Can I use a Windows tablet for my streaming?

Wes_in_VA

Super Member
I have an external hard drive connected to my wifi router. I had planned on using my laptop to stream FLAC files on wifi to a separate DAC using Foobar 2000 as my player.
As I've gotten more excited about the possibilities, and I come to realize how much I might really be using this, it's come to me that I don't want to sacrifice my laptop.
I'm considering getting a cheap ($100ish) Windows tablet to act in place of the laptop, but I'm not sure if that will work??
I've researched options but I'm more confused than enlightened. I'm hoping maybe this one is workable.
 
Not sure you can connect a tablet to your DAC Wes. There are a slew of mini computers out there right now. Like this Minix Neo that includes Windows 10. There are even cheaper alternatives out there if you are not set on Windows.
 
Windows Mobile tablet or just Pure Windows tablet? You have few solutions to stream music from tablet over WiFi or digital output or analog output... depends on OS in your tablet.
 
The ones I've been looking at run pure Windows as far as I know, and I was assuming that if I get one with USB ports I can output the digital signal via USB to my DAC?
 
Some general comments as I have no direct experience with Windows tablets. As always for best SQ it is crucial to be able to send a bit-perfect stream to your DAC, i.e. have a player that supports WASAPI. Windows Media Player is not one of them. Research if there is a good player app that supports WASAPI available for the OS you're buying. Beware of hardware running Windows RT - very poor 3rd party application support.
 
Some general comments as I have no direct experience with Windows tablets. As always for best SQ it is crucial to be able to send a bit-perfect stream to your DAC, i.e. have a player that supports WASAPI. Windows Media Player is not one of them. Research if there is a good player app that supports WASAPI available for the OS you're buying. Beware of hardware running Windows RT - very poor 3rd party application support.

VLC support Windows RT and also support WASAPI. VLC can be used as stream server and also it can to restream all video and audio files. I use VLC to send, restream and convert live video stream from my Dreambox to my mobile phone.
 
You can try to use Win86emu program on WinRT then try to install KODI Media Player. KODI is very flexible program and it can be used as stream server for all possible media files and also have option to direct provide audio stream to digital output.
I`m use KODI Player on KODI set top box but provide audio through SPDIF directly to my receiver. In that case KODI dont use own audio decoder, audio decoder is used in receiver.

Win86emu you can download from XDA Developers. It`s free...
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2095934
 
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Thanks for all of the input. It's helping to clarify some things that before had confused me.
I believe I'm leaning towards just buying a used Squeezebox Touch and feeding that into my Grant DAC 09.
 
I use a Windows Surface Pro 3 upgraded to Windows 10.

Picked it up cheap because screen is cracked and touch no longer works.
 
I pulled the trigger on a squeezebox touch today. I’m pretty excited.

Good move, I have several running in a multi room set up. Hard to find anything current that does the same job as well. Enjoy, let us know if you have any questions getting up and running.
 
The Microsoft surface has a USB port, so in theory it could be made to work. Much easier to pick up a used computer coming off lease or on an auction site, and do it. I just finished a ultra small HP for a friend. Total cost, including DAC and cables was 125. You have to shop, trade up, barter, bargain for that price, but I had time, and he will be pleased. Even without all that effort, a PC dedicated to playback can be done for 200.
 
Got the Touch yesterday. I had it up and running in a matter of minutes. I had backups of all my music files on a pc downstairs so I installed the Logitech Musi Server software on it.
I’m using iPeng on my iPhone as the remote so I can more easily see what’s playing.
I wish I had done this ages ago!

I’m not all that impressed with the DAC in the Touch so I’ll try it with my XiangShen DAC01A and see how that sounds. Regardless I’m happy.
 
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