Members Systems area. We all like pics of all kinds of audio gear.


In the meantime, kick your shoes off, turn up the music, and welcome aboard.

Thanks for the welcome @Sk1Bum ! I really appreciate it! Sorry for the delayed reply. It has been a ridiculously eventful week. The transmission in my car gave up the ghost. I had to have the car evaluated, work a deal on the rebuild, figure out where I was with money, etc.

 

I tried to reply the other day but I am afraid my laptop seems to have a flaky WiFi card. I submitted a response, got a network not available message, and then was returned to a page where my response was neither saved as a submission nor saved in the comment box.

 

Cue frustration.

 

So now I am typing the reply into LibreOffice Write so I can get it right and not lose it should my flaky WiFi card cause me the same issue when I try to post it. Still, if that is the worst thing that happens to me this week...well...it has been a good week. 😉

 

I love the file availability here. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have downloaded owners manuals and service manuals for the Carver gear I picked up. That is such a valuable resource.

 

I have never heard of Oppo, but now that I am aware of them I will look into them. Thanks!

 

Once I have all of the Carver gear set up and connected to the Vandies (along with a decent media center in which to house them) I will certainly submit photos. Right now things are cluttered. The current functional system is an inexpensive Sony stereo receiver tied to a pair of Klipsch KG4s, an old JVC CD player and a Dual 502 turntable – all of it housed in an old tall & narrow old school, glass-doored stereo cabinet.

 

All of that will be going to my 82 year old father. He was visiting with me early last year. He is a Norwegian immigrant who loves classical, opera, and 50s doowop. One day while we were hanging out chatting I put Edvard Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite on the turntable. He did something I never saw him do before. He stopped mid sentence, listened for a bit, and said “Man, I wish I had something like that at my place.”

 

He is a gruff old fellow, a man from a different era who never spent money on something so “frivolous” as quality sound. I really thought he never cared about it. Turns out he likes it and would love to have something that sounds good at his place.

 

Well, wish granted, Dad. You’re not getting the Pioneer, but let’s get you set up with a decent system for you to listen to.

 

I had hoped to do it over Christmas, but things didn’t work out for me to make the trip up to Arkansas, and then my transmission gave out. I am thinking about asking him and my son (who is also up in Arkansas) to come down to Houston for a week. I would love to go up to Arkansas but given the cost of the repair on my car I need to build my bank account back up.

 

That is also going to cause a delay in getting my CT7 sorted. Ah well.

 

Next up I have a Pioneer SX-1250 (which has an issue with the phono preamp and the aux port) attached to my Vandersteens. The Pioneer is apparently valuable enough that selling it might reduce my amplification/speaker cost to zero dollars cash outlay. At worst I might wind up out a couple of hundred for the system that will reside in my listening room. That sounds pretty good to me. I think I will be really happy with the Carver & Vandersteen gear.

 

The Pioneer has developed an issue in the aux port and the phono preamp. That will need repair prior to me selling it.

 

So, as you can imagine, things are a bit crowded in the listening room! Once I have it all sorted and set up, I plan to post some images of my setup.

 

I love that I can post it here for people who will appreciate the setup to have a look. As it stands now, most people I know pay no attention to such things. I have tried talking about it with some “normal people”, but their eyes quickly glaze over! 😛

 

OK – another post where I rambled on. Thanks for the welcome! I hope you and yours have a profitable, lovely, happy year!

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On 12/23/2022 at 1:20 PM, Thangleby said:

Question 2: What do you guys do for streaming?

 

Welcome to the site!  I had a similar question a year or so ago about streaming.  I've tried several things since then.... my first inkling was to go with a "Bluesound Node" streamer.  Seems to be a decent device that won't break the bank.  And, I have since learned there are others using it with great success and enjoyment.  Several on this site recommended Oppo players.  But, being budget conscious, I couldn't really bring myself to buy one (I've heard they have started to decrease in price a bit).  At the end of the day, the engineer in me decided I could DIY my own streamer for not so much money.  I bought a raspberry PI microcomputer, loaded it with Volumio software, attached it to a Schiit DAC, and I was off and running.  The Volumio software was nice...allowed for connectivity to TIDAL and Qobuz (I mostly stream from the interweb.....don't have too many of my own files).  When this setup worked, it worked well.  I loved the sound.  But, there were lots of "bugs"... and I found myself constantly having to tinker with computer code.  So, I moved away from the Raspberry PI, and am now just using an old underutilized Mac Mini I had lying around hooked up to the same Schiit DAC.  I've got the Qobuz app on the Mac and I control the Mac from my iPhone or IPad with Google "Remote desktop" app. Qobuz will output directly to the Schiit DAC and play up the 24 bit 96khz resolution Qobuz offers. So, the sound is great and it all works reliably.  I've even got myself a little mini pc screen next to the Mac so that others can see the album art of whatever is currently streaming.  Lessons learned?  At the end of the day, I probably shoulda just popped for the Bluesound Node, or Oppo... given the hoops I jumped through with the RPi and Volumio.  But, if you have happen to have a Mac Mini lying around, that might be worth a shot with a good DAC on the back end. 

Edited by Kurt
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  • 2 weeks later...
On 1/2/2023 at 5:37 PM, Kurt said:

Welcome to the site!  I had a similar question a year or so ago about streaming.  I've tried several things since then.... my first inkling was to go with a "Bluesound Node" streamer.  Seems to be a decent device that won't break the bank.  And, I have since learned there are others using it with great success and enjoyment.  Several on this site recommended Oppo players.  But, being budget conscious, I couldn't really bring myself to buy one (I've heard they have started to decrease in price a bit).  At the end of the day, the engineer in me decided I could DIY my own streamer for not so much money.  I bought a raspberry PI microcomputer, loaded it with Volumio software, attached it to a Schiit DAC, and I was off and running.  The Volumio software was nice...allowed for connectivity to TIDAL and Qobuz (I mostly stream from the interweb.....don't have too many of my own files).  When this setup worked, it worked well.  I loved the sound.  But, there were lots of "bugs"... and I found myself constantly having to tinker with computer code.  So, I moved away from the Raspberry PI, and am now just using an old underutilized Mac Mini I had lying around hooked up to the same Schiit DAC.  I've got the Qobuz app on the Mac and I control the Mac from my iPhone or IPad with Google "Remote desktop" app. Qobuz will output directly to the Schiit DAC and play up the 24 bit 96khz resolution Qobuz offers. So, the sound is great and it all works reliably.  I've even got myself a little mini pc screen next to the Mac so that others can see the album art of whatever is currently streaming.  Lessons learned?  At the end of the day, I probably shoulda just popped for the Bluesound Node, or Oppo... given the hoops I jumped through with the RPi and Volumio.  But, if you have happen to have a Mac Mini lying around, that might be worth a shot with a good DAC on the back end. 

Sorry for the late reply. Thanks for the welcome!

 

I watched CheapAudioMan on YouTube tell me that if I had a computer I didn't need a streamer.  But,  by the same token, the WiiM Pro sounds like a pretty good deal to me. I am thinking that a file server coupled with the ability to interact with WiiM on a client might be the best mix. 

 

But I'm just a geek - accustomed to failure. ;)

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