beginner confused with benchmark, squeezebox and ipad

[dedalusxx]

I purchased the squeezebox duet a while ago, and it has been a frustrating experience, to say the least. I am currently listening to CDs via a benchmark DAC (non USB) and Genelec 8040s, and have an Ipad.

What could be the simplest way to set up a system to listen to music from a a hard disk, ripped via itunes in AIFF, and control it with the ipad? Possibly without having a computer on all the time? I read about iPeng to control the squeezebox, but how can I connect a hard disk without a PC?

 

I obviously have made the wrong experiments, as it seems that some simple info is missing to allow it all to work.

 

 

If necessary, I can use an old Mac Power Pc G5 or a win xp notebook as a dedicated remote server, connected via ethernet; I'd rather not get an extra Mac mini, which it seems would solve the problem.

 

Thanks to everyone who can suggest solutions.

 

D.

 

[bikemig]

While I can't speak to all your questions, I have had some similar experiences with the duet. It works well but does require some tweaking. You want to make sure you have the latest software; also the receiver works better if you can connect via ethernet rather than wireless. Ideally you want the server also connected via ethernet. If you are having trouble getting the receiver to