PC based (NUC) Audio Streamer

[roog]

Hi, apologies for the simplistic approach but I am not especially tech savvy.
Whilst waiting for the ASR optimal solution to the DIY Stereo music streamer project, I am considering assembling a simple one from readily available parts.
I will be using my existing NAS and Qobuz subscription as my sources.
My priorities are: A good user interface and DSP for room correction for a Stereo system.

For the PC I am likely to be using an Intel NUC on which I intend to install Windows 10
I would like it to operate as a headless unit using an iPad as the user interface. (not sure if this would be easier to do using a Mac Mini?)

Where I am also struggling is what software to use.
I had thought that Audivana would be a good place to start with
I would also like to include DSP room correction, such as Dirac
Is there an app that I can I use to enable my iPad as the remote to Audirvana?

Can I combine all of these on my NUC to achieve my goal?

 

[somebodyelse]

I'd skip Windows and try daphile instead to see if their idea of 'good user interface' matches yours given how subjective that is. It's essentially a headless appliance running LogitechMediaServer, squeezelite, brutefir and a tweaked web interface to tie it al together. You can use the normal browser interface for full control including configuration, or a app like ipeng for everyday remote control. You'll need to use something like REW to do the measurements and generate the files for the room EQ. I don't remember whether the Qobuz plugin is enabled by default.

 

[Gekel]

What about Moodeaudio on a raspberry pi4 with Camilla DSP for room correction? Has a nice and simple front end and is rock stable, is cheap and doesn't consume a lot of power. Mine runs a 4.5-5W with wifi and ethernet being enabled, and I am sure I could save some more mA by using a pi 3b+

I have built one as streamer for the main system, but because I still wait for the amp I have attached it to the DAC/amp my wife normally uses, and now i am so happy with the combo that I plan to build a second one so I can stream music or internet radio to the DAC on my desk and listen to music while working.

 

[roog]

Thank you @somebodyelse I had not heard of Daphile, I'll look it up.

I guess that my idea of a good interface is, Tidal and Qobuz native solutions via a PC. I also have BlueOs which is ok too.

 

[roog]

Ok, thanks @Gekel I have heard of Moode but not Camilla I shall check these out, cheers

 

[Gekel]

it is now officially supported in Moode 7.x . I haven't played around with it, but it is working.

Hardware you need: pi4 with 1GB is enough (I bought the 2GB version), a passive cooled case (alu), psu and some cheap cables, a sdcard for installation and potentially a SSD for a faster responding system plus the possibility of storing music on the streamer. I have a 512GB installed with enough capacity for maybe 500 albums. I also invested some extra bucks in higher quality cables from Oehlbach (mechanical reasons only) and a higher quality psu from Leicke for safety reasons.

 

[roog]

higher quality psu from Leicke for safety reasons.

Good call, I assume it's all left running all of the time?

 

[SKBubba]

Roon sounds like what you are looking for.

 

[somebodyelse]

I hadn't realised the NUC was up for discussion. Daphile runs nicely on thin clients too which can make a cheap and fanless solution, and you can try it on existing PC hardware by booting it from a USB stick. Moode on a Pi is another good option, but with a different take on the UI. CamillaDSP is similarly powerful to BruteFIR, but the interface in Moode exposes more of its functionality than is available through daphile's interface.

Roon is another option, either running on Windows or using Roon's take on the appliance, ROCK, which is aimed at the NUC.

 

[pvanosta]

I went the (fanless) NUC / Roon ROCK route and never looked back. It's silent, never breaks a sweat and connects to my NAS (where my music files are stored) via ethernet through a GB switch. I can control Roon from a variety of devices around the house (smart phones, tablets, laptop and even desktop PC in my office). I also access my Qobuz account through the Roon remote UI. YMMV

 

[ahofer]

I went the (fanless) NUC / Roon ROCK route and never looked back. It's silent, never breaks a sweat and connects to my NAS (where my music files are stored) via ethernet through a GB switch. I can control Roon from a variety of devices around the house (smart phones, tablets, laptop and even desktop PC in my office). I also access my Qobuz account through the Roon remote UI. YMMV

+1, what I did. If you are open to Roon, this is a no-brainer. Windows or a Linux package with a UI will bug you for updates and other stuff too often. ROCK requires no maintenance apart from occasionally assenting to an upgrade in the Roon interface. I have i8s and reboots take seconds, not minutes, but I've never had to (re)boot other than for upgrade or after powering down. ROCK is more stable than the built-in UI in a lot of box streamers.

I wish they would port ROCK to ARM processors. The next gen Raspberry Pi will probably be sufficient for Roon.

 

[Gorgonzola]

For my main system I prefer a low-cost mini-PC such as NUC with Foobar2000 as my music browser and player. Foobar2000 supports hundreds of add-ins for various purposes, e.g. currently I'm enjoying MathAudio's Room EQ, a DSP add-in.

Recently I tries Raspberry Pi 4 with LMS and PiCorePlayers. It works well and allows using a smartphone or tablet to brows and play from your music library or Tidal or Qoobuz It is a good solution for many people but I find the Foobar interface -- which I customized a decade ago -- to be much preferable especially for the Classical music I listen to mostly.

 

[roog]

Cheers all, I suspected many would recommend the RPi, I suggested the NUC simply because if all else fails the NUC with Windows 10 installed would have other uses!

 

[Gekel]

Good call, I assume it's all left running all of the time?

Yes, simply for safety. I prefer a psu designed in Germany which is produced with German QC over a no name Chinese product.

 

[Gekel]

I hadn't realised the NUC was up for discussion.

You never know what someone already has planned. Sometimes the idea with a piece of hardware is simply based on some rounds of Google Foo, while in other cases the machine is already there and "fixed". When I was looking for such a streamer, I started with the Cambridge Audio being focus, then the Allo USB Bridge and another rather expensive one, but in the end it was the pi4 - and it works.

In my opinion it's always worth having a close or second look at the hardware and software, because some detaily might have been missed in the beginning (like Camilla DSP integration into Moode).

 

[somebodyelse]

Speaking of missed details, the upcoming Volumio release may include a DSP plugin that doesn't need manual installation via ssh. It should run both Pi and PC style hardware.
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/volumio3-beta-and-parametric-eq.23330/
I expect the Moode interface to gain similar features as it's still fast moving too.