How do you listen to your digital files in your stereo?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Pizza, Dec 18, 2017.

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  1. Ham Sandwich

    Ham Sandwich Senior Member

    Location:
    Sherwood, OR, USA
    I'm doing computer as source.

    Windows laptop running JRiver Media Center >> USB connection to Schiit Gungnir MB DAC >> headphone amp(s)
    Music and video files are on a NAS
    JRiver has an Android app that can browse the library and control playback. Usually I use the laptop to control playback. Sometimes use the Android.
     
  2. Wngnt90

    Wngnt90 Forum Resident

    Dedicated 13" Windows laptop with Foobar 2000 installed. Usb out to a Cambridge Audio DacMagic 100, then out to my vintage integrated amp/amps via rca cables. Remote control supplied by the Foobar Controller Pro app installed on my Android phone and tablet.
     
  3. beppe

    beppe Forum Resident

    Location:
    Venice, Italy
    Flac files on Nas - wifi to laptop - m2tech hiface - Nos DAC - preamp - amp (both Electrocompaniet) - Ruark Accolade loudspeakers. Nordost cables.
    Enough for my ears.
     
    timind likes this.
  4. Seafinch

    Seafinch Preferred Patron

    Location:
    United States
    Sonos Connect > W4S Remedy Reclocker > Line Magnetic 502CA
     
  5. jasn

    jasn Forum Resident

    Location:
    Outer-Cape, MA
    I ethernet mostly ALAC files (still addicted to iTunes) from a Synology NAS to an Asus Chromebox running Kodi and LibreELEC. From the Asus I have both an HDMI feed directly to a Marantz SR7010 (using the AK4458 DAC chip) or, for dedicated 2-ch, a USB connected Emotiva Stealth DC-1.

    I see a few posters above running a headphone minijack directly from their laptops into receivers and amps. There are some great ~$100 USB DACs worth looking in to that would be a very nice upgrade to your gear.
     
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  6. Carl Swanson

    Carl Swanson Senior Member

    Laptop -> USB -> Sound Blaster E5 -> TOS link -> receiver (when listening on speakers.)

    When listening on headphones, I tap the SB E5 directly.
     
  7. AJH

    AJH Senior Member

    Location:
    PA Northern Tier
    iMac Computer with all music files on an external 2tb SSD (all music files backed-up on numerous other drives). Music files are either AIFF, DSD, or ALAC. Files are played with Audirvana Plus 3.1x and sent via USB to a PS Audio DirectStream DAC. The DirectStream’s output is sent to my main audio system and listened to through full range floor standing speakers.
     
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  8. Edgard Varese

    Edgard Varese Royale with Cheese

    Location:
    Te Wai Pounamu
    Server > Oppo 205 > vintage Kenwood amp. :)
     
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  9. SirMarc

    SirMarc Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cranford, NJ
    Either Android phone or tablet loaded up with flacs and hi Res files using USB Audio Player Pro to Bifrost 4490 through USB, or Android phone with Bubble UPnP to Chromecast audio to Bifrost via optical.
     
  10. Bachtoven

    Bachtoven Forum Resident

    Location:
    US
    Windows laptop running JRiver Media Center to USB connection on my Esoteric K03 CD/SACD player.
     
  11. brendans

    brendans Forum Resident

    Location:
    colorado
    Currently in the midst of ripping everything to play on hard drive > rasperry pi with hifiberry > Schitt Bifrost multibit

    For streaming, Spotify to Chromecast Audio
     
  12. Arnold_Layne

    Arnold_Layne Forum Resident

    Location:
    Waldorf, MD USA
    In the car: Ipod Classic 160 GB controled via factor Dodge Uconnect audio system
    Phone: audio stored on 200GB micro sd card.
    Home: I have various ways to listen to digital. Laptop, PC, Sony HAP-S1, Oppo BDP-103
     
  13. patient_ot

    patient_ot Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    Surface 3 + Schiit Modi 2 Uber ----> Integrated Amp
     
  14. Jim Pattison

    Jim Pattison Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kitchener ON
    All of my music is in FLAC files stored on an external hard drive connected to my desktop computer. The music is streamed via Ethernet to four Squeezebox devices located in various rooms - a Squeezebox Touch, a Transporter, and two Raspberry Pi’s running piCorePlayer with HiFiBerry Digi+ output boards. Players are controlled by the Squeezepad app on my iPad.
     
