I suggest using a NAS. Most of my listening is done to FLAC and DSD files stored on a Synology NAS, controlled via an iPad and played through the Bridge.
When I began, I had never used a NAS before. The Synology software was easy to use and there were just a few bits I had to learn in order to get things working. (I have quite a lot of computer experience in general but knew nothing about networking at the time I got my Synology.) There are other good brands of NAS ā QNAP is often mentioned ā but I can recommend Synology from experience.
Sidebar: I store my music and also my photos, Word files, etc. on the NAS. I really like being able to access them from any computer in the house, whether Iām upstairs or downstairs; even if I dumped all my digital music for some reason I would never again want to be without a NAS because itās so convenient for other things. I bought the NAS for music but this turned out to be an unexpected benefit.
My Synology holds two discs. I have had good experience with Western Digital Red drives but there are certainly other brands. Look for drives, like the WD Red, that are specifically designed for use in a NAS. I have the Synology set up so that the two discs are exact copies of each other; if one experiences catastrophic failure, the other still has all the files. This is called a Raid 1 setup. The whole RAID thing can get very techie, but if you just tell the Synology software to make a RAID 1 it goes quite easily. (I was worried about this since I was new to it but the software took me through it with no issues.) Note that this is not a substitute for additional backup. I have two portable drives, one of which is plugged into the Synology and the other kept off premises, and I switch them out every month or so.
I looked at JRiver but did not adopt it mainly because I do not want to have a Windows or Mac machine in my listening room. It also seemed overkill for my needs. I know there are some JRiver fans here who may disagree with me.
My NAS sits in my audio rack but you can put it anywhere on your network, even in another room. My listening chair is several feel from the rack so I donāt hear the fan, which is pretty quiet anyway. But this is something to consider; think about your setup and look for a quiet NAS. My Synology is specād at 18dB for the fan, IIRC. Synology also lets you decide whether you want maximum cooling or the fan to turn on less frequently ā the latter works fine for me without overheating the NAS.
You will run a server on the Synology and a control point on your tablet. Synology includes a server called Audio Station that will get you started and is easy to use. If you are a classical music listener, I strongly recommend moving up to MinimServer but that can be a later step. On Android, BubbleUPnP is probably the best control point available and lets you stream Tidal. On iOS, there are bunch of control points, none IMO as good as Bubble. Converse Digital, from whom PS Audio sources the Bridge module, offers two CPs, mconnect and mcontrol ā free for the basic version, small price for the HD version. (I never can remember the difference between them.) They do include Tidal; some people here are OK with them and others, like me, are not fans. But again, they will get you started and you can move to something better later on if you need to.
I donāt use a smartphone myself, but I believe there are control points available for them also.
The bottom line is that there are some things youāll need to learn but itās not too difficult; others and I are here to help. Youāve invested in some equipment that will give you amazing sound quality and you certainly can set up your digital files as many of us have done.