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Thread: Media Streaming Options

  1. #1
    Join Date: Dec 2010

    Location: Surrey

    Posts: 135
    I'm jp.

    Default Media Streaming Options

    I think I have finally got cheesed off with my SBT and NAS drive. I'm trying to establish if I start afresh or just refresh the existing SBT based system and put up with the inherent issues. I'm afraid I don't have sufficient time to research all the Raspberry Pi/PC/MAC optiosn to only find out there is another set of major issues!

    Current setup
    1) SBT with digital out only via the plugin.
    2) Netgear duo NAS drive hard hard wired through a network router and on a totally seperate network the main house network.
    3) All media ripped via EAC (on a laptop) and in mainly WAV and file names/folder names formatted by EAC (predominantly 44.1kHz 16 bit). Probably 1TB of audio data.
    4) External old school Kinshaw Perception DAC (I've tried a few DACS and so far this is my favourite, I'd stomach sticking to 16bit to keep it rather than upgrade for the rare media that is available in HD) I still have an audiosector NOS DAC and Beresford bushmaster with external PSU so I guess I could consider having 2 digital outs and run 1 to the Beresford for HD stuff.

    Issues:-
    A) it's a ballache ripping new CDs via EAC and transferring and rescanning for the SBT.
    B) The NAS/SBT need rebooting in the event of a power outage (which is relatively frequent here although I guess I coudl live with it).
    C) It's just a bit too "clunky" in use.

    Ideally I'd like an all in one that
    will rip CDs,
    incorporate the HD/storage (I'd probably look at SSD now),
    has a facility to easily navigate music choices remotely via tablet or mobile phone (definitely not TV screen and ideally not a touchscreen located on the device.)
    Has digital co-ax out to feed a DAC located on the other side of the room.

    Is there anything that will do this in a sensible budget or am I in the realm of needing an expensive dedicated media streamer from one of the big brands?

    Any help greatly appreciated.

  2. #2
    Join Date: Apr 2017

    Location: Bristol

    Posts: 339
    I'm Tony.

    Default

    Vortexbox?
    VPI Scout 1.1, Hana ML, Vanderveen MC10 SUT, WAD Phono3, Rpi3B+/Digione Signature, Xiang Sheng DAC-01, WAD KiT6550 and Reiver Edingdale SR

  3. #3
    Join Date: Apr 2011

    Location: UK ~ Sussex

    Posts: 123
    I'm Simon.

    Default

    Bluesound Vault will do all that, and more. Very easy to use and operate. Will also stream Tidal and the likes, if of interest. Whether it's a sensible price is one for you to decide

    I prefer the App and UI of the Aries Mini. You can install a hard drive in these (I use a SSD) and they act as their own server. And it's very fast indeed. Re indexes are very swift, when needed. It'll also play from your NAS, although indexing from that is much slower. You could rip to the installed hard drive using your existing set up, but just change the target location where files are stored to the Aries Mini drive (it just shows up on your network as a NAS). The Mini will also output via USB, which can be useful in some set ups. Both will output via coax and Toslink SP/DIF. Both work very well and I've never had any problems at all setting them up and the like.

    Either of the above can be backed up in the normal way as they both just appear as drives.
    Lindemann Network Bridge > McIntosh MHA150 > Shahinian Larc speakers

  4. #4
    Join Date: Dec 2010

    Location: Surrey

    Posts: 135
    I'm jp.

    Default

    Many thanks,
    All proposals seem to have merit although the bluesound vault is probably over my mental threshold for budget.

    Just so I feel I have reviewed all options; is there software that could be downloaded/purchased to build a pc based streamer that will not be "clunky" (without full windows OS)? I briefly dabbled in XBMC (in fact still have the PC I built for for it) but it was waaay to clunky and compromised (overspecced for video too and too noisy as a result as well as I stupidly set it up as a Linux os with XBMC as a programe.

  5. #5
    Join Date: Mar 2014

    Location: West Wales

    Posts: 843
    I'm malcolm.

    Default

    Vortexbox is my weapon of choice, https://www.vortexbox.org
    Audiophile Tosher

  6. #6
    Join Date: Feb 2013

    Location: W Lothian

    Posts: 99,005
    I'm Grant.

    Default

    could use foobar/ bubble android/ chromecast to dac via optical. if you have the phone already then bubble is under a tenner and chromecast under £30. Foobar is free
    Regards,
    Grant .... ؠ ......Don't be such a big girl's blouse

    I've said it before and I'll say it again: democracy simply-doesn't-work
    .... ..... ...... ...... ................... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
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    Oh my god! There's nothing wrong with the bidet is there?

