Streamers with HDMI out for displaying album art

[chimpinsox]

Hi

Looking for suggestions and recommendations as I upgrade my 20 year old CD/Amp/Turntable rig to a modern system.

I will keep my CD player and turntable but replace my old Rotel analogue amp with an Audiolab 6000A mk 2, with new speakers TBC to follow after listening demos.

The source of music is a home Plex server with mostly FLAC files that I want to stream losslessly to a player. I don't use music services like Tidal, Spotify etc. I currently have a trial set up of a mini PC serving an Amazon firestick with native Plex app as client, connected to an old monitor by way of a cheap audio splitter to take the audio by toslink to an SMSL PO100 DAC, which then send signal to the amp. It's an inelegant Frankenstein trial set up consigned to my office. No way that is getting sign off for the main living room.

I have a Plex pass so Plex Amp and remote listening are all on the table. All straightforward so far, but I struggle when researching how to maintain this simple chain and incorporate a separate display to show more playing album art. It's this element that is so janky in my current trial set up. That visual connection is really important to me - I don't want it on a tablet or on an integrated display on the streamer. I just want a simple, clean HDMI output of the playback.

Any ideas from the crowd? I'm in Australia and preferably keep the cost of any device to under $1k AUD/$500 USD/EUR. I'm stretched as I'm planning on pairing the amp with a pair of Lintons so keeping cost lower would be appreciated.

 

[Nutul]

You may want to give moOde a try.

moodeaudio.org

moodeaudio.org

 

[chimpinsox]

Thanks! Will do some research on this.
Also considering hardware with simple HDMI output to send data only, rather than the audio itself. Not sure if that's even a thing.

 

[somebodyelse]

If you can manage a little DIY maybe look at this thread - while it's written for Wiim devices it uses UPnP for the information displayed, so may extend to other clients that lack native display.

 

[Parky]

I am using lms and a nuc hooked up to a monitor and use a squeezebox touch as a controller.
There are option such a point of sale pc or android device. Install a os like volumio and use usb out to a dac when streaming.
Or you can use certain tv apps with arc.
If you want you could use a device like a dune hd and install side load streaming software and then use it has a streaming dac.
The fiio r9 and s15 does hdmi out and I think the r7 will check in a minute.

 

[Parky]

I am using lms and a nuc hooked up to a monitor and use a squeezebox touch as a controller.
There are option such a point of sale pc or android device. Install a os like volumio and use usb out to a dac when streaming.
Ot you can use certain tv apps with arc.

 

[Parky]

The r7 does usb c display out to usb c display port. I will look for my usb c cable to hdmi but I doubt there will be any difference.

 

[Parky]

Usb c to hdmi works on the r7 the albulm art is quiet small though possible due to the screen resolution.