Network audio player

[stunta]

Chromecast Audio is cheap, needs no new software besides your Android phone, has optical output and measures pretty good as wombat pointed out. I'd try that first.

 

[sophie smith]

This is the Raspi/Volumio for "living-rooms", however it lacks of optical out, only HDMI available: https://volumio.org/product/volumio-mini86/

That is very interesting. Assume it is controlled via the phone app.
Do you know if one of the 6 USB ports can be used to output to DAC?

 

[sophie smith]

Chromecast Audio is cheap, needs no new software besides your Android phone, has optical output and measures pretty good as wombat pointed out. I'd try that first.

Yes, it is the simple solution, but lack LAN. Spent some money to have the house hard wired. Would prefer the cable connection. Otherwise, would actually use Roku, which I have laying around. For now, using another old laptop to access the network. The only issue is the lack of remote. Requires to start the player manually every time, but otherwise works well.
Thanks

 

[Krunok]

That is very interesting. Assume it is controlled via the phone app.
Do you know if one of the 6 USB ports can be used to output to DAC?

Any of the USB ports can be used to output to DAC.

 

[Nango]

That is very interesting. Assume it is controlled via the phone app.
Do you know if one of the 6 USB ports can be used to output to DAC?

Yes, it is operated via browser on your PC or phone once the system hooked up on your Wifi. Simpel as it is. Volumio also has an app for Android/iOS but never tried this. Every one of those USB ports can be connected to the DAC. You may also try one of those USB cables that are on one end terminated in "Y" (splitted), and plug both USB-A into that unit. One will receive only the audio signal and one will transmit only the 5V, so the audio signal is always separated from the electrical signal. It has been reported this to improve the SQ. @amirm could resume this issue with his "magic machine" and try to find out whether this helps or not.

I've heard reports it makes trouble when the Volumio OS resides on the hdd/sdd inside the box. You may then place this hdd/sdd outside the box (none hdd inside) on one of those USB ports and boot from external. Also you could handle with different hdd's for music files outside the box.

 

[sophie smith]

Yes, it is operated via browser on your PC or phone once the system hooked up on your Wifi. Simpel as it is. Volumio also has an app for Android/iOS but never tried this. Every one of those USB ports can be connected to the DAC. You may also try one of those USB cables that are on one end terminated in "Y" (splitted), and plug both USB-A into that unit. One will receive only the audio signal and one will transmit only the 5V, so the audio signal is always separated from the electrical signal. It has been reported this to improve the SQ. @amirm could resume this issue with his "magic machine" and try to find out whether this helps or not.

I've heard reports it makes trouble when the Volumio OS resides on the hdd/sdd inside the box. You may then place this hdd/sdd outside the box (none hdd inside) on one of those USB ports and boot from external. Also you could handle with different hdd's for music files outside the box.

My set up has music files (FLAC) on networked Win 10 PC in another room. My second remote system now uses another old win 7 PC connected via LAN cable to act as a network player (Foobar)-DAC-Pro-Amp. The only "trouble" is no remote. Every time I have to manually start and stop Fubar on PC. No big deal, just inconvenient but cheap.

This unit could potentially solve the issue. I would install Volumio app on Server PC and on my android cell. The unit could simply act as a network player, replacing second PC, connected via LAN ethernet cable (I prefer cables over wireless). I would control it using cell phone app. Volume can be controlled via preamp or DAC. Will that work?

Thanks

 

[sophie smith]

"You may also try one of those USB cables that are on one end terminated in "Y" (splitted), and plug both USB-A into that unit. One will receive only the audio signal and one will transmit only the 5V, so the audio signal is always separated from the electrical signal. It has been reported this to improve the SQ. @amirm could resume this issue with his "magic machine" and try to find out whether this helps or not."


