I wonder whether anyone has experience with these things (looks promising, but how's the quality...). Also, I wonder what the best solution would be to build something like this yourself?!
I don't want to have my PC sitting where I am listening to my music (which I have right now, using jinzora).
Is there any project without an expensive LCD, just a network interface (okok, mabye another interface?), and a good analog output to catch streamed mp3?
I don't know whether I want to spend $300 for something that looks good and works, but only sounds intermediate...
Thanks for any suggestions,
Chris
I don't want to have my PC sitting where I am listening to my music (which I have right now, using jinzora).
Is there any project without an expensive LCD, just a network interface (okok, mabye another interface?), and a good analog output to catch streamed mp3?
I don't know whether I want to spend $300 for something that looks good and works, but only sounds intermediate...
Thanks for any suggestions,
Chris
Above post is right, DIY isn't about saving money...
You could try using this dev board which Atmel just released : super powerful, runs Linux, Ethernet, I2S output...
http://www.atmel.com/dyn/products/tools_card.asp?tool_id=4102
You could try using this dev board which Atmel just released : super powerful, runs Linux, Ethernet, I2S output...
http://www.atmel.com/dyn/products/tools_card.asp?tool_id=4102
Omnifi DMS1 Those are available on eBay for reasonable prices. They've got Linux inside, and a user community has developed alternative software for them.
I've got the car version; it looks like all I'd need would be a DIT4096 to add S/PDIF out. The home version (DMS1) should be similar, if it doesn't already have S/PDIF out.
I've got the car version; it looks like all I'd need would be a DIT4096 to add S/PDIF out. The home version (DMS1) should be similar, if it doesn't already have S/PDIF out.
Thanks for these interesting links...
I don't need a user interface, volume control or similar- as I said, I'm using jinzora, and stream my mp3's over the net (shoutcast right now). I control the music over an older wlan enabled pda. So almost all in all, I'm quite happy with my setup
But for the receiving device, I want to have something that is silent, and has a good quality. Regarding to price- I could probably use my old PC and spend another 150 bucks to get it really silent... but I dont see the sense in 100watts standing there doing nothing, and I'm not sure about the soundcard either...
I thought about something like this:
http://www.digi.com/products/embeddedsolutions/digiconnectwiemspecs.jsp
http://www.digi.com/products/embeddedsolutions/digiconnectwimespecs.jsp
130bucks sound more like it- but: how the heck do I get sound out of that
is there a spi->s/pdif idea or similar floating around?
I guess (guess, didn't look further), that a shoutcast client shouldn't be hard to migrate to that os... what do you think?
I don't need a user interface, volume control or similar- as I said, I'm using jinzora, and stream my mp3's over the net (shoutcast right now). I control the music over an older wlan enabled pda. So almost all in all, I'm quite happy with my setup
But for the receiving device, I want to have something that is silent, and has a good quality. Regarding to price- I could probably use my old PC and spend another 150 bucks to get it really silent... but I dont see the sense in 100watts standing there doing nothing, and I'm not sure about the soundcard either...
I thought about something like this:
http://www.digi.com/products/embeddedsolutions/digiconnectwiemspecs.jsp
http://www.digi.com/products/embeddedsolutions/digiconnectwimespecs.jsp
130bucks sound more like it- but: how the heck do I get sound out of that
is there a spi->s/pdif idea or similar floating around? I guess (guess, didn't look further), that a shoutcast client shouldn't be hard to migrate to that os... what do you think?
kaspro said:I wonder whether anyone has experience with these things (looks promising, but how's the quality...). Also, I wonder what the best solution would be to build something like this yourself?!
I don't want to have my PC sitting where I am listening to my music (which I have right now, using jinzora).
Is there any project without an expensive LCD, just a network interface (okok, mabye another interface?), and a good analog output to catch streamed mp3?
I don't know whether I want to spend $300 for something that looks good and works, but only sounds intermediate...
Thanks for any suggestions,
Chris
I am working on this as well. I run my music stuff on my main pc which is always on anyway (using iTunes with lossless compression) streaming to a wireless music bridge from Linksys (WMG54G). The bridge has analog, toslink and s/pdif outputs, going into my music system.
