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PC as source component
- Thread starter RobV
- Start date
drjohnnyfeva
Well-Known Member
Ah, new information has come to light! I'll have to try that from the AE-5 to the Sony I have on the LR TV... That's one I've been running from the traditional headphones to the receiver because of connection limitations, but I think the Sony has a digital in...
drjjpdc
Member
A question about listening to files on my Dell Laptop. In the Windows media player Is “off” identical to “flat” in the equalizer settings? Because if I turn it on but leave it flat, I could hear bass notes more pronounced. I was listening to a Hi-end FLAC download of a Reference Recordings by Dick Hyman.
Bubo
Super Member
It is difficult to know how Microsoft implemented their Equalizer feature
Perhaps the engineers decided to give it a little extra bump
Perhaps there is more than one DSP chip or use of different filters or both.
Also no set of headphones is flat, nor speakers.
I would trust your ears, and what is best for you
You can't break anything experimenting.
drjohnnyfeva
Well-Known Member
If you right click on the screen of the player there is an "Enhancements" option in the dialogue box that pops up. One of the options in there is SRS WOW Effects. There is definitely a bass bump in there and I think what's now called a "visualizer" feature in other equalizer type programs. I know that the Sound Blaster Command program has something similar. But, nevertheless, check thru those other enhancement features. If they are on, they do alter the sound.
Also, "Flat" would not be the same as off... If the equalizer is off, and all of the other enhancement settings off too, that would be the unadulterated feed thru the WMP. There's no setting for flat, but you could customize the EQ to "flat" to see what happens. But if it is off there is no "enhancement."
But do check that SRS WOW setting in there, it has a pretty substantial effect on the bass. You should exaggerate the both the TruBass and Wow Effect on there to see what they actually do. I used it in the past, particularly before I got a sub in my LR system. I'm pretty sure it is turned off now because the sub gets all the bass I need.
A really good player for music that doesn't get in the way is Foobar. I really like that one. Plus with some changes to the UI you can make your own "face" on the player. The only enhancement Foobar gives you by default is a "gain" slider.
A couple of years down the line..
And I'm about to set up my first dedicated music player PC, especially to run native files, no streaming.
What's your favorite software/hardware setup?
Current thinking: Volumio or Daphile on a repurposed older laptop, via usb to a dedicated DAC (should be the best option at 32-bit/768kHz PCM), to line-in on (pre-)amplifier.
IF I can easily do better please feel free to share!
And I'm about to set up my first dedicated music player PC, especially to run native files, no streaming.
What's your favorite software/hardware setup?
Current thinking: Volumio or Daphile on a repurposed older laptop, via usb to a dedicated DAC (should be the best option at 32-bit/768kHz PCM), to line-in on (pre-)amplifier.
IF I can easily do better please feel free to share!
Old android phones make even better streamers - and can remain permanently attached to the designated system!
Both excellent options, but I lean towards Daphile, because it offers more (and slightly better) user interface options.
On that subject - I hope you realise those user interface options must always be on a separate device - both Volumio and Daphile are headless; once installed there is no graphical output on the host device. Sure, you can still install them on a laptop, but once installed the laptop screen will be blank. In this regard Volumio and Daphile are better suited to "mini pc's" such as thin clients or Intel/Asus NUC's.
Thank you! I might have an RP4b kicking about in a drawe somewhere, is that (still) a good option?
Gigantic
A big, big love
I just set up a plex server on a 2014 MacBook Pro. I have about 475 gigs of music and about as much in movies on a pair of portable hard drives attached to it and routed via usb into my Schiit Bifrost 2/64. I can stream my own music wherever I have an internet connection: home, my workshop and studio a half mile away, in my car and through my motorcycle intercom, just like any streaming service. I am paying $2 a month for a software subscription; the full package, which allows remote downloads, is $10 a month or you can buy a permanent license for $250. I nearly did the latter.
If no streaming then really anything through a DAC should be fine.
I got the license when it was on sale, I want to say for 120? I can't tolerate monthly fees for anything but utilities.
And yeah I totally forgot about that bonus - my music is everywhere my phone is. Bluetooth in the car automatically pairs and starts playing where I left off at home.
Yes, a Raspberry Pi is an excellent option for Volumio or Lyrion (Lyrion is the server component of Daphile). There are several operating system bundles for rPi which include Lyrion - in my opinion the best is piCorePlayer -
piCorePlayer
But if you want to use a rPi, I suggest you think ahead about your method of internal storage (for music files) - the options are external USB drive, or attached NVME drive. I prefer the latter, but this requires an additional NVME mounting board, and then you need to be careful about what case you buy, because the case must accommodate the additional "bulk" of the NVME board.
