bit-exact playing HDtracks and 2496 vinyles rips

steph_tsf · 09:26 AM

Hello, having one harddisk containing HDtracks and 2496 vinyles rips, how can you play them bit-exact untill the DACs ?

The audio formats are : ms wave, flac, ape.
I am considering different approaches.

#0 approach : run Winamp on a Windows PC. How to configure everything for remaining bit-exact until the DACs ?

#1 approach : exploit the PC platform, connect the harddisk using SATA, process the 24bit audio using the x86 CPU in double float arithmetic, output the two audio channels with the 24bit resolution over USB (which operating system and which application software ?), and connect a 24bit USB soundcard able to run at 44.1kHz 48kHz 88.2kHz 96kHz 192kHz (which USB soundcard ?).

#2 approach : exploit some other standard platform like BeagleBoard xM, BeagleBoard, PandaBoard, HawkBoard, IGEPv2 Board, Chumby Hacker Board, knowing they may need custom hardware interfaces, custom drivers and custom application software.

#3 approach : go barebones using a dedicated PCB providing the SATA interface for the harddisk, embedding a decent processor (say more than 100MHz) able to process the audio using 32bit and possibly 64bit arithmetics, a digital audio clock at 44.1kHz 48kHz 88.2kHz 96kHz 192kHz, delivering one I2S lane for one stereo DAC (or possibly two for embedding a digital crossover), and delivering one SPI for the stereo DAC control data. Is there something available or do I need to design it from scratch ?

#4 approach : basing on the XBMC media player, any kind of XBMC (XBMC for Linux, XBMC for Mac, and XBMC for Windows), provided it can play bit-exact all my HDaudio files untill the physical DACs. Perhaps I can use a low cost Atom NetBook running Linux ? Perhaps I can tell XBMC and FFdshow how to deal with my HDtracks ?

A display and a remote control are actually needed.

What approach would you advise ?

RETFYL · 14th October 2011, 04:46 PM

Try Foobar1.8 +Resampler mod Dsp

SoNic_real_one · 14th October 2011, 06:58 PM

Foobar will play all above formats bitperfect. It has many other modules that you can add - personally I am using the HDCD decoder.
Soundcard - any that can output digital SPDIF. I have a Creative X-Fi Music - set to output bitperfect SPDIF.

dangus · 15th October 2011, 10:07 PM

The PC with Foobar or other capable player is the sensible way to go.

On the other hand, there's a need for a high-fidelity embedded player that is flexible and customizable. (Just try and find an in-dash car player that handles FLAC). "Media players" (like the WDTV) have all the essential features. The trick would be a user interface based on a small alphanumeric display (like Matrix Orbital) connected via USB, and a few hard-wired buttons and a scroll knob or two. See the bit-tech.net DIY USB LCD display. The WDTV Live is too power-hungry to be battery-operated, but some newer chipsets are very efficient. Just not always well-documentted (see the Boxchip F10).

5th October 2011, 09:17 AM	#1
steph_tsf diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2008	bit-exact playing HDtracks and 2496 vinyles rips Hello, having one harddisk containing HDtracks and 2496 vinyles rips, how can you play them bit-exact untill the DACs ? The audio formats are : ms wave, flac, ape. I am considering different approaches. #0 approach : run Winamp on a Windows PC. How to configure everything for remaining bit-exact until the DACs ? #1 approach : exploit the PC platform, connect the harddisk using SATA, process the 24bit audio using the x86 CPU in double float arithmetic, output the two audio channels with the 24bit resolution over USB (which operating system and which application software ?), and connect a 24bit USB soundcard able to run at 44.1kHz 48kHz 88.2kHz 96kHz 192kHz (which USB soundcard ?). #2 approach : exploit some other standard platform like BeagleBoard xM, BeagleBoard, PandaBoard, HawkBoard, IGEPv2 Board, Chumby Hacker Board, knowing they may need custom hardware interfaces, custom drivers and custom application software. #3 approach : go barebones using a dedicated PCB providing the SATA interface for the harddisk, embedding a decent processor (say more than 100MHz) able to process the audio using 32bit and possibly 64bit arithmetics, a digital audio clock at 44.1kHz 48kHz 88.2kHz 96kHz 192kHz, delivering one I2S lane for one stereo DAC (or possibly two for embedding a digital crossover), and delivering one SPI for the stereo DAC control data. Is there something available or do I need to design it from scratch ? #4 approach : basing on the XBMC media player, any kind of XBMC (XBMC for Linux, XBMC for Mac, and XBMC for Windows), provided it can play bit-exact all my HDaudio files untill the physical DACs. Perhaps I can use a low cost Atom NetBook running Linux ? Perhaps I can tell XBMC and FFdshow how to deal with my HDtracks ? A display and a remote control are actually needed. What approach would you advise ? Last edited by steph_tsf; 5th October 2011 at 09:26 AM.

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14th October 2011, 04:46 PM	#2
RETFYL diyAudio Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Athens	Try Foobar1.8 +Resampler mod Dsp

14th October 2011, 06:58 PM	#3
SoNic_real_one diyAudio Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Virginia	Foobar will play all above formats bitperfect. It has many other modules that you can add - personally I am using the HDCD decoder. Soundcard - any that can output digital SPDIF. I have a Creative X-Fi Music - set to output bitperfect SPDIF.

15th October 2011, 10:07 PM	#4
dangus diyAudio Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Vancouver Island	The PC with Foobar or other capable player is the sensible way to go. On the other hand, there's a need for a high-fidelity embedded player that is flexible and customizable. (Just try and find an in-dash car player that handles FLAC). "Media players" (like the WDTV) have all the essential features. The trick would be a user interface based on a small alphanumeric display (like Matrix Orbital) connected via USB, and a few hard-wired buttons and a scroll knob or two. See the bit-tech.net DIY USB LCD display. The WDTV Live is too power-hungry to be battery-operated, but some newer chipsets are very efficient. Just not always well-documentted (see the Boxchip F10).