MWR Posted January 7, 2013 Posted January 7, 2013 Can anyone please explain why you would purchase a digital media player over using a PC/Laptop. Apart from the Media player having a DAC, let's presume you have a DAC already. I am pondering purchasing a media player instead of using a computer but unsure of the advantages of one over the other. Martin
Satanica Posted January 7, 2013 Posted January 7, 2013 Most media players don't support gapless audio playback, you need to check. I know of no media player (or any PC/mac/Linux media software for that matter) than can remotely match the feature set of JRiver Media Center. 1
MWR Posted January 7, 2013 Author Posted January 7, 2013 JRiver Media Center Thanks Satanica I'll check it out
holliswhy Posted January 7, 2013 Posted January 7, 2013 Upgrade with jkspdif. Store and organise music. No change on sample rate (bit perfect) cheap... Compared to audiophile streamers. No need for nas. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
MWR Posted January 7, 2013 Author Posted January 7, 2013 Thanks holliswhy. I'll also look into this as well M
wolster Posted January 8, 2013 Posted January 8, 2013 I just have to put a word in for the humble Logitech Squeezebox Touch. Wireless streaming from your PC or laptop or NAS in another room or cupboard. A more than reasonable transport for your DAC. Small footprint. Good open source software with control from any Apple or Android device. Brilliant choice of worldwide internet radio stations. ..and a set of steak knives if you hurry. 1
Batty Posted January 8, 2013 Posted January 8, 2013 I have 2 streaming devices, the SBTouch and a laptop running win8 and Foobar2000. The SBT wins on SQ, but I think If I put a reclocker between USB and DAC the laptop would be closer than it is.
Davey Willo Posted January 8, 2013 Posted January 8, 2013 I'm extremely impressed with my SBT, especially since changing the power supply with a Teddy Pardo based linear one, that plus the audiophilleo have made the SBT my 'go to' source, it now leaves my Cambridge Audio 751 in the weeds as far as playback is concerned, the CA sounds strangled in comparison.. However I often wonder how it would compare to a specially built server something like a CAPS v3, I often wonder if I would lose or gain quality as I'm not sure what whether I add any form of degradation pulling my flac files from a distant multipurpose pc via cat6. 1
Khanh Hoang Posted January 8, 2013 Posted January 8, 2013 I just have to put a word in for the humble Logitech Squeezebox Touch. Wireless streaming from your PC or laptop or NAS in another room or cupboard. A more than reasonable transport for your DAC. Small footprint. Good open source software with control from any Apple or Android device. Brilliant choice of worldwide internet radio stations. ..and a set of steak knives if you hurry. + 1 I stream to my SBT from a PC and a laptop through a Rega DAC. Both are acceptable transports. If you are have subscription to a streaming service such as MOG or Spotify, you can stream that though the squeezebox as well. I find this a really good way to check out new music that other SNAers are listening to. Having a good DAC makes listening to Spotify quite acceptable most of the time.
Davey Willo Posted January 8, 2013 Posted January 8, 2013 I can't get MOG to play through my SBT, I can access it ok, it looks like it is playing but I get no sound at all, any ideas DB??
Khanh Hoang Posted January 8, 2013 Posted January 8, 2013 I can't get MOG to play through my SBT, I can access it ok, it looks like it is playing but I get no sound at all, any ideas DB?? I use Spotify Davey. Never streamed MOG myself, but I assumed you can because there is an app for it. Maybe another member is streaming MOG and can help you? You may also need to connect to mysqueezebox.com for it to work??
SteveC Posted January 8, 2013 Posted January 8, 2013 MOG is a pain in the a....se to get to work on the SBT. You have to switch to the mysqueezebox.com server before it will work and it is clunky. I use the ipeng app and that makes it a bit easier but still drops out and my SBT is hardwired. Now for MOG I just use the ipad app and stream via airplay to apple tv. Never drops out or has any problems. Good enough to check out music and I go back to SBT for listening to my own library.
