Cary Audio MS-1 Music Server

[Q3Di]

How to configure a discontinued Cary MS-1 Music Server to work with North Star Excelsio DAC (USB 2.0 compliance).

 

MS-1 hardware: Zotac IONITX-A-U Intel Atom N330 (1.6 GHz dual core), 1 GB DDR2, 1TB internal HDD, DVD-RW.

Software: Linux Ubuntu (GNU GPL version 2 I think).

Output: 24 bit 196 KHz via USB

 

The iOS app was installed on an iTouch. The app could detect a server and view albums, songs.

# 1: The problem is there is no sound after hitting play on the remote app. No music play direct through USB port.

 

Questions: is driver needed in MS-1 for it to work with North Star. (North Star doesn't need driver for Linux or Mac). Not sure whether the issues are from the remote app, or music server, or DAC.

 

# 2: A Linux Ubuntu computer running JRiver 19 was working fine with North Star. It was able to stream FLAC from USB drive and NAS and play through USB port to North Star DAC. The problem is it couldn't stream music from MS-1 which was connected to the same network. (JRiver didn't find music files on MS-1 because DLNA was not set up correctly)

 

Questions: How to set up DLNA or UPnP for MS-1 and North Star to work

 

Is MS-1 able to update and handle DSD?

Plan B: If the above issues are not resolved. Format the HDD, install Windows or Ubuntu and JRiver. This route will require keyboard, mouse and monitor at startup. Is this a good alternative solution?

 

Any recommendation?

Thank you,

Jim

[iago]

MS-1 hardware: Zotac IONITX-A-U Intel Atom N330 (1.6 GHz dual core), 1 GB DDR2, 1TB internal HDD, DVD-RW.

Software: Linux Ubuntu (GNU GPL version 2 I think).

Output: 24 bit 196 KHz via USB

 

Are you really running Ubuntu on this server? The original software should be Vortexbox, that means it was replaced in the meanwhile?

 

If yes, which player are you using?

[Q3Di]

It is running Ubuntu 9.10 (original OS. Not Vortexbox). The player is called Cary Music Server (Cary's own software. The software used to rip and play music over USB).

 

I tested this music server with Conrad-Johnson HD3 USB DAC and it works well. It just doesn't work with North Star USB DAC.

[iago]

It is running Ubuntu 9.10 (original OS. Not Vortexbox). The player is called Cary Music Server (Cary's own software. The software used to rip and play music over USB).

 

I tested this music server with Conrad-Johnson HD3 USB DAC and it works well. It just doesn't work with North Star USB DAC.

 

Strangely, the Cary manual mentions playback only up to 24/96. It seems the kernel /Alsa library is too old to support USB Audio 2.0. It's possible, since Ubuntu 9.10 was using kernel 2.6.31 and Alsa 1.0.21. The usual recommendation is to use a kernel >= 2.6.32 and Alsa >= 1.0.24.

 

To check if the North Star DAC is recognized by the server, connect it, log into the server via ssh (I hope they gave you login information, the ftp login might work). Since you have another Ubuntu machine, use this. On Windows get PuTTY.

 

Now run a few commands:

 

uname -a
lsusb
aplay -l
aplay -L
cat /proc/asound/version

 

The result should look similiar to this one:

 

root@voyage:~# uname -a
Linux voyage 3.8.13-voyage #1 SMP Wed May 22 13:36:11 HKT 2013 i586 GNU/Linux
root@voyage:~# lsusb
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 174c:55aa ASMedia Technology Inc. 
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 20a0:4143 Clay Logic 
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
root@voyage:~# aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: L20 [Luckit USB Audio 2.0], device 0: USB Audio [uSB Audio]
 Subdevices: 1/1
 Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
root@voyage:~# aplay -L
null
   Discard all samples (playback) or generate zero samples (capture)
default:CARD=L20
   Luckit USB Audio 2.0, USB Audio
   Default Audio Device
sysdefault:CARD=L20
   Luckit USB Audio 2.0, USB Audio
   Default Audio Device
front:CARD=L20,DEV=0
   Luckit USB Audio 2.0, USB Audio
   Front speakers
surround40:CARD=L20,DEV=0
   Luckit USB Audio 2.0, USB Audio
   4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers
surround41:CARD=L20,DEV=0
   Luckit USB Audio 2.0, USB Audio
   4.1 Surround output to Front, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround50:CARD=L20,DEV=0
   Luckit USB Audio 2.0, USB Audio
   5.0 Surround output to Front, Center and Rear speakers
surround51:CARD=L20,DEV=0
   Luckit USB Audio 2.0, USB Audio
   5.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround71:CARD=L20,DEV=0
   Luckit USB Audio 2.0, USB Audio
   7.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Side, Rear and Woofer speakers
iec958:CARD=L20,DEV=0
   Luckit USB Audio 2.0, USB Audio
   IEC958 (S/PDIF) Digital Audio Output
root@voyage:~# cat /proc/asound/version
Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version k3.8.13-voyage.
root@voyage:~#

 

Post the result here for reference.

 

If it's really SW version related, you might use a back-ported kernel or install a custom version of Alsa or upgrade to a later version of Ubuntu. You will need root access to this box. If you don't have access information, contact Cary Audio to obtain it.