Best way to get digital music library played through amp

[lazyade]

I have a Yamaha RX-V479 amp (with Q-Accoustics 3050 speakers, 7000 sub and 2020 surrounds). I have most of my music stored on a Synology NAS (and the amp is hard wired to my router / NAS). Most of my CDs have been ripped to Apple Lossless. I also have a few Sonos components in other rooms around the house.

I am trying to work out the best way to play my digital library through the amp, I see my options as:

1) using Yamaha's in-built media player

2) buying a Sonos Connect

3) playing via Spotify Connect (ie. ignoring my library)

I have a few questions that I can't seem to answer...

#1 (using the in-built media player) seems to be the most logical but I don't typically have my TV on when playing music and navigating the library is a little clunky. I have tried the app, which is better, but still takes time to scroll through the library (it doesn't seem to be indexed). I'm assuming there would be no quality degradation using this method - as it's just streaming from my ripped file?

#2 (Sonos Connect) would work, but it means shelling out £250 or so - the interface is great and would work well with the rest of my Sonos component, but I'm not sure if Sonos degrades the quality to play through its eco-system?

#3 (Spotify Connect) main question is, would I have detrimental quality to my ripped CDs? And you have the downside of not all my purchases albums are on Spotify.

What do you all think?

Cheers in advance, Adrian

 

[davedotco]

It's all about the interface, making it easy and pleasurable to access your music.

Personally I would research and spend a little more time with the Yamaha App, see if you can set it up in such a way that you can find and play your music with ease, I would be surprised if this is not possible, speak to Yamaha if you have to.

As far as control is concerned I like the Spotify App a lot, using it to control the streamer via Connect is simply the best way of playing music that I have found. That said, if it does not have the music you want to play, then it is not much use.

 

[splasher]

I would run a test to play something you know well from your library and then the same from Spotify connect and see whether you perceive a difference. From conversations with people, the difference between lossless and 320kbps seems to be really noticable to some and not to others and having decided which camp you fall into, will rule in or out option 3. There's no denying the convenience of Spotify Connect.

You could blind test by getting someone else to control the kit to avoid any bias, but to be honest if knowing it's not full quality is going to sway you, then the same thing would niggle away.

 

[The_Lhc]

#2 (Sonos Connect) would work, but it means shelling out £250 or so - the interface is great and would work well with the rest of my Sonos component, but I'm not sure if Sonos degrades the quality to play through its eco-system?

I'll answer this bit, no it doesn't. At Fixed (ie Full) Volume a Sonos Connect has been proven to provide a bit-perfect output. In fact, given that the output is 24-bits wide for a 16-bit file, it's using 8-bits purely for volume control, so it's still bit perfect down to quite a low volume level. If you want better than bit-perfect then I don't know what to suggest to you.

 

[hybridauth_Facebook_100004211376004]

The quality of sound from spotify at 320kbs really depends on the quality of the digital to analogue conversion . I use Spotify via Amazon fire tv box into my arcam ir dac.the sound quality compared to cd replay through my naim cd5i mk11 is negligible at worst.so before knocking spotifies 320 kbs files I suggest to have a think on what is being used to transport and convert the files to the amp in the first instance.It really is the most efficient way of listening to music I've found,with a huge library and little need to store a shed load of music on any kind of drive,it's all there at the touch of a phone or tablet screen.

 

[splasher]

The quality of sound from spotify at 320kbs really depends on the quality of the digital to analogue conversion....so before knocking spotifies 320 kbs files I suggest to have a think on what is being used to transport and convert the files to the amp

Not sure who was knocking Spotify. My suggestion of a test was because the OP was looking for a cost effective way to manage streamed music and if he's happy with the quality of Spotify as delivered and resolved through his existing kit, then that's the cheapest and easiest.

As I said, some people do find a big quality difference, for the record, I don't.

 

[hybridauth_Facebook_100004211376004]

No sorry bud,I wasn't pointing fingers,just some people in general knock Spotify cos it's not loseless. They'll blame the Spotify bitstream before taking a look at what they're actually using to play it on.

 

[his dudeness]

for the music on your nas just use the ds audio app and choose the amp for play back works brilliantly,and will wake the amp over lan.

 

[axman]

Hi, in case you are looking for wireless options, you can use chromecast audio (about 30 chuffs). Connect it to an optical input in your Yamaha, which already has a decent DAC.

Then you can play music directly from Spotify or Synology DS Audio app.

Cheap and simple.

