Streaming high res to your main system

I am thinking about changing my digital setup to allow for high resolution streaming, but I am not really sure of a solution out there that does what I want.

What I have now: I have an Apple setup. I run iTunes on a laptop. It manages my library, which mostly consists of my Apple Lossless encoded CD library. I use AirPlay to stream the content to my Apple TV, which has optical out to the DAC in the preamp of my main system. The iTunes remote app in iOS makes this an especially great option. I like this a lot because I can stream lossless content to my DAC with the touch of a button.

Now, as you probably know, Apple AirPlay is fairly limited. Regardless of the source, AirPlay will make the file 16/44 Apple Lossless before sending it over the network. For my CD collection, this is great - the source is already 16/44 ALAC so I am good to go. But, I am starting to get more interested in high res files. I have all the new 24/96 zeppelin and the 24/96 from the new big Dylan box. Right now, the only real solution I have to be able to play them on my nice system is to load the files on to my MacBook Air, drag it over to the computer, plug it into the USB DAC on my pre-amp and play the files directly on the laptop.

Surely there must be a better way. Having to move files on to the laptop and drag it over to the pre-amp, plug it in via usb is just not scalable or convenient. How are you guys doing this? Any ideas? I toyed with the idea of a dedicated mac mini in my main system that would just run iTunes and be permanently USB connected to my DAC but it seems like a little bit of overkill.

Is there some kind of networked device kind of like Apple TV and some other software one could use to do something similar that supports high res files?

I want to be able to use these files conveniently.

Thanks!

 

File server connected to the DAC via ethernet or direct cable.

 

So what is an inexpensive device that will read from network attached storage and pass the data to the DAC?

 

I plug in a mini display port to HDMI adaptor to the back of my iMac and so have HDMI going into my amp.

When you use this you need to open Audio Midi Setup from the Utilities and match the output to the source.

If you don't do this playing a hi-rez file may still output at 16 bit, and, I'm not sure on this, output a 44k file at 48k.

This also sends the screen to the amp, and this is good for using VLC to play content from iMac to hi-fi and the big TV. When I play an audio file I just have the big TV off.

 

So basically, there is no easy solution to do this? Like I said, my best idea so far was a dedicated mac mini, but I wanted to see if there was a better less involved way. Boy, if somebody would make a network connected widget similar in size to the apple TV that could take FLAC, ALAC, etc files streamed to it over a network, then pipe it out via optical, and make awesome software to go with it that would manage the music library they would make a killing.

Apple is SO close with AirPlay and AppleTV, just lacking the high resolution support. iTunes isn't the greatest thing in the world, but it works for most of my needs. Well, one can hope right?

 

A couple of days ago I set out to solve this same problem. I ended up building a Raspberry Pi media server for under $100, and I was amazed at how easy it was. Loaded an SD card with the image of Runeaudio, plugged in a USB hard drive with music files (and pointed it to network shares), and plugged it into the USB input of my DAC. Remote control via web interface, plays any resolution of file including DSD.

I can't recommend this enough. It sounds real, real good, cost next to nothing, and was trivial to set up.

 

It's only a matter of time...

I have a Mini as a home server (not a music server only) that sends the the bits to DAC through usb. While waiting a proper solution, I've experimented with different VNC (and such) techniques, but as one can suppose, they're clumsy and slow, too. A dedicated music-oriented system is the way to go (not the Apple-TV).

I've waited the Audirvana remote for couple of years and now it finally seems to be out: Audirvana+. There will be other remote control alternatives, too, (also for linux etc.) but not a one so tightly integrated as Audirvana. At least not yet. However, it takes some computing power run a few terabyte music-base: Audirvana first makes a database of all the music files (and utilizes the metadata!) so one can do easy searches based on artist, composer, year - you name it. I tried the ver.2 with library manager and it got my late 2009 Mini on its knees. It sure played also the hires files but the search and other functions were terribly sloooow. So computing power and a lot of ram are needed with Audirvana system.

I'm waiting a system without the bloody library manager (and play the files with earlier Audirvana+).

