SMSL DP5 Music Streamer and DAC Review

[BillG]

Lack of gapless playback, in my book, would constitute a severe problem. Drives me crazy; how could anyone accept that?

A quarter to half second silence is low on my list of life problems that I need to worry about.

 

[waynel]

A quarter to half second silence is low on my list of life problems that I need to worry about.

Maybe fine for some music but makes live concerts and classical unlistenable . Tried listening to opera on tidal which didn’t do gapless with MusicCast and there would be pauses in the middle of a note.

 

[amirm]

Bossman, wudup with the headphone-out measurements? You forgot?

I didn't forget. The thread on it here indicated it is extremely low power so I did not bother to test it.

 

[bluefuzz]

No, Roon endpoint is as well. This is why in my book it is a requirement this day and age.

Airplay is so common that fallback to that allows communication to just about everything.

It's amazing there are such differing views on what you seem to think are obvious truths. For example I took a look at Roon for a week or so and found it singularly uncompelling. Seems to be little more than an eye-wateringly expensive metadata scraper. What's essential about it?

And although I have several Apple devices I have never knowingly used Airplay and really have no clue as to why I would want to ...

 

[F1308]

I stream over DLNA from my NAS (Synology, running a customized linux) I am very happy with that. I am against closed systems and protocols like airplay. DLNA is a standard (then well documented and open), also ubiquitous ( smartTVs, AVRs...). For me DLNA should be the protocol to be used for testing streaming, not a particular proprietary one.

I was also very happy using DLNA until I discovered only 10000 songs could be listed.
My router was a Sitecom, with MIMO and everything, the very best at the time.
Is that a DLNA limitation or is it coming from the router, please ?

 

[amirm]

For example I took a look at Roon for a week or so and found it singularly uncompelling. Seems to be little more than an eye-wateringly expensive metadata scraper. What's essential about it?

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...er-and-library-management-software-review.18/

 

[Chromatischism]

I was also very happy using DLNA until I discovered only 10000 songs could be listed.
My router was a Sitecom, with MIMO and everything, the very best at the time.
Is that a DLNA limitation or is it coming from the router, please ?

Hmm...I'll have to check the size of my library but my first reaction is that is a limit of the file indexing server. I'll check and get back to you.

 

[Chromatischism]

Hmm...I'll have to check the size of my library but my first reaction is that is a limit of the file indexing server. I'll check and get back to you.

My /music directory contains over 18,000 files (yes there is album artwork, etc, but not over 8,000 of them) so it doesn't look like that's a limitation here. @F1308 what kind of server is it? Where is the music stored?

 

[bluefuzz]

I was refering to "a geek thing"has being an option for raspberry pi enthousiasth, not the general public

You do realise that the Rasberry Pi was originally designed as an educational tool and its success is due to it being quickly adopted by the general public as a fun and easy to use device for all sorts of things - music streaming included. They have sold millions of them. Pretty much standard kit for any moderately intelligent ten year old ...

 

[F1308]

My /music directory contains over 18,000 files (yes there is album artwork, etc, but not over 8,000 of them) so it doesn't look like that's a limitation here. @F1308 what kind of server is it? Where is the music stored?

Music files in FLAC were stored in a 2 TB USB HDD connected to one of the two USB ports of the router. DLNA is the server, used from a laptop via WI-FI.
I wanted to play Vangelis when I discovered the list halted at M....
Then I found the 10000 limit in the operating manual...that had been updated from 1000; but still wondering if it is Sitecom or DLNA related...
When I explore the files from Windows 10 via the file explorer, only the folders from A to M are listed. If I remove songs from folder C or K or G, then the listing continues till P...where the 10000 limit is reached again.
If I copy folder E, F, G, into C then the listing stops at K, since the 10000 limit is reached there....

 

[bluefuzz]

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...er-and-library-management-software-review.18/

Yes, I've read that thread. In fact it was probably what prompted me to try Roon in the first place. However, I remain unconvinced after actually trying it.

 

[samsa]

As far as I am concerned, a $600 device needs to support Roon endpoint and Airplay.

