acko: just to add additional info not necessarily related only to audio but in case of NAS you can get full media server/player including video and photo, current limitation in terms of USB audio is 24/192 or DSD64, there might be specialized NAS systems capable of higher rates I'm not aware of, I believe sooner or later we will get full bandwidth including 32/384 or DSD256 as this is limited only by internal power of NAS and OS.
Is this confusing things as I don't think the intention is to use the NAS as a renderer, which is essentially what you would be doing if you use the NAS's USB port for a DAC? The question of whether any particular renderer can 'play' the files sent to it is not NAS specific.
With a NAS used just for storage and media server functions there is no issue with bit depth or sample rate as the devices function is simply to locate and forward the correct file onto the network. I don't think any modern NAS will have a performance issue carrying out these functions.
Last time I looked, the Slice had different audio hardware to the stock R-Pi or any other R-Pi audio accessory out there. It has a SPDIF output, and the developers told me they were using some Cirrus Logic sound chip. The Slice ships with a custom version of XBMC presumably modified to support it.
If you want to run Volumio, Runeaudio etc. and take advantage of the onboard audio, you should probably check with both Slice and the distro developers. I expect the answer from Slice will be "WTF is Volumio" and the answer from Volumio will be "WTF is a Slice"
If you want to run Volumio, Runeaudio etc. and take advantage of the onboard audio, you should probably check with both Slice and the distro developers. I expect the answer from Slice will be "WTF is Volumio" and the answer from Volumio will be "WTF is a Slice"
Last time I looked, the Slice had different audio hardware to the stock R-Pi or any other R-Pi audio accessory out there. It has a SPDIF output, and the developers told me they were using some Cirrus Logic sound chip. The Slice ships with a custom version of XBMC presumably modified to support it.
If you want to run Volumio, Runeaudio etc. and take advantage of the onboard audio, you should probably check with both Slice and the distro developers. I expect the answer from Slice will be "WTF is Volumio" and the answer from Volumio will be "WTF is a Slice"
The slice website says that it sticks with the RPi architecture and can run any software that a standard RPi can. Of course, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.
Ray
my latest experience with streamers/renderers/network audio connected to external DAC...
RPi ver. B+ with hifiberry SPDIF card - slow, noisy, average sound quality equal to price paid, 3th party app necessary, no audio server built in, limited file format support, phone/tablet remote control, open for tweaks, connections limited to HW used
Raumfeld streamer - fast, good sound quality (similar to SB touch), fantastic interface (similar to Auralic app etc.) , built in audio server, spotify etc. services, phone/tablet remote control, limited file format support due to toslink output, not so much tweaks friendly, limited connections, latest firmware update screwed up sound quality (waiting for technician feedback)
NAS DS212J (renderer mode) - average speed, sound quality depended on USB DAC, good app/interface, phone/tablet remote control, built in media server, good file format support (open for future), limited tweaks possible (maybe PSU???) , connections limited to USB, missing music services (so far)
RPi ver. B+ with hifiberry SPDIF card - slow, noisy, average sound quality equal to price paid, 3th party app necessary, no audio server built in, limited file format support, phone/tablet remote control, open for tweaks, connections limited to HW used
Raumfeld streamer - fast, good sound quality (similar to SB touch), fantastic interface (similar to Auralic app etc.) , built in audio server, spotify etc. services, phone/tablet remote control, limited file format support due to toslink output, not so much tweaks friendly, limited connections, latest firmware update screwed up sound quality (waiting for technician feedback)
NAS DS212J (renderer mode) - average speed, sound quality depended on USB DAC, good app/interface, phone/tablet remote control, built in media server, good file format support (open for future), limited tweaks possible (maybe PSU???) , connections limited to USB, missing music services (so far)
Yes.
Yes. This is the quintessential MPD setup.
Yes. The media server (+ storage) will stream to the renderer.
I like nautibuoy's assessment in post 20.
