Best network music streamers 2023: make your hi-fi smarter

Whether or not your own home hi-fi system is a lovely classic receiver and audio system, a contemporary pair of powered audio system, or one thing in between, including a devoted community music streamer to your setup is likely one of the greatest methods to deliver hi-quality digital music out of your streaming providers or native recordsdata to life.

These internet-connected units are available in all shapes, sizes, budgets, and capabilities, they usually work with the most recent and greatest streaming music subscription providers, from Spotify, Apple Music, and Tidal to Amazon Music, Qobuz, Deezer, and extra. Connectivity choices with community music streamers are huge, making them simple to hook up via enter/outputs equivalent to RCA, optical, USB, XLR, HDMI, Bluetooth, AirPlay, Chromecast, and plenty of extra. Some community music streamers have their very own built-in amplifiers so that you simply want so as to add audio system, whereas most are supposed to deliver all that wonderful digital sound to your current system.

Whichever approach you go, for those who’re new to the world of community music streamers, selecting may be tough, so we have put collectively this listing of among the greatest that will help you make your resolution.

Cambridge Audio CXN V2

Finest general music streamer

Do you count on nothing however supreme audio high quality out of your community music streamer? For these of us with large listening expectations and cash to spare, the Cambridge Audio CXN V2 comes from the esteemed British audio makers and ought to be your premium community streamer of alternative.

Below its horny brushed steel end are two 24-bit Wolfson DACs, partitioned internals for one of the best noise and distortion discount on the town, and a most playback decision of 24-bit/384kHz. Supported hi-res codecs embody FLAC, ALAC, WAV, PCM, and DSD, and also you’ll be capable of stream your tunes by way of Bluetooth, Apple AirPlay, Chromecast, UpNp, and Roon. There’s additionally native help for Spotify, Tidal, and Qobuz platforms. With Wi-Fi and LAN community connectivity, the CXN V2s inputs embody two USB-A ports and a USB-B port, in addition to optical and coaxial. Outputs embody balanced XLR, line degree, and coaxial and optical.

You may as well obtain the StreamMagic app (iOS and Android) to regulate and customise your CXN. No, it’s not low cost, however for those who’re in search of a music streamer that may deal with absolutely anything, the Cambridge Audio CXN V2 is the part for the job.

Cambridge Audio CXN V2

Finest general music streamer

Yamaha WXC-50

Stable compact streamer with built-in preamp

In the case of general efficiency, options, and worth, we consider the Yamaha WXC-50 is a good mid-priced possibility for customers in search of a community streamer that features a built-in preamp, making it preferrred for these of us who wish to dedicate all our AV ins, outs, and EQ to a single system. It additionally has a fairly small footprint and may be mounted vertically to avoid wasting much more house.

Outfitted with a ESS Sabre DAC and an onboard music enhancer for touching up your MP3s, the secret is exact and wealthy sound at a worth that doesn’t frighten. You possibly can hook up with the WXC-50 utilizing Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or by way of wired Ethernet, and the system helps a number of well-liked streaming platforms, together with Spotify Join, Pandora, and SiriusXM. Sadly, there isn’t a native help for Apple Music, Qobuz, or Amazon Music.

You’ll additionally be capable of obtain the MusicCast app (for iOS and Android) to regulate the streamer along with your smartphone or pill, in addition to hyperlink the WXC-50 to different wi-fi Yamaha gear for multi-room audio. Its $450 worth places it smack in midrange territory.

Yamaha WXC-50

Stable compact streamer with built-in preamp

Wiim Professional

Finest budget-friendly community music streamer

Our personal Simon Cohen is a licensed digital music aficionado, and a tough nut to crack with regards to getting him to cop to the virtues of analog codecs like vinyl (now we have but to). However he is about probably the most knowledgable particular person we all know on this space, so you possibly can belief his assessment of the formidable $149 Wiim Professional.

A direct competitor to Sonos’ well-liked Port (it is type of a carbon copy, actually), the Wiim Professional is a bare-bones black field that is not a lot to have a look at, design-wise. However do not let that idiot you. Just like the Sonos Port, the Wiim Professional is stacked with connection choices, bodily and wi-fi, together with RCA line out and in (for connecting exterior sources like turntables and CD gamers that may then be streamed out via the system), coax, SPDIF optical in/out, LAN, Wi-Fi, AirPlay, Bluetooth, Chromecast, and extra.

