audio-talk

I thought I'd ask on the off chance someone has already done this, though I doubt it.

I want to stream Amazon Music in high def through a good quality standalone DAC but this doesn't look to be straightforward. Unsurprisingly Amazon doesn't open the code up for any plugins as far as I know so I can't use it with a Squeezebox etc. Amazon's Echos etc. have a headphone output but that will use an unknown quality DAC within it. Streaming from a phone is limited to SD - mp3 quality - and still needs a USB DAC convertor to get sound out of the phone.

It looks like a 4k Fire Stick will stream HD, but I think I would have to use an HDMI converter and they all look to have either optical or SPDIF out, and ideally I would like I2S. Perhaps I'm asking for too much/making it too difficult for myself.

So has anyone done something like this or have some suggestions?

As a follow up question an option is a NUC running Windows so I can run the Amazon Music app (not aware there is one for Linux) and then use a USB to I2S convertor like JLSounds, Amanero etc. I'm not up on NUCs at all and having looked there's a vast range of specs and costs. If all I want to do is sensibly stream music rather than as a general PC can anyone recommend a spec? I guess 8GB of RAM and the smallest SSD (128GB?), but which processor? Fanless? Anything else?

Cheap is good! It's just a tool to get to music.

Can’t answer your question but if you end up looking for a nuc at a nice price, I have one that is surplus to me needs. I used it with windows for my Roon core server for about a year. I can let you know the spec later if you’re interested.

My apple music is set to Lossless in phone settings. But not bringing as needs tv and im not a wizard with the cRapple TV remote. Takes me a few expletives to get it back on our wifi at home after daughter Naomi has been staying. Then also me and Roxy get our “spot” back. I suppose its only a matter of time before the Peter Kay advert is lived out here. When I’m all settled in my shared room at the care home, Naomi will be Dad Ive brought one of you’re old valves to remind you. We had to get rid of the others to free up space …..

simon wrote: ↑Sat Oct 15, 2022 9:58 pm As a follow up question an option is a NUC running Windows so I can run the Amazon Music app (not aware there is one for Linux) and then use a USB to I2S convertor like JLSounds, Amanero etc. I'm not up on NUCs at all and having looked there's a vast range of specs and costs. If all I want to do is sensibly stream music rather than as a general PC can anyone recommend a spec? I guess 8GB of RAM and the smallest SSD (128GB?), but which processor? Fanless? Anything else?

Cheap is good! It's just a tool to get to music.

no experience of these but there are a lot of i3/i5 nuc on ebay for less than £150, some less than £100. Cheaper than a raspberry pi at the mo.

Simon, you can have my one for cost of postage. Bought new about 3 years ago. It’s only been used as a music server for about 18 months. Intel Celeron NUC7CJYS.

Wow thanks Greg, that very good of you. I'll drop you a PM.

Greg's NUC arrived yesterday, it's amazingly compact and bijou - I've had bigger sandwiches . It's amazing how much is squeezed in to something so small. It's doing lots of Windows updates today but I installed the Amazon Music app and had it playing high res albeit from the headphone socket. That's the easy bit, next to get a USB DAC working.

simon wrote: ↑Wed Oct 19, 2022 10:28 pm ...next to get a USB DAC working.

My experience is that when your new JLSounds i2soverUSB board arrives you'll have it up and working quickly and with no problems - the driver is available on the JLSounds website and PnP will work seamlessly. Just remember that the i2soverUSB has galvanic isolation built in so you'll need to power the circuits either side of the isolation but for testing you can simply install jumpers between the headers and power the whole board via USB (albeit you'll defeat the isolation by doing that).

I hope you're right Ray. Having read the documentation a few times I'm not so confident in my abilities! Hopefully everything will plug in and work okay as you say.

Have you downloaded and installed the drivers?

Not yet, I was letting the updates update. It seems to have got stuck though so I might have a go today.

I installed the drivers earlier, at least I think I have as I can't check it.

DHL have tried to deliver the JLSounds I2SoverUSB yesterday and today - but they had the wrong house number so I won't have it till Monday now.

The JLsounds I2SoverUSB arrived this afternoon.
It looks to be a revision from the board the interface pcbs were designed for, so I'll need to wait for the pcbs to arrive from China to see if they're okay or might need any amendment.

simon wrote: ↑Mon Oct 24, 2022 6:30 pm It looks to be a revision from the board the interface pcbs were designed for...

Check the documentation; you'll find the different JLSounds boards are compatible.