Topic: music "servers"?

[pfife]

Hey guys - I am interested in maybe adding one of these kinds of things to my rig- something that would play the music from the HD of my main machine over the LAN...  I was wondering if anyone has any experience with these (i.e. sound quality over a LAN, etc etc) and if there are better quality items such as these out there.... thanks...


Here's example of what I'm talking about, but I'd like to find something with higher quality than that.  Something that plays FLAC would be nice too!

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/category/category_slc.asp?CatId=197

[ethan]

I have a squeezebox and love it. It has a digi out!

www.slimdevices.com

[Daryan]

Here's my question, as this would be perfect for eliminating the 30 foot coaxial cable I have.  Is the data communication truly lossless?  Will it stream 24 bit?  It's hard to tell from the specs listed.

Thanks!

[MattD]

Data communication is definitely lossless. I experimented with one of the radioshack wireless a/v setups last year (I also had a 30 foot coax in my room then). It cost just under $100. I found that it could handle 24/48 just fine, but at 24/96, it choked and didn't output anything. The trick is to use the video (yellow in/output) for the digital audio. Since I needed 24/96 in my system, I returned it.

The data all gets there, but unless your DAC reclocks the signal, don't expect it to sound as good as straight from the soundcard. The output from the little wireless receiver is full of jitter.

[pfife]

yeah, right now I do have a computer nearby, with a decent soundcard in it, so I could run a wire, but it would also be a 30ft RCA cable, if not longer...  that won't be cheap to get a decent wire either.

[Daryan]

Matt,

Any options for jitter correction that actually work?  I know of the big ben, but there's no way I would spend that for a clock.  Nick?

Thanks

Daryan

[ethan]

Here's my question, as this would be perfect for eliminating the 30 foot coaxial cable I have.  Is the data communication truly lossless?  Will it stream 24 bit?  It's hard to tell from the specs listed.

Thanks!

The squeezebox streams lossless but I doubt the model I have will do 24 bit.

-e

[MattD]

Matt,

Any options for jitter correction that actually work? I know of the big ben, but there's no way I would spend that for a clock. Nick?

Thanks

Daryan

A lot of people swear by the Benchmark DAC-1. Also, the Grace 901 and 902 are supposed to do a great job with this. I don't own either (yet!), but have used a DAC-1.

[Daryan]

Thanks Matt.  I am trying to avoid buying a dac if at all possible.  I am betting I can upgrade the clock in the panny.  I will have to look into it.

Thanks gentlemen!

[The Kilted Taper]

For non-audiofile types (do those exisit  ) TiVO allows you to play MP3 files through your home audio system from your computer. Don't know if there is a rate limit, but just thought I'd through that out there. There's been some chat about supporting other formats in the future, but nothing yet.

[MattD]

Thanks Matt. I am trying to avoid buying a dac if at all possible. I am betting I can upgrade the clock in the panny. I will have to look into it.

Thanks gentlemen!

I never tried all analog over the wireless, so I'm not sure what your results would be. I can't imagine that the wireless receiver has a good output stage, but perhaps they're simple enough to mod. I'm thinking that going wireless with one of these things is equivalent to putting an A>D>A stage in if you use the analog inputs. Again, no proof of this, but it would correlate to my experience.

[Daryan]

What I would most like to do is modify the clock in the modded panny, run digital out of a wireless unit into the digital in of the panasonic, thus avoiding all digital conversion until the outputs of the xr-45, which are bybeed to hell.  This would be optimal for me, as I like the sound of the panasonic digital receivers a lot, especially when modded which are worlds better.  I have some surfing to do now I guess!

[Ed.]

may i suggest a modded xbox.  (xbox from ebay - $100, solderless modchip - $50)

i can stream audio/video/pics.  it'll do mp3s and flac's and every video file you can throw at it.  (no shn tho)  i've never personally did 24/96, but someone else on the board said they did successfully.

I have the advanced av pack, with component (red, gree, blue) video and optical audio outs.

its pretty much a second computer that can play video games as a bonus.  (it'll play emulators too - just incase you ever feel like having the complete collection of nes games at your disposal )

[Tim]

my Bel Canto DAC 2 does a good job of jitter reduction.

there are some boxes that Nick and Macdaddy have used for jitter reduction as well that are significantly cheaper

[Daryan]

Good, now I have something to do when I go back to work.  I will look into all of this including the xbox option, since I have one that I rarely play since I got so darned frustrated trying to beat HALO 2 that I haven't picked it up in a month.  Thanks Tim, I will search audiogon.

I like this forum the best out of all of them on here FWIW, very good information when slutting it!  Review of bpt power conditioner coming this evening.