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Replacing Logitech Media Server?

firestorm

pfm Member
My server stopped working a while ago, it was running LM. I have a few Squeezeboxes, some from Slimdevices days. I've got the home server going again, which I use to keep videos, photos and local dropbox functionality. It's on Windows 10 professional now. Hardware is a entry-level server with a 4 core xeon and 32GB ram, SSD boot drive and some hefty spinning disks for storage.

I like the idea of Nextcloud, a locally hosted cloud type file server, though I find Win 10 easier to administer.

I have 10's thousands of (mainly Flac) files that I'd like to listen to, most are 16/44, some are 24/96, 24/192 flacs.

Do people still use LMS? What are you using instead?
 
Yep..Roon is the next step but LMS continues to be a very viable alternative and continues to be updated, now on 8.0.0 with integration of on line services into local libraries. I moved from Roon and back into LMS recently and to be honest I am not missing a huge amount.
 
I'll take a look at Roon.
I wasn't aware that LMS was still being developed and maintained, thought Logitech had abandoned it once they stopped selling the Squeezeboxes.
So it may be viable to stick with LMS.

I'd like a headless player to connect up to my active speakers, ISTR people using Raspberry Pi + DACs to do this.
 
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I'll take a look at Roon.
I wasn't aware that LMS was still being developed and maintained, though Logitech had abandoned it once they stopped selling the Squeezeboxes.
So it may be viable to stick with LMS.

I'd like a headless player to connect up to my active speakers, ISTR people using Raspberry Pi + DACs to do this.
LMS is great, I used it for years and it is still a viable solution. Where Roon comes into its own is the way it integrates with streaming services like Qobuz and Tidal (though I think LMS maybe catching up) and displaying album reviews, artist bios etc. They also have a thing called Ropieee which is an installable image to make a raspberry pi a Roon endpoint. The remote app is good too, certainly a rival to iPeng. Probably more usable for other members of the household. It has a free trial, easy enough to give it a punt. Downside is it’s a couple of quid a week.
 
I'll take a look at Roon.
I wasn't aware that LMS was still being developed and maintained, though Logitech had abandoned it once they stopped selling the Squeezeboxes.
So it may be viable to stick with LMS.

I'd like a headless player to connect up to my active speakers, ISTR people using Raspberry Pi + DACs to do this.
Logitech didn’t abandon the software and a Logitech engineer continues to maintain and update it. You can still use Squeezeboxes though many now use the emulation Pi with appropriate software. I use my Touch but have a Pi Screen set up as well.
Go to the forum and you’ll see the activity and continued support for streaming plug ins and things like YouTube and BBC IPlayer and IPlayer extras. The best thing is that if services make changes, the community engineers are very quick to respond and have fixes in place well before their brands.
Del
 
https://forums.slimdevices.com/forum.php>
Roon is heavy on resources and costs a lot, LMS is free (shareware style).
Tried Roon, returned to LMS. Never looked back.
I should say I run LMS on a QNAP TS-251+ NAS and (Q)LMS is neatly installed as a QNAP app installation package. Very stable, very functional and looked after.
New LMS apps are developed and updated regularly and the forum is alive with lots of helpful and knowlegdeable people.
 
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LMS here. still well supported and great developer community. I did Roon trial and it was not for me.

LMS runs on most stuff. I'd favor a Pi or cheap headless fanless NUC server/Tiny PC if I had to move it from static PC, then just let it run.
 
OK, it makes sense for me to stick with LMS since I have quite a few of their boxes.

What's the consensus on Raspberry Pi DACS? There seem to be a plethora of them on ebay, from ones which connect as a shield (or is it a hat?), I2S, USB etc
 
OK, it makes sense for me to stick with LMS since I have quite a few of their boxes.

