im planning to get finally get rid of my cdp and go for a media streaming setup. my requirements are
1. would like it to interface with android (phone / tablet) or computer (windows) to view files and play a song / album playlist off it. playing it through the computer shouldnt be mandatory, only optional
2. want my music / video files to be stored on an external hard drive.
3. should be able to play youtube / radio channels etc
not sure what route to take - some sort of media server, or was suggested using a PS3 (or the likes)
Not sure I can help much, I'm totally unfamiliar with systems which interface with Android.
What research have you done so far? Music servers are becoming more popular, which means they are more available with many more options and features. And choices. Streaming music can be rather simple and inexpensive or much more the opposite.
IMO one of the most significant issues with the current state of music servers is connectivity. USB is still common on most systems but it is the least desireable overall. Ethernet and Firewire both have data transfers rates above a USB 3.0 plus lower jitter rates and, since most laptops/tablets (if that is your main control component) will have one of either there are no data priority problems as can exist with USB. At the moment though, external DAC's with either of those two connectors are still fairly uncommon at the lower price ranges.
You haven't mentioned a budget. On the low end, you could buy a laptop which will be dedicated to streaming. External hard drives are dropping in price, though the most desirable for your use would be the solid state drives which remain in the higher price ranges.
This is a popular topic and not easily covered in a single forum post. You really need to read a bit and narrow down your budget and your needs. In a sense, a dedicated music server is a PC with everything stripped out that doesn't relate to music playback. On the low end of the price range, you can buy a PC and begin to remove many of the extraneous programs which interfere with music playback by following the instructions available on line. Or build your own if you are able.
Check the computer oriented web sites and magazines since they have more information than I can include. Two sources for "better" systems can be found at:
thanks for the info jan. my budget is around 300-400 dollars. one of my more important requirements is to not run it off my pc / laptop. a pc should only be an option. ideally i would like an external hard drive connected to a component that would read off it. alternatively that component could have an inbuilt hard drive. if it has an inbuilt dac it would be an added advantage. this component should interface with an android device and the android device should control it to play files etc. the phone in this case will just be a device to view the files and also act like a remote. apart from that the component should be able to receive audio / video signals from an android device to play radio / youtube. to me it seems like a simple enough component but doesnt look like it exists
Not at that price range it probably doesn't. Sonos is about the least expensive streamer I can think of. I have no idea how it might interface with Android. Cambridge Audio has had a lower priced unit in their line but it is still likely outside your price limits. I've run across this unit; http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=PRMBS I know nothing about it though the Project line is well thought of.
Placing the DAC inside the drive unit is a bit like an old fashioned integrated amp. There are advantages and disadvantages to minimizing the physical distance between various signal stages. And we assume the manufacturer can supply a high quality connection between the two circuits without resorting to a conventional interconnect cable with its inherent trade offs.
However, a DAC remains the most rapidly changing (improving?) component in high end audio. Being limited to a built in DAC may mean in a short time you'll be finding the DAC the weaker link in the system.
What's your problem with using a laptop? If you already have the laptop, that's a big chunk of your budget that's already taken care of. Add an AudioQuest DragonFly and, if your laptop can play the storage devices you prefer, your task is done.