What do I need?

[tvrgeek]

I know about nothing about streamers. I built a music server PC. Touch screen, works fine. I put my 500 or so CDs on a SSD. Great.
Now I would like to get the music in my workshop. Nice old Creek and my new Elac speakers. I have seen at stores an interface on a phone where in 30 or 40 swipes can play a track, but what is there short of a full blown PC server that I can access and find albums ( I only play full albums) in my shop? A cheap tablet? Not my phone. Can't see it. Cheap phone without the space needed anyway.

 

[JayGilb]

I know about nothing about streamers. I built a music server PC. Touch screen, works fine. I put my 500 or so CDs on a SSD. Great.
Now I would like to get the music in my workshop. Nice old Creek and my new Elac speakers. I have seen at stores an interface on a phone where in 30 or 40 swipes can play a track, but what is there short of a full blown PC server that I can access and find albums ( I only play full albums) in my shop? A cheap tablet? Not my phone. Can't see it. Cheap phone without the space needed anyway.

I have a music server PC in my basement that runs Plex (paid version). My other PCs and smart TVs have Plex player installed and I just run the player program.
Effort was taken to create a lot of playlists, it does have a auto playlist function that adds music based on genre tags.

Works nicely and allows me to access my CDs from anywhere. Supports movies as well.

 

[ahofer]

Just to review: playing from a local library to multiple endpoints requires:

• storage (hard drive in network)
• music server (software running on computer in network, such as MinimServer, Plex, Roon Server,Volumio)
• control point (computer or tablet that the user uses, it tells the music server to send the music to the endpoint) such as BubbleUPNP, Volumio,Roon,etc.
• endoint (streamer, embedded or separate, connected to audio equipment) with streaming software (Chromecast,PI+ROPIEEXL,Roon Bridge, proprietary)

Control points and endpoints use a protocol like UPNP/DLNA, AirPlay, Roon, or Chromecast to communicate.

So it involves running server software (which can be quite light) *somewhere*. It can be a desktop PC that is always on, or, as I have done, many Network-Attached Storage products allow you to run MinimServer, Plex, and other products as an app, so at least your processor isn’t dedicated to the small task of serving music. I used MinimServer with Bubble UPnP on control points (android) before moving permanently to Roon. New QNAP NAS can also run Roon, but the old ones don’t have enough processing power.

You can run music server software on a Raspberry Pi as well, although I haven’t tried it.

 

[tvrgeek]

Everyone says I need to build up another PC I guess.

Thought about building a pi, but too many projects. Maybe I'll convince myself to gat a new laptop and use the old one.

 

[TheWalkman]

Get a Raspberry Pi.

I‘m running Volumio on a Pi Zero2W (my current, favorite config.)

You can control it with your phone, tablet or laptop. Works great. Total cost around fifty bucks. It’s fast, is updated, energy efficient and sounds great.

See it here: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...i-as-a-music-server.9130/page-18#post-1009367

 

[dshreter]

It’s not what you’re asking for, but this is why Spotify is so convenient. Works on every device with plenty of streaming endpoints. Controllable from any mobile device.

If it has enough overlap with your collection, it just makes it all so much easier.

 

[tvrgeek]

Don't do phone. Don't own a tablet. Don't do streaming. Unless I run a cable, I don't have IP in my shop. Tired a repeater but too far. I want to listen to MY collection of music. If I have to do a laptop to control it, it might as well just be the server. I can use my backup SSD as the storage.

I guess there is no cheap appliance that does what I want.

 

[Spkrdctr]

Same with my Amazon HD Music. It works on my TV, my phone and my computer. The only pain in the butt for someone who already has lets say 300 albums is that you have to take the time to look them all up on Amazon Music and add them to your playlist. It is not hard and doesn't take all that much time. Once you have them on your playlist they are on there forever unless you delete them. As I already had Amazon Prime it was quick and easy to add Amazon HD Music.

So, all you need is a laptop with WIFi and a receiver with WIFi and your all done, sign up for Amazon Music on your laptop. Actually very easy. You don't need a phone for it.

 

[ZolaIII]

@tvrgeek what do you really want? How big is your collection? There are repeaters with a big range (antennas).

 

[voodooless]

I’d say get cheap tablet, add 512 GB of microSD and run from there via USB to DAC/Amp. It should be enough to hold your collection locally, and no wifi needed.

 

[JayGilb]

Don't do phone. Don't own a tablet. Don't do streaming. Unless I run a cable, I don't have IP in my shop. Tired a repeater but too far. I want to listen to MY collection of music. If I have to do a laptop to control it, it might as well just be the server. I can use my backup SSD as the storage.

I guess there is no cheap appliance that does what I want.

