Using NAS as playback device?

Twill

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Oct 6, 2007
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Hi,

thinking of going the NAS route. I currently have an HRT Music streamer II hooked up to my system, and I play through it using my laptop with the music in FLAC stored locally.

I've noticed that the Synology DS112J says it can play through a USB soundcard or USB speakers directly if you like. sounds like an interesting option - assuming ti would work with my HRT DAC, particularly since I think you can use the DS Audio app to control playback, thus taking the PC out of the loop altogether.

If I had DS112J - HRT DAC via USB - amp as my system, are there any obvious flaws here that people are aware of in terms of sound quality?

I know the whole bit perfect thing is a bit of a moot point. I sit somewhere on the scale where I won't cry myself to sleep if I don't have it, but I would at least like this setup to function reasonably well if I'm going to go down that route.

I only ask because I've had real hastle with Foobar and my laptop and the DAC, messing around with WASAPI and ASIO and buffers and all sorts. Presumably the DS112J firmware would have to manage all the playback and pushing the music to the DAC, and I don't know how well equipped it is to do this.

Any thoughts or obvious barriers that come to mind?

Cheers.
 

jockey.wilson

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Jan 27, 2009
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Hi,

Funnily enough I was messing around with DS Audio on my DS212j this evening, feeding an Apple TV into my TV! Whilst the TV is hardly hifi, DS Audio is a great control point and makes for a potentially neat solution of NAS into DAC into amp.

As long as you rip lossless (I used DBpoweramp for ripping to FLAC) it's going to sound half decent!

If I were to start again, I may well have saved myself a shed load of cash and not bothered with the NDX, despite it sounding sublime. Let me know how you get on!
 

Xanderzdad

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I've been rebuilding my pc and so as an experiment plugged my Samson Studiodock USB speakers straight into my Synology 212j last weekend and controlled it from my iPhone via DSaudio.

Works really well and makes a very compact and low energy jukebox!
 

Julian_b

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Also check out the Vortexbox Appliance - my post in the same category as yours, talks about how well it works. You can play direct into amplified speakers using its internal sound card or direct into an AVR and use the AVR's internal DAC's or go via your network (if the AVR has network connectivity) to the AVR.

Another option at least...
 

Twill

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Oct 6, 2007
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Well in some ways I think low spec is better.

It sounds stupid, but when life is hectic, even waiting for Windows to haul itself through boot can be a barrier to getting any quality time with your music. At least the NAS will be on most of the time, ready and waiting to churn out tunes if you get a spare bit of time, burning less energy and taking a box out of the equation.

Space is also an issue, and by the time you've flipped the lid up on the laptop, and expanded the footprint by plugging the power cable in one side and the USB for the DAC in the other, it starts taking up a surprising amount of space.

Plus which, a fixed locus for entertainment is also valuable. 'I want to listen to some tunes, and I finally have 30mins to myself... where's my laptop... is it upstairs...' you can see where this is going.

I know all of these are minor niggles, but they are also the kinds of minor niggles which on a day to day basis get in the way of simply listening to music.

I'm just mulling the NAS into DAC into amp route, but it does have advantages in these areas I suppose. Plus which, you can hide it behind the sofa!

Cheers.
 

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