The trouble is that the licensing of RoonBridge expressly forbids its inclusion in 3rd party hardware products. So, whereas you can put together a $50 Raspberry Pi streamer, download RoonBridge and run it for free, a manufacturer of a turnkey streamer has to write their own Roon RAAT endpoint implementation (using Roon's SDK) and then submit their device to Roon for "Roon-Ready" Certification.

This has the effect of producing a two-tiered market for Roon RAAT endpoints. Either dirt-cheap DIY streamers running RoonBridge, or $$ "Roon-Ready" devices, running proprietary RAAT implementations. At the price-point of this SMSL device, it's hard to see how that would be viable.

 

[Chromatischism]

Music files in FLAC were stored in a 2 TB USB HDD connected to one of the two USB ports of the router. DLNA is the server, used from a laptop via WI-FI.
I wanted to play Vangelis when I discovered the list halted at M....
Then I found the 10000 limit in the operating manual...that had been updated from 1000; but still wondering if it is Sitecom or DLNA related...
When I explore the files from Windows 10 via the file explorer, only the folders from A to M are listed. If I remove songs from folder C or K or G, then the listing continues till P...where the 10000 limit is reached again.
If I copy folder E, F, G, into C then the listing stops at K, since the 10000 limit is reached there....

Since the router is acting as the server, it has to be the router. Strange.

 

[gvl]

Music files in FLAC were stored in a 2 TB USB HDD connected to one of the two USB ports of the router. DLNA is the server, used from a laptop via WI-FI.
I wanted to play Vangelis when I discovered the list halted at M....
Then I found the 10000 limit in the operating manual...that had been updated from 1000; but still wondering if it is Sitecom or DLNA related...
When I explore the files from Windows 10 via the file explorer, only the folders from A to M are listed. If I remove songs from folder C or K or G, then the listing continues till P...where the 10000 limit is reached again.
If I copy folder E, F, G, into C then the listing stops at K, since the 10000 limit is reached there....

Sounds like a router limitation.

Since the router is acting as the server, it has to be the router. Strange.

This is a secondary function for a router, given it's a constrained embedded system it should be no surprise that this function is limited. A NAS should not have this limitation as it's its primary function.

 

[F1308]

Sounds like a router limitation.


This is a secondary function for a router, given it's a constrained embedded system it should be no surprise that this function is limited. A NAS should not have this limitation as it's its primary function.

Thank you very much....

 

[PeteL]

You do realise that the Rasberry Pi was originally designed as an educational tool and its success is due to it being quickly adopted by the general public as a fun and easy to use device for all sorts of things - music streaming included. They have sold millions of them. Pretty much standard kit for any moderately intelligent ten year old ...

I Apologize if I offended some people, cmon guys, leave it be, it was not pejorative, not about intelligence neither, It's just an expression, most people that are looking for a Network streamer that don't have a technical/scientific background, will go and purchase just that, they will not go and buy a mini computer, trace various hats and look out various open source music server software. For most people on this forum it's a great option and I agree with this, a geek thing just meant to me in the context of my intervention, "not a plug and play nice shiny branded box"

 

[F1308]

Since the router is acting as the server, it has to be the router. Strange.

Thank you very much...

 

[samsa]

This is a secondary function for a router, given it's a constrained embedded system it should be no surprise that this function is limited. A NAS should not have this limitation as it's its primary function.

A full-fledged NAS might be overkill for this purpose. An Odroid HC2 running Samba would suffice.

 

[dmac6419]

Yes, I've read that thread. In fact it was probably what prompted me to try Roon in the first place. However, I remain unconvinced after actually trying it.

Roon is bloated as well,but it's the users choice,eye candy doesn't impress me,plus it hog resources on a very powerful computer.Roon would be the last software on my list.

 

[F1308]

A full-fledged NAS might be overkill for this purpose. An Odroid HC2 running Samba would suffice.

Thanks very much.... everyone.

The fact is I got ridden of all WI-FI appliances and now use 4g or 5g wherever available and have all my music stored within a 1 TB micro SD card in my phone.
No more sorrow, no more pain.