Not sure how far away your shop is, but many cat5 baluns can do 100+ meters. Software like Plex can be installed on your house PC and just point the software toward the correct directory on your SSD and it will index all of your music files and download album art etc from a background process.

 

[Spkrdctr]

I’d say get cheap tablet, add 512 GB of microSD and run from there via USB to DAC/Amp. It should be enough to hold your collection locally, and no wifi needed.

OK, that is the modern hi tech way. I'm only 10 years behind........
I still have my AOL address from 40 years ago. I never changed. People are surprised when I have an AOL email address. It works and has been free for the last 20 years or so. I try not to fix what is not broken. Now my computer/DAC/headphone skills are non-existent I come here to get my info on that stuff and I always get lots of ideas from the members.

 

[voodooless]

OK, that is the modern hi tech way. I'm only 10 years behind........

It hardly is.. but if you don’t want to wire up, or get decent wifi reception (I’d definitely recommend against wifi repeaters, get some wifi mesh instead), want a decent enough interface, and an easy and inexpensive setup, it works well.

You can alway use the tablet even if you do manage to get the wifi up and running and stream the audio from the main PC.

An alternative could be a Chomebook.

 

[dshreter]

Don't do phone. Don't own a tablet. Don't do streaming. Unless I run a cable, I don't have IP in my shop. Tired a repeater but too far. I want to listen to MY collection of music. If I have to do a laptop to control it, it might as well just be the server. I can use my backup SSD as the storage.

I guess there is no cheap appliance that does what I want.

How do you plan to get the music to the shop from a server if it will have no network access? All these recommendations for music servers still depend on network connectivity.

 

[Spkrdctr]

It hardly is.. but if you don’t want to wire up, or get decent wifi reception (I’d definitely recommend against wifi repeaters, get some wifi mesh instead), want a decent enough interface, and an easy and inexpensive setup, it works well.

You can alway use the tablet even if you do manage to get the wifi up and running and stream the audio from the main PC.

An alternative could be a Chomebook.

I "think" he was saying he has a laptop already so that is why I figured if he signed up for a streaming service he was all done and good to go. Now if he does not have a receiver that gets Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, then he would be screwed unless he can somehow use a Bluetooth USB to receive the signal from the laptop to whatever he is using to power his speakers? Heck if I know, the audio industry is INCAPABLE of easy plug and play for the consumer. The want to have the consumer "try" to set it up, get frustrated and after really getting pissed off, just go buy a soundbar and call it a day as they all have Bluetooth. The audio industry and the idiotic 11 to 13 channel surround systems has gone full lunatic. I know why women are not usually into audio. It is run by a bunch of nutjob men! Oh and that is why I think you see a resurgence of interest into 2 channel. 2 channel doesn't sound better than a good 5.2.4 system, but it is VERY simple to set up.

 

[ahofer]

Everyone says I need to build up another PC I guess.

Thought about building a pi, but too many projects. Maybe I'll convince myself to gat a new laptop and use the old one.

Find a really old laptop or PC and install Linux, use free or donation-ware (like minimserver).

 

[ZolaIII]

I have a deacent integrated WiFi DLNA streaming integration (server) on my Android phone (Sony and with Sony Music which is of course default music app on Sony's [support and some of streaming services as Spotify]) for which to use I only need a router and endpoint (with WiFi direct I don't even need rooter).
I have other DLNA servers on PC (folder sharing on Windows or DLNA in JRiver]) My end point is as simple as it can get integrated power amplifier (a Yamaha) and i also use MusicCast app which ain't bad but Sony Music (not to be mixed with Music Center) is way better regarding sorting and access in my case. I really prioritised simplicity.

 

[ahofer]

One thing that is a shame is that Chrome doesn’t seem to support good server/control/endpoint software. At least it didn’t last I looked. Chrome books would be a decent solution for this sort of thing.

 

[voodooless]

One thing that is a shame is that Chrome doesn’t seem to support good server/control/endpoint software. At least it didn’t last I looked. Chrome books would be a decent solution for this sort of thing.

Chromebooks can just run Linux software, so things like Plex server can be installed.

 

[Berwhale]

Given the lack of network access in your shop, then a tablet with SD-Card slot is probably the best solution. You may also want to use a decent performing USB DAC/amp, rather than the tablets headphone socket. The challenge here is that tablets are often charged by the USB socket, so it's either charging or using the DAC. There are various ways around this; some tablets have docking stations that will charge the tablet, whilst leaving the USB port free. Another solution is to use a small USB dock that has power delivery and will charge the tablet - I use this one with my Huawei M5 tablet and Topping D50s DAC: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07YF95RNR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (and it also works with all my phones).