3. Specifications and connections
An ideal streaming amplifier should include the following technical must-haves:
- an analogue line input (RCA),
- an optical input (SPDIF),
- an analogue line output (RCA),
- a digital optical output (SPDIF),
- a digital coaxial output, preferably up to 192 kHz/24 bits,
- Ethernet (100M) and dual band Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11 b/g/n/ac) as well as
- Bluetooth 5.1, SBC and AAC, both as receiver and transmitter.
4. Compatibility and supported services
A modern streaming amplifier is compatible with various services and protocols. Popular platforms are important, e.g. Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer, Apple Music, TuneIn, Tidal, Qobuz, SoundCloud, Pandora, iHeartRadio, vTuner or Napster. It should also support the most common protocols and standards, e.g. Chromecast Audio, AirPlay 2, DLNA and UPnP. Bonus: the streaming amplifier operates perfectly with voice assistants such as Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple Siri.
5. Roon Ready and other features
Roon Ready certification is another highlight of many streaming amplifiers. Roon is an advanced music organising and streaming platform which is particularly popular among audio enthusiasts. With Roon, it is possible to smoothly integrate the streaming amplifier into intelligent multi-room audio systems to meet highest requirements.