Cubox any one?

[cmiu]

My interest in devices like this would be to run Squeezelite (a software version of a Squeezebox) or a UPnP renderer in a second/third room system.

Here => Community Squeeze

 

The image is for wanboard but I think you can use it on any armfh device (make the memory card bootable for your arm device and copy the skeleton on top - the difference between the 2 images is the kernel)

[Miska]

Usually the gapless need is in the context of a complete "work" and "edition" such as the classic example of DSOM. In that case, on the same edition, there is no need of changing sampling rate.

 

Yes, I just wanted to be explicit about the conditions needed when source files have varying sampling rate...

[wappinghigh]

All I know on the Oppo is the USB is Async. No idea if it will take more than 24/192 stereo actually..

 

In any case, Miska there is not point me using HQplayer in the setup you recommend unless it can play a UPnP share.

 

Because I can get the Oppo to share directly via SMB..

 

UPnP is a 100% requirement for your player IMHO.. because it opens it up to more useful library management.... (as you well know)

 

Is it possible you could somehow do this? A MinimServer<>HQPlayer setup would totally rock the socks of JRiver

[Miska]

UPnP is a 100% requirement for your player IMHO.. because it opens it up to more useful library management.... (as you well know)

 

Did you try the HQPlayer 3 new GUI (fullscreen mode) with a touch screen?

 

One problem I have with many UPnP systems is that they fail to combine unified view of content from multiple different physical locations. So for example if I want to see unified view of two SMB servers and two local HDD's, it's usually out of question and have to browse one by one.

 

I have content at multiple servers and don't want to remember what was where...

[The Computer Audiophile]

More Cuboxes!

 

The CuBox i From SolidRun | The Litle Computer that can

[Miska]

More Cuboxes!

 

The CuBox i From SolidRun | The Litle Computer that can

 

Great! Have to get the quad core one, it will probably run full player quite nicely!

[k-man]

Oh boy. Another $45 board! Kidding aside, the prices are a lot more competitive this time around.

[jsalk]

Bought a CuBox just for fun and installed Voyage MPD (MuBox) on it. Ran the system for a few days on various DSD DACs with no major issues. Seemed to do a respectable job.

 

- Jim

[The Computer Audiophile]

Bought a CuBox just for fun and installed Voyage MPD (MuBox) on it. Ran the system for a few days on various DSD DACs with no major issues. Seemed to do a respectable job.

 

- Jim

I hope the Voyage guys can port Mubox over to the new imx6 arm designs of the new Cubox i versions. Looks like Cubox and Cubox pro are going away.

[The Computer Audiophile]

I just looked at the Cubox i versions again and saw the following asterisk note.

 

(*) 1000Mbps link is limited to 470Mbps actual bandwidth due to internal chip busses limitation

 

Do you guys think the Ethernet and the USB ports are sharing a chip like the Raspberry Pi? 470 just seems too close to the 480 USB 2 theoretical max. Throw in some overhead and 470 may be wishful thinking. I'm just concerned about USB DAC performance. I think the RPi USB performance is terrible.

[Richard Dale]

I just looked at the Cubox i versions again and saw the following asterisk note.

 

(*) 1000Mbps link is limited to 470Mbps actual bandwidth due to internal chip busses limitation

 

Do you guys think the Ethernet and the USB ports are sharing a chip like the Raspberry Pi? 470 just seems too close to the 480 USB 2 theoretical max. Throw in some overhead and 470 may be wishful thinking. I'm just concerned about USB DAC performance. I think the RPi USB performance is terrible.

 

The Cubox ethernet doesn't use the USB bus like the Raspberry Pi, and the 470 bps limit is due to limits in another internal bus. For audio that seems plenty of bandwidth to me. There was some discussion about the ethernet implementation in a recent Slashdot article:

 

Tiny $45 Cubic Mini-PC Supports Android and Linux - Slashdot

[The Computer Audiophile]

Excellent.

[Audio_ELF]

Excellent.

[The Computer Audiophile]

Love it!

[Audio_ELF]

Love it!

You even have the same hair as Mr Burns :-)

[The Computer Audiophile]

You even have the same hair as Mr Burns :-)

Ha!

[MikeJazz]

I hope the Voyage guys can port Mubox over to the new imx6 arm designs of the new Cubox i versions. Looks like Cubox and Cubox pro are going away.

 

And I recently received the Cubox pro - bad timming?

I wonder how it compares to the i-versions...

[worldcat]

Totaldac uses one in their server.

 

d1-server-int.jpg

[The Computer Audiophile]

Totaldac uses one in their server.

 

d1-server-int.jpg

Interesting. Looks like it's running Voyage MPD as the operating system as well.

[sm31]

Now worries. It's forthcoming :~)

 

Is this (blog post on cubox) still "forthcoming"?

 

Also, do you have any views on a good PSU for the Cubox?

[The Computer Audiophile]

Is this (blog post on cubox) still "forthcoming"?

 

Also, do you have any views on a good PSU for the Cubox?

Maybe in awhile but not anytime soon. Solid Run changed it entire product line suddenly. I received an email from the company urging me to write about the CuBox Pro, then the product pretty much disappeared. The company is now pushing its i series of CuBoxes. The new ones should be excellent but I'm a bit gun shy to create an in depth guide for a product that may disappear so soon.

[MikeJazz]

Maybe in awhile but not anytime soon. Solid Run changed it entire product line suddenly. I received an email from the company urging me to write about the CuBox Pro, then the product pretty much disappeared. The company is now pushing its i series of CuBoxes. The new ones should be excellent but I'm a bit gun shy to create an in depth guide for a product that may disappear so soon.

 

Good point...but not uncommon on the IT domain...

I was an example of bad timing, bought CuBox Pro but the product ended immediately after.

I can confirm that it worked flawless and with good sonic performance for the price, in my system, using mubox...(mpd)

As a xbmc player is a bit slower that my laptops...

[gentlejoe]

What I'm looking to do is put Logitech Media Server on a CuBox or other tiny computer instead of having it run on my ReadyNAS, which is painfully slow. But you've replaced the Touch altogether? What display replaces the touchscreen on the Touch?

I replaced my Squeezebox Touch with the cubox (ubuntu with MPD) connected to my Benchmark DAC2 HGC. Very good sound.

[gentlejoe]

Yes, you could have several SD cards and easily swap them for different circumstances

 

Eloise

 

See:

CuBox 4 distro w/touchscreen

[G0bble]

I am running the Cubox i4 since a few months now. Installed archlinux and MPD. Great sounding player even with the walwart smps compared to my larger E350M mobo based PC running a CM 350W PSU. Quieter background lower noise floor and all the benefits that come from it across the frequency range. I guess the thing did exactly what I anticipated - lower EMI/RF. The E350M is now my remote NFS server and the MPD on cubox is simply playing all the files on its HDD using a remote mount.

Now I am really hooked and considering DRC with having multiple systems always on what with the lower power consumption, it doesnt pinch.

 

 

Next week I am going to power it from a 2.1amp usb battery power pack instead of the wallwart.

Also switching to a realtime kernel with MPD like my older E350M tomorrow for comparison. On the e350M there was clearly an improvement, but I need to confirm the belief on this little box.

 

G0bble