System improvement

[hybridauth_Facebook_856906864424803]

Hi,
I have the music stored on a hard drive (Lacie) and to play it in stereo system I use a PC ---- DAC (arcam ir dac) ------ amp Rotel RA10 ----- speakers EPOS K2. However, i'm looking for something more practical than the PC to manage and play the music as a source. Some help please?Thank you for your opinions.

 

[hybridauth_Facebook_100004211376004]

What's your budget,before we all start giving you exotic equipment to go dem.obvoiusly you don't really want to go spending 4-5 hundred quid on a standalone streamer as you already have a fine dac.3rd gen Apple TV is an option if you got tv close by to navigate it.sync iTunes with your pc ,optical out to the dac,it's not the most efficient way,but there's very little to chose from when you already have a dac,which ,like you I'm finding it hard to find something myself .at the moment I'm using the Amazon Fire tv(not the new one,it has no optical out)to stream Spotify connect,at a tenner a month it's good value and leaves you with little need for mass storage nas drives and streaming from a pc.I'm sure others will have some ideas which I'll also be keeping a kean eye on.

 

[hybridauth_Facebook_856906864424803]

thanks for your help.
in fact, I'm thinking of subscribing to spotify. in this case and to play the music from spotify to the stereo system what's the best solution?The aim is to replace the pc from the system for something more practical, and good quality too, with the possibility of remote control to manage without leaving the sofa, for example 🙂 Thanks

 

[fr0g]

Chromecast Audio. All the way.

I have now bought 2.

One I use via optical to my ADM9RS actives. The other via analogue to my kitchen...

Play spotify on your phone/tablet and tell it to use the CCA and all is set. It then plays from the device itself, and you could switch your phone off if you wanted.

Playing from your own collection...uses DLNA and sends from most devices.

Quality and reliability so far...100%

 

[hybridauth_Facebook_100004211376004]

The chromecast audio sounds like a good idea,good price,but if you prefer a hard wired option, I haven't found anything as yet better than the amazon fire tv box,yes you hook it and set it up with the tv but once it's running,you're device finds it and phone or tablet becomes the remote for spotify with the actual aftv receiving the music hard wired to the net .so you can use it without needing the tv on,but it still needs to be connected via hdmi to the tv and the optical out to the dac,but it has to be the last model as the new one...like the new Apple TV has no optical out, and I really don't know what there thinking about with the omission of a digital out on these devices.So if you already have a decent dac and want to stream music to a two channel amp without spending on a dedicated streamer that will have it's own dac,then the options seem to be...chromecast audio,last gen Amazon fire tv or maybe an older Logitech squeezebox,but I'm not sure if there is any support for them anymore,and if you're in apple world then stream music you already have on iTunes from your pc to a last gen(3rd)Apple tv,apples music streaming service is not available on the 3rd gen atv in case your thinking of that option (i have one)it's available on the new version i believe,but that ain't got any digital out capabilities,unless you use a digital reciever via it's hdmi socket. If anyone has anymore options I'd be glad to hear them.oh,also the ps4 can use Spotify connect,but would you really want to be using that for Spotify plus gaming.I'd rather keep my ps4 for just it's gaming and maybe movie playing abilities to keep the hrs use down.if you know what I mean?

 

[George Hincapie]

I am pondering this issue myself at the moment.

I wonder whether a small tablet (Amazon Fire - £35 ATM) could be used? As I understand it, you can't use a straight USB connection between tablet and DAC because there's a support issue in Android with USB Audio apparently. So, what I may try is to get the Fire tablet and something like this and stream via bluetooth. I make that £75 all in. Not bad?

 

[hybridauth_Facebook_856906864424803]

Thank you for all the suggestions.In fact, the chromecast Audio seems like a good solution at a good price. just to confirm if I understand correctly, can use the chromecast Audio connected to an external dac (to my arcam ir dac)? Thanks

 

[hybridauth_Facebook_100004211376004]

Bluetooth and airplay degrade sq,hence the reason that a hard wired connection to the internet is prefered. If you're gonni spend £75 then the Amazon fire tv is available for that or less and i'm assuming you already have some sort of mobile device to use as the remote with Spotify connect,Bluetooth streaming sounds pretty harsh ime.

 

[hybridauth_Facebook_100004211376004]

Yep.the chromecast audio has optical out,but no ethernet connection to the Internet (wireless only)if this is important to you.

 

[Macspur]

I use a Sonos connect hooked up to my amp and use an old iPhone as a remote. The downside is that without a NAS I have to have the PC turned on if I want to play files from the hard drive... Fortunately I still prefer CD, so not a real problem for me.

I do listen to Spotify and Deezer through Sonos quite a bit too... looking to get a reasonably priced DAC now.

Mac

www.macsmusic.blogbubble.net

 

[George Hincapie]

Bluetooth and airplay degrade sq,hence the reason that a hard wired connection to the internet is prefered. If you're gonni spend £75 then the Amazon fire tv is available for that or less and i'm assuming you already have some sort of mobile device to use as the remote with Spotify connect,Bluetooth streaming sounds pretty harsh ime.

Thanks for that Mark. I haven't tried it myself, I was just musing how I could make it work technically. My preference would be for a straight USB connection between the DAC and tablet, but getting it to work isn't straightforward (from what I have read). I wonder if I may have any more luck with a Windows based tablet? The issue is with the OS, not the USB standard.

 

[hybridauth_Facebook_100004211376004]

If it's the arcam ir dac,then it'll only connect with Apple devices using usb.but it'll take a coaxial or optical feed from anything (Windows pc's need to download drivers from arcam)for the control connection.(think that's what it's called from the top of my head).btw I think I hit the report button by accident when replying,sorry it wasn't meant.

 

[George Hincapie]

I have just been having another look around this morning while my children are playing Batman on the Wii U *biggrin*

This actually looks like it might work. We have an old iPad laying around so all of the streaming services can be accessed remotely and played over USB to the DAC. There must be similar products from other manufacturers.

 

[George Hincapie]

If it's the arcam ir dac,then it'll only connect with Apple devices using usb.but it'll take a coaxial or optical feed from anything (Windows pc's need to download drivers from arcam)for the control connection.(think that's what it's called from the top of my head).btw I think I hit the report button by accident when replying,sorry it wasn't meant.

I have the AudioLab M-DAC, so I can connect to pretty much any source as long as it will a. output via USB audio and b. I can find an appropriate device > USB cable for it.

 

[hybridauth_Facebook_100004211376004]

I'm not familiar with the m-dac,but try it and see/hear if it works,don't see why it shouldn't. The arcam ir dac was designed with apple devices in mind,they seem to get on like a house on fire,they've always had docks for them in the past and are continuing with a new lightning doc as well.it'll hook up to a Mac without the need for any drivers unlike pc's,anyway you'll not be interested,having the audiolab .lol

 

[George Hincapie]

Indeed. Thanks though

 

[paulkebab]

is for the USB input if using 192khz files.

Also consider the WDTV which will read any hard drive and has a front USB port.

 

[hybridauth_Facebook_856906864424803]

Hi,

After some research, i think google cHROMECAST AUDIO is a good value but is not available to play tidal service for example. Do you know if there is something similar to cHROMECAST AUDIO[/b] to play Tidal and with the possibility of connection to an external dac?

Thanks