Thinking of getting into streaming from a NAS device (on a budget) Any advice?
- Thread starter wulbert
- Start date
allthingsanalog
pfm Member
Qobuz allows you re-download in any format providing you’ve already paid full price for the highest quality version.
Read what I said - it is that. He could not DL the MP3 as FLAC without paying for it as FLAC
Del monaco
Del Monaco
Would a Wiim connect to your NAS? Great little things. Mine replaced my Pi/Touch combination.
wulbert
pfm Member
Remembered that I actually have a "CD ripper" already, in the form of an old Apple Superdrive which plugs into my laptop via USB. Ripping various CD's to a lossless file format (AIFF and Apple Lossless) and playing back from laptop USB via the Chord Mojo2. Using Apple Music for now, though I loathe it. Familiar albums are sounding the best I have ever heard them, which proves to me that the streaming option has good potential.
I'm going to buy a cable to connect the Cambridge Audio CD4SE via the Mojo2 and see how that sounds. I hope/expect it will sound better than the CD4SE's own DAC. Having said that the CD4SE sounds pretty good on its own, but not as good as streamed lossless files via the Mojo.
Spending plans suspended for a wee while after having to help one of the kids out of a financial hole.
I'm going to buy a cable to connect the Cambridge Audio CD4SE via the Mojo2 and see how that sounds. I hope/expect it will sound better than the CD4SE's own DAC. Having said that the CD4SE sounds pretty good on its own, but not as good as streamed lossless files via the Mojo.
Spending plans suspended for a wee while after having to help one of the kids out of a financial hole.
wulbert
pfm Member
Had to send some money to a relative in need (cost of living crisis), so budget reduced for the time being. But still keen to try the networked storage thing because ripped CD's playing from my laptop into Chord Mojo2 and Quad 306>Spendor S3/52's sounds very good.
Would an old Mac Mini, connected via USB to my Apple Superdrive give me a cheapo, disc ripper/NAS drive? Is there an elegant way to control a Mac Mini's music output from a phone or tablet?
Would an old Mac Mini, connected via USB to my Apple Superdrive give me a cheapo, disc ripper/NAS drive? Is there an elegant way to control a Mac Mini's music output from a phone or tablet?
wulbert
pfm Member
I'm quite keen to try the Wiim mini. I don't actually have a NAS at the moment. I'm keen to hear a Wiim mini through the Mojo2. Although experiments today with the Yamaha WXC-50 playing from it's optical out into Mojo2's optical input didn't sound brilliant for some reason. And IIRC the Wiim mini only has optical out. Maybe the Mojo2 works better with USB input?
Del monaco
Del Monaco
I have a Yamaha 803D. Lovely thing.
MotelBlues
pfm Member
In the Windows world I live in I’ve happily used Apple’s Remote app on iPhones and iPads to control iTunes running on my PC. Admittedly I don’t do much more with it than pause/unpause a playlist I’ve kicked off from my computer, though.
Load the XLD lossless decoder app on your Mac Mini and you’re good to go. It’s simple to use and very flexible.
vinylslug
pfm Member
You could install LMS on the MacMini and have a very powerful and accessible music server.
wulbert
pfm Member
If I could get a reasonably-priced, half-width CD player that sounds as good as lossless files played through the Chord Mojo2, I would seriously consider it. Dunno how much I'd need to spend though.
I see no advantage whatsoever in sticking with CDs.
wulbert
pfm Member
1) No monthly fee for streaming
2) No need for broadband
3) Already paid for
4) No reliance on digital storage media
But yeah, I'm not married to one particular media. Just want something small, discrete, simple & great sounding. Skint though. And getting skinter.
x21
pfm Member
WAV and AIFF generally are both uncompressed linear pcm. If you heard a difference they were almost certainly different mixes.
FLAC is desirable for a music collection as it's a losslessly compressed format. This means you'll be able to store more music without any quality loss.
1. Only applies if you never plan to buy another CD
2. Who doesn’t need broadband?
3. I’ve already paid for a year of Qobuz
4. You just need lots of physical storage
I have loads of CDs, I now buy less & download more; I’m just running out of room.
I have a CD player but just don’t use it much.
wulbert
pfm Member
And the missus keeps bringing up the dusty CD racks as something that needs "sorted out" which is ominous. Every media has it's good & bad points. I'm very reluctant to get into a system that has recurring costs and uses gear that becomes obsolete quickly. Versus my age (60yrs) and thinking I should just get something small and easy to use and forget about the rest.
The Innuous gear I can't quite see where the money goes (maybe it's in the OS) and sending something away for an expensive repair if the HDD fails ( as they will do) is anathema to me. I like to spend the bare minimum which is why I tend to buy used.
I know that convenience is important because if it's easy, I will listen to more music. Same reason I have my guitar hanging on the wall next to my chair, if it was in a guitar case I'd hardly play it (lazy bar-steward, I know).
foxwelljsly
Me too, I ate one sour too.
I rip CDs and manage my files and library using MusicBee freeware on a windows pc, store them on a NAS and play them back via a raspberry pi and a SPDIF hat running Moode, which doubles as an internet radio and a Spotify connect node, which is connected to a DAC via coax.
Moode proffers a web UI you can access on any device with a browser on your network. The streamer cost me about £60, but the less tech savvy may be less comfortable with downloading Moode, installing and configuring it. It takes a bit of patience, but it’s quite rewarding to fashion a component out of a couple of boards and some downloaded software.
you could do the whole caboodle on a laptop with a usb drive initially as MusicBee has a bitperfect exclusive wasapi mode.
I sold my CD player 18 years ago and haven’t missed it since.
Moode proffers a web UI you can access on any device with a browser on your network. The streamer cost me about £60, but the less tech savvy may be less comfortable with downloading Moode, installing and configuring it. It takes a bit of patience, but it’s quite rewarding to fashion a component out of a couple of boards and some downloaded software.
you could do the whole caboodle on a laptop with a usb drive initially as MusicBee has a bitperfect exclusive wasapi mode.
I sold my CD player 18 years ago and haven’t missed it since.
Yamaha wxc50 in ” pre amp mode ” is very average sounding , doing SRC to 48 kHz with every material. In ”player mode” one looses the digital volume regulation but the sound is better . Not as good as using a WiiM pro though.
My experience with my former Wxc50 is that its not good enough as a digital drive .