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[Mojoman]

I need basic advice on setting up a multizone audio system for my home.  I am only semi-literate regarding computers and audio equipment, so please forgive me if my questions seem uniformed.    Let me outline my goals, and please offer some advice. 

1) I want to set up a music server that can feed CD quality or better sound to several different rooms in my home. At present, I would like to be able to stream (if that is the right term) to my living room, office, and garage shop.  I already own 3 sets of audio receivers/amplifiers with analog RCA inputs, so I know I need some type of DAC for inputs to the receiver or amplifier.

2)  My main question is what do I need to set up a audio network?  I understand you can connect a USB DAC directly to a computer, but what if you want to connect to conventional receiver located in another room (what do you call this type of device)?  I have seen equipment from Cambridge Audio and other high end audio companies for $500-2000$ plus per room.  Is there not cheaper solution (ie around $300 per room).  (also don't want a used squeezebox)?  I do not have the music server yet.  I am also willing to run CAT5/^ cable to each room (but a wireless solution would be easier).

[Scolex]

One of the simplest and cheapest ways to get audio to another room is to use an Android device. There are many scenarios where you can use such a device.
Stereo: headphone jack to RCA adapter
Multichannel: HDMI out on Android to HDMI in on receiver (up to 7.1), HDMI to multichannel analog converter (up to 7.1), or HDMI to SPDIF converter (up to 5.1)

I am using such a setup with 2 old phones, 1 in my work shop and 1 in the Gazebo in my backyard each connected to a Klipsch ProMedia 4.1 set of speakers.

There are other options but I would need some more details on the available connections of your receivers/amplifiers and the audio card/motherboard in your computer.
The reason I would like details on the audio card/motherboard is some audio devices can be configured for multiple zones.
Between my 2 desktops I could configure up to:
2 5.1 zones (SPDIF), 2 7.1 zones (HDMI), 3 5.1 zones (DVI) and both have 7.1 analog that can be configured in any combination you can come up with using 8 channels.
That is 15 possible zones if you split the analog outputs into 4 stereo pairs per computer, this is a combination of integrated video, discrete video and integrated audio.

[JimH]

I am using such a setup with 2 old phones, 1 in my work shop and 1 in the Gazebo in my backyard each connected to a Klipsch ProMedia 4.1 set of speakers.

I do more or less the same thing in my garage.  I have a Galaxy Note II feeding a very old shelf system.  I just push Playlists/Car Radio/Jazz and start painting.

[Mojoman]

Does feeding music from an adroid provide audiophile quality sound signals?  My goal to to deliver bit perfect audio sound at 44.1 /16 bit or better to a DAC unit located in the same room as ther stereo system.  My sterero sustems are old units with analog RCI inputs only.

My main question is what hardware do I need to transmit the digital audio signal from the music server to the
DAC in each room and how to control the server remotely?

[Scolex]

Audiophile quality? Quality is subjective, is often influenced by placebo and is in the ear of the beholder so I won't speculate on what you might think.
However I will say that both my Android systems sound very good for what they are. Do they sound as good as my main system? No but you can't expect
a <$300 system (re-purposed phone and 4.1 powered speakers) to compare to a $5500 9.2 system (receiver and speakers).
If I come up with any free time this weekend I will connect one of my phones and/or tablets to my main system and do a blind test to see if I can tell a
difference when playing from an Android device vs Sony BDP-S570.
I will use the pure direct mode on my receiver so their won't be any outside influences and will report back with my findings.

Hardware:
Audioengine makes a high quality wireless DAC with up to 24bit 192KHz the transmitter supports up to 3 receivers simultaneously.
Transmitter and receiver kit
add on receivers

Control:
WebGizmo (any web capable device), Gizmo (Android), or My River (iPad/Pod/Phone)

[Mojoman]

Thanks for the suggestions  but I dont want to use my android phone as the music source (but I am interested in using it as a smart remote controller).  

What I am looking for is the hardware "box" that connects to a wired or wireless home network music server and converts a "bit perfect" digital music file at 16bit /44.1khz or better, to a high quality analog signal. I guess what Im looking for is a DAC with a network adaptor?

Does anyone make one of these for less than $400?  What do you call this piece of hardware???
 

[Scolex]

network transport use the DAC of your choice.

[csimon]

Do you only require independent music in each zone or will you sometimes require the same music and perfectly in sync?

If you don't require perfectly-synchd music in each zone then you can run network to each zone and put a small DLNA renderer (such as WDTV Live) in there, or you might not need etwork cable if the DLNA device has wireless. These will appear in the JRiver software as separate, individually controllable zones which you can access via a PC or a handheld tablet/phone. They would then connect your amps via optical (if they have optical-in) or analogue. In the latter case, you could tag on a DAC if you require better quality than the WDTV Live's internal DAC can achieve.