Streamers
So, what is a Network Player then, and how is it different from a Streamer?
Basically, a Network Player is a complete source component for your audio system that will play music sourced from a network. It is a single device that is able to connect to a network, either wirelessly or through regular Ethernet cabling, and play music from a source within the local network, such as your computer or a NAS (Network-Attached Storage), or even from the Internet, through the use of a commercial streaming service, such as Tidal.
A Streamer, on the other hand, is akin to a CD transport, that always has to connected to a DAC, as it can't output analog audio by itself. So, a Streamer is a device that purely fetches the digital information over the network, and hands that to a DAC, while a Network Player will have an internal DAC of its own, and so will be able to output analog audio directly into a preamp or amplifier.
Today, the market has Streamers and Network Players of many kinds, and we're here to help choose the best solution for your listening habits (and the size of your music collection!)
Don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions, or if you'd like us to help you through this "digital maze"!