Best value streamer with no DAC

[tom_tom]

There is another one called Ieast Olio, unfortunately i cannot find info about regarding mini Toslink output resolution. If it's 24/192 then it can be even better than Wiim Mini.

IEAST OLIO Receiver WiFi 2.4G/5G DLNA AirPlay 2 Bluetooth 5.0 24bit 192kHz Black - Audiophonics

With the Olio, iEast offers a compact and powerful wireless audio receiver that works with both WiFi and Bluetooth. Extremely versatile, it supports numerous transmission protocols such as DLNA, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect...

www.audiophonics.fr

 

[RosalieTheDog]

There is a new version of Octavio

OCTAVIO STREAM Streamer Bit-Perfect WiFi AirPlay 2 Bluetooth 24bit 192kHz - Audiophonics

Octavio propose avec le Stream une version améliorée de son premier modèle de lecteur réseau. Extrêmement simple d'utilisation, il est conçu pour moderniser un système HiFi existant en le transformant en lecteur réseau bit-perfect et multiroom.

www.audiophonics.fr

and even cheaper Ieast M50 Pro

IEAST AUDIOCAST PRO M50 Streamer ES9023 WiFi DLNA AirPlay Bluetooth 5.0 24bit 192kHz - Audiophonics

With its M50, iEast offers a small, versatile and particularly efficient network player, as it is compatible with a large number of transmission protocols and streaming services. It features WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0 reception.

www.audiophonics.fr

The new octavio has Tidal connect too, nice. Somewhat overpriced though.

I do wonder if this flurry of releases of very similar chromecast audio like devices around €100 isn't the death of Raspberry pi tinkering solutions. After all, apart from bit perfect digital output and reliable WiFi connection, what more should a streamer do?

 

[Roland68]

The new octavio has Tidal connect too, nice. Somewhat overpriced though.

I do wonder if this flurry of releases of very similar chromecast audio like devices around €100 isn't the death of Raspberry pi tinkering solutions. After all, apart from bit perfect digital output and reliable WiFi connection, what more should a streamer do?

It will only slightly touch the Raspberrys.
The target group are people who didn't want to deal with a Raspberry or the software for it.

For most people who use a Raspberry for this, other things count, e.g.:
- individuality and individualization
- "I built it myself"
- Interest and playfulness
- umpteen hardware extensions, e.g. DACs, DSPs, amplifiers, digital outputs, etc.
- trouble-free subsequent hardware expansion
- umpteen software solutions and extensions
- mostly open source and many GitHub projects
- easy switch to other software
- possibility of own programming
- huge worldwide community
- very little depreciation
- hardware can also be used elsewhere
- due to the huge sales figures, a certain future security is also guaranteed. How many cheap and very expensive devices are worthless because there is no new software, extensions or updates?

I believe that other finished devices such as node or SMSL SD-9 will be hit much harder.

 

[2992]

There is another one called Ieast Olio, unfortunately i cannot find info about regarding mini Toslink output resolution. If it's 24/192 then it can be even better than Wiim Mini.

IEAST OLIO Receiver WiFi 2.4G/5G DLNA AirPlay 2 Bluetooth 5.0 24bit 192kHz Black - Audiophonics

With the Olio, iEast offers a compact and powerful wireless audio receiver that works with both WiFi and Bluetooth. Extremely versatile, it supports numerous transmission protocols such as DLNA, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect...

www.audiophonics.fr

Wiim Mini now supports 24/192: just got the updated firmware and it's all good.

All in all, good to see more and more such simple streamers coming out.

Any of the couple of streamers mentioned above are nice to replace (my) ageing Apple AirPort Express in respect of Apple AirPlay, due to optical out on the audio jack they use (which is same as my APE).
However, the Wiim Mini uses separate (mini) optical out and the audio jack out. I like this better, as gives me more simultaneous (output) connectivity options.

 

[RosalieTheDog]

Perhaps you are right, although I do feel as though for a while the raspberries filled in the gap in the market for an affordable streaming solution left by the disappearance of the chromecast audio; that gap in the market is now decidedly filled by solutions more userfriendly than the raspberry, and more budget friendly than the Bluesound products.