 

That seems like a good idea there. Never played with a rasberry pi but keep hearing about them. Runeaudio looks cool

 

I was initially put off by the idea because it seemed like it required a lot of fiddle, but from UPS dropping off the kit to playing music was about thirty minutes.

I used to use a Mac Mini server with Audirvana and it was generally kind of a PITA. The way the Runeaudio server is a single-purpose appliance makes it feel more high end and being able to use the USB DAC is excellent.

 

I am very intrigued by this now! Seems like pretty much exactly what I am looking for. Would you mind posting details on what hardware kit you got?

Once you get the kit and throw the Runeaudio OS on the machine, then what? How do you connect to configure it? You initially plug in a monitor or what?

 

I habe a Chromecast for streaming shows and Youtube etc to the TV.

Tried plugging it into my reveiver instead and was able to stream Spotify fromy Android phone

 

Have you looked at the Bluesound Node 2? I do not own one, but it's on my radar as a replacement for my current squeezebox. It seems to handled both large collections and hi rez.

 

If I were starting today, I'd also consider Bluesound but you may want to consider the Audioengine D2 (http://audioengineusa.com/Store/D2-24-Bit-Wireless-DAC), which has the additional benefit of being a point-to-point system outside your wifi. It's necessary for me since I run a desktop system rather than a laptop.

Pair this up with Pure Music or any package that relegates iTunes to a library management system and you should be in great shape. Similar to Bluesound, it has the benefit of being expandable for additional receiving stations in the event you have multiple systems.

 

A Raspberry Pi with an i2s DAC. All should cost less than 150 bucks for high quality playback

 

In addition to rune audio for raspberry there is volumio and mood which look exactly the same. Volumio 2 will be out soon and looks promising.

 

I think a dedicated computer is the least involved method, though not the cheapest. I have an old MacBook Pro connected directly to my DAC. It's great. I keep the iTunes Library on an external hard drive which automatically mirrors itself to a 2nd hard drive and also backs up to Amazon Glacier. It's so simple and easy.

I too really like Remote.app and I like being able to control things on the laptop itself when needed.

 

I'm definitely going to try out the HiFiberry DAC+ in my setup. The OP's McIntosh C2500 likely trumps it though

 

Interesting story there, I started with Volumio, and I thought it was cool, but things didn't work very well. As you say, Runeaudio and all of these MPD players seem about the same, but things that didn't work out of the box on Volumio did on Runeaudio. Combined with liking the blue color scheme more then Volumio's green, I'm sold.

 

There's no need to use a monitor at any phase, thankfully. The first time you use it you need it connected to hardwired ethernet, then you point your browser to http://runeaudio.local and use the web interface to change it to wifi. It's not very hard to set it up to point at files over the network, but if you're going to use a USB drive with it there's nothing really else to do. Runeaudio's website gives painstakingly idiot proof instructions on how to prepare the memory card as well.

The items you need to buy are the Raspberry Pi 2 B, a case, a specific Edimax $10 wifi dongle, power adapter, and an SD card. And some kind of USB storage if you don't have it.

Basically, you could get this $70 kit: http://www.amazon.com/Raspberry-Com..._UL160_SR160,160_&refRID=159DY6M5T1Z44KNABGBJ I bought the components piecemeal as I wanted a different case and didn't need an HDMI cable.

 

Here's my post about setting up a Raspberry

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/raspberry-pi-i2s-dac.471523/#post-13164367

 

It was the same for me except rune didn't word and volumio and moode did. I chose moode for the artwork and the red/blue color scheme.

 

i have the same but with a hifiberry added on which gives me optical out. I am also using volumio instead of runeaudio (no problems here). I can play hi res but also spotify premium. It all sounds great.

 

Does Moode find the artwork immediately? I noticed Volumio seemed artwork free, and Rune has it but it often takes it a while to display it.

 

Yeah moode finds it instantly. I have all my music on a synology nas. With the artwork in the folder. Named folder.

Volumio 2 will have artwork. I think the volumio people are completely redoing their design.

 

Forgive me, but if I want it to connect to the DAC in my preamp why do I need a DAC on the Rasberry Pi?