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Best music server for the money

Looking to add a music server to my system. Current equipment is a Theta pre-amp and 5 channel amp Wilson Duettes and a JL Audio f113 sub. I love the ease and convenience of the Sooloos but not sure about the hardware or sound quality for the money. I really do not want to use a computer but would prefer to load rip and go.
Any help would be much appreciated

Thanks guys
bkoenig
rbstehno
1,401 posts
 
Every 1 of these options requires a computer. How are you going to rip music to a NAS drive? Also, how are you going to backup the NAS drive or any drive you use? If you go with any of these servers listed above with internal disks, you have to ask the questions since nobody lists these:
How do you backup the data
How do you increase disk capacity
If you buy 1 of these servers above that has a dac inside, how do you update the dac with new features that will be coming out? Dsd2 for example.
Because of all this, and with the quality of the output, I use a dedicated Mac mini with audirvana plus with multiple multi TB FireWire disks so there is fault tolerance with an external DAC all controlled thru ipad
doggiehowser
672 posts
 
Ripping CDs IMHO is a non issue. Even the new Minis don't have an optical drive anymore.

As for back ups, I agree that it could be an issue.

But the Sony does provide an app for you to make back ups of the music library. I personally like the ability of the Sony to run with local music files rather than trying to retrieve it off a network device.

FWIW I don't own the Sony but I see it as a way to get the computer out of computer audio. I too run a Mac Mini with JRiver and iTunes at the moment.
dmarkov
29 posts
 
Rbstehno,
Very valid questions, thanks! got me thinking. BTW, the developer in Mojo Audio explains why NAS isn't that good an idea for audio and what is a much better alternative sound wise, cheaper too.
"There is a common misconception that NAS drives are best for media server performance. NAS drives are optimized for multi-user file storage. For a single-user media server an AV drive has better performance. "

it's somewhere towards the end of his lengthy text. He doesn't specifically mentions the sound quality but he means it from what I figured out researching the topic

http://app.audiogon.com/listings/media-servers-mojo-audio-mac-mini-psu-upgrade-kit-b-stock-sale-2014-04-27-computer-audio-87106#TBDxHHiEcZjmtiXU.99
doggiehowser
672 posts
 
I find the noise from a spinning HDD (even an external one) is quite noticeable.

A NAS allows you to put the discs in another room.
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
I second the Antipodes server. I have used it as shows and is the best I have heard. Even FLAC and wav sound identical. Not on a PC or Mac.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
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