Music streamer: options.

[voxxonline]

Guys

Pardon if this question is in wrong thread.

I have been looking for something similar to SB Touch to stream music, as I am an Orange customer, and have access to Deezer, and for only £5 a month extra I can have multidevice access and really good app.

Is there any different products to SBT and Sonos to consider ?

My requirements:
Spdif
If possible 24/192
Support 3rd party apps (Deezer etc)
Video is not a must, but nice feature (HDMI)
TV screen or smartphone controlled

Been looking for some time for an options.
It could be:
Dream Plug and D2plug
Trim Slice
Cubox
These do support spdif

Dont know much yet about Raspberry Pi, but could be an option.

And, apparently inexpensive chinese *generic* Android Tv boxes provide spdif out as well.

Could you please share your thoughts and experience ?

Thx

[stephensank]

Regarding Squeezeboxes, I have to agree with the Lampizator guy that the SB Duet is a better unit for audio than the SB Touch. I've upgraded a number of Duets now, taking cues from Lukasz and expanding upon them, with really excellent results. However, I've since discovered that I get much better spdif-output sound performance by doing much easier mods to the now "ancient" D-Link DSM-520, simply replacing the horrid little switchmode ps board inside the unit with a well-filtered/regulated linear power supply & doing a bit of upgrading to the final spdif output hardware. The DSM has the advantage of doing hdmi video, and is controlled by onscreen video menu system. I have found that running "PlayonTV" as the server software, using it's "my media" function to allow the DSM to pull files via VLC gives the best results under windows7, and probably also MacOS, rather than the very limited included D-Link server software. Only hitch is that I have not yet found a "hack" to "unlock" the DSM's media processor chip's full 24/192 capability, or even 24/96, which will likely require figuring out how to custom-write new firmware for the unit, but it better enough versus the Duet at doing 16/44, and so much easier to setup & use, that I don't care if I never figure out how to get higher res out of it. It's also a heck of a lot cheaper on the used market than the Duet, at an average of about $50 for a nice, complete DSM520 on ebay. The current DSM-380 "Boxee" has higher res capabilities & more video abilities, but it is essentially an entire computer, using a 2.1gHz Intel Atom uproc, so I very much doubt the supply, ground & other noise pollution avenues could be adequately dealt with to match the 520's sonic performance.

[voxxonline]

Hi Stephen

So the upgrade-ability is a thing to look for.
And to be cautious about all in one computer alike devices because of the mentioned issues.

Will look into everything and visit Lampizator website again.

Thank you

[voxxonline]

What is a situation with support of touch and duet devices ?

[stephensank]

I have not heard of any support shortage on Duet & Touch, but I don't use one. I use the DSM520, which is no longer supported by D-Link, but that doesn't cause me any concern. The most important thing in a music interface, IMO, is to have the file-->spdif conversion process done in a device that has no direct hardwire connection to the computer, as the spdif datastream is where all of the potential for jitter, etc. happens. So, either a wifi or ethernet(which is fully transformer isolated by format design) connected final conversion device, e.g., Duet, DSM520, of high quality is what is required, and that device should have as little of it's own processor circuitry possible, at the lowest clock speed needed, for minimum signal pollution. The latter part of that is, of course, affected by board/supply reg & isolation/layout/etc. parameters, as proven by the DSM520's better sound quality, despite having considerably more processing power than the Duet, which has quite minimal processing. The DSM380, with it's Atom uproc, just has way too much going on in way too small board area to have a chance of competing, as I see it, but I will be testing that theory in the next month or two.

[voxxonline]

I love how duet is made.
I find it really good product.

D link has (not sure believe it or not) On amazon bad commentary about crappy interface.
Still, usability is important, but sound quality must have upper hand even in this case...

[stephensank]

I find the D-Link much easier to use than the SB, but the playontv server software is a big improvement over the included software. Have seen mention that "Tversity" is the best software to use with it, but I have not yet tried that one. On ebay, the DSM520 has very good reviews, for the most part, especially from those who have figured out to use alternate software. One other thing I particularly like about the DSM is that it has a USB device input, so you can play media from a flash drive or harddrive(low powered or self powered, since only one usb jack for device power) without even the unit being connected to a network/computer. In that mode, though, you are limited by what file types the firmware of the unit allows it to play, e.g., wav, avi, mp3 and some few other types. It is strange how much they limit the extremely capable media chip by the controller firmware.

[voxxonline]

The only thing is not that good about it- Dlink cannot run spotify/deezer independently , not via laptop ?

[voxxonline]

I have found philips fidelio a1 streamer , rrp is 150 ...
what do you think about that one ? Philips - A1 wireless Hi-Fi link Digital Connectivity - AW1000/10 - Wireless Hi-Fi - Home audio - Sound and vision

[Loren42]

Originally Posted by stephensank

I have not heard of any support shortage on Duet & Touch, but I don't use one.

My Squeezebox Touch just died this week and is still under warranty. Logitech advised me yesterday that they are out of stock (permanently) of replacement stock and they can not repair mine. They offered a downgrade to the radio, which I passed on.

While I can not speak about the Duet (which is an even older product), it appears that Logitech is out of the music streaming business altogether, so these are now all dead end products.