- due to the huge sales figures, a certain future security is also guaranteed. How many cheap and very expensive devices are worthless because there is no new software, extensions or updates?

This is a very good point, and why I like the move to Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect like services, although the Chromecast protocol is still the gold standard in this respect. I find the ability to pilot the streams from inside the streaming apps crucial, I prefer to do without apps designed by the streamer or active loudspeaker companies. They always have shortcomings, and cannot be trusted to be supported for a long time.

Which brings me to another point, I think there is a good case to be made for these affordable external solutions even for users who don't belong to the target market of people wanting to add streaming to older systems (as per the Octavio marketing). Browsing through user experiences threads of expensive all-in-one active loudspeaker systems or digital streamer/amplifier magic boxes (Buchardt, Lyngdorf, etc.), the apps these companies provide are invariably the achilles heel, with many people complaning about drop-outs, instability due to new updates, etc. I would much rather depend on an inexpensive external streamer with good Wifi, bit-perfect digital output and control from within the native streaming apps ...

 

[Kegemusha]

now if there wold be rpis for sale, here is impossible to find any rpi4, the ones exiting in stock are double the price.

 

[Ralph_Cramden]

Wiim Mini now supports 24/192: just got the updated firmware and it's all good.

All in all, good to see more and more such simple streamers coming out.

Any of the couple of streamers mentioned above are nice to replace (my) ageing Apple AirPort Express in respect of Apple AirPlay, due to optical out on the audio jack they use (which is same as my APE).
However, the Wiim Mini uses separate (mini) optical out and the audio jack out. I like this better, as gives me more simultaneous (output) connectivity options.

Looks like they have also added a switch to bypass the volume control for bit-perfect output! Also, the light source now extinguishes after play, so my RME ADI-2 FS will auto-switch properly away from this input. Seems like a near-perfect replacement for the old Chromecast Audio, with many more features (but no Chromecast support). I'd like to see them add Squeezelite, but doubt that'll ever happen.

Hope they send one to @amirm for testing - all the previous LinkPlay-based devices he's put through testing (KEiiD,Songbird,AudioEngine B-Fi, etc) have failed miserably, but they all used the old A31 module. This appears to be using one of their newer modules, perhaps the A98 or A118.

 

[somebodyelse]

now if there wold be rpis for sale, here is impossible to find any rpi4, the ones exiting in stock are double the price.

Plenty of used thin clients for the cheapscate to install daphile or Volumio on though. They're often cheaper than a Pi but already have a case, power supply and enough storage for the base OS.

 

[TheBatsEar]

Indeed, i think it is the good choice, but I would complete the kit with Argone One case !

Get version 2, it has regular sized HDMI instead of that mini-HDMI crap. In case you want to use Kodi or play some Retrogames on your TV as well. In theory it should be possible to take in HDMI sound to send it to the DAC also.

 

[pieterv1]

I've just received the Wiim mini and wanted to do a comparison with my Raspberry PI 4 running Moode OS, but can't find the option to set up a connection with my NAS... Am I missing something? My music is stored on a SMB share of a WD Mycloud EX2 Ultra.. Any suggestions?

Otherwise it seems very (too?) user friendly. My main issue with Moode at the moment is the fact that on my new phone (Pixel 6), I'm always getting the desktop UI instead of mobile UI.. I've tried messing with a lot of settings on my phone. The last resort would be to edit the CSS of Moode itself..

One very annoying thing of the Wiim Home app is when I use the gesture to go one page back (swipe from the side of my phone screen or just use the back button on the bottom if you use the on screen buttons), doesn't work as expected.. it fully closes the app instead of just exiting a menu or a window

 

[Ralph_Cramden]

Under Browse/My Music, you should see your shared servers.

 

[threni]

I've just received the Wiim mini and wanted to do a comparison with my Raspberry PI 4 running Moode OS, but can't find the option to set up a connection with my NAS... Am I missing something? My music is stored on a SMB share of a WD Mycloud EX2 Ultra.. Any suggestions?

Otherwise it seems very (too?) user friendly. My main issue with Moode at the moment is the fact that on my new phone (Pixel 6), I'm always getting the desktop UI instead of mobile UI.. I've tried messing with a lot of settings on my phone. The last resort would be to edit the CSS of Moode itself..

