MQN

[nige2000]

Hi Gordon

Since you brought it up - I have been using Daphile now for a few weeks. I no longer use Windows or MQN or JPLAY or JRMC.

Now, I am not claiming that there is any superiority in the audio performance of Daphile. TBH, as far as I have bothered testing it sounds identical to any of the above listed Windows players. I was surprised to see you characterise it as "strident" - certainly not the case here on my linear/pico powered i5 fanless pc running into WaveIO/Buffalo set up. It sounds very good, is all I will say.

My experience with Windows flatlined with the introduction of W8.1. After "upgrading" to that I found no discernible difference between audio playback softwares.

So I have, for a variety of reasons, stepped back from the debate on playback quality and settled on Daphile as it is a closed package, denies me the "opportunity" to fiddle and tweak, provides music bits to my dac and I can choose which ones from an android phone, sat in my fave chair. No computer screen, no keyboard, no hassle.

It seems pretty stable, the "developer" seems up for supporting it and it is based on proven code (bit of linux, bit of Squeezeserver, nothing radical). Job done.

Interestingly, I tried it when it first came out, against JPLAY and MQN and dismissed Daphile at that time as a bit "baggy" sounding. OK but nothing special. The MQN phase of activity for me drove me to make improvements to PC, dac and powersupplies for various elements in the chain. When I returned to Daphile a few weeks ago it sounded on par, so I am sticking with it (at least whilst other things keep me busy).

Regards

Mark

Hi LowOrbit
I am 'the MQn Tester'! I second everything you say. The convenience of control from my Android tablet and the fact that it just works (booting at present off a USB stick) won me over.

I only tried it out when Gordon told me how good his NAD M50 streamer (based on Linux) was: having run Squeezelite on a Windows 7 laptop and having been very impressed, better than MQn dare I say, decided I should give it a run on Linux, which does have a better chance of not being interfered with by the OS.

Have to say that having been on board with MQn pretty much from the start, I was sceptical that Daphile would better it, but IMHO it does. No sign of stridency, in fact the opposite being mellow and smooth but still very detailed and clean. I am running it all on the PC (local storage) so no network streaming to get in the way, but I am sure that it will work well streaming too. I prefer Squeezelite as the player and you can use that with Daphile.

Kpeta the Finnish developer provides an excellent service, almost on a par with SBGK (!) and is certainly working hard to move it on. See here http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/pc-based ... er-os.html for some more detail.

hi Jonathan

is there any special settings to get it sounding better than mqn?
interface is fantastic though

deserves its own thread
quality of sound is close to jplay
there's definitely a place for it

[Aleg]

Just tried Daphile with all settings default.

NO way it comes close to MQn.
On my setup it sounds thin and harsh and lost the deep but easy and controlled bass and the airyness, IMO it has all the 'digitalness' I have managed to lose with MQn.
Also the soundstage gets narrower.

I agree the setup is dead easy, the user interface looks nice and it is very easily accessible via a web-browser. But its sound quality is nowhere near MQn and IMo also not near JPlay.

I'll keep an eye out on further development, but my money is still on Gordon's MQn.

Cheers

Aleg

[jrling]

Nige & Aleg

No special settings at all. However I did run it booting off an USB stick and the Music folder was on the HDD of the PC. So no network streaming. I wonder if that is the issue. I ran Squeezelite not Squeezeplay, but I doubt that causes much difference.

It is strange. Nige and I get all the good qualities of MQn and we are very experienced at assessing MQn and players and Gordon & Aleg get the opposite. There is very little config that is able to be done in Daphile, so it must be either the replay chain or the network streaming causing the difference?

I will get the author to express a view if I can.

PS Aleg - the better way of controlling it is via an Android or iPad app rather than the built-in web UI. I am using Logitech's Squeezebox Android app (free) and it works really well.

[LowOrbit]

Jonathan - glad you found similar results to me.

Aleg - sorry you didn't. Not a hint of "digitalness" in my set up and bass is as good as it gets (within the confines of my room).

I have it running on SSD with a pair of USB connected spinners for the library (probably not ideal but they are self powered and will do until I source a new 2tb internal SATA drive and a psu for that).

The only issue I have had is more a problem with the realtek wifi dongle I bought. I ended up using an old wireless router to create a repeater from my main wifi box which is on the other side of the house.

Mark

[sbgk]

so 2 waveio users like daphile, maybe that's the common factor. Shall try setting up squeezelite on windows over the weekend to see if there is a difference between linux and windows, oh and shall be having another go at 24 bit.

[tony]

so 2 waveio users like daphile, maybe that's the common factor. Shall try setting up squeezelite on windows over the weekend to see if there is a difference between linux and windows, oh and shall be having another go at 24 bit.

Re 24 bit I am reminded of the Father Ted Chinese episode where they are in the pub after sorting out all the issues and having a round of drinks and every remark is greeted with a positive enthusiastic 'Hooray'
Seriously for us JKciunas bodies 24bit would be heaven to hell with Daphile for the moment just deliver 24bit and we will be silent.

[tony]

Tony, download REW from http://www.hometheatershack.com/roomeq/ , into your laptop, hook it up to your system , plug the microphone into your laptop also and place it at head height(seated). You'll see the irregular waveform you are getting back for your smooth sweep. You may be able to improve the results with treatments and then see what the Acourate can do. The mike is only cheap sh1t from Maplins.
KM

No prob Ken I will have it downloaded for you to sort next time you call! I will provide the coffee.

[nige2000]

so 2 waveio users like daphile, maybe that's the common factor. Shall try setting up squeezelite on windows over the weekend to see if there is a difference between linux and windows, oh and shall be having another go at 24 bit.

ok tested vlc, Daphile, jplay 5.2 and mqn

done it as fair as i could left ethernet connected for all testing and all OS's powered via the usual sandisk 3.3v lifepo4 battery

i think Daphile is as good or close to jplay and nicer to use
Windows + VLC yea... next please

On the whole its quite impressive but still falls well short of MQn for me, timing maybe an issue, nothing seems as crystal clear as MQn in regards bass and detail
Daphile seems a little loose in bass for my liking

like the platform and the headless idea, turning the ethernet back on im not excited about

daphile has potential surely sbgk but your not off the hook
MQn just too damn good

[sima66]

so 2 waveio users like daphile, maybe that's the common factor. Shall try setting up squeezelite on windows over the weekend to see if there is a difference between linux and windows, oh and shall be having another go at 24 bit.

I will say, do whatever YOU think is the best, and what YOU think that can improve the already good sound of MQn.

[jrling]

Jonathan - glad you found similar results to me.

Aleg - sorry you didn't. Not a hint of "digitalness" in my set up and bass is as good as it gets (within the confines of my room).

I have it running on SSD with a pair of USB connected spinners for the library (probably not ideal but they are self powered and will do until I source a new 2tb internal SATA drive and a psu for that).

The only issue I have had is more a problem with the realtek wifi dongle I bought. I ended up using an old wireless router to create a repeater from my main wifi box which is on the other side of the house.

Mark

Ditto my experience. Mellow and fantastic bass.

I did the same re using old wireless router too!