Hi
I wondered if anyone has comments about using HD Media players like this one (link below) as the source for a high end Hifi system? I would rather not use my computer.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Western-Digital-1080P-Media-Player/dp/B001ILFDCK/ref=tag_tdp_sv_edpp_i
I need it to be able to output USB (for my DAC) as well as accept optical in, and stream 24/96 native wav files.
Am I barking up the wrong tree or is this exactly the kind of thing to be looking at instead of a laptop or high end (high price) server?
Any other suggestions welcome
Thanks in advance
I wondered if anyone has comments about using HD Media players like this one (link below) as the source for a high end Hifi system? I would rather not use my computer.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Western-Digital-1080P-Media-Player/dp/B001ILFDCK/ref=tag_tdp_sv_edpp_i
I need it to be able to output USB (for my DAC) as well as accept optical in, and stream 24/96 native wav files.
Am I barking up the wrong tree or is this exactly the kind of thing to be looking at instead of a laptop or high end (high price) server?
Any other suggestions welcome
Thanks in advance
No one want to answer? Is it that obvious. I just wondered if they are good at streaming wavs or if they are really meant for movies?😕
OK, I'll bite.
I used this player a while back, since I had a whole bunch of FLAC files on the hard drive. I didn't like it:
- File navigation is pretty akward - no tagging capabilities whatsoever
- Sound quality is really bad - compared to external USB DAC.
For movies, I couldn't get it to play VOB contents. Tried to convert the files to
whatever format was supported. The software keeps crashing.
So I returned the item - Now I have PC running Windows 7 for both movies and music. More expensive, but also more flexible and better sound and ease of use.
Conclusion: poor execution of a sound concept.
Edit: it doesn't have USB Out or accept digital in. Don't know if it can play 24/96 wave files.
___
Duc
I used this player a while back, since I had a whole bunch of FLAC files on the hard drive. I didn't like it:
- File navigation is pretty akward - no tagging capabilities whatsoever
- Sound quality is really bad - compared to external USB DAC.
For movies, I couldn't get it to play VOB contents. Tried to convert the files to
whatever format was supported. The software keeps crashing.
So I returned the item - Now I have PC running Windows 7 for both movies and music. More expensive, but also more flexible and better sound and ease of use.
Conclusion: poor execution of a sound concept.
Edit: it doesn't have USB Out or accept digital in. Don't know if it can play 24/96 wave files.
___
Duc
Last edited:
If you are looking mainly for a music play, I really like the Squeezebox or Transporter. The sound is very good, and it does have digital outs. The downside is the you do need a computer up and runner somewhere in the house, but it doesn't need to be expensive. The server software does not take many computer resources, and I use a 4 year old computer as my server and just leave it on all the time, while sitting in the storage room.
Another nice things about the Squeezebox is you can get several of them and sync them when you are having a party to get whole house audio.
Another nice things about the Squeezebox is you can get several of them and sync them when you are having a party to get whole house audio.
I do this for a long time, but only with toshlink and digitalcoax.
It's ok for background music, nothing else, cause jitter is very high.
Then I connect per USB, the best connection for hifi, but it doesn't work.
The reason is simple, you need an operating system that load the right driver.
But a multimediaplayer has no operating system.
It's ok for background music, nothing else, cause jitter is very high.
Then I connect per USB, the best connection for hifi, but it doesn't work.
The reason is simple, you need an operating system that load the right driver.
But a multimediaplayer has no operating system.
hummm
Thanks for the pointers guys. I will avoid this then!
I am trying to simplify things and not use a computer if poss. I have a mac but that is for work (I work from home) and I want to switch it off sometimes and have some of my own time away from it!
I am going to make a USB NOS DAC (Peter Daniel audio-sector) and I wanted to see if there is a solution to enable me to store and stream wavs to the USB DAC.
Does this really need to be big bucks?
Thanks for the pointers guys. I will avoid this then!
I am trying to simplify things and not use a computer if poss. I have a mac but that is for work (I work from home) and I want to switch it off sometimes and have some of my own time away from it!
I am going to make a USB NOS DAC (Peter Daniel audio-sector) and I wanted to see if there is a solution to enable me to store and stream wavs to the USB DAC.
Does this really need to be big bucks?
The WD TV does have an OS... Linux. I expect most of the other players do as well. However, the audio/video code is specific to the chipset and not part of the GPL. Maybe it would be possible to ignore the regular AV stuff and use normal drivers to support a USB audio device, and an alphanumeric LCD display instead of a TV or monitor. On the other hand, the same could probably be done with a hacked WRT54G or XBox or embedded PC.