But ... before you abandon the idea of using the laptop, there's another possible option which allows you to run Lyrion, but still have a fully functional graphical desktop - assuming your laptop is Windows, just install Lyrion -
Getting Started with LMS - Lyrion Music Server
and also install the player/renderer component, Squeezelite -
LMS Clients - Browse /squeezelite/windows at SourceForge.net
Now you can control music playback from the laptop, itself, or from a separate device. Or both!
Excellent tips, thank you all!
I'll mull things over a bit in terms of the need (or not) to set up a dedicated RP.
I will use the HDD's I already have no matter if it will be RP or the previously mentioned 'dedicated' laptop.
There's nothing holding me back to get a DAC and start trying out the mentioned 'player' (and more) softwares.
An element that comes back a couple of times but isn't really answered:
Does the music player software matter in terms of sound reproduction quality in your experience?
P.s. For the sake of context perhaps a bit about my use case:
1. For commute and casual use I mainly use Spotify (downloaded) lists on my iPhone. Apart from the fact that they are scum business practices wise, I have no complaints as a user in terms of functionality, sound quality or catalogue.
2. I have a lot of downloaded music on my laptop for mainly DJ use.
3. There's a third category for which I want this solution: Intentional home listening. Just plugging in my phone or laptop doesn't cut the mustard any more. The selection I listen to is quite static too, so I have two arguments for local files. Also: I don't need streaming or remote control. I just want to take control of my digital music files in my own hands locally.
Gigantic
A big, big love
I did a search and found that they have an annual Black Friday sale. I may upgrade in November.
With Plex, sound quality is a matter of the quality of your files. 1/2 of my music is in MP3 format, from 2001-2006, when I digitized my collection of roughly 4500 CDs (and promptly sold them off). It sounds okay. another quarter is better quality MP4, which sounds a little better and the final quarter is lossless ALAC, which is indistinguishable from their original source, between 44.1 & 96K, with a smattering of 192k files. I found 250-300 CDs in my father's barn a couple years ago and added them to the collection and I'm about to start digitizing my vinyls.
Plex also works as a movie and image server, so I've managed to completely divorce myself from iCloud, yet have lost none of its functionality. Next step will be to invest in a NAS.
I'll add that when I first set out, my goal was simply local playback of my own music; I didn't expect that Plex would work so seamlessly for remote streaming. The only downside is that after 25 years in the iTunes/Apple Music ecosystem, the algorithms got me good and new music discovery was effortless. I have to work a little bit to find new stuff, but KEXP's YouTube channel has been great for that and instagram has been serving up decent recommendations. For what I'm saving in cancelling my Apple Music and iCloud subscriptions, I can use that cash towards a new vinyl every month, or a couple new CDs or album in file format, or 3-4 used CDs per month. That's useful now that I'm prematurely retired and have had limited income from being ill for the past year.
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Oasis8
Well-Known Member
A big yes, in my past experience.
Thank you. What is your preferred player?
Oasis8
Well-Known Member
I moved to modded disk players and then dedicated disk transport and DAC a few years ago as a preference, so my experience was with play back software from then. So can't really comment on what is current, sorry.
At that time I found even different versions of the same software could sound different.
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drjohnnyfeva
Well-Known Member
I've used Foobar2K for years. I have not set it up for streaming from outside sources like Spotify - altho it's capable of it - but I do use it to stream from my "server" PC via sharing music. There are many additional pluggins you can get that allow for essentially all files to be played, equalizers, interface changes, etc.
It's been a few years since I really got into making changes in the ui and had to download any pluggins, but once I learned how to do them, I still use it in the same manner as the day I finished setting it up. It plays all levels of quality and has the feature that integrates your file system into it's "menu." It also has an easy to use cd ripper and burner. It is also able to convert cue files to separate tracks.
Really handy software and they keep it updated.
I have not done critical comparisons, and my temporary living situation means I can't, but with modern DAC's I would simply aim for playback software which can/will output bit-perfectly. According to the Lyrion forums, Lyrion is bit-perfect when its volume control function is disabled, or set to 100%.
Of course there's then the issue of whether your operating system and DAC driver are bit-perfect, too;
Under Windows I understand you must generally use WASAPI or ASIO drivers for bit-perfect output.
Under macOS you must ensure the system audio is configured for the same sample rate as your source files.
Under Linux you must ensure Dmix is disabled (it is, under piCorePlayer).