I’m not crieke but while you await his response - yes the DragonFly Red should be a step up over using your QNAP’s internal DAC.
Which receiver?
By using the analogue inputs of the receiver you may be going through two D-to-A conversions.
Whereas if you used a digital input of your receiver, it’s just the receiver’s DAC being used.
You could use a USB-to-Digital Coax coverter, for example, if your receiver doesn’t have a USB audio input (I remember my old Pioneer LX-88 had a USB input but not many do unfortunately).
Thanks, that’s exactly the kind of input I was looking for.
The receiver is a Marantz SR5011. I’ve previously used it as a DAC with an optical in. It looks like digital converters are very inexpensive, so that might be a good option.
I know that this setup isn’t as uptown as many folks here are into, but I wouldn’t mind reasonably optimizing it.
Hi mate. No don’t worry about that. I got my old man (my dad) a Roon membership and he’s using it (and loving it) with his Denon receiver and it sounds bloody fantastic!
Really nice quality. You may be able to get one 2nd hand, depending where you are.
Another option which I think is better, if you didn’t mind moving your NAS out of the listening room (you can also keep it where it is but I’d recommend moving it out of the listening room) is this:
Yes I can move the NAS easily. Those are some good suggestions. Thanks mate. I will dig into the world of options. I like the simplicity of the 3.5 mm out, but it is not likely ideal.
Not a problem mate. Yes the DAC inside your nice Marantz receiver would be much nicer than in the QNAP and using the Marantz’s digital input would mean only the one D-to-A conversion.