Truly Gapless DLNA Controllers?

[Cebolla]

Apart from JRiver's built-in UPnP/DLNA control point supporting gapless playback for standard UPnP, there are a few others, notably:

Foobar2000 with the foo_UPnP plugin component (Windows only),

BubbleUPnP (Android only),

Lightning DS - the Auralic Aries renderer's app (currently, iOS only),

and Audionet Music Manager - the Audionet DNP renderer's app (Android & iOS).

The current posts reviving this thread have reminded of a couple of standard UPnP gapless supporting control points I've discovered recently, to add to my old list above:

UPnPlay (Android only)

eezUPnP (Windows & Linux)

 

John

[tranz]

Might be best to qualify that internet radio functionality that you are using, Tranz, for those that are not aware of it. Presumably you are referring to the m3u playlist files containing internet radio station URLs that the MinimServer UPnP media server uses. MinimServer then provides access to the internet radio streams to the renderer, via the controller app, as if they were just normal music file tracks.

 

Thanks Cebolla for the additions.

 

Indeed, creating an m3u file with the internet radio stations works like a charm. Not all control apps seem to handle this though.

[Audio_ELF]

Thanks Cebolla for the additions.

 

Indeed, creating an m3u file with the internet radio stations works like a charm. Not all control apps seem to handle this though.

Tranz... was just reading this in minimserver forum...

 

"It seems that MusicLife [Arcam's new control point app] can only play streams with a specified duration. You can add a fake duration to the BBC stream by editing the m3u playlist and changing the duration of -1 to something else such as 999999. After doing this, you need to do a MinimServer rescan."

[tranz]

Thanks Audio_ELF. Had not tried that.

[Paul R]

I know I keep switching my favourites, but with Tidal additions and internet radio through m3u I am enjoying Lumin with Bubble (a version update fixed my botched installation) the most at this point. Gapless, DXD, DSD256 no issues and it correctly shows the file types. Lumin is now my #1.

 

That my friend, is at least half the fun. Discovering new music / Discovering new gear and software. They go hand in hand for some folks, like the Doublemint Twins.

 

-Paul

[Audio_ELF]

My big frustration with both Lumin and Lightning DS is that in their Library mode they completely ignore sort order specified for artists (and composers and albums) as directed by the server so The Beatles are somewhere down the bottom with The Kinks and Nina Simone is next to Nine Inch Nails (rather than near to The Smiths where she should be IMO).

 

Yes I know I could use "folder" browsing mode but then Kazoo is better.

I guess I must be the only one who finds this an issue...

[tranz]

A side question:

 

Has anyone been succesful in moving playlists created on one device within the Lumin app to another device?

[ted_b]

A side question:

 

Has anyone been succesful in moving playlists created on one device within the Lumin app to another device?

 

If the control point is Open Home then it moves with you (cuz the renderer owns the playlist). If only UPnP then the control point owns the playlist, not the renderer

[tranz]

Thanks ted_b.

 

I use Bubble to emulate OpenHome so the playlist file is stored locally on the iPad. The goal is to copy the playlists from the iPad to my iPhone or other iPads.

[Audio_ELF]

Thanks ted_b.

 

I use Bubble to emulate OpenHome so the playlist file is stored locally on the iPad. The goal is to copy the playlists from the iPad to my iPhone or other iPads.

If I understand what you are saying that's not true. Even using BubbleUPnPServer to emulate an OpenHome renderer: if you create a playlist on your iPad running Lumin, you should then be able to open (say) Kinsky on your iPhone and the playlist is visible and editable.

[ted_b]

If I understand what you are saying that's not true. Even using BubbleUPnPServer to emulate an OpenHome renderer: if you create a playlist on your iPad running Lumin, you should then be able to open (say) Kinsky on your iPhone and the playlist is visible and editable.

 

Right, the OH playlist is owned by the renderer, not by the ipad (or control point apps).

[Cebolla]

Indeed. The BubbleUPnP Server emulated OpenHome renderer should behave in exactly the same way as a real OpenHome renderer as far being the owner of the current playlist. I think the BubbleUPnP Server even backs up the current playlists of its emulated OpenHome renderers to DPL playlist files, but only when it shuts down.

[tranz]

I should have specified it is saved playlists, not the current playlist, that I am trying to copy.

 

But I see the simple workaround now, by loading the saved playlist in the iPad, opening Lumin on the iPhone, and then saving the current playlist. Rinse and repeat.

 

Thanks.

[Cebolla]

Ok, makes sense now and the workaround is probably the best you can do, though a bit messy.

 

Having said that, I think the computer versions of Kinsky (or at least the Windows one used to) save their playlists to the DPL playlist file format, so like BubbleUPnP Server does. It wouldn't surprise me if they are using the exact same format devised by Linn. Don't know what the Android & iOS versions do, though.

[tranz]

Thanks Cebolla.

[Iain]

Interesting. So you could combine it with MinimServer or Synology Media Server as the server on a NAS, but it would then be visible to the OpenHome controllers. Or does it have to remain in the Bubble family? And it does not degrade the sound or transcode audio?

 

Thanks!

 

Yes that's pretty much right. Once you put the OpenHome emulation in place the renderer can be seen by Lumin, Kinsky, Kazoo, Lightning DS, etc as well as the BubbleUPnP control point.

 

There is no transcoding; it's just a variation on the control point. Can it degrade the sound: well does your renderer sound different if you use Kinsky vs Lightning DS.

 

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but there are some new players here you lot should know about.

 

I've been running Bluestacks Android emulator for the past few weeks. Recently I replaced it with You Wave Premium Android emulator, due to lackluster performance by Bluestacks and potential of significant performance improvement by You Wave product due to it's 64 bit configuration.

YouWave, A world for Android on PC

 

I'll simply say here, the You Wave Premium product has stunning performance and doesn't disappoint.

The answer to your query here is most definitely yes. With the control point configured in my signature, I'm now hearing such stunning sound quality I've never heard before from my system. Replace the control point with Linn Kazoo and there's definitely a degradation of SQ. Not sure why that is, but it's quite noticeable.