Control with Remote Desktop

Posted by: Hot Rats on 30 May 2011

I have a Naim DAC with XPS Power Supply. I use an M2Tech Evo with Paul Hynes power supply to feed digital signals into the DAC.

 

To control the DAC I have a laptop running Windows 7 (x64) with J.River Media Center installed. This works although there are sometimes problems, caused by the fact that the Windows operating environment is a pile of junk. I wanted to be able to control my digital system from the comfort of an armchair so I got a Samsung notebook and connected through my home network. Big mistake! Unless you have a perfect Internet service do not try this as it will not work. Clicking on the Samsung produces an instant response from the desktop but I have to wait anything up to a minute before I see a response on the Samsung screen.

 

I must admit to being pretty sick of digital audio. It doesn't sound anywhere as good as analogue.

 

Save your money folks ... Go buy an LP12 and some records

Posted on: 30 May 2011 by likesmusic

Why cut yourself off from the last 30 years of music?

Posted on: 30 May 2011 by DavidDever

You're addressing two obvious issues with computer-based audio:

  1. remote control and configuration
  2. default sound quality

In both cases, there should be no reason why, with a suitable amount of effort, you shouldn't be able to get the results you want on a Windows PC (or so we're told). The question becomes–is this effort something you want to expend? Or, do you want this to be relatively easy?

 

At the moment, my wife is streaming iTunes Store purchases over AirPlay into a NaimUniti (via an AirPort Express connected digitally into the rear of the unit). Control is via an iPad or either of our iPhones. This is not the last word in sound quality, mind you, but it does work.

 

That said–I still think that UPnP-based streaming sounds better–and it's relatively easy to control. You may simply have chosen a platform for which the effort required to configure and manage the system exceeds your skill and/or patience level.

Posted on: 30 May 2011 by Hook

Hot Rats -

 

If I read your post correctly, you have your laptop feeding the DAC.  Is that network connection hard-wired?  Are your music files local, or on a NAS?

 

Also, what remote control software are you running on the Samsung?  I had little success with any of the VNC variants.  Remote Desktop Connection has worked very well for me using a wireless connection, but this would require your laptop to be at Windows 7  Professional or Ultimate.   Might also help if your laptop is doing nothing but running JRMC.

 

Does the Samsung see a strong signal from your router?   Does the minute go shorter if you are closer to the antenna?

 

Like Dave says, there is no reason to think that the problems you are running into can't be solved, but it would take some effort to analyze what's going on.  Given the investment in the DAC/XPS2, I would think the effort to be worth it, but it's your call of course.

 

Good luck.

 

Hook

 

Posted on: 31 May 2011 by Pev

Hard to tell from your post precisely what your setup is but I control my system from my sofa just by using a wireless mouse and keyboard. A usb dongle would plug in to your laptop. You would only need a notebook if your laptop is in another room. If the laptop screen is too far away and you don't want to move it, hook up a remote monitor in a convenient place - I actually use my tv which is between my speakers anyway. Not sure why you are blaming Windows 7 - it's fine if configured correctly and from posts on here, Apple systems are far from trouble free!