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In Reply to: RE: Music server questions from a Re-Nubified CA user . . . posted by Ugly on January 15, 2017 at 11:49:51
Joking. Well, sort of jokingI'm not a techie. I have a working understanding of how a Mac-based system's architecture works with the major third party players like Pure Music. But (1) I don't want to go back to Windows because I personally don't like it and (2) when I try to figure out how all of the various options for servers and streamers work, I really struggle, and it's not for lack of trying.
Just as an illustrative example, I just went to the Roon website since everyone is praising it and I had no idea what it even was. After reading and re-reading their site, I understand about half of what they're saying. I get that it is software that must reside on a computer, including a tablet or smart phone, and that it can somehow find any music source that resides within a network, whether a file ripped from a CD or downloaded, or a music streaming service like Tidal. And I get that it then compiles all of those files or other sources into a great, creative library interface that you can access and control through any iOS or Android device. But what I don't get is the player part, or the streamer part. That is, how the heck does it get the music from the source to a DAC? One thing they say is to think of RAAT as "Airplay for Audiophiles", but on the other hand I can't find any confirmation that it has it's own streamer or how that would work or how a USB DAC would be compatible with a wireless streamer.
And if it has a streamer, then why are people using it together with this Raspberry Pi 3 thing, and what is that exactly and how does it work, etc.?
And how would it all work with non-Mac/PC servers, such as the little green computer products or the Elac server?
I mean, these are separate and actual questions I have about a specific product offering, but I also list them out as examples of how I struggle figuring out the technology and how it all works together.
I'm pretty hopeless I guess when I try to envision an actual system that I could configure and use. Maybe I just don't have what it takes to compile a CA system that combines excellent sound with relative ease of use.
FINAL EDIT: Reading this I know I sound like a whiny baby. Perhaps I just need to research more and more to figure this stuff out better, and then ask targeted questions.
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"If you are the owner of a new stereophonic system, this record will play with even more brilliant true-to-life fidelity. In short, you can purchase this record with no fear of its becoming obsolete in the future."
Edits: 01/15/17 01/15/17 01/15/17 01/15/17Follow Ups:
It does seem complicated but if you read enough reviews, it finally sinks in....its not all that complicated. I will admit that before setting mine up, I diagramed it out. But it worked first time.
Think of endpoints like an apple TV (and an apple tv can be used as an endpoint) It takes the data and converts into something your tv can use.
An endpoint can get its data from ethernet (a raspberry pi, a micrrendu, a few dacs with ethernet bridges built in) or form wifi. (apple airport or TV for example)
I have a sonic transporter from Small Green Computer and it does nothing! It sits there and hosts roon and its metadata. It makes not a noised works perfectly with about two minutes of set up.
The elac does a bit more (it has a dac too) and comes with a roon subscription. Its an even simpler option.
Since you have a sonic transporter, I have a couple questions for you if you don't mind:
1. Will the sonic transporter itself stream wirelessly to an endpoint, or only through an ethernet cable?
2. Will the sonic transporter deliver a playable signal directly by USB into a DAC, or only through an endpoint?
I do think I'm getting there on what Roon is now. But I'm trying to figure out if I can manage a CA system without a Mac or PC in the chain at all by instead using a sonic transporter, or whether people are sill using it with another computer in the system (and if so, why).
As Abe points out, I'll still need one to rip CDs so I'll probably be going for a Mac Mini with the separate CD drive, but still trying to think it all through.
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"If you are the owner of a new stereophonic system, this record will play with even more brilliant true-to-life fidelity. In short, you can purchase this record with no fear of its becoming obsolete in the future."
The ST will not stream wirelessly. You would need to use ethernet to get it to a wireless router. Mine is all hard wire at this point so I'm not using wifi but its possible.
You need an endpoint for Roon to play into a dac. Something as cheap as a Raspberry Pi will do (or better yet a microrendu at 10 times the price.
The beauty of the ST is no other computer is needed. The Roon core lives on it. Its also completely silent and tiny. As far as ripping cds, my understanding is I'll need my laptop to rip and send to my NAS. I don't think you can attach a drive anywhere else...
anyone want to chime in?
As far as I know, no matter what OS you decide to use, the magic is in what features the playback software allows.
I think a lot of guys around here use Jriver. Apologies if that doesn't happen to be Apple compatible. I don't actually use it myself.
It seems like the USB guys spend all their lives trying to reduce processor and subsystem loading noise as much as possible during playback so it wont infect the audio. I think alot of the popular apps like Jriver are set up to make these things easy to do.
Apologies if that [JRiver] doesn't happen to be Apple compatible .
It is compatible.
It seems like the USB guys spend all their lives trying to reduce processor and subsystem loading noise as much as possible during playback so it wont infect the audio.
Some do but it's not necessarily a life time endeavor. I just use an Intona isolator, some like the Regen, others like the latest tweak of the month. Some enjoy messing with USB cables to the point of unnecessarily butchering them. But it's not like one has to dink with it endlessly to enjoy outstanding audio.
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