The Slice seems to me a direct competitor to a Netgear ReadyNAS with LMS (SqueezeBox server) installed. But the average Joe might be somewhat daunted by the ReadyNAS option, and more comfortable with the Slice option.
But we already know that RPi will support third party audio devices with minimal config and it's not a huge leap from a daughter board like a HiFi Berry to an onboard audio device.
That said, we don't actually know and, like I said, the proof of the pudding....
Ray
If the Slice is using, as reported above, Cirrus Logic audio chips, it may be the same/similar as the Wolfson (RPi B) and Cirrus Logic (RPi B+) audio boards. Note these are the same company - CL bought Wolfosn.
I'm running Volumio on a model B with the Wolfson board. There are several threads on the Volumio forum (and other RPi audio projects) discussing how to get the Wolfson & CL boards working - requires adding CL's drivers to the kernel, and building a new kernel. As best I can determine, the drivers have not yet been added to the main RPi kernels, and there are compatibility issues with newer RPi kernels. The solution documented in the forums has been to add the drivers to an older kernel source tree , build from that, and hope you don't need any features in the newer kernels. I took a lazy way out and instead of rolling my own, am using a Volumio image one of their forum members customized with Wolfson support.
Audio quality seems to be decent, although neither my setup or my ears are audiophile quality. The Wolfson & CL boards have a nice set of inputs and outputs at a good prices point and are readily available (a local computer big box store had the Wolfson board, haven't seen the CL board there yet). If the drivers were added to the mainstream kernels, I think they'd make a great general purpose solution. Until then, too much kernel hacking is needed to get them working, IMO. The Slice folks won't have that problem, and it looks like a nice packaged solution as long as you treat it like an appliance; I'm sure it will be hackable but they're probably not building for that market.
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Yes, this came with the Internet Bundle from the service provider. Been sitting around for months for PC web browsing only. Did not really bother to check carefully but seemed to be packed with features - so been like the elephant in the room!
Except the TV the rest are new additions that I am trying to interconnect. Internet streaming works of course
Still excited but I will see if I can now connect a USB drive to the Netgear device and see if the rest can pick up. Shall we say then NAS sorted?
There seems to be also Media Sever built-in. So this means I can start testing the EDEL-NMR soon, since all DLNA/UPnP compliant, but how?
Any further guidance appreciated.
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OK, not sure about the Netgear router acting as the network storage device and media server in the longer term, personally I would go with a NAS/media server, but for now if it has a UPnP server built in and can support a USB drive then you should be able to get started.
I had a very quick look for some info on the router but the website where I found a manual misbehaved and I did see some references to people having problems connecting USB drives so it's all on your plate for now!
Is the router actually in use already? Assuming it is, refer to your manual and turn on the media server function and connect your USB drive as it describes - you're aiming for a UPnP set up. If that is successful I'm guessing that if you look at the network map on your Windows PC you will see additional media devices have appeared - not sure what Foobar will see?
When/if you get to a point where the media server is running and you've mapped the new drive to your PC, copy a few music files onto the USB drive.
In parallel, can I suggest that you get a copy of PlugPlayer on one of your Apple devices;
PlugPlayer - A UPnP application for your iPhone
I've used PlugPlayer before and it works well and was well regarded. If you have been successful in setting up the router as a UPnP server it should be visible in PlugPlayer and the music files should appear in the PlugPlayer library.
As PlugPlayer has (should have) turned your Apple device into a UPnP renderer you should be able to select some music from the library and play it on the device? Remember Apple devices don't like thinks like FLAC but if all is well the media server should be able to transcode.
If you turn on the Samsung BluRay it should also appear as a Renderer on PlugPlayer and you should be able to send music to it?
And if you power up the Edel and plug it into the network the same should apply.
That's something to be going on with. Sorry it's a bit superficial/vague in places but let's see how things go and we can take it on from there.