Interesting. Saw this design from Pangea. Almost bought into it, but then thought: Cable is only partly split (on one end), meaning that over a certain length of the cable the two signals are still traveling together. The price is twice over the same brand without split but with both channels sheilded. I am not an audio engineer, but would hesitate to spend twice as much (think it was about $100) without some data confirming it actually makes a significant difference.

 

[Guermantes]

My set up has music files (FLAC) on networked Win 10 PC in another room. My second remote system now uses another old win 7 PC connected via LAN cable to act as a network player (Foobar)-DAC-Pro-Amp. The only "trouble" is no remote. Every time I have to manually start and stop Fubar on PC. No big deal, just inconvenient but cheap.

Have you tried a Foobar controller like FoobarCon?:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wan.foobarconpro&hl=en_AU

 

[sophie smith]

Have you tried a Foobar controller like FoobarCon?:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wan.foobarconpro&hl=en_AU

No. But downloading now!

 

[Guermantes]

Note that it requires a component to be installed in Foobar2000 as well: https://sites.google.com/site/foobarcon/

 

[Nango]

My set up has music files (FLAC) on networked Win 10 PC in another room. My second remote system now uses another old win 7 PC connected via LAN cable to act as a network player (Foobar)-DAC-Pro-Amp. The only "trouble" is no remote. Every time I have to manually start and stop Fubar on PC. No big deal, just inconvenient but cheap.

This unit could potentially solve the issue. I would install Volumio app on Server PC and on my android cell. The unit could simply act as a network player, replacing second PC, connected via LAN ethernet cable (I prefer cables over wireless). I would control it using cell phone app. Volume can be controlled via preamp or DAC. Will that work?

Thanks

I think so. You may run a 2nd device instead of your PC. This one would access music files on the 1st device via mount. The one containing the music files run 24/7. All the others only when music plays. If you have running 3 devices at the same time, you will see them on your phone browser. Click the icon the device you wish to listen to and control it. Or let both gain access to the music files wherever they are stored.

 

[sophie smith]

Great. PC seems to work well with the remote foobar control. I guess no need to spend any more. The foobar phone app solved all the issues!
Thanks!

 

[sophie smith]

Oh, another question. My old Emotiva processor does not have USB input. Can I use PC to processor HDMI cable instead to transfer audio and still utilize DAC built into processor?

 

[bakker_be]

Oh, another question. My old Emotiva processor does not have USB input. Can I use PC to processor HDMI cable instead to transfer audio and still utilize DAC built into processor?

You should indeed be able to do that. Actual results may vary though. I found for instance that using coax out to my Marantz SR5004 gave better sound than HDMI. I don't imply this is due to the processor, it could well be the implementation in the source as well.

 

[Nango]

Your PC will probably deliver max. up to 48Khz/16bit audio on its HDMI output, so not really comparable to what the USB output can achive. And your Emotiva also will receive on its HDMI input audio data probably also not higher than 48/16.

 

[bakker_be]

Your PC will probably deliver max. up to 48Khz/16bit audio on its HDMI output, so not really comparable to what the USB output can achive. And your Emotiva also will receive on its HDMI input audio data probably also not higher than 48/16.

HDMI should allow for Blu-ray audio, which goes up to 24/192.

 

[sophie smith]

That is what I read, up to 24/192 and including DSD up to 256. Some issues were reported on Rasb Pi forums, but that was determined due to OS limiting sampling to 48kHz. Maybe I am wrong though. Either way should be enough for my FLAC library, even if only 16/48.

 

[Nango]

HDMI should allow for Blu-ray audio, which goes up to 24/192.

From a PC out? I was told this is rarely the case.

 

[Guermantes]

The audio-over-HDMI capabilities will depend on the age of the video card/chipset in the PC. Don't forget it will want to do a video handshake as well with whatever device it is connected to and this may involve HDCP. The complexities increase but it may work fine in your setup so no harm in trying. Let us know how you go.

 

[sophie smith]

Just out of curiosity. Is mini display port audio out any better? Have that option on PC as well. Says it can also support up to 24/192.