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Is there a device that can send my digital music to my Amp that offers BT remote control and is not a battery powered DAP?

Destination: Moon

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Hi,

I recently started using a DAP to feed my home hi-fi system my digital music files. Previously I was using my LG V20.

I was thinking of buying a better DAP but now realize that using a DAP for this purpose brings the problem of battery management and eventual battery failure / replacement. I would be better served by an AC powered home device. However, I really dont want to use a laptop, cell phone or tablet to feed a DAC going to my existing Amplifier / Speakers.

There is one piece of functionality that I want on my system. That is, the remote control feature that's built into the DAP im currently using. It puts my entire music library at my fingertips with album covers, volume control, elapsed play time, etc using bluetooth and an app (Hiby Link) onto the tablet I use to read while listening. Its a fantastic way to listen and have control over whats playing without getting up.

Are there any home units that would give me what I'm looking for without the downsides of having to use a portable device for dedicated home use?

Thanks!
 
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JustAnandaDourEyedDude

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Hi,

I recently started using a DAP to feed my home hi-fi system my digital music files. Previously I was using my LG V20.

I was thinking of buying a better DAP but now realize that using a DAP for this purpose brings the problem of battery management and eventual battery failure / replacement. I would be better served by an AC powered home device. However, I really dont want to use a laptop, cell phone or tablet to feed a DAC going to my existing Amplifier / Speakers.

There is one piece of functionality that I want on my system. That is, the remote control feature that's built into the DAP im currently using. It puts my entire music library at my fingertips with album covers, volume control, elapsed play time, etc using bluetooth and an app (Hiby Link) onto the tablet I use to read while listening. Its a fantastic way to listen and have control over whats playing without getting up.

Are there any home units that would give me what I'm looking for without the downsides of having to use a portable device for dedicated home use?

Thanks!
A music streamer (controlled via bluetooth from your tablet or phone), feeding a good AC-outlet-powered DAC which in turn feeds your amp. Try using the ASR Search function at top right to search thread titles (check the titles box; or else the searches are compute-heavy and you will get too many hits) for each of the keywords "streamer", "raspberry", "bluesound" and "roon". For example, "streamer" brings up nine pages of hits, so over 160 threads with "streamer" in their titles. Happy reading.
 
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Destination: Moon

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A music streamer (controlled via bluetooth from your tablet or phone), feeding a good AC-outlet-powered DAC which in turn feeds your amp. Try using the ASR Search function at top right to search thread titles (check the titles box; or else the searches are compute-heavy and you will get too many hits) for each of the keywords "streamer", "raspberry", "bluesound" and "roon". For example, "streamer" brings up nine pages of hits, so over 160 threads with "streamer" in their titles. Happy reading.

Thanks for the feedback! I'm searching but everything seems to be geared towards streaming like tidal, etc., Not stored music files. And the only remote controller I'm seeing looks like Roon? It's a subscription service that I'm not interested in.

The raspberry is kinda interesting. Reminds me of Heathkit from a thousand years ago.... Is there a way to make it remote controlled via BT and Android

Any more help would be appreciated.
 

dougi

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There is a variety of small home streamers that support DLNA servers/controllers like BubbleUPNP or proprietary apps that will do what you need with stored files. Eg Arylic S50 pro (although it's performance is not flash if you look it up you'll at least understand the functionality that is available in these sorts of things).
 

BillG

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If I'm reading your requirements correctly, it sounds like a streamer (network player) attached to your DAC, that's remote controlled via your tablet, along with a client-server package might fulfill your needs. (Chromecast Audio, while discontinued by Google, is still widely available and very easy to use.)

Would you give the specifics of the DAP, please? The reason I'm asking is because if it's an Android based one it might actually be capable of running a server package. The client (remote control) would then run on your table. However, this remote control would be facilitated via Wi-Fi, nor Bluetooth.
 

BillG

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Just another thought after rereading your original post: an AC powered server to replace the DAP could be facilitated by any number of small personal computers. Then we'd install a server package onto it and remote control it via your tablet.

I (I'm sure many others here also) maintain a similar setup using a desktop computer as my server and my Android mobiles as remote controls.

The server could even be attached directly to your DAC, and used as a player, via USB or whatever other digital i/o you've available.
 
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Destination: Moon

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If I'm reading your requirements correctly, it sounds like a streamer (network player) attached to your DAC, that's remote controlled via your tablet, along with a client-server package might fulfill your needs. (Chromecast Audio, while discontinued by Google, is still widely available and very easy to use.)

Would you give the specifics of the DAP, please? The reason I'm asking is because if it's an Android based one it might actually be capable of running a server package. The client (remote control) would then run on your table. However, this remote control would be facilitated via Wi-Fi, nor Bluetooth.