With its wonderful companion app, the Wiim Professional delivers quick access to a ton of streaming providers, together with Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz, Amazon Music, Pandora, Deezer, SoundCloud, TuneIn radio, and the listing goes on.  So far as help for hi-res and lossless music codecs, the Wiim Professional is, yep, a professional, with help for lossless ALAC, APE, FLAC, and WAV recordsdata as much as 24-bit/192kHz, in addition to lossy MP3, AAC, WMA, and OGG.

Moreover, and like Sonos, by merely including extra Wiim Professional units, or different Wiim {hardware} like its smaller, cheaper sibling the

Wiim Mini

or the most recent and extra premium Wiim Professional Plus, you possibly can simply increase your community all through your home.

Wiim Professional

Finest budget-friendly community music streamer

Wiim Mini

Finest naked bones underneath $100

Small however mighty is one method to describe the Wiim Mini. Smaller than a hockey puck, and considerably lighter, too, the Wiim Mini has practically all the options of its larger siblings, the Wiim Professional and

Wiim Professional Plus

for a fraction of the fee. Plus, you possibly can add Minis or different Wiim units llike the Professional and Plus all through your home to create a whole-home system.

Very like Sonos, the well-designed Wiim Dwelling app brings the whole lot collectively for super-easy management. Your whole streaming providers — from Tidal and Spotify to Qobuz, Amazon Music, Deezer, Pandora, and extra (there is not any native help for Apple Music, sadly) — and a common search makes discovering what you need a breeze. Spotify Join and Tidal Join additionally mean you can not use the Wiim app for those who want to make use of their official apps as a substitute. Chromecast, AirPlay 2 and Alexa help allows you to group any of these audio system collectively for multi-room listening, too, and Alexa and Siri compatibility allows you to management issues along with your voice.

Connectivity is fairly fundamental, although, however it might be all you want. There are 3.5 mm AUX out and in ports for connecting exterior units to it in addition to connecting it to a receiver/amp or set of powered audio system for playback. Moreover, there is a SPDIF optical out for sending digital audio at as much as 24-bit/192 kHz to a appropriate system.

Setup and connecting to Wi-Fi could not be simpler, and the Wiim Mini’s DAC sounds nice do you have to choose to not push it via a greater one (however you could possibly).

Wiim Mini

Finest naked bones underneath $100

Sonos Port

Finest for Sonos customers and past

If you happen to’ve already gotten your self immersed within the Sonos ecosystem with a number of Sonos audio system scattered about your own home however you continue to have an extra “dumb” sound system that sounds superior however is lower off from the Sonos hive, then including a Sonos Port is a wonderful method to deliver the whole lot collectively.

Not solely will the Port mean you can entry all the identical streaming providers (together with Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Qobuz, and extra) that you’d via the remainder of your Sonos audio system in your non-Sonos system, however you too can join exterior analog sources equivalent to turntables and CD gamers to it by way of RCA for sending out via the system, too. Moreover, the Sonos Port helps Apple AirPlay 2 for sending music on to it kind your iOS units.

And the whole lot is managed with Sonos’ industry-leading app — there is a common search characteristic that may search throughout all your signed-in providers, and Spotify, Tidal, and Amazon Music customers have the choice to make use of these respective apps to regulate them, ought to they like.

Sonos Port

Finest for Sonos customers and past

Audioengine B-Fi

One other price range possibility for rookies

Perhaps you’re simply getting began with community music streaming, and also you’d like a stable and dependable streamer that doesn’t break the financial institution. If testing the waters earlier than swimming with the manta rays is necessary, otherwise you simply need an incredible streamer for an incredible worth, the Audioengine B-Fi ought to greater than match the invoice.

As soon as linked to your Wi-Fi (no Ethernet possibility on this mannequin), you’ll be capable of stream tunes out of your iOS units to the B-Fi utilizing Apple AirPlay and no matter music-streaming platforms you’re subscribed to. Sadly, although, there is not any Chromecast help, so Android system customers are going to have to stay to the Audioengine Management app (iOS and Android), that means that you can management providers like Spotify, Tidal, and Qobuz, with out having to modify over to a different app, although you possibly can.

You possibly can even use the Management app to hyperlink your B-Fi to as much as 12 different B-Fi streamers, in addition to appropriate smartphones, computer systems, and community storage units. One factor to notice, although, is that the Audioengine B-Fi maxes out at CD-quality 16-bit/44.1kHz decision, which is not a foul factor because it nonetheless sounds nice, however is just not thought-about hi-res lossless that lots of the main streaming providers are providing.

Audioengine B-Fi

One other price range possibility for rookies

Editors’ Suggestions