One very annoying thing of the Wiim Home app is when I use the gesture to go one page back (swipe from the side of my phone screen or just use the back button on the bottom if you use the on screen buttons), doesn't work as expected.. it fully closes the app instead of just exiting a menu or a window

MoOde is great but it has a terrible interface. Use MALP on your Android device to operate the underlying mpd instance moOde is running directly. It's free and extremely fast.

 

[TheBatsEar]

I've just received the Wiim mini and wanted to do a comparison with my Raspberry PI 4 running Moode OS, but can't find the option to set up a connection with my NAS... Am I missing something? My music is stored on a SMB share of a WD Mycloud EX2 Ultra.. Any suggestions?

Configure => Library => Create

Otherwise it seems very (too?) user friendly. My main issue with Moode at the moment is the fact that on my new phone (Pixel 6), I'm always getting the desktop UI instead of mobile UI.. I've tried messing with a lot of settings on my phone. The last resort would be to edit the CSS of Moode itself..

PixelOS here, but i use Firefox as my browser on the mobile, works as expected.

 

[TheBatsEar]

MoOde is great but it has a terrible interface.

That is objectively wrong.

Use MALP on your Android device to operate the underlying mpd instance moOde is running directly. It's free and extremely fast.

Doesn't help if you don't have music sources, but yes, MALP is an option.

 

[threni]

That is objectively wrong.


Doesn't help if you don't have music sources, but yes, MALP is an option.

I wasn't attempting to address the problem of missing music sources.

I didn't realize that opinions could be wrong. I'll be sure to adjust mine accordingly one day probably.

 

[pieterv1]

I know I could use MALP to control Moode, but on my previous phone I really loved the interface. It's just that on my new phone, I'm getting the desktop UI. Should be a relatively easy fix, but I just need to know where to look. Unfortunately I can't register as a new user on their official forum..

 

[threni]

I know I could use MALP to control Moode, but on my previous phone I really loved the interface. It's just that on my new phone, I'm getting the desktop UI. Should be a relatively easy fix, but I just need to know where to look. Unfortunately I can't register as a new user on their official forum..

It's working on my Pixel 4a (Firefox). I guess you've checked the url, cleared cookies, disabled addons, unselected desktop view etc? Are you on a recent version of moOde?

 

[Madeintooting]

I do wonder if this flurry of releases of very similar chromecast audio like devices around €100 isn't the death of Raspberry pi tinkering solutions. After all, apart from bit perfect digital output and reliable WiFi connection, what more should a streamer do?

Use a fraction of a Watt (Zero, A+) and be capable of adding new services, peripherals, when they appear.

 

[pieterv1]

Configure => Library => Create

Thx, no problem Moode though.. Can't seem to find it in the Wiim

*edit: okay, I had to install an extra app on my NAS (TWONKY media server) to add DLNA/UPnP server functionality to my NAS.

Now, the whole experience of browsing through my local music collection is kind of "meh". There's no search option and I don't think I could live without Moode's random album button.

As long as Spotify doesn't offer Hi-Fi quality and I need to rely on local files to play highres music, I'll stick with the Raspberry PI.

 

[2992]

Thx, no problem Moode though.. Can't seem to find it in the Wiim

*edit: okay, I had to install an extra app on my NAS (TWONKY media server) to add DLNA/UPnP server functionality to my NAS.

Now, the whole experience of browsing through my local music collection is kind of "meh". There's no search option and I don't think I could live without Moode's random album button.

As long as Spotify doesn't offer Hi-Fi quality and I need to rely on local files to play highres music, I'll stick with the Raspberry PI.

I have a Synology NAS. I use their DS Audio app on my phone and it works as expected with Wiim (using DLNA protocol): I can search, it has random options, playlists, etc.. everything one would like to have. Again, that is on the DS Audio app, not on the Wiim app. I think it's up to the app you're using with your NAS to stream using DLNA to your DLNA receiver: Wiim in this case. The Wiim app is good for other things. I personally use Wiim app only to stream radio, when I am not using AirPlay, as Spotify&Tidal have their own options (Connect) in their apps.