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Hunting Unicorns

Why is it so difficult/impractical/impossible to design a music server requiring no external control device such as a laptop or tablet? The Aurender A100H seems nearest to what I want -- onboard storage, USB output, no DAC, no volume control. But as I understand it, even this requires "iPad control via the Conductor app" and offers no access to web-based streaming radio stations. So, like many others posting here, I'm "wasting" a Macbook Pro as my digital music source, feeding USB to a streamer/DAC/digital preamp combo device. 

To rephrase: why can't I have just one box receiving everything from everywhere, and sending anything via USB to my favorite outboard DAC? Of course this unicorn WOULD have its own dedicated remote that is not itself a computer.

Advance apologies for what is very likely a dumb question generated by an ancient, analog-wired brain.
hickamore

Showing 3 responses by erik_squires

erik_squires
15,657 posts
 
Here, you could do this:

https://archimago.blogspot.com/2017/03/howto-building-and-installing-raspberry.html

And even use Roon as the back-end. :)

Best,

E
erik_squires
15,657 posts
 
My unattainable object is something requiring no external multi-purpose device

Problem with that is the UI.

With a library, artists, internet radio of any size at all and a little appliance screen will not be enough.

If you don't mind going old school though, you could do a Logitech Squeezebox Touch or pi based clone.
erik_squires
15,657 posts
 
Roon has support for internet radio, streaming services and local files.

You can control your streamers via iPhone, Android as well as Mac and PC laptops. I use a hidden Linux box for the core, and a Raspberry Pi 4 (~ $180) as the streamer.

Right now the PC i am typing on has Roon for selecting music, but can do same via phone.
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