adamdea
You are not a sound quality evaluation device
Adrian's post raises an interesting question about whether people are likely to want to use the L4 just as a "streamer" or as a complete system with server software.
MDAC First Listen (part 00100001)
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I think you will have both scenarios. Personally I will only use it as a streamer.
But I don't mind the extra cost for the quad core (based on a Micro-SOM module)
I prefer to run LMS on my NAS, because then the MDAC does not need to be switched on to when it is not used.
Geoff,
Thank you for the link - the problem with ModuShop is that its looks so Micky Mouse home made DIY.... After the amount of design effort afforded to the design of the MDAC2 / TDAC I'd like it to be more professional even if its manufactured in a "Rabbits hutch" of a lab in Czech Rep
I totally agree that a new case for your premium DAC should not be a Micky Mouse looking DIY.
So people that are gong for the L4/TDAC should also be prepared to spend money on a premium case.
Maybe a full width that would also have space for the power supply.
adamdea
You are not a sound quality evaluation device
Fair point. I think there are so many use cases that it can be confusing.
FWIW my instinct is that the biggest group will be those who want it as a streamer and will run some other software on a server elsewhere (presumably with the storage remote from the M-dac too). The biggest contingent will probably by wantign to use the M0dac as a squeezebix substitiute and have the server playing LMS
I dare say some of these people will be hoping that they can continue to use their favourite software eg JRiver and play to the Mdac as a virtual soundcard. Not sure how easy that is to work.
Some people will also be wantign to use the M-dac as a for of server so they dn;t need a separate computer running. Again some will want to use LMS, or one of the cmplete LMS style packages like vortexbox or daphile, or non LMS ones like volumio.
Out of this group some will want to have storage directly attached and others will want to use netowrk storage.
For my own part I was hoping to have network storage but probably to run LMS on the m-dac, leaving the files on the network storage accessible to sonos, which is likely to be the weopon of choice for the rest of the family, whether the M-dac is on or not. I could keep LMS on the NAS, but I currently use a Qnap NAS for this purpose and keeping up to date with LMS using a packager (SSOTS) which is no longer maintained and requires manual tweaking is becoming a PiTA. I spose I could spring for a proper network server though- it used to be a mantra on the squeezebox forum from old hands that the S in NAS does not stand for server.
JohnW
pfm member
Extra 12mm of height available on my case
Apparently its the extra width we need! 12mm not going to help First point is that you can't make everybody happy.
Second is that to make the L4 feasible you have to limit the option that is delivered out of the box else it will never happen. That is the reasoning behind using squeeze lite and maybe LMS.
The people that want to continue to use their favourite software eg JRiver and play to the Mdac as a virtual soundcard does not really need L4 they should use the USB port.
To be honest you don't need to keep up with new released of LMs if is does what you need on your Qnap NAS. If it aint broke don't fix it.
right now I am running LMS on a Synology NAS but will soon be switching to a Intel NUC to get the best performance possible and easier upgrade to newer versions of LMS. The files will still be on my NAS.
Exactly I will rather have full width so all the connections on the back panel dos not have to be crammed in.
adamdea
You are not a sound quality evaluation device
I know but we do like to play don't we?
I rather like to new interface of 7.9 and would like to have a play with Adrian's dsd plugin. But after 4 hours updating SSOTS to run LMS 7.9, I still couldn't get the DSD to run and the 7.9 crashed my QNAP
Was your broken or did you decide to fix it anyway?
Hi John
The modShop cases are of good quality I have my poweramps and active filter built in them but if you have a specific design in mind they may not be the solution.
Know what you mean I worked in the Automotive industry for most of my life and when our purchase geniuses resourced some component supply to china and even worse India the quality issues nearly killed some of our business.I have noticed a lot of smaller manufacturers are local sourcing again in the UK where they can, on the basis they can jump in a car and go sort out problems.
I think local sourcing the cases even if on the surface it costs more will end up cheaper in the long run.
Geoff
No it is not broken, I am still running 7.7.3 on my Synology DS1010. The squeezebox radios is connected to this. I don't want to run unstable versions on the NAS.
So now I will use a Intel NUC for newer unsuported verson but still leaving the files on the NAS. It could also be used for XBMC and other stuff.
The i5 version is a lot more powerfull than any Atom/ARM system. It only consumes between 6W-15W.
adamdea
You are not a sound quality evaluation device
It seems we are thinking along the same lines. Btw at least for QNAP I have found 7.8.1 pretty stable, although there is no official upgrade package. As a matter of interest which operating system (and LMS version) will you run on the NUC
Not sure but I think I first try VortexBox it should be easy to setup.
And i read on the VortexBox forum that the squeeze light will work with DSD as long as your dac supports it. So I can play with DSD on my Hugo while waiting for the MDAC2.