    “Nothing discloses real character like the use of power. It is easy for the weak to be gentle. Most people can bear adversity. But if you wish to know what a man really is, give him power. This is the supreme test. It is the glory of Lincoln that, having almost absolute power, he never abused it, except on the side of mercy".

    “You see these dictators on their pedestals, surrounded by the bayonets of their soldiers and the truncheons of their police ... yet in their hearts there is unspoken fear. They are afraid of words and thoughts: words spoken abroad, thoughts stirring at home -- all the more powerful because forbidden -- terrify them. A little mouse of thought appears in the room, and even the mightiest potentates are thrown into panic.”

    "You don't have free will. You have the appearance of free will.”

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  7. #7
    Join Date: Nov 2008

    Location: Valley of the Hazels

    Posts: 9,139
    I'm AMusicFanNotAnAudiophile.

    Default

    Netgear duo NAS drive hard hard wired through a network router and on a totally separate network the main house network
    Why?
    No wonder it's clunky
    Chris



    Common sense isn't anymore!

  8. #8
    Join Date: Dec 2010

    Location: Surrey

    Posts: 135
    I'm jp.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Stratmangler View Post
    Why?
    No wonder it's clunky
    Which part is the issue?
    Our house wi-fi network has the main hub at the other end of the house to the hi-fi and streamer.

    The SBT, Hardwired router and hardwired NAS all form a spereate network local to the hi-fi to avoid A) any drop out of wi-fi which is an issue with a baby monitor in action B) isolation of critical data & media on the NAS and not connected to the internet in any form.

    I thought my setup would help to alleviate any issues not cause them?

  9. #9
    Join Date: Dec 2010

    Location: Surrey

    Posts: 135
    I'm jp.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by struth View Post
    could use foobar/ bubble android/ chromecast to dac via optical. if you have the phone already then bubble is under a tenner and chromecast under £30. Foobar is free
    These all look powerful bits of software but unless I am mistaken none will run as a dedicated platform and operate over an OS which IMHO will make it a PITA for the (young) family to use which I'd rather avoid. I only have co-ax digital in on my DAC of choice unfortunately, whilst I know you can get converters I'd rather avoid having interface boxes littered about (I feel the same way about the current setup with 4 boxes and 3 walwarts which IMHO is far more complicated than it needs be.

    Thanks for the ideas though - gives me further options to consider.

  10. #10
    Join Date: Feb 2013

    Location: W Lothian

    Posts: 99,005
    I'm Grant.

    Default

    chromecast has a dac in it which is decent so you can take out analogue via a 3.5mm socket. otherwise its pretty straightforward. leave pc on somewhere with foobar running. then when you want music you pick up an android device and pick what you want and it plays wirelessly where your chromecast is. its not the most elegant thing as Bubble is not a roon or sch but its nearly free and works well enough. I dont need to use it now as I have my pcs hard wired to dacs via jriver but I can easily enough
    Regards,
    Grant .... ؠ ......Don't be such a big girl's blouse

    I've said it before and I'll say it again: democracy simply-doesn't-work
    .... ..... ...... ...... ................... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
    FIIO K7 BT, M11 PLUS, BTR7, KA5 - OPPO BDP-103D - PANASONIC UB450 - PANASONIC 4K ULTRA HD TV - PIXEL 6 - AVANTREE LR BLUETOOTH - 2* X600 SOUNDCORE - HEADPHONES INCLUDE, FIIO, NURAPHONES', FOCAL, OPPO, BOSE, CAMBRIDGE, BOWER & WILKINS, DEVIALET, MARSHALL, SONY, MITCHELL & JOHNSTON - 2*ZBOOK'S- MERCURY BD ROM, ROON, QOBUZ, TIDAL, PLEX, CYBERLINK, JRIVER - MULTI HDD'S -

    Oh my god! There's nothing wrong with the bidet is there?

    “Nothing discloses real character like the use of power. It is easy for the weak to be gentle. Most people can bear adversity. But if you wish to know what a man really is, give him power. This is the supreme test. It is the glory of Lincoln that, having almost absolute power, he never abused it, except on the side of mercy".

    “You see these dictators on their pedestals, surrounded by the bayonets of their soldiers and the truncheons of their police ... yet in their hearts there is unspoken fear. They are afraid of words and thoughts: words spoken abroad, thoughts stirring at home -- all the more powerful because forbidden -- terrify them. A little mouse of thought appears in the room, and even the mightiest potentates are thrown into panic.”

    "You don't have free will. You have the appearance of free will.”

    “There's a war out there, old friend. A world war. And it's not about who's got the most bullets. It's about who controls the information. What we see and hear, how we work, what we think... it's all about the information!”


    ***SMILE, BE HAPPY***

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