Ray
I had a very quick look for some info on the router but the website where I found a manual misbehaved and I did see some references to people having problems connecting USB drives so it's all on your plate for now!
Is the router actually in use already? Assuming it is, refer to your manual and turn on the media server function and connect your USB drive as it describes - you're aiming for a UPnP set up. If that is successful I'm guessing that if you look at the network map on your Windows PC you will see additional media devices have appeared - not sure what Foobar will see?
When/if you get to a point where the media server is running and you've mapped the new drive to your PC, copy a few music files onto the USB drive.
In parallel, can I suggest that you get a copy of PlugPlayer on one of your Apple devices;
PlugPlayer - A UPnP application for your iPhone
I've used PlugPlayer before and it works well and was well regarded. If you have been successful in setting up the router as a UPnP server it should be visible in PlugPlayer and the music files should appear in the PlugPlayer library.
As PlugPlayer has (should have) turned your Apple device into a UPnP renderer you should be able to select some music from the library and play it on the device? Remember Apple devices don't like thinks like FLAC but if all is well the media server should be able to transcode.
If you turn on the Samsung BluRay it should also appear as a Renderer on PlugPlayer and you should be able to send music to it?
And if you power up the Edel and plug it into the network the same should apply.
That's something to be going on with. Sorry it's a bit superficial/vague in places but let's see how things go and we can take it on from there.
Ray
The Netgear CG3100D-2 has a very basic media server in the form of "MiniDLNA", which is the older version of "ReadyMedia".
The Samsung blu-ray player, being DLNA/uPnP-compliant, should be able to interface with this directly.
Regarding the Edel renderer, there are any number of iPhone DLNA streaming apps which you could use to act as controller. As nautibuoy mentioned, PlugPlayer is one of them.
But I see 2 problems:
- I've been told that DLNA streaming apps are somewhat basic in comparison with dedicated music server applications such as MPD and SqueezeBox. Eventually you will want to move up.
- on the Aussie Cable Forum they make some pessimistic comments about the CG3100D-2's strength as a media server
CG3100-D2 MiniDLNA Issue's - Cable Zone - Aussie Cable Forums
I think you should consider a well regarded, hackable NAS such as the Synology DS115j.
The Samsung blu-ray player, being DLNA/uPnP-compliant, should be able to interface with this directly.
Regarding the Edel renderer, there are any number of iPhone DLNA streaming apps which you could use to act as controller. As nautibuoy mentioned, PlugPlayer is one of them.
But I see 2 problems:
- I've been told that DLNA streaming apps are somewhat basic in comparison with dedicated music server applications such as MPD and SqueezeBox. Eventually you will want to move up.
- on the Aussie Cable Forum they make some pessimistic comments about the CG3100D-2's strength as a media server
CG3100-D2 MiniDLNA Issue's - Cable Zone - Aussie Cable Forums
I think you should consider a well regarded, hackable NAS such as the Synology DS115j.
My experience of DLNA/UPnP controllers is different, I've used Plug Player on Apple and currently use BubbleUPnP on Android and both compare very favourably with my former squeezebox controllers; I'll be surprised if they can't do what is needed.
Agree about using the Netgear router as a media server but, as I suggested earleir, it should be adequate to make a start. There is a good selection of NAS devices available and I would go for one of them before getting too far into this.
Ray
Yes.
For advice installing third party software, there's a QNAP Community Forum -
QNAP NAS Community Forum • Board
If SqueezeBox is your preferred media server, there are plenty of posts regarding QNAP on the SqueezeBox forum -
Squeezebox : Community : Forums
For advice installing third party software, there's a QNAP Community Forum -
QNAP NAS Community Forum • Board
If SqueezeBox is your preferred media server, there are plenty of posts regarding QNAP on the SqueezeBox forum -
Squeezebox : Community : Forums
Yes, QNAP are good, and if you're after a music only UPnP media server add-on there's a specific release of AssetUPnP available.
Ray
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