  15. wgb113

    wgb113 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chester County, PA
    Mac Mini running Roon via USB to KEF LS50W.
     
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  16. Grower of Mushrooms

    Grower of Mushrooms Omnivorous mammalian bipedal entity.

    Location:
    Glasgow
    I have an ancient 3rd gen iPod, into which I stuck an 80 GB HDD and installed Rockbox open source firmware on. The iPod sits in a passive dock which gives a line level output, which I take to the Aux input of my control amp.

    Rockbox is a truly wonderful thing. I love that I can do things like use the Crossfade to mix 2 randomised tracks together for a period of overlap, while one fades out and the new one fades in. You can also display really large fonts, great for the short sighted gentleman such as myself.

    I could do the same kind of thing using Foobar or somesuch on a PC, but the old iPod doesn't take up any room on the stand, and probably consumes less energy.......
     
  17. Baroque

    Baroque Forum Resident

    Same here.
     
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  18. mark e

    mark e Forum Resident

    so many complicated solutions !
    i realise this makes me sound stupid, but i have no idea how most of these solutions are wired/controlled.
    obviously "laptop > (DAC) > amp" i get, but i was always lead to believe that the audio out of a laptop was low audio quality.
    and hanging a Dragonfly off a USB ports will cause trouble as eventually the USB port will suffer damage with the weight of the Dragonfly.
    but other than that, how are people directing NAS based archives into their amps?
    after research a few years ago i came to the opinion that i have to use Sonos Connect as i refuse to go down the iphone/iOS route.
    all other h/w suppliers only seem to provide controlling software that only runs on iOS/Android phones.
    and i don't really want to use my phone to sort out playlists etc.
    or, am i missing something obvious re a NAS/W10 option ?
     
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  19. Dreams266

    Dreams266 Forum Resident

    Location:
    NJ
    USB > Oppo
     
  20. Jack Flannery

    Jack Flannery Forum Resident

    Location:
    Houston, TX
    I can’t imagine a dragonfly screwing up a USB port. Just connect it to a little rat tail cable if it bithers you.
     
    mark e likes this.
  21. mark e

    mark e Forum Resident

    Please advise "Oppo", did a search and still not sure if they would be a good substitute to the Connect.
    Also, remembered why I dont use USB > Amp : bloody long cable from laptop to amp which would spoil the minimalism of my audio room.

    (i have been trying to find an alternative to the Connect due to the 65K library limit as i have mentioned elsewhere .. )
     
  22. Ham Sandwich

    Ham Sandwich Senior Member

    Location:
    Sherwood, OR, USA
    Do you try to keep your stored CDs alphabetized and organized?

    I've given up on keeping the stored CDs organized. They're now a disorganized mess. If I want to find a particular CD I have to plan on looking through every storage box to maybe find it.
     
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  23. elvisizer

    elvisizer Forum Resident

    Location:
    San Jose
    I'm using Roon- the server can run on Windows/Mac/linux/QNAP/Synology, the client that controls playback + organization + playlists runs on iOS/Android/Mac/Windows. You're definitely not stuck controlling things from your phone with this system.
    The files are streamed by the server to the client over your home network- the client then plays the sound back using whatever outputs are available on it.
    In my case, I run the roon server on a mac mini and the music library is stored a Synology NAS. My clients are my mac laptops, a Windows gaming PC, and a raspberry pi with an allo digione handling the output.

    And whoever told you that the dragonfly will wreck your USB ports is smoking something. if you're really worried about it, use a USB extension cable so the dragonfly isn't plugged directly into the port.
     
    Last edited: Dec 18, 2017
    Mr. Explorer and wgb113 like this.
  24. A downstairs office iMAC with iTunes and external HD with 3TB full of lossless music streams wirelessly via Airplay to an Apple Express upstairs and into my Stereo system. EZ as Pie!
     
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  25. mark e

    mark e Forum Resident

    And whoever told you that the dragonfly will wreck your USB ports is smoking something. if you're really worried about it, use a USB extension cable so the dragonfly isn't plugged directly into the port.

    no-one told me this.
    tis just my old man groove as i have killed many an audio out port with a cable hanging off it for months on end.
    ta for the pointer re Roon .. off to dig around about it.
     
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