Your probably gonna laugh, I'm using a Hiby R3 pro Saber. I think it's Linux based. You can't add any apps to it but it sounds amazing, driving my home system.
It's a little unstable so I started down the road of buying a nicer one. All seem Android based as you say. The little R3 comes with HibyLink installed and it's remote controllable with anything that'll run the HibyLink app.

Instead of another Dap I was thinking I could get something that'll do the same task but not need batteries.... That's proving harder than I expected, unless I want to run a pc... But then still don't have control from my tablet or phone?
 

BillG

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Destination: Moon

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Now I understand your requirements more clearly. Without setting up a mini-PC as a remote controlled server/player, here's a manufactured one that seems to be in line with what you're after:


https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/netw...-raspberry-pi-4-dac-es9023-black-p-11254.html

By the way, I wouldn't laugh about the DAP. I'm not that kind of prick... ;)


By george I think you got it!! Thanks so much!
Wasn't being accusatory....I see the prices of the gear regularly discussed here and I'm astounded.
When I was young there were a few brands but now the amount of 6 figure equipment seems mind boggling!
 

BillG

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By george I think you got it!! Thanks so much!
Wasn't being accusatory....I see the prices of the gear regularly discussed here and I'm astounded.
When I was young there were a few brands but now the amount of 6 figure equipment seems mind boggling!

You're welcome. It took us a moment, but we got there... :cool:
 

BillG

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LoL, now I need to find one in the states. Doesn't look like they market them here. Never would have guessed this is such an esoteric device.....

There are other such devices on the market, but they tend to be ridiculously expensive from "audiophile" brands. I suspect the market is small as the majority of people would probably just use a desk/laptop instead.

This may interest you as well:

https://headfonics.com/smsl-dp3-review/
 
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Destination: Moon

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Thanks again! I'm not on a really tight budget. The Dac in that unit gets lousy reviews but I guess I could feed the digital output to a better DAC

The little R3 from Hiby is a dual ESS implementation and I was so surprised at the sound stage and depth that I'd never heard before from my system. It seems like there really isn't a name for what I'm looking for in the non battery powered world.... Audio Player, internet Radio player and Rasptouch, are only a few that have little real world definition of what they offer as features.... But it's not like shopping for speakers, receivers, portable DAPs or whatever, that have a defined word that expresses what they are.... I've looked at a dozen of these just now and they are all over the map in terms of features. If Hiby made a good stationary device that ran their HibyLink control app I'd probably buy it. Very frustrating. I'll keep grinding away.
Really appreciate your help and suggestions.
 
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mugbot

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My setup is:

Nvidia Shield TV pro + HDD to host a Plex music library
Chromecast audio to Schiit Ragnarok 2 to a pair of Dali Zensor 3 speakers and a Wharfedale SW-150 subwoofer
(soon also to incorporate a minidsp ddrc-24, once I get around to measuring the room and setting up Dirac)

You open Plex on your device of choice, and tell it to cast to the chromecast audio. It's happy to continue playing on its own from that point (as the stream comes from the shield) and others can even open plex, connect to the chromecast and change what it's playing etc.
I normally even use the casting to change the volume, but that's probably not ideal haha.

Once the ddrc-24 is in the chain, there will be an optical link from the chromecast to the ddrc-24 then rca from there to the ragnarok and the sub.
 

somebodyelse

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If you want the screen similar to the Audiophonics options, there are other cases that may be easier to get hold of in your area. A couple of examples with similar cases from different manufacturers:
https://archimago.blogspot.com/2017/03/howto-building-and-installing-raspberry.html
https://docs.picoreplayer.org/projects/build-with-smartipi/
You can pick the 'hat' board you want for digital or analog outputs, or just use the USB. The examples both use piCorePlayer, but the same hardware would work with Moode, Volumio etc.
 
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Destination: Moon

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Thanks everyone for your input! It seems like very few devices had what I was looking for, but I did find what I was looking for bought it.
Should be here next week. God knows if it actually works. There is very little written about it and the manufacturers web site
wont even load on my PC ..... It loads on my tablet for some inexplicable reason but the pdf download of the manual onto my tablet is bolluxed.
Not an auspicious beginning - hopefully its execution is better than the web site! Cheers

SMSL DP5 MQA Network Music Player ES9038Pro Full Decoding USB Bluetoot — HiFiGo
 

Erici

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Thanks everyone for your input! It seems like very few devices had what I was looking for, but I did find what I was looking for bought it.
Should be here next week. God knows if it actually works. There is very little written about it and the manufacturers web site
wont even load on my PC ..... It loads on my tablet for some inexplicable reason but the pdf download of the manual onto my tablet is bolluxed.
Not an auspicious beginning - hopefully its execution is better than the web site! Cheers

SMSL DP5 MQA Network Music Player ES9038Pro Full Decoding USB Bluetoot — HiFiGo

Amir reviewed it a while back. See below:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...smsl-dp5-music-streamer-and-dac-review.16813/
 
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Destination: Moon

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