NAS and Media Streamer for FLAC?

[cbarone]

Ok I've looked around and there seems to be endless hardware and software solutions. Appreciate this is fast changing technology at the moment. I've started to convert my CD collection to FLAC using Exact Audio Copy (EAC), next step is to set up a NAS for storage, reckon I'll need at least 1Tb and same again for backup. I'll be storing film as well, currently use an iPad and iPhone with iTunes but need to get all onto the tv.

Is Apple tv an option as a media streamer from a NAS and use the optical out into my HiFi DAC?
Audio quality is number one objective, if I miss that I may as well not start. Using Perpetual Tech P1A, P3A into an all Meridian system and KEF Refs. I am a big fan of Apple, the apps are super convenient but I've taken advice and stayed away from their audio formats. Ive also tried Boxee and XMBC on my laptop however I don't want the laptop to be running just to hear music.

Need a real good steer at this point as I've been looking at Sonos, Boxee, Squeezebox etc etc ! All very confusing. Oh I have the EAC settings set to 768kbs, is that way too high?

Thanks, Charlie.

[Fran]

I don't know about the apple front end, but I can tell you from personal experience that there is no better computer based sound around than one of John Kennys usb dacs (jkeny here). If your laptop is PC, then use jplay for playback. The dac is not expensive and it sounds amazing - yes better than sonos, squeezebox etc etc.

There are quite a few who say that WAV files sound better than flac, nevertheless, flac is very much in use everywhere. See here:
http://blowfish.be/eac/Setup/setup1.html fora great guide to set up EAC - if you are using flac I think you ignore the bit rate and quality settings.


Fran

[Ken Moreland]

Hi Charlie,
I'd echo Fran's view of Jplay, the sound is great but go for minimalist JPLAYmini and don't waste time on integration with iTunes/Foobar/Jriver. Check out the Jplay Forum for all the configurations people are using.
If you're starting out to rip your CD's then rip them in WAV format, it takes up more space but the sound quality is audibly better.
You can(could!) pick up 2Tb Seagate external hard drives in Harvey Norman (Blanch). Buy 2 and back up everything!
KM

[cbarone]

Thanks for the tips guys. I'm trying to avoid using a laptop or a computer hence the query on suitable NAS and media streamers.

Surely there is a solid solution for CD coversion, storage and streaming that won't degrade sound. I'm confused now with the recommendation to covert to WAV when everything I've researched to date recommends FLAC. I've read your threads on jplay and to be honest its taking all the enjoyment out of listening to music, I'm in the IT industry and the last thing I want to do at night is to start firing up a pc and thinking about maximising ram and tweaking variables when I just want to relax and let the day fade away. See we're I am coming from?

I say all this while I freely admit I've little or no actual experience in listening to any of the formats, apart from iTunes.

Any more ideas, all very welcome. Thanks.

[Fran]

Oh I get where you're coming from alright - but you made a fatal mistake when you said you wanted the best sound possible! And it all makes a difference!

To be honest, using the laptop and jplay is very easy... Ctrl+C on the tracks you want to play in windows explorer, ctrl+v in jplay, hit the space bar and it plays. Running other tweaks brings ever decreasing returns.

Any of the other solutions I've ever heard (squeezebox, sonos, sooloos, few dacs with usb input and PC's with SPDIF out) are well below this.

This is all with johns dac of course..... The playback sw is just a bit of icing on the top. Btw you can still use the NAS as the likes of jplay loads the track into ram before playing.

Fran

[cbarone]

Might try the jplay and dac as a test. Where can I get a look at the DAC you mentioned Fran? Is it like the small m2Tech modified one on the tirnahifi main site? I think thats a USB and presents a single coax spdif?

Anyone got any recommendations on a quality NAS? I just want to plug it into a router and have a media streamer (or jplay test for the moment) read the audio and video. I was intending on having my existing DAC do the conversion for audio and pass signal onto the HiFi preamp. The existing HiFi is excellent right now and I am trying to use as much of this as I can.

TY.

[Fran]

John's site: http://sites.google.com/site/hifacemods/

He offers a money back trial afaik. There's a few members with them - myself, ken moreland, Claus - you could pm them. There's a good few reviews on the web too.

There are a few options. There are 2 dacs (usb input, analog rca out) and the modified hiface which is usb input SPDIF out. So they are all usb input, which really means a pc/laptop.

One option would be to set up your networked, raid array NAS, rip your cds to it. Then connect the laptop wirelessly/wired to it when you want to play.

The problem with all the dedicated streamers is that they all prioritise the interface and just use bog standard dacs, the equivalent of a €20 Chinese dac from ebay. Don't get me wrong - a squeezebox is a lovely thing to use, and sounds fairly ok too.... But you know yourself, once you hear a system that thrills you, it's hard to go back.


Fran

[james]

I am using a QNAP NAS . It runs some sort of Linux operating system but is visible from windows. I found it quite reliable. It runs the software needed by Squeezbox. The shop I bought it from installed this software for me ..

My setup is Sqeezbox [actually the Transporter version] connecting to the QNAP via wireless. I use the DAC in an Opus 21 CD player. I load CD's onto the QNAP using a windows PC [connected over the network]. I rip with dbPoweramp and use FLAC.

James

[Claus]

I would love to have the quality I can get using my laptop as a player with my PS3 or a SB or Sonos. But it can't be done at the moment. In Denmark many forum members get their SB or Sonos upgraded and some report good results just running the optical out from AppleTV into a good DAC. But I do think the usability is your first priority: If you don't like firing up PC and copy/pasting playlists, when you want to listen, then I would go for a more practical solution. Just from my own experience...

If you want to listen to the JKDAC, I am in Bray if that is any good to you?

[Fran]

I'm in Naas, likewise.....