The usual suspects: Logitech Squeezebox. Sonos. Olive.
I think most of them require a server to run, but I know that the Squeezebox Touch can read the data from a USB stick, thus, does not require a stand-alone server.
~Tom
I think most of them require a server to run, but I know that the Squeezebox Touch can read the data from a USB stick, thus, does not require a stand-alone server.
~Tom
The Aune S1 seems a good candidate. I still use Hifidelio/Olive products as they are a challenge to mod (but they give good results when modded).
Too bad the S1 can not contain a harddisk internally. IMO a drawback otherwise I would already have one ! Diyaudio member Anadigit sells lossless players with touch screen. I wanted to order one but the Aune S1 recently came on the market.
Too bad the S1 can not contain a harddisk internally. IMO a drawback otherwise I would already have one ! Diyaudio member Anadigit sells lossless players with touch screen. I wanted to order one but the Aune S1 recently came on the market.
Take a look at the cheap media players, for example ACRyan. They can do this without breaking a sweat, do not require a PC to work and can have a large harddisk. And if you want you can hookup an external CD-ROM drive.
http://www.acryan.com/
And there are many more out there!
http://www.acryan.com/
And there are many more out there!
Cheap means lots of jitter + the need for a TV to play audio as they are meant for video. You will get a low quality DAC and output stage as a gift. For God's sake, needing a TV for playing audio ! It is like the need for having a train when you want to drive your car.
Again no competition for dedicated audioplayers with harddisks. That is if one wants no or little concessions in audioquality...
Many of the audio guys I know gave up hope and use noisy computers and PC screens for the same purpose: convenience ("we already have a pc") and low cost.
Too bad, quality and/or the taste for quality are both becoming extinct (while it does not need to be expensive at all).
Again no competition for dedicated audioplayers with harddisks. That is if one wants no or little concessions in audioquality...
Many of the audio guys I know gave up hope and use noisy computers and PC screens for the same purpose: convenience ("we already have a pc") and low cost.
Too bad, quality and/or the taste for quality are both becoming extinct (while it does not need to be expensive at all).
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Well I agree with you partially, you do need a TV to controll it but not for the audio, just use the SP/DIF or HDMI output for that.
I also agree that a dedicated audio player can and should be superior but then there is also the convinience of having a large database at your fingertips...
Jitter can be an issue but this also depends on how for exmple your DAC handles this, from personal experience I would be more concerned with the acoustics of the room than with jitter issues.
Just my 2C!
Just the thought of having to use a mediaplayer for playing audio over the TV speakers.... The horror ! That would be the end of the hobby for me.
Marc, you should experiment somewhat more with low jitter stuff. I have to admit that the motto "garbage in, garbage out" is less valid with the newer DAC chips with jitter reduction techniques but still...
A good source is the base for good audio. Room acoustics is an entirely different thing (but also important).
Marc, you should experiment somewhat more with low jitter stuff. I have to admit that the motto "garbage in, garbage out" is less valid with the newer DAC chips with jitter reduction techniques but still...
A good source is the base for good audio. Room acoustics is an entirely different thing (but also important).
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I agree, that's why you don't! Use a HiFi setup for audio reproduction and a TV to select the tracks not to make sound, use the TV as a monitor...
You use the TV just to navigate thru player menu. Output is/can be separated, via HDMI or SPDIF, straight to your high-quality DAC.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
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The Mini APE Series i sort of what I am looking for but it is too expensive. There isn't anything like the minty mp3 that plays FLAC? I don't need anything fancy or ultra high end. Just something I can use to send a spdif signal to my Audison bit one.
So that is 3 devices for one goal (or even 4 if a separate hard disk is used). IMO one box that has all and would have the sole purpose of playing various audio files the best way it can would :
- have less jitter
- sound better for various reasons
- have a smaller footprint
- have no interfacing/matching problems or challenges
- be less complex
- take less space in terms of height
- use less power
- have less wiring or no wiring at all except for outputs
- have a big chance of producing less noise i.e. non audio sound like hard disk/fan noise
It would probably be easier to operate as well (and don't underestimate the looks). Take it as a "kaizen" approach if you like. But that would probably a too simple device with not enough tweakability in the cabling area
I now see that DJNUBZ wishes a non fancy device so I better keep my mouth shut.
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I just checked my WDTV Live because of a rumour that it resamples from 44.1 to something else. Hooked up to an SRC2496, I got 44.1 from FLAC files (CD rips), and varying sample rates from streaming internet sources.
As for the need for a TV... watch out for broken portable DVD players, car video screens, and the add-on mini LCD screens made for game consoles. Very often those can be readily modified to be used with regular composite video. Also check out car audio dealers... you may find demo models or old stock headrest or overhead LCD displays going cheap. Old camcorders may also have usable displays.
The range of streaming radio stations available now is extraordinary. I was just listening to Japan and Israel, plus a college radio station I used to enjoy when I lived nearby. I couldn't tell the bitrate, but I'd say the quality was better than satellite radio.
Anyway, I think jitter rejection is the responsiblity of a competently designed DAC.
As for the need for a TV... watch out for broken portable DVD players, car video screens, and the add-on mini LCD screens made for game consoles. Very often those can be readily modified to be used with regular composite video. Also check out car audio dealers... you may find demo models or old stock headrest or overhead LCD displays going cheap. Old camcorders may also have usable displays.
The range of streaming radio stations available now is extraordinary. I was just listening to Japan and Israel, plus a college radio station I used to enjoy when I lived nearby. I couldn't tell the bitrate, but I'd say the quality was better than satellite radio.
Anyway, I think jitter rejection is the responsiblity of a competently designed DAC.
I said here that 44.1 and 48kHz are bit-perfect on WDTV Live with the latest firmware.
It does however resample the 96 and 192 to 48kHz. And, with the current firmware doesn't output the 88.2 or 176.4kHz. It used to work on previous firmwares, but then the 44.1 wasn't bitperfect, so they "fixed" one and broke two
It does however resample the 96 and 192 to 48kHz. And, with the current firmware doesn't output the 88.2 or 176.4kHz. It used to work on previous firmwares, but then the 44.1 wasn't bitperfect, so they "fixed" one and broke two
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