Further Adventures in Computer Audio Land

I think we all know by now what this section is for.
User avatar
Ray P
No idea why I do this anymore
Posts: 6294
Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2007 5:18 pm
Location: Somerset

#16

Post by Ray P »

Neal wrote:Well not AFAIK, You can add other streaming devices to use the same music library at the same time. I did this when testing the Sonos system, it ran in parallel with the squeezeboxes and there's no reason you couldn't directly attach something like an HRT to the media server if it's a PC.....
Neal, I re-read this and I think we are both correct and simply looking at it from slightly different perspectives;

What you're saying is that multiple solutions can utilise the same library of audio, let's say FLAC, files. I have also done as you describe, running Asset UPnP media management software to serve a DLNA renderer and squeezeserver for a SB Touch. They co-habited OK though I suspect a couple of times I found one or other of them not running was because of a conflict.

What I was saying was that you can only connect SBs to squeezeserver because of the proprietary nature of the solution whereas you can connect a variety of devices to a solution using DLNA (such as Asset UPnP).

My preference is to not run multiple applications to manage/serve the media library, based on the KISS principle to avoid potential conflicts
but also to get the same look and feel to the control point, whether I'm playing music on the main system, upstairs or the telly system.

I have chosen to go the DLNA route and I'm happier with the results than with my previous squeezebox experiences though I acknowledge that with a little work, such as Steve's efforts, you can get some very good sound from a SB via an external DAC.

Ray
User avatar
Ray P
No idea why I do this anymore
Posts: 6294
Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2007 5:18 pm
Location: Somerset

#17

Post by Ray P »

Clive wrote:Ray, have you tried the hairshirt JPLAYmini, ie without JRiver? Preferably in Hibernate mode. I found JPLAYmini on its own sounded rather better that JPLAY + JRiver, it would be interesting to know if that's specific to my setup.

Of course if you need a sexy GUI then you need JRiver.
Clive, not yet. I will try the mini player but i suspect I will experience problems with the hibernate mode as I'm checking it out on my laptop, which is used for loads of things so its not an ideal platform. I will be trying it out when I assemble my dedicated PC - just waiting for some bits to arrive.

Ray
User avatar
Ray P
No idea why I do this anymore
Posts: 6294
Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2007 5:18 pm
Location: Somerset

#18

Post by Ray P »

I've received most of the parts for my new music server, largely based on the Computer Audiophile Pocket Server article. I've ordered a HTPC case from Modushop.biz in Italy and will begin assembly as soon as it arrives.

Ray
User avatar
Ray P
No idea why I do this anymore
Posts: 6294
Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2007 5:18 pm
Location: Somerset

#19

Post by Ray P »

Things are going well with the new music server; I've done most of the assembly and have booted it up and started to configure it. The only part still to be added will be a rear panel, which will be drilled for all of the socketry.

Motherboard is ITX format with a dual core 1.8GHz Atom processor, passively cooled, and 4Gb of memory. The disk is an OCZ 80Gb solid state device, just holding the operating system and any other software. The chassis can accomodate a second SSD should I decide to store my music on it (currently located on network storage). The SSD has a SOtM noise filter on its power supply (its the PCB with the round caps sticking out of the left of the SSD).

The sound card, occupying the PCI slot, is the digital section of an ESI Juli@, which can output over SPDIF at upto 24bit 192KHz. An I2S signal is available from the connectors on the top of the board and, in due course, I will tap into this and send I2S data to my DAC.

Having no moving parts the music server is absolutely silent.

Operating system is Windows 7 ultimate. Media software is J River Media Centre 17 and I am able to control what that is playing via an app on my Samsung tablet.

I have configured J River to play through the Juli@ via ASIO, automatically switching different bit depths/sample rates, and the sound quality is very good, however, to improve this further I'm using JPlay, essentially as a J River plugin. JPlay runs as a Windows service so has high priority for CPU resource and plays from memory (gets the music you want to play and loads it all into memory before starting playback) and also has a hibernate mode, which shuts down all the bits of Windows that aren't required during playback (not tried it yet). I'm very impressed with the sound quality via JPlay and I'm confident I can squeeze more out if yet.

There is no AV software.

The aim is to run the music server headless (no monitor, keyboard or mouse) with control via the tablet and admin via remote desktop (which works well except that there doesn't appear to be an option for a remote reboot).

I'll be carrying on with experimenting with JPlay options and working on the I2S interface.

Some pictures below with a CD included so you can see how small and neat the device is.

Ray
Attachments
DSCF0462-medres.jpg
DSCF0463-medres.jpg
Max N
Old Hand
Posts: 1453
Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2007 6:10 pm

#20

Post by Max N »

Very neat Ray. Its a nice solution and seems to tick all the boxes. And a very good match to your RAKK DAC with the i2s option.
Could you post a picture of the UI of the remote app on the tablet if you get a chance?
User avatar
ed
retired
Posts: 5384
Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2007 4:01 pm
Location: yorkshire
Contact:

#21

Post by ed »

Ray P wrote: Having no moving parts the music server is absolutely silent.


Ray
brilliant Ray...but...the above statement was what I was trying to draw attention to in the other thread...

surely this is a music player....a server is something that transmits and responds to a client using a protocol down a network link, such as tcp/ip

there are certainly a number of misuses of the term on web at the moment...I only mention it because it confuses, certainly confused me for a while....

having said that, the only benefit a true server would have over your set up would be the ability to serve more than one client...and in your case that isn't a requirement.......