 

[lazyade]

Thanks to all that have shared an opinion. I was happy to shell out the £250 for Sonos Connect, but wasn't sure if it would degrade the quality of the music - doesn't sound like that's the case. Interestingly, after posting this I discovered that purchased songs from iTunes don't download as Apple Lossless, but as 320 kpbs (I think this is correct), you can create a lossless version by clicking on the album - but this seems a phaff. Think I'll just buy CDs going forward and rip to Apple lossless - then give the CD to the local charity shop.

I should have added that I have an Apple TV box too, but I understand Apple Airplay does compress the audio - so it wouldn't be the best solution for playback.

 

[cheeseboy]

Think I'll just buy CDs going forward and rip to Apple lossless - then give the CD to the local charity shop.

sorry to be a bore, but if you give the cd away you no longer have any rights to have the music on your nas. You need to keep the cd otherwise you are left with a nas with lots of music on it and no trace that you ever bought the music in the first place.

 

[Jota180]

Think I'll just buy CDs going forward and rip to Apple lossless - then give the CD to the local charity shop.

sorry to be a bore, but if you give the cd away you no longer have any rights to have the music on your nas. You need to keep the cd otherwise you are left with a nas with lots of music on it and no trace that you ever bought the music in the first place.

I believe going by the law, even if you have proof you bought the CD, if you no longer possess it you no longer have the right to have a digital copy.

 

[chebby]

Think I'll just buy CDs going forward and rip to Apple lossless - then give the CD to the local charity shop.

sorry to be a bore, but if you give the cd away you no longer have any rights to have the music on your nas. You need to keep the cd otherwise you are left with a nas with lots of music on it and no trace that you ever bought the music in the first place.

I believe going by the law, even if you have proof you bought the CD, if you no longer possess it you no longer have the right to have a digital copy.

That's correct. It became legal for a year or two but then became illegal again because the record companies threw a strop and held their breath until they passed out and then threw their dinner everywhere.

I keep the CDs anyway after ripping them. (In folders and CD storage boxes).

 

[tonky]

As an aside what Synology nas setup do you have? And how do you find it as a means of storage?

cheers tonky

 

[record_spot]

Haven't read the entire thread, but Chromecast Audio for £30 is a simple and very effective way to access your music around the home. Bught one on a whim last weekend when I bought my new laptop and it's terrific.

I've hooked mine up to my passive pre's 3.5mm input, and it goes straight out to my actives. I stream Spotify and Tune-in radio from my iPod Touch and it's excellent.

 

[davedotco]

Haven't read the entire thread, but Chromecast Audio for £30 is a simple and very effective way to access your music around the home. Bught one on a whim last weekend when I bought my new laptop and it's terrific.

I've hooked mine up to my passive pre's 3.5mm input, and it goes straight out to my actives. I stream Spotify and Tune-in radio from my iPod Touch and it's excellent.

I heard there were some software gliches when it was released, hopefully fixed now...

Out of interest, have you tried plugging directly into your AEs, using the volume on the Spotify app?

Sorry to pump you for information, but this could be a really neat solution for a little 'project' I am helping with.

 

[record_spot]

Haven't read the entire thread, but Chromecast Audio for £30 is a simple and very effective way to access your music around the home. Bught one on a whim last weekend when I bought my new laptop and it's terrific.

I've hooked mine up to my passive pre's 3.5mm input, and it goes straight out to my actives. I stream Spotify and Tune-in radio from my iPod Touch and it's excellent.

I heard there were some software gliches when it was released, hopefully fixed now...

Out of interest, have you tried plugging directly into your AEs, using the volume on the Spotify app?

Sorry to pump you for information, but this could be a really neat solution for a little 'project' I am helping with.

Hi Dave, no worries. There's no suitable direct input for the CA to the actives, but I do have a jack from my headphones I can use. Will try over the next few days though and post.

 

[lazyade]

I have had a handful of NASs over the past few years (Netgear, LG and Synology), the Synology is way better than the others; mainly down to its interface which is excellent and very easy to use (and regulalry updated). I have the 413j with 4 x 1TB drives, 2 set for RAID backup (can't remember what # that is) and the other two used for my CCTV system.

 

[tonky]

Thanks for that lazyade - RAID - redundant array of independent discs - I just googled it. It's a means of backing up identical information using the 2 hard drives just in case one fails. That's the simple version - how it is in practice I'm not so sure. - I am probably looking at a 2 by 2Tb RAID setup.

cheers tonky