I can just use my 4 year old Mac laptop, take everything off and use it specifically as a music server but I was hoping to find an alternative. The idea of having a small black box that can boot up almost instantly (or be left on standby) seemed cleaner somehow but I guess I need to keep looking for alternatives.
Thanks for your help so far chaps
Thanks for your help so far chaps
Martin
I was thinking of getting one of these as reviewed at the attached link. However I decided against it after finding out that Optical OUT, downsampled to 48K.
It has been getting excellent reviews in the local PC magazines, and sells for under AU $200 in Australia.
SandyK
bit-tech.net | Review - WDTV Live HD Media Player Review
I was thinking of getting one of these as reviewed at the attached link. However I decided against it after finding out that Optical OUT, downsampled to 48K.
It has been getting excellent reviews in the local PC magazines, and sells for under AU $200 in Australia.
SandyK
bit-tech.net | Review - WDTV Live HD Media Player Review
Hey SandyK. Important info there. I will defo avoid now. I really would like it to stream 96khz.
Does anyone know about the Lacie LaCinema (Mini). Maybe I should just avoid all of these media devices altogther? LaCie - LaCinema Mini HD
Does anyone know about the Lacie LaCinema (Mini). Maybe I should just avoid all of these media devices altogther? LaCie - LaCinema Mini HD
Networked Media Tank
Main Page - NMTWiki
like this
Popcorn Hour A-110 - NMTWiki
(there are many other - see the wiki)
can do 96KHz/24bit as reported here
96Khz/24bit audio via Coax digital from FLAC container?
i don't have one of this i only read something about and i think it could be interesting
ciao
andrea
Main Page - NMTWiki
like this
Popcorn Hour A-110 - NMTWiki
(there are many other - see the wiki)
can do 96KHz/24bit as reported here
96Khz/24bit audio via Coax digital from FLAC container?
i don't have one of this i only read something about and i think it could be interesting
ciao
andrea
Thanks for the links. I did a bit of searching on their community and found all sorts of difficulties associated with getting native hi-res audio to play without jitter problems. I will not make any comments as I have no experience with any of their products, but for the record and the interested of anyone else who might follow this thread, here are some links to discussions on the subject
RE: PCH A-110 can't play FLAC 24bit/192KHz
Just check these threads:
http://www.networkedmediatank.com/showth...?tid=21266
http://www.networkedmediatank.com/showth...?tid=21546
http://www.networkedmediatank.com/showth...?tid=18233
http://www.networkedmediatank.com/showth...?tid=17107
RE: PCH A-110 can't play FLAC 24bit/192KHz
Just check these threads:
http://www.networkedmediatank.com/showth...?tid=21266
http://www.networkedmediatank.com/showth...?tid=21546
http://www.networkedmediatank.com/showth...?tid=18233
http://www.networkedmediatank.com/showth...?tid=17107
squeezebox options
OK - to pick this thread up again. I could go with the Sqeezebox, run a laptop from somewhere in the house and have the handset thingy to play with...that satisfies the original intent of relaxing without staring at my screen.
Important question: can you bypass its oversampling DAC? The DAC I am about to build is non oversampling, as I have read that this sounds better. I want to stream native wav files, preferably up to 24bit 96Khz (and even more if future releases become widespread).
Do you need to bypass the squeezieDAC or is it fab already?
Just a discussion not an opinion so please feel free to contradict me.
OK - to pick this thread up again. I could go with the Sqeezebox, run a laptop from somewhere in the house and have the handset thingy to play with...that satisfies the original intent of relaxing without staring at my screen.
Important question: can you bypass its oversampling DAC? The DAC I am about to build is non oversampling, as I have read that this sounds better. I want to stream native wav files, preferably up to 24bit 96Khz (and even more if future releases become widespread).
Do you need to bypass the squeezieDAC or is it fab already?
Just a discussion not an opinion so please feel free to contradict me.
Just for the record I am going to go for a squeezebox for the transport and use it into a decent NOS DAC. I might mod the SB as there is plenty of account of success. Might wait for the Touch to become available and compare with the duet package.
Thanks for all the input.
Thanks for all the input.
Havea look at Barix network streamers. These are a commercial unit so a bit more $ than the other stuff but very nice, I got to briefly play with a demo unit....
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