Holy Multiroom HiRez/DSD streaming batman...

[wappinghigh]

4 of these:

 

HERUS | Resonessence

 

And 4 of these:

 

Computer Audiophile - SOtM sMS-100 Mini Server Review

 

And 4 power amps or powered speakers:...

 

Plugplayer to control HiREZ files on the NAS running MinimServer..

And Airplay for everything else (iphone, Pandora whatever.. )

 

 

 

Would it? could it work??

[Audio_ELF]

Perhaps close Wapping ... But I foresee a few issues...

 

1) I don't think you will find the PlugPlayer experience a very happy one.

 

2) the lack of on device play lists limits you (in practical terms) to having a single device controlling each player ... Unlike your Linn you can't start playback on your iPad then quickly add to what's playing on the phone.

 

Please note this is different if utilising jriver as Chris did in his review.

 

3) the "one click to activate airplay" function is all well and good ... but not very user friendly outside of the dedicated audiophile - will your wife be able to handle that or will she just not bother and pronounce it "broken"?

 

Eloise

[wappinghigh]

Yes I agree Eloise.. The hardware is clearly there as always.. we just need some software genius to really pull it all together..

[Cebolla]

May be not a software genius, but certainly a bit of diy could help. Since the prerequiste for that NAS running MinimServer means it should have the Java runtime already installed, this also means that you should be able to install the BubbleUPnP Server on it.

 

Not to be confused with the excellent BubbleUPnP controller app for Android, the BubbleUPnP Server allows you to use any standard UPnP/DLNA renderer as a UPnP ohMedia / Linn extensions one. Supports cached playlists, so you can use just one ohMedia controller (eg Kinsky, BubbleUPnP for Android, even the Lumin app for the iPad) and if the renderer supports gapless under standard UPnP, the support is maintained in the 'ohMedia mode'.

 

John

[Audio_ELF]

I agree with John - BubbleUPnP works well especially now gapless has been added.

 

The other thing that is missing is syncing rooms... Weather that is important or not depends on your situation but (afaik) UPnP doesn't have a mechanism for keeping different players in sync - OpenHome does offer SongCast which allows for that.

 

Eloise

[wappinghigh]

So does this mean you two are suggesting to stop MinimServer running and use BubbleUPnP instead? And then using Songcast rather than PlugPlayer?

[Audio_ELF]

So does this mean you two are suggesting to stop MinimServer running and use BubbleUPnP instead? And then using Songcast rather than PlugPlayer?

Sorry ... Not quite ...

 

BubbleUPnP isn't actually a UPnP server. It's a service which sits between the UPnP server and streamer.

 

SongCast is Linn / OpenHome's system for sending the same music to multiple severs at once.

 

Eloise

[Miska]

Minim + Bubble seems to be pretty OK combination, the best I've found so far...

[wappinghigh]

Sorry ... Not quite ...

 

BubbleUPnP isn't actually a UPnP server. It's a service which sits between the UPnP server and streamer.

 

SongCast is Linn / OpenHome's system for sending the same music to multiple severs at once.

 

Eloise

 

Sorry I'm still confused Eloise.. Could you explain a bit more the file flow around a network of multiple uPNP streamers?

[wappinghigh]

Minim + Bubble seems to be pretty OK combination, the best I've found so far...

 

MinimServer + BubbleUPnP Server? or

 

MinimServer + BubbleUPnP Controller? or

 

MinimServer + BubbleUPnP Server + BubbleUPnP Controller?

[wappinghigh]

There seriously is a market for someone to write an all in one piece of software for this scenario that replicates the Sonos "experience" don't you all think?

[Miska]

MinimServer + BubbleUPnP Server? or

 

MinimServer + BubbleUPnP Server + BubbleUPnP Controller?

 

These two don't make sense because you would have two servers, unless that's specifically what you want...

 

MinimServer + BubbleUPnP Controller? or

 

This is what I meant...

 

Then just pick renderer of your choice.

[Miska]

There seriously is a market for someone to write an all in one piece of software for this scenario that replicates the Sonos "experience" don't you all think?

 

Could you describe what is the "Sonos experience"? To me it sounds like bondage...

[Audio_ELF]

These two don't make sense because you would have two servers, unless that's specifically what you want...

Miska...

 

BubbleUPnP is NOT a UPnP server.

 

It's provides two "proxy" functions - 1st to allow a UPnP server to be accessed outside of the local network and

2nd it provides an OpenHome (Linn DS style) renderer for any standard UPnP render which allowed playlists to be accessed by multiple control points.

[Audio_ELF]

Sorry I'm still confused Eloise.. Could you explain a bit more the file flow around a network of multiple uPNP streamers?

The big issue is if you want two devices playing synchronised such as if you want the same music playing in different rooms at the same time.

 

My post copied from here -- http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f8-general-forum/help-clueless-and-desperate-old-man-synchronize-hard-wired-and-networked-audio-20550/ -- may or may not help...

 

Copied post below

The problem with most Ethernet solutions is that there is nothing sent to control the playing.

