Digital Serving/Streaming on the Cheap using a Raspberry Pi Part 3: Sound Quality Evaluation By Steve Graham Miss K, Pi and Music Are you contemplating a plunge into file-based audio? Have parts 1 and 2 of this series tempted you to take the leap? Fear not. A Raspberry Pi-based system is not a big jump, technically or financially. Components like my NAD 50.2 are a well-thought-out solution that will rip CDs, store them on internal drives then serve and stream them to an external D to A converter. The NAD will also permit the addition of files to its drives through a home network. It comes in an attractive case, and NAD has world-class customer support. There’s even a NAD service depot 50-minutes from my home, and I live in the boonies. The 50.2 queries the NAD mothership on a regular basis and informs owners of no-charge software updates. Of course, there is a price to be paid for all of this. The NAD 50.2 isn’t cheap – but it’s an easy choice for convenience-loving but computer-phobic audiophiles. Another option might be something like one of the Lumin players. They will serve and stream from an external USB drive [...]
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