I want to control the system from my listening position; my preference would be to use a wireless pda running Remote Desktop to control the main computer.
But I'm still researching how that main pc remote desktop will look on the pda. If I have a full VGA pda, do I see the whole desktop or do I have to scroll?
Jan Didden
An interesting link for the subject of this thread:
http://wiki.openwrt.org/UsbAudioHowto
ciao
andrea
http://wiki.openwrt.org/UsbAudioHowto
ciao
andrea
Slimserver has several web interfaces available including a couple for touch screen PDAs/PCs such as the Nokia N700/800. I use a Fujitsu ST3500 tablet PC (8" touch screen) as the remote control for my server with the touchscreen interface. It controls slimserver via the wireless network from anywhere in my house and even outside it. The screen displays cover art as well as the usual titles, artists, etc.
I looked at using a PC for a player and ultimately decided that the whole slimserver thing was so complete and well though-out that the few pennies I would have saved would not have been worth the lack of functionality and smoothness of the user inteface I would have had to deal with.
There is a complete description of my system including photos of the touchscreen interface here:
http://mark.rehorst.com/Audio_System/index.htm
I_F
I looked at using a PC for a player and ultimately decided that the whole slimserver thing was so complete and well though-out that the few pennies I would have saved would not have been worth the lack of functionality and smoothness of the user inteface I would have had to deal with.
There is a complete description of my system including photos of the touchscreen interface here:
http://mark.rehorst.com/Audio_System/index.htm
I_F
Silentpcreview
Try this link for advice on silencing a pc.
Lots things you can do that are cheap and effective. I built a passive machine for very little money that is near 0db
My HTPC
Try this link for advice on silencing a pc.
Lots things you can do that are cheap and effective. I built a passive machine for very little money that is near 0db
My HTPC
The power supply is not that hard a thing to do.
Firstly, I doubt you will need much power available for what you want to do. There are various ways of doing it.
Using a passive power supply is an obvious one if you wish to go totally passive, but most folks dont go to that extreme. Even if you do and dont want to shell out lots of money, Power supplies can be modded to run passive (though its a bit of work)
Alteratively take one cheap reasonable powered power supply. Add a very slow moving big fan and you should have a good enough supply.
There are lots of options open to you though, SPCR is a good place to start.
Firstly, I doubt you will need much power available for what you want to do. There are various ways of doing it.
Using a passive power supply is an obvious one if you wish to go totally passive, but most folks dont go to that extreme. Even if you do and dont want to shell out lots of money, Power supplies can be modded to run passive (though its a bit of work)
Alteratively take one cheap reasonable powered power supply. Add a very slow moving big fan and you should have a good enough supply.
There are lots of options open to you though, SPCR is a good place to start.
WOW!!! Just buy a Slimdevices SB3 in white directly from Slimdevices website.
I just bought one for new from them for $229!!! Shipping included.
Order an SB3 in white for $249 dollars and use "LIVE365" as a promo code for an extra $20 off.
Even if you are looking to DIY one for fun, it's worth just buying one as a reference fot your design. The SB3 sells used for around $200. Pretty tough to pass by.
-David
I just bought one for new from them for $229!!! Shipping included.
Order an SB3 in white for $249 dollars and use "LIVE365" as a promo code for an extra $20 off.
Even if you are looking to DIY one for fun, it's worth just buying one as a reference fot your design. The SB3 sells used for around $200. Pretty tough to pass by.
-David
kaspro said:Whats spcr?
THe Power supply I got doesn't have a big outlet- meaning I have to rip it apart and glue it together differently... but that's probably the cheapest way...
Sorry Kaspro Silent PC Review is shortened to SPCR by its inhabitants.
You certainly can rip apart the power supply to make a bigger outlet. Just be carefull, there will be some big voltages in there. Some of the supplies have big caps that should be treated with respect even after the power has been cut.
