Gapless DLNA/UPnP players?

[Paul R]

People, don't know why this ancient thread has been resurrected. Certainly the current generation of UPnP/DLNA supporting network audio players do gapless playback, so is a non-issue.

 

Not all, or even most of them I am afraid. Especially the ones new potential audiophiles are likely to encounter, such as the DLNA servers in their AVRs, Soundbars, and Televisions.

 

I am retesting the Onyko NR636 AVR right now, and the sound has greatly improved. However, the DLNA server, while usable, sounds like crap. And is to gapless with anything other than FLAC or MP3s, neither of which feature a large presence in my collection. It is so stupid.

 

I tested a much much more expensive (i.e. $5400) AV Prepro last week, and though it sounded wonderful (or my mono block amps did...) it also had the gapless problem.

 

Heck, even "audiophile quality" players like Amarra can't just play an album gaplessly, you must take extra steps that are as annoying as having to flip an album in the middle of a performance. Gapless playback is something that iTunes, JRMC, and Audirvana+ do without any extra effort, and they do it perfectly too.

 

-Paul

[Paul R]

I was talking specifically about network audio players, ie, the dedicated purpose built stereo 'hi-fi' separate player, the modern equivalent of the cd player separate, so more in keeping with the scope of this thread, rather than your suggestion of multipurpose AVRs, soundbars, TVs, etc.

 

So "audiophile quality" devices like the Auralic Aries, Sonore Rendu and yes even hardware players from more mainstream manufacturers such as Pioneer N50A & N70A, Marantz NA8005, etc. Note, these are later generation/ up to date devices and certainly support gapless, unlike those dreadful earlier first attempts - which some are still shamelessly promoting & selling, as has been posted by others.

 

 

Well, no point really comparing software players with hardware ones - turnround time & ability to correct faults so so much better with software. It's the risk that some think is worth taking when buying a purpose built box, as they'd rather that than the incovenience of 'having' to use a computer and 'mess around' with software. Incidentally, none of those software players apart from JRMC supports UPnP/DLNA, so you're mostly out of scope again as far as this (old) thread is concerned, I'm afraid.

 

John

 

Hi John -

 

I honestly don't think the hardware players have any edge software wise over the software players. Hardware is hardware, and the software running on them isn't all that different regardless of the marketing speak.

 

As for people using DLNA, it has a terrible reputation because of the awful sound on most of the devices that support it. And the scope is that if software players cannot be expected to get it right, why would hardware players be expected to?

 

There are exceptions to every rule of course, but I just don't think that DLNA is ready for primetime yet...

 

 

-Paul

[Paul R]

Well that's the fundamental problem with DLNA. A certificate that anyone can obtain (and sell their product with), once the readies are handed over, for complying with a very small set of quality features derived from the full UPnP spec. What's even more unbelievable is that most of those DLNA tick boxes are optional anyway and gapless support, which has always been specified by UPnP, is still out of its scope.

 

It's why I tend to use the term 'UPnP/DLNA' in conversation, or just 'UPnP' on its own, rather than the embarrassment that is 'DLNA'.

 

Exactly, and why Sonore and Auralic, among others, are to be treasured and congratulated for doing things right.