What's the consensus on Raspberry Pi DACS? There seem to be a plethora of them on ebay, from ones which connect as a shield (or is it a hat?), I2S, USB etc
I use a Pi with Picoreplayer. It includes LMS so it is a server and a player. I use one with usb into an external dac and the other with a Justboom Amp hat which includes a Dac. I do have an IQaudio dac hat for the Pi but it doesn’t better the other solutions I have.
 
LMS - definitely the way to go - supported by a fabulous community (and Logitech - the original software was open source), the clients run on RPi and lots of other low cost hardware, developers react to changes with amazing speed (we weren't cut off by the BBC changing their streaming strategy for more than a few hours) - you can run it on a NAS, a RPi, or as I do, on a serious spec windows server, makes no difference, the code is solid and constantly updated. I have a RPi as my main source in a 'state of the art - cost no object' (by my standards at least) main system, but also run a a RPi zero with an amp hat as my patio table speaker - all synched - so, today for example, I listened to an album in the lounge in stunning quality, then moved to the patio for a G&T in the sunshine, and the same music was playing on my table speaker, then I plugged in my headphones and enjoyed pretty much flawless quality (and some parametric EQ to lift the bass of my 'phones, as my main system is flat to 20Hz) - I can airplay from my phone, play tracks from my ripped collection, and anything from Tidal, Radio Paradise at FLAC 16/44.1 - I tried Roon for a few days - likes: All albums in the same place irrespective of where they were coming from, dislikes: Really poor Radio Paradise (50% of my day) support, and radio in general was a bit like hard work, and I'd have to pay for it.
 
For hats on the RPI I would look at Allo, they have some really good ones that can cost a bit but they have been great in my experience and really good support from them. My first hat was a hifiberry but really prefer my digione signature.
 
Sometimes i am trying other server/players, but always coming back to LMS. Now i am using picoreplayer with LMS 8.0 on Pi4/4GB with disabled player(squeezelite) function and i have few picoreplayers in different rooms.
 
The newest LMS version 8 (still beta), integrates streaming services and works great. There is also the "Material" plugin available, and it gives LMS a much more modern look that also incorporates some Web metadata.
I mostly use Roon, but LMS is still a good alternative.
Works great on a Pi, and you can also setup a Pi with a touchscreen and it does pretty much a perfect emulation of an SBT, except with a 2X size screen and more capability.
Compare%2B-%2BPi%2BTouch%2Band%2BSB%2BTouch.jpg


now-playing.png

more material sceenshots: https://github.com/CDrummond/lms-material/wiki/Screenshots
 
The newest LMS version 8 (still beta), integrates streaming services and works great. There is also the "Material" plugin available, and it gives LMS a much more modern look that also incorporates some Web metadata.
I mostly use Roon, but LMS is still a good alternative.
Works great on a Pi, and you can also setup a Pi with a touchscreen and it does pretty much a perfect emulation of an SBT, except with a 2X size screen and more capability.
Compare%2B-%2BPi%2BTouch%2Band%2BSB%2BTouch.jpg


now-playing.png

more material sceenshots: https://github.com/CDrummond/lms-material/wiki/Screenshots

That's a really neat solution.

I am surprised that someone isn't building/integrating these solutions to order fir the non Linux savvy and less enthusiastic non diy folks out there. Should be a good hobby business.
 
I much prefer LMS to Roon - tried it for the second time recently as it seemed easiest way to get streaming and stored music to HQPlayer.

Still didn't like the interface on Roon, it's a mess. And then it did not work well with Qobuz - endless halting of the flow of music, had to restart the track. No patience with that.

LMS was more difficult to get integrated into HQPlayer but the gui is much cleaner (Orangesqueeze on an android tablet) and Qobuz works without issue.

And it cost me... Oh Yeah, nowt:)
 
That's a really neat solution.

I am surprised that someone isn't building/integrating these solutions to order fir the non Linux savvy and less enthusiastic non diy folks out there. Should be a good hobby business.
Some are utilising the Pi and Screen to make products but they tend to be much more expensive than just putting your own together. I have the same set up and have used it successfully with both Roon and LMS.
 


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