Saying that I am a clumsy idiot sometimes and I have yet to kill either a supply or myself. I opened up the vents in a supply in my Desk PC to improve airflow. I did scar myself for life when the dremmel slipped. But the supply was a lot quieter after.
One solution is to seperate the airflow between your power supply and the rest of the case components. Antec P180 cases allow this, though any case can be adapted to do so with a little imagination. That way you have two very slow fans working, one on the case another on the componenets.
I have not tried this, but a look in the pictures section of SPCR should find you many that have.
If you are doing the audio and video thing with the PC can I suggest using Vista media Center. The sound and picture quality is better than XP Media Center, though it requires more power and I am finding it a little buggy on the Passive PC I built.
Just to update this a little... supposedly quite a lot of home router/firewalls can have their firmware modified to do other things. Some models have USB ports or PCMCIA sockets, so potentially you could add a USB or PCMCIA audio device, LCD display, keyboard or mouse (use a USB mechanical mouse and replace the encoders with appropriate shaft encoders, so your basic 3 button wheel mouse gives you three input knobs and 3 buttons.). I'm pretty sure you can drive a typical parallel input LCD display from a USB to parallel printer adapter, or you can use something like the IO Warrior chip.
The Linksys WRT54g seems to be the most popular, probably since it's common and cheap and Linksys released the firmware source under GPL. Here's some info on modifying OpenWRT Linux to make it into a standalone player by adding keyboard, sound and an LCD display.
http://www.neophob.com/serendipity/...WRT-MP3-player-with-keyboard-and-display.html
And for the Netgear WGT634U, which already has a USB port for using it as a networked storage device:
http://devices.natetrue.com/musicap/
On the other hand, there are fanless industrial "biscuit" computer motherboards available; Advantech is one of the most common brands. New prices for these are generally way too high since they're geared to industrial users or OEM quantities, but there's plenty of older boards on eBay. A Pentium 1 class CPU should be enough for audio playback, and will easily run off a fanless power supply (like off an external hard drive case). Some models have PCI slots, almost all have the PC/104 which is ISA with a different connector style. PC/104 sound cards exist but aren't common, but a careful person might make up a harness to attach an ISA bus sound card, maybe an AWE32 which I think has S/PDIF out. Most of these boards have at least USB 1, and usually have several serial ports and a parallel port. The parallel port can easily run an alphanumeric LCD module. The stock PS/2 keyboard and mouse ports could be used for key and rotary inputs using a hacked numeric pad and mechanical mouse. Get a CF to IDE adapter (very cheap on eBay from Hong Kong) and there's no need for a hard drive.
See litepc.com for ideas on how to fit Windoze onto a flash drive...
The Linksys WRT54g seems to be the most popular, probably since it's common and cheap and Linksys released the firmware source under GPL. Here's some info on modifying OpenWRT Linux to make it into a standalone player by adding keyboard, sound and an LCD display.
http://www.neophob.com/serendipity/...WRT-MP3-player-with-keyboard-and-display.html
And for the Netgear WGT634U, which already has a USB port for using it as a networked storage device:
http://devices.natetrue.com/musicap/
On the other hand, there are fanless industrial "biscuit" computer motherboards available; Advantech is one of the most common brands. New prices for these are generally way too high since they're geared to industrial users or OEM quantities, but there's plenty of older boards on eBay. A Pentium 1 class CPU should be enough for audio playback, and will easily run off a fanless power supply (like off an external hard drive case). Some models have PCI slots, almost all have the PC/104 which is ISA with a different connector style. PC/104 sound cards exist but aren't common, but a careful person might make up a harness to attach an ISA bus sound card, maybe an AWE32 which I think has S/PDIF out. Most of these boards have at least USB 1, and usually have several serial ports and a parallel port. The parallel port can easily run an alphanumeric LCD module. The stock PS/2 keyboard and mouse ports could be used for key and rotary inputs using a hacked numeric pad and mechanical mouse. Get a CF to IDE adapter (very cheap on eBay from Hong Kong) and there's no need for a hard drive.
See litepc.com for ideas on how to fit Windoze onto a flash drive...
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