Digital music files
Posted by: rjc52 on 28 July 2016
I use vinyl as my main source, but do have a lot of hi def FLAC files and ripped CDs on a laptop, which I play via a DAC into my 42.5 preamp. It is a bit of a nuisance to connect up the lap top each time, so is there a dedicated piece of kit that could hold all of my digital music files and allow me to play them through my preamp? Please excuse my ignorance of the digital realm.
Get a Mac Mini with Audirvana 2+. As you use a laptop now it is going to be ease for you. A basic MM wil suffice.
Audirvana has an app for iphone/ipad that is also ease to use and if you like to contract Qobuz or Tidal it also has integration with those services.
Erich posted:Get a Mac Mini with Audirvana 2+. As you use a laptop now it is going to be ease for you. A basic MM wil suffice.
Audirvana has an app for iphone/ipad that is also ease to use and if you like to contract Qobuz or Tidal it also has integration with those services.
+1
+1
and for best quality set Audirvana up in ultimate mode, use dedicated usb output not the MM's soundcard outputs, and, either if your DAC doesn't have a usb input or doesn't have exemplary isolation including RF filtering on the usb input, use a good isolator or isolator/converter between MM and DAC (Gustard U12 is great).
If you want cheapest MM with user upgradable drives a secondhand late2012 version is ideal, otherwise if you buy with adequate capacity more recent will be fine. Min spec for Audivana is 4MB RAM, but more would ensure no glitches with large hi-res files. It lends itself to running 'headless' without a screen and keyboard, music control via the phone/tablet app, and anything else controlled by VNC remote control software from any computer (or tablet) or music control that way too, but awkward from a touchscreen device'
Thanks for the replies. Very helpful and much appreciated.
+1 also.
A low-end Mac Mini and Audirvana into the DAC is the way to go. It's a funny bit of software, but it sounds great. I'm listening to it right now, and Joanna Newsom sounds lovely.
As an aside, how rare is it everyone agrees? We should close this thread now before someone starts maundering on about the Chord Mojo or how life was better when we only had wax cylinders.
Its not exactly a wax cylinder but another option you might consider is an Auralic Aries Mini. It has internal connection support for a hard drive and also supports internet radio and Tidal, in fact if you are in the US a two year subscription to Tidal is included in the price. I've been using one, sans hard drive, as a streamer into an nDAC and the sound quality and tech support are outstanding. Add the drive and you have an all in one NAS and streamer (there is a DAC built in as well but I've not used it), and Auralic's Lightning DS software runs a treat on any iPad or iPhone. There are many reviews online which explain all of its capabilities.
Actually the free US Tidal subscription is for one year. Size of the device is about the same as a Mac Mini, cost is $549 (no hard drive).
Tallan posted:Its not exactly a wax cylinder but another option you might consider is an Auralic Aries Mini. It has internal connection support for a hard drive and also supports internet radio and Tidal, in fact if you are in the US a two year subscription to Tidal is included in the price. I've been using one, sans hard drive, as a streamer into an nDAC and the sound quality and tech support are outstanding. Add the drive and you have an all in one NAS and streamer (there is a DAC built in as well but I've not used it), and Auralic's Lightning DS software runs a treat on any iPad or iPhone. There are many reviews online which explain all of its capabilities.
What other renderers (streamers) have you compared the Aries with?
A few, including various Macs and PCs, Naim Unitiserve, Cambridge Audio, Grace Digital, Logitech.