I have to say I got half way down your route before I bought an SB3 in 2006, I sometimes think I should have persevered as your way looks more maintainable...
There's nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be
Tony Moore
Old Hand
Posts: 495
Joined: Thu Aug 02, 2007 12:24 am
Location: New Brighton

#22

Post by Tony Moore »

(which works well except that there doesn't appear to be an option for a remote reboot).
Click on desktop and then hit Alt-F4 when in remote desktop to bring up popup enabling reboot, shutdown, etc.

Cheers,
Tony
User avatar
Ray P
No idea why I do this anymore
Posts: 6294
Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2007 5:18 pm
Location: Somerset

#23

Post by Ray P »

ed wrote:brilliant Ray...but...the above statement was what I was trying to draw attention to in the other thread...
Well, actually it is both. Locally it is a player but it also serves music, using J River, to other systems such as the DLNA compliant network player in my home cinema amplifier.

Ray
User avatar
ed
retired
Posts: 5384
Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2007 4:01 pm
Location: yorkshire
Contact:

#24

Post by ed »

ahhh, doubly brilliant then
There's nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be
User avatar
Ray P
No idea why I do this anymore
Posts: 6294
Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2007 5:18 pm
Location: Somerset

#25

Post by Ray P »

Tony Moore wrote:
(which works well except that there doesn't appear to be an option for a remote reboot).
Click on desktop and then hit Alt-F4 when in remote desktop to bring up popup enabling reboot, shutdown, etc.

Cheers,
Tony
Cheers Tony, I'll check that out.

Ray
User avatar
Ray P
No idea why I do this anymore
Posts: 6294
Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2007 5:18 pm
Location: Somerset

#26

Post by Ray P »

ed wrote:ahhh, doubly brilliant then
Cheers. I'm still in two minds to make it even more of a server by adding the second SSD and locating the music files in the device. The decision point will emerge when I have played more with JPlay; being a memory player it has to load the music playlist before commencing playback and some of my hi-res music albums are up around 1.5Gb, which might take a little time to load over the network.

Ray
User avatar
Ray P
No idea why I do this anymore
Posts: 6294
Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2007 5:18 pm
Location: Somerset

#27

Post by Ray P »

Max N wrote:Very neat Ray. Its a nice solution and seems to tick all the boxes. And a very good match to your RAKK DAC with the i2s option.
Could you post a picture of the UI of the remote app on the tablet if you get a chance?
Thanks Max. There's a little info on the gizmo page of the android market but I'll try to post some pictures a bit later.

Ray
User avatar
Ray P
No idea why I do this anymore
Posts: 6294
Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2007 5:18 pm
Location: Somerset

#28

Post by Ray P »

Ray P wrote:
Tony Moore wrote:
(which works well except that there doesn't appear to be an option for a remote reboot).
Click on desktop and then hit Alt-F4 when in remote desktop to bring up popup enabling reboot, shutdown, etc.

Cheers,
Tony
Cheers Tony, I'll check that out.

Ray
Alt+Fn+F4 does the trick, thanks for the steer.

Ray
User avatar
Ray P
No idea why I do this anymore
Posts: 6294
Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2007 5:18 pm
Location: Somerset

#29

Post by Ray P »

Max N wrote:Very neat Ray. Its a nice solution and seems to tick all the boxes. And a very good match to your RAKK DAC with the i2s option.
Could you post a picture of the UI of the remote app on the tablet if you get a chance?
Here are some pictures of gizmo in action Max.....

Ray
Attachments
DSCF0467-lores.jpg
DSCF0466-lores.jpg
DSCF0465-lores.jpg
User avatar
Ray P
No idea why I do this anymore
Posts: 6294
Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2007 5:18 pm
Location: Somerset

#30

Post by Ray P »

I had the opportunity to sit down and have a listening session yesterday and started to explore some of the JPlay options, all via an SPDIF output to my dac.

Starting with what I've labelled as 'native' config (just J River playing through the Juli@ sound card using ASIO) the sound quality is really very good and, from recollection, at least as good as the SB Touch I used previously.

Over previous days I've experimented with JPlay to configure it to best suit my PC (you need to adjust the sample buffer, bitstream format, etc. to suit the hardware/drivers you're using).

Turning on the JPlay plug-in with my selected settings configured the sound quality improved significantly, there was more detail and improved authority to the sound. JPlay is playing through the Jui@ via WASAPI. Operationally using JPlay introduces a short delay before playback starts as it loads the music files into memory. (J River can also be configured to play from memory and I'll try that later).

JPlay offers two 'engines' and switching between them does offer variations to the playback, one (Can't recall which is which at the moment) sounding a bit leaner but more detailed than the other).

Another improvement was to be had by using JPlay's hibernate options. This mode shuts down loads of extraneous processing during audio playback but does mean that J River surrenders control until the track finishes (in fact you surrender control of the PC); control returns when the track finishes playing. I stuck with the moderate 'TurboCore' setting as that worked consistently whereas I didn't always get control back from the Fullscale hibernation mode.

Overall, the project is delivering really excellent sound quality. I'll continue to tweak the settings and liaise with the software authors over on the JPlay website to see if full hibernate mode can be made stable. I'm hopeful of a further step forward when I get the i2s interface to the dac installed.

For completeness, JPlay is only relevant in the context of using the computer as the music player local to the main hifi. To stream music to the telly room you just select a different J River zone that streams the music without reference to the local player.

Ray
Post Reply