 

If I can start an analogy which may or may not make things clear...

Say you want two buckets filled with water: the first option is you put them each under a tap and turn them both on to approximately the same position and watch the buckets fill. The issue is that the point at which the buckets start filling and the speed of them filling will vary between each. This is like standard UPnP "syncing".

 

The second option is that you take a single tap, put a 1:2 splitter on it and attach each side of the splitter to a bucket. As you turn the tap on both will start filling and both will fill at the same speed. This second method is what things like Sonos and Linn DS use for multi-room - a single signal which is transmitted across the whole network and then played by whichever devices choose to (in technical terms multicasting).

 

(Please could people refrain from pointing out the inaccuracies of my analogy I know its imperfect but hopefully is sufficient to illustrate why Greg can't get his UPnP players insync).

 

Eloise

[realhifi]

Could you describe what is the "Sonos experience"? To me it sounds like bondage...

 

Yeah, I was thinking that today when I walked up to an in wall iPad MIni and updated all libraries I had been ripping to and adding to for last few weeks. I pressed a button and all the music I had ripped in whatever device or computer all coalesced into one easy to browse library.

[wappinghigh]

^ For goodness sake David and Miska..

 

No disrespect Sirs, but go get a Sonos or play with a friends one..

 

Your HiFi dealers and intelligent guys aren't you?

 

Geeezz. the productt has been out there over 6 years...

 

If you don;t know what I mean by that comment, I can't really help you.

 

... Apologies guys... but geeeeezzz..

[realhifi]

^ For goodness sake David and Miska..

 

No disrespect Sirs, but go get a Sonos or play with a friends one..

 

Your HiFi dealers and intelligent guys aren't you?

 

Geeezz. the productt has been out there over 6 years...

 

If you don;t know what I mean by that comment, I can't really help you.

 

... Apologies guys... but geeeeezzz..

 

Totally tongue in cheek my friend. The Sonos "experience" is anything but bondage when it comes to one thing; listening to music.

[wappinghigh]

Absolutely.. haha

 

Ok so back to the point.

 

Why is it that nobody has written a true Sonos like piece of software that does UPnP..

 

Is it just the multicasting issue like Eloise says? Or is it the problem of getting rights to the streaming services? Or is it both these things?

[Miska]

Yeah, I was thinking that today when I walked up to an in wall iPad MIni and updated all libraries I had been ripping to and adding to for last few weeks. I pressed a button and all the music I had ripped in whatever device or computer all coalesced into one easy to browse library.

 

I don't have an iPad and I'm not even considering buying one... I have iPod Touch and only use I've found for it over 5+ years has been alarm clock.

 

Does Sonos allow me to do what I want with software and components of my choice? If I want all my FLACs played back wirelessly to a Mytek DAC over Firewire upsampled to DSD128 with digital room correction?

 

Can I use regular expressions to search my library like I now can?

[realhifi]

Absolutely.. haha

 

Ok so back to the point.

 

Why is it that nobody has written a true Sonos like piece of software that does UPnP..

 

Is it just the multicasting issue like Eloise says? Or is it the problem of getting rights to the streaming services? Or is it both these things?

 

Both.

 

PS. Just sold a houseful of Sonos and installed it last Thursday. The customers (in their seventies) were thrilled and amazed at what they could now listen to in any part of the house they chose. I also introduced them to an iPad to run it and the woman looked like she could be in tears when I showed her she could access nearly any Ella Fitzgerald album she wanted hear through Beats.

 

I am fairly familiar with Sonos and their pluses and minuses.

[realhifi]

I don't have an iPad and I'm not even considering buying one... I have iPod Touch and only use I've found for it over 5+ years has been alarm clock.

 

Does Sonos allow me to do what I want with software and components of my choice? If I want all my FLACs played back wirelessly to a Mytek DAC over Firewire upsampled to DSD128 with digital room correction?

 

Can I use regular expressions to search my library like I now can?

 

Nope. Different animal.

[Miska]

Miska...

 

BubbleUPnP is NOT a UPnP server.

 

Umm, it is full UPnP Server, Renderer and Control Point all in one... It can represent any local content on my tablet to any other control points (or itself) on the network and allow renderers to fetch it.

 

For example I can use it to display photos taken with my tablet on my TV...

[wappinghigh]

Both.

 

PS. Just sold a houseful of Sonos and installed it last Thursday. The customers (in their seventies) were thrilled and amazed at what they could now listen to in any part of the house they chose. I also introduced them to an iPad to run it and the woman looked like she could be in tears when I showed her she could access nearly any Ella Fitzgerald album she wanted hear through Beats.

 

I am fairly familiar with Sonos and their pluses and minuses.

 

Cool. Cool couple as well..

 

OK so you are familar with Sonos. Awesome.

 

Then you understand my frustration why there isn't a HiRez/DSD UPnP multiroom playing Solution just like Sonos: which handles both hirez streaming from a NAS and Music streaming services in exactly the same way

[wappinghigh]

^ Why don't you write and alternative Sonos like solution Miska?

 

You are an incredibly smart guy