Uniti: UPNP VS. Digital input

If you went down the nightmare route of the laughably named UPnP, what would you use as a player? What are you using as a DAC?

Hi,

Thanks for your reply! Yeah thats right. I have had a hard time figuring out how to set up everything for UPnP (I just say cover art ;-) ).

The server is Asset UPnP and my Uniti is the renderer. The other way is to use the optical input of my Uniti`s internal DAC connected to the optical out of the Mac mini (with iTunes and Amarra as a player).

What sonic differences can I expect? 

Thanks and greetings,

Sebastian 

Don*'t think this is a nightmare!

@ ragman: No I do not think it is a nightmare either, but I had to go through a lot of trial and error. Once everything is set up, its brilliant :-)

@ Richheart: Ah ok - thank you for sharing your experience! Do you think another software makes any difference (for example iTunes+Amarra) ?

My advice would be to try it and see. You have all the bits needed for both options don't you? Which vintage Mini is it? The later ones (no CD/DVD drive) are said to have lower jitter and would theoretically sound better (than the earlier ones) via SPDIF. UPnP better or worse? Can't say. Just try it.

I use a Mini via optical to my SuperNait. It works well. I have little desire to go the UPnP route, as you can probably gather.

Hi,

no I dont´t have the Mini yet. I ran Asset UPnP on an older Windows PC but that has died last week. I have the opportunity to get a 2007 Mac Mini with 4GB RAM and a small SSD installed. I could set up another old Windows PC for running Asset UPnP, but I thought it makes more sense to buy a Mini because I could either use it as a UPnP server or directly via digital out. 

I asked because if there were major arguments against the Mini digital out solution I could save my money and take another old windows machine I still have right away .

But I think I just buy the mini and see for myself. As a student Its all about budget ;-)

Thanks to all for your answers!! :-)

winkyincanada may have different experience, I have not tried iTunes+Amarra but I definitely prefer UPnP to JRMC (which is considered good). I am using a Lifatec Silfex toslink cable  and a 2012 Mini with SSD and still, the bottom line:

I prefer the UPnP (using standard CAT7 cable to the router and to the Qute).

I can hear the difference between 24/96 (the limit of the Mac) and 24/192

The older Mini may not cut it from a SQ via SPDIF perspective without a USB/SPDIF interface thing like a HiFace. If you're happy with UPnP, I'd just stick with that and run as inexpensive a PC as you can..

I just like laughing about UPnP, mainly because of the "Unequivocally Poor naming Policy" it is stuck with. It is certainly neither "Universal" nor "Plug'n'Play".

Didn't have had any Problems with it.

have used JRiver and it wOrks. Especially the possibility to create more than One mediaserver with it and the possibility to create additional Tags and later fitering by them was Great!

i have a huge number of classical Music and Standard Tags such genre a to less!

tags such sub genre or Opus are fine. Or periode also.

but this is an other story

but dlna, Streaming and using DAC with pc is nothing for People without techncal knowhow IMHO

Hmmmm - that HiFace thing sounds interesting too... I think I just play around with everything a little bit. At the moment I start to get very curious in listening to it for my self. I try to get that cheap Mac Mini (I think its a good basis for everything) and then go through the different scenarios. Perhaps I can save some money for a decent USB DAC, one that outperforms the Uniti´s built in DAC.  

Thank you all so far!

On my SuperUniti there is no comparison... UPNP is far superior (note that I stream with my router wired to the SU... I believe this is an important distinction). I have never had major issues with UPNP. I sometimes have IP dropouts, but this is easily resolved.

For UPnP I use Asset Server as well. I love the simplicity - everything works how it should, no messing around. And finally there is (beta) version for OSX :-)

I try to use Wifi only for the control point. Everything else is wired.

Hello again,

ok the Mac Mini is no longer available :-( Well it doesn´t matter... I have decided to stay just with UPnP for now as it works smoothly from my iMac in my office room. I still can buy a Mac Mini for playing around sometime...