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Digital media server/players for a Skeptic?

I have all my music on a windows pc running itunes.  I mainly use airplay to listen on my apple TV connected to my receiver.  I then often use an ipad to change tunes and such.  My receiver also has airplay and sometimes I use that but can't really tell any difference between it and itunes. 

I do hate itunes though.  Slow, crashes a lot, hard to really manage a lot of files (~35,000 songs).  My music is mostly coded using whatever the highest rates of MP3 are. VBR 320 or something.  And I've given up on the various tools that try to fill in missing tags.

My current system is Ascend Sierra 2 mains, orb sides, Marantz 5009 receiver, Rega TT, nad preamp, nad cd player.  I will probably upgrade the marantz next year.  Don't even ask me about my interconnects.  I am not a belieber in the audio hoodoo. I use good cheap wire and cables.

So how much sound quality difference and usability/convenience do some of these music servers, decoders, whatever the heck they are really offer over using apple TV? 

Thx!



wolfernyc
wolfernyc OP
41 posts
 
Thank you.  So bluesound is basically storage and management of the music files, but the mytek does all of the decoding?   

Can one skip the dedicated DAC and just go direct into a receiver's optical in from bluesound? The mytek's pretty far out of my budget.

What do you need to do instead of reripping? 

I probably should re-rip all my CDs to flac anyway and create compressed files as needed for my ipod.   The tags are a mess and I've yet to find a tagging tool that isn't totally junk.  I've tried picard, tuneup, and a few others.  I have a ton of compilations and loads of really old MP3's.  The apps crash at anything over a 1000 files, which makes for a lot of manual work to feed them in.  Although I might look for a service to do them in bulk.  I have a lot of cds!

THx again

erik_squires
15,630 posts
 
Personally I find most of them overpriced when you can build your own 2TB Linux based music server for about $600 and get iPhone/Android app support..

If you are using the digital outs of your airplay I do think you'd benefit from a Wyred4Sound Remedy reclocker, as would Google Cast.

I rip everything to FLAC, but download some DSD as well, and use USB 2.0 to play to my DAC.

I'm not sure if it works with iTunes, but PS Audio's LAN rover is also a good solution, but again, $600 seems so pricey to me.
wolfernyc OP
41 posts
 
I could definitely get behind creating a dedicated linux or windows music server.  I have a spare micro sized lenovo that I could use.  It would just need more storage.  

What music software do you use to manage music on linux that replaces itunes?  What distro do you use?

What do you use as a DAC?  

Thx!


erik_squires
15,630 posts
 
I use Logitech Media Server, it's taken a life of it's own after Lotitech shut the division down. It has a very active open source development, that has added things like DSD and Chrome cast support, among others.  Take a look at my setup page, which was written for a Mytek Brooklyn, but would work for any USB 2.0 driverless DAC:

http://inatinear.blogspot.com/2016/08/ubuntu-mytek-brooklyn-dsd-setup-guide.html


sbank's avatar
sbank
3,378 posts
 
Since you sound enthusiastic about Linux servers, etc. check out Raspberry Pi 3 an incredible non-profit project that has evolved into a whole community etc. Computer audiophile has many discussions on it in the context you would want. NAS/storage, Pi as server and some options with dad built-in. $35- 75, no I'm not kidding! Cheers,
Spencer
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