Streaming from Mac

Put a UPnP server such as Asset on your Mac and the streamer will be able to see your music files. 

No idea what the Mac input option might be, though!?

Before I installed Audirvana on my Mac Mini to use as a store-renderer feeding a DAC direct, I used it for a short time as a network server in place of a NAS. I used the free Serviio UPnP app, and the player was an ND5XS. It worked very effectively, the ND5 readily finding and playing anything in my collection, despite much of it having poor or incomplete metadata [though systematically filed) - doing that far better than Audirvana frustratingly manages with any music that does not fit its expectations re metadata. 

So Serviio could be worth a try, at zero cost, otherwiise I’m sure a number of other server apps could be used, as ChrisSU has suggested. Even the latest version of Audirvana can be used as a UPnP server, though I don’t recommend it if there are any imperfections in your music’s metadata, and anyway that defeats what to me is the singular benefit of Audirvana, its excellent sound quality as a renderer (when appropriately optimised.

I omitted to add, a primary benefit of a NAS is that it is designed to be permanently on, and with limited functions nothing else is likely to risk interrupting the music stream. If left permanently on, the choice of hard drive in whatever machine, computer or NAS, would best be one designed for such a purpose, to maximise its reliability.

The NAS I used, a Zyxel NSA325 was about the cheapest one I could find, and works adequately but I wanted to replace it because it was noisy (acoustically), and I wanted it to be in te music room for the most direct path. By contrast, the  Mac Mini is virtually silent - it does have a fan, but low speed and very quiet, and only audible within about 2 feet of it in a quiet room (and I use SSDs so not even hard drive noise, though that may not be of significance).

ChrisSU posted:

Put a UPnP server such as Asset on your Mac and the streamer will be able to see your music files. 

No idea what the Mac input option might be, though!?

Good suggestion from Chris - Asset works very well on a Mac and is very unobtrusive, it's also free for basic usage.

You can create several shares quite easily if for example you wanted to have separate 'servers' for classical and other music.  Something I plan to do at some stage - I have an older WD MyCloud with Twonky which tends to be slated, but isn't too bad though lacks flexibility.

Depending on the age of the iMac and spec,  your internal startup drive may not have a huge capacity especially if it's an SSD - personally I'd dedicate an external portable USB drive to store the music - I'd avoid storing the audio somewhere else on the network.

Ive been running Roon Core on a Macbook Pro, and far too often I have to go over to the Macbook and take it out of some sleep-like state so that my iPhone can see the Core server.  Ive gone thru the OSX settings and presumedly made it so that it doesn't really "sleep," but nevertheless.  I'm not convinced that a laptop is anywhere close to the right hardware to be using for a server; my QNAP nas is where my Asset server lives and its a much better experience. (I"ve ordered a small Intel-based fanless computer to run Roon Core.)

BenW posted:

 

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Looking at the new iOS app today I noticed the 'Mac' option on the input selections - not noticed that before, is it new?

 

My guess would be that this might relate to Bonjour services on the network, and I'm not sure where Apple is heading with those as there used to be a Bonjour browser option in Safari which would show devices such as networked printers and other hardware identifying itself via the protocol.

Cheers all.  The iMac is in the study and feeds my second system directly, (Audiolab M-dac+, NAP150, PMC DB1is and an imminent TLE1 arriving this week woop woop). Mostly tidal and the local Flac collection.  It's a good spec current model, with one of those fusion drives, large HDD with an element of Flash.  Works perfect for local audio.  My front room has the UQ2, driving PMC FB1is - thats the one I want to stream to.

I'll try one of the Mac uPnP servers then - tbh I could live with the occasional 'wake it up' issue, if it meant I was only maintaining one store - the WD was quiet, but slow and flaky and now needs replacing.  If the Mac uPnP works ok, that saves a bunch on replacement .

'Busy' conflicts aren't an issue - I live on my own and only use one system at a time. the UQ is wired ethernet, so no WiFi issues either.

Thanks for that - I just wondered if I'd missed something!

How are you feeding the MDAC in your second system - what is doing the rendering? If it is using the Mac’s own osftware then you could probably achieve better quality installing Audirvana, which is well renowed as one of, if notbthe, best rebpnderers available for a computer. Fully optimised it can give a very good output via a dedicated usb bus. (I compared my Mac Mini with Audirvana with Melco N1A and found them indistinguishable, using Chord Dave DAC, Bryston 4B power amp and PMC Fact 12 speakers in a dealer’s treated listening room.)However depending on how susceptible the MDAC is to RF interference (especially groun dplane modulation), it mightbneed an in-line isolator because the computer is a significant source of RF.

The significane of this is that Audirvana now also has a UPnP mode where itbcan stream to your primary system, so the same software uasable with both systems. IF you getbon with Audirvana’s library handling - which mostbpeople apparently do, perhaps having better metadata than my collection - then it could be a neat abd effective solution that also improves no.2 system. Audirvana is available as a free frial (though that is not including its remote control app usable on a phone or tablet, which is chargeable - but not essential for a trial.

M-Dac is not used in the second system, just UQ2s built in Tidal support, or RadioP, or the UQ2's own support for upnp from the old NAS.  TBH I wasn't blown away by Audirvana when I trialled it, or with roon - neither tempted me to part with actual ££! No issues with the M-dac at all, I've been very happy with that, which is good given how long I spent listening to different Dacs!  The query is more about providing the UQ2 in the other room with a stream from the Mac, and the proposed upnp options seem like they're worth trying.

BenW posted:

M-Dac is not used in the second system, just UQ2s built in Tidal support, or RadioP, or the UQ2's own support for upnp from the old NAS.  TBH I wasn't blown away by Audirvana when I trialled it, or with roon - neither tempted me to part with actual ££! No issues with the M-dac at all, I've been very happy with that, which is good given how long I spent listening to different Dacs!  The query is more about providing the UQ2 in the other room with a stream from the Mac, and the proposed upnp options seem like they're worth trying.

Not important, but I’m confused as to which system is ‘second’, as an earlier post of yours says the MDAC is system 2, so by implication the UQ is system 1, , and this seems the other way round... ! Maybe I’m misreading something.