Peta Posted January 8, 2013 Posted January 8, 2013 For me it is a choice between playing with music and listening to it. I could not see any benefit in micromanaging music through a computer and having all those extra components to fiddle with to get things right. Then needing to run a computer as well. With a NAS and Squeezebox Touch and using a tablet to play/choose what albums to play I do not have a mess of computer gear in the room and can just concentrate on listening to music. I tried both approaches and never really was satisfied with the sound from a laptop but was happier with the sound from a powerful PC. Then the PC was inclined to run a fan that interfered with the sound. It seemed to me that I could spend about $4k to have a dedicated computer audio system, DAC etc and then be committed to maintaining it several times a month or I could have something that costs $1600 (with 6Tb storage on NAS plus backup) that requires almost no maintenance by comparison to the PC path. 2
Batty Posted January 8, 2013 Posted January 8, 2013 For me it is a choice between playing with music and listening to it. I could not see any benefit in micromanaging music through a computer and having all those extra components to fiddle with to get things right. Then needing to run a computer as well. With a NAS and Squeezebox Touch and using a tablet to play/choose what albums to play I do not have a mess of computer gear in the room and can just concentrate on listening to music. I tried both approaches and never really was satisfied with the sound from a laptop but was happier with the sound from a powerful PC. Then the PC was inclined to run a fan that interfered with the sound. It seemed to me that I could spend about $4k to have a dedicated computer audio system, DAC etc and then be committed to maintaining it several times a month or I could have something that costs $1600 (with 6Tb storage on NAS plus backup) that requires almost no maintenance by comparison to the PC path. :thumb: 1
bebop Posted January 8, 2013 Posted January 8, 2013 I'm really happy to have now gone the digital player route and not worry about mucking around with a computer in the lounge room. Computer for the headphone setup in the study is no problem though, as I am working in the computer during those times.
A J Posted January 9, 2013 Posted January 9, 2013 MOG is a pain in the a....se to get to work on the SBT. You have to switch to the mysqueezebox.com server before it will work and it is clunky.I use the ipeng app and that makes it a bit easier but still drops out and my SBT is hardwired. Now for MOG I just use the ipad app and stream via airplay to apple tv. Never drops out or has any problems. Good enough to check out music and I go back to SBT for listening to my own library. Ahh Steve - the latest Logitech media server allows full mog integration - it's easy-as Still has the issue with dropping out the few last seconds of a song though !!
georgepapa Posted January 13, 2013 Posted January 13, 2013 I can't get MOG to play through my SBT, I can access it ok, it looks like it is playing but I get no sound at all, any ideas DB?? I have absolutely no trouble streaming MOG to my Airport Express via Airplay. I didn't actually know that the SBT was Airplay enabled. I'll check out the tech specs. To stream MOG via Airplay simply play a track and then press the hardware volume buttons on the IOs device. A volume bar will appear with an Airplay symbol next to it. Just to add to the thread, I'm currently using a WDTV which is perfect for playing video files and Video TS folders but not good for much else. It is however only about 90$ and far more flexible than an Apple TV. Spending more than 300$ on a media player as such is pointless. For the same price you could easily acquire a second hand MacMini or any desktop PC with DVI or HDMI out and run any variety of media players with far more power and flexibility. For 15$ you can download Airserver which turns any Mac into a Airplay client allowing you to stream from an iOS device. Furthermore the computer can load DVD's, CD,s and CD ROM's. Add a TV card or EYE TV and you've got the lot. I intend to redeploy my Airport Express and WDTV into another room and install a MacMini as my main media centre. Cheers
TP1 Posted May 13, 2013 Posted May 13, 2013 (edited) Can anyone please explain why you would purchase a digital media player over using a PC/Laptop. Apart from the Media player having a DAC, let's presume you have a DAC already. I am pondering purchasing a media player instead of using a computer but unsure of the advantages of one over the other. Martin I have just come across this thread and you pose an interesting question that will be facing more and more people in the future. Firstly, I think the answer comes down to what people prefer to use. If you love using your computer for everything, then computer would be an obvious choice. However, for me, the last thing I want in my listening room is a computer. So a dedicated music player starts to have some appeal. By this time you would have realised that the sound quality of computers is compromised due to the incredible amount of electronic noise tied up with the audio signal, so you need a decent USB to spidif converter clean things up. A good music server has high quality (non-switchmode) power supplies and is built as an audio product from the ground up so you can simply attach a hard drive and away you go. However, the cheapies like the Squeezebox Touch can sound great but alongside a decent music server or well set up computer with Spidif converter they can sound limited and "shut in" by comparison. Dedicated music servers usually have a user friendly interface with Iphone/Ipad/Android apps that are set up for you. But the issue is not really about what one or the other can do, but which path would enable you to enjoy your music more. The better music servers have had a lot of R&D performed to get all the synergies right between digital information handling and DACs so they come pretty well set up and sorted. As has been mentioned earlier in this thread, you can get more options and things to fiddle with with the computer programs, if that is important to you. But with a good music server, you and your family can simply play the music without the PIA aspects of having a computer encroach on your relaxation time - eg viruses, playback being hijacked by Windows update, crashes, defragmenting your hard drive etc etc. So its simply a matter of personal preference. Edited May 13, 2013 by Tasso