Last resort will be installing windows.
ilmostro749
pfm Member
The SqueezePlug site is saying he's focusing on Raspberry Pi and the more powerful Odroid platform, dropping Wandboard. I have been trying out a few of the Raspberry Pi platforms, but have not been that impressed so far, generally the seem sluggish and don't support gapless audio. I will tryout LMS SqueezPlug option as soon as I can, as my NAS has the LMS server side already.
Having said that, would it not be better to forget trying to integrate this stuff into the MDAC2? Just have an I2C connection or whatever to a separate external box? That way the streamer device could support existing M-DACs via USB / SPDIF and M-DAC2 via the custom interface.
Seems to me that this L4 option is going to be a very small subset of the already tiny numbers of M-DAC2? Not trying to put a spanner in the works. Just seems if you are going to the effort, better to maximise the number of people who can benefit?
If you're planning on running the device as a server, I can't see that any SD card at the moment is going to be big enough. I think my iTunes library is nearly 200GB, and I still have several boxes of CD's to rip still! I'd imagine that many people have bigger requirements than that if they have 'non-purchased' content
As has been mentioned, many people going down this path probably have NAS or separate servers already. I currently use my Mac to stream to the M-DAC, but a matching streamer box that can run headless would be welcome. Sadly Audiolab M-NET effort seems like a massively over priced, under specked offering. I haven't ever seen it for sale in the UK even though I believe it's been out 6 months.
Having said that, would it not be better to forget trying to integrate this stuff into the MDAC2? Just have an I2C connection or whatever to a separate external box? That way the streamer device could support existing M-DACs via USB / SPDIF and M-DAC2 via the custom interface.
Seems to me that this L4 option is going to be a very small subset of the already tiny numbers of M-DAC2? Not trying to put a spanner in the works. Just seems if you are going to the effort, better to maximise the number of people who can benefit?
If you're planning on running the device as a server, I can't see that any SD card at the moment is going to be big enough. I think my iTunes library is nearly 200GB, and I still have several boxes of CD's to rip still! I'd imagine that many people have bigger requirements than that if they have 'non-purchased' content
As has been mentioned, many people going down this path probably have NAS or separate servers already. I currently use my Mac to stream to the M-DAC, but a matching streamer box that can run headless would be welcome. Sadly Audiolab M-NET effort seems like a massively over priced, under specked offering. I haven't ever seen it for sale in the UK even though I believe it's been out 6 months.
The Micro-SOM module especially the quad core is much more powerfull than the RPI
You dont need I2C for this you can just use USB or SPDIF as you can today with your MDAC.
I think most don't plan to run a server on it, but you can and the files can either be on a NAS, network drive or external USB drive.If you're planning on running the device as a server, I can't see that any SD card at the moment is going to be big enough. I think my iTunes library is nearly 200GB, and I still have several boxes of CD's to rip still! I'd imagine that many people have bigger requirements than that if they have 'non-purchased' content
I think L4 option is a neat feature. Not only for use as a streamer.
I am using a NUC at the moment with Arch Linux. So far, I have got the best results (aka sound quality) with MPD properly set for HIFI (caching to RAM of files, keep native sampling and output to ALSA, never to pulseaudio).
MPV player (a fork of mplayer2) also sounds great. XBMC seems to have moved to pulseaudio which, in my system, sounds way less dynamic.
Both MPV and MPD are bitperfect.
MPV player (a fork of mplayer2) also sounds great. XBMC seems to have moved to pulseaudio which, in my system, sounds way less dynamic.
Both MPV and MPD are bitperfect.
3 week vacation???
L4 - a future version after the L1-L3 units are released. The L4 will integrate a Linux based "Computer" (based on a Micro-SOM module). This allows an integrated streamer etc.
As not to delay the L1 to L3 units it will be released as an upgrade (replacement rear panel + Digital PCB).
Does it mean that one can go for the L3 and "add" the extras of L4? or should we plan for L4 all the way?
3 week vacation???
Hehehe, we get 33 days at the university ;-)
JohnW
pfm member
Yes - but you will need pay for a whole new L4 digital board lets say GBP150 to GBB200.... (and the extra development fee).
We might be able to part exchange for the L3 board if we ever produce a second patch of MDAC2's...
misterdog
Not the canine kind
Simple, already planned for that. Though the top needs to be removable to fix the front panel internally.
Of course the whole point of a plywood case was when you mentioned that you thought it sounded better 'out of the aluminium case'.
Further research from others suggested that when dealing with line level signals, pre-amps,phono stages and such like, all benefited from non metallic cases.
Though I have seen no science to conclude why.
As all the other MDAC owners I know in Sheffield have upgraded MDAC's I have never been able to do an A/B.
Anyone nearby with a STD MDAC ?
I think that when my Quad ESL's are up and running they should reveal any
difference.
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