Satanica Posted May 14, 2013 Posted May 14, 2013 (edited) Dedicated music servers usually have a user friendly interface with Iphone/Ipad/Android apps that are set up for you. But the issue is not really about what one or the other can do, but which path would enable you to enjoy your music more. The better music servers have had a lot of R&D performed to get all the synergies right between digital information handling and DACs so they come pretty well set up and sorted. As has been mentioned earlier in this thread, you can get more options and things to fiddle with with the computer programs, if that is important to you. But with a good music server, you and your family can simply play the music without the PIA aspects of having a computer encroach on your relaxation time - eg viruses, playback being hijacked by Windows update, crashes, defragmenting your hard drive etc etc. So its simply a matter of personal preference. Hey not tryng to be a bad boy but I pretty much don't agree with anything you've said here. 1) There are awesome Iphone/Android apps to control PC media player software. 2) We are spoiled for choice when it comes to USB DAC's and USB to SPDIF devices these days. 3) My other half has no problem controlling my HTPC for music and movie playback, all with a IR remote control. You never even have to touch the keyboard. 4) If you know what you're doing and it ain't to hard when you know how, virus, windows and application updates can be switch off. Automatic maintenance including defragmenting can also be switched off. Granted a HTPC takes learning, time and frustration to get right. But I think the rewards at the end are worth it. Edited May 14, 2013 by Satanica
TP1 Posted May 14, 2013 Posted May 14, 2013 (edited) Hey not tryng to be a bad boy but I pretty much don't agree with anything you've said here. 1) There are awesome Iphone/Android apps to control PC media player software. 2) We are spoiled for choice when it comes to USB DAC's and USB to SPDIF devices these days. 3) My other half has no problem controlling my HTPC for music and movie playback, all with a IR remote control. You never even have to touch the keyboard. 4) If you know what you're doing and it ain't to hard when you know how, virus, windows and application updates can be switch off. Automatic maintenance including defragmenting can also be switched off. Granted a HTPC takes learning, time and frustration to get right. But I think the rewards at the end are worth it. I think you have illustrated my point in that it comes down to what your preferences are. Many, including me do not enjoy using the computer interface as much as others do. So while it may be easy enough to manage, it feels like a drag or otherwise a general PIA to do so. I repeat that this comes down to individual preferences and really determines whether or not the person will enjoy the experience. For the record I have tried both Jriver and Almarra (OSX) and while I can get into some of the cool features that they offer, using a computer in my listening room is simply not as a pleasant experience as using my Opera Consonance Reference 7 Now for movies, I have 2 movie servers in my theatre room- one a Mac Mini Server and the other Dune HD. The Mac Mini Server runs Plex and it automatically boots into the interface which is controlled by the remote. Easy for everyone to use including kids. For video the computer server is a dream come true for me. Not so very long ago "video Jukebox" devices were the domain of proprietary systems like Kaleidescape whose prices started at around $30k, now any computer and a freeware program will do virtuually the same thing. But i find all this different for audio, Possibly due to my long established habits but I can assure you that I am not alone in this. I do not use the Reference 7 as an all in one solution, rather as a "front end" to play downloaded music files ( usually 24/96 etc) through the DAC on an Accuphase SACD player. The Ref 7 Dac is superb IMO but the Accuphase is better so you can still mix and match DAC's. In retrospect, I would have been able to use the D-Linear 7 for the same purpose and saved some $. So the way I see it is that you can still mix and match DAC's without a computer by using something like this: http://www.osbornloudspeakers.com.au/opera/Linear7.html It is built as an audio product not a general purpose computer so no -spidif converter required. Simply attach a hard drive or connect to the network. Its price of $1290 is excellent IMO considering it will replace a computer and Spiif converter. Although it has a DAC, I think it is better suited to act as a digital source for your favourite DAC. So again the choice comes down to how you prefer to listen to music. Edited May 14, 2013 by Tasso
Satanica Posted May 14, 2013 Posted May 14, 2013 For the record I have tried both Jriver and Almarra (OSX) and while I can get into some of the cool features that they offer, using a computer in my listening room is simply not as a pleasant experience as using my Opera Consonance Reference 7. Have you tried using Jriver under windows 7/8, in Theatre View, using an IR Remote and with a superior third party skin of some sort?
TP1 Posted May 14, 2013 Posted May 14, 2013 (edited) Have you tried using Jriver under windows 7/8, in Theatre View, using an IR Remote and with a superior third party skin of some sort? I haven't and I'm sure it would work fine. But that still means setting up and using a computer in my listening room which for me detracts from the experience. I would be tempted if their was an improvement in SQ, but that would be very unlikely with a decent music interface going into the same DAC. I also prefer the routine of putting on an SACD or CD ( or a vinyl record) so the digital audio thing for me is not really for the convenience of selection and having everything at your fingertips. I only use if for downloaded files ( mainly hi-rez) that I don't have a disc for. Edited May 14, 2013 by Tasso
Satanica Posted May 14, 2013 Posted May 14, 2013 I haven't and I'm sure it would work fine. Good, I'm glad we cleared that up. Because when someone says they've tried using JRiver, well there's trying it and trying it (using it with all that it has to offer). The routine of putting on\in discs other than for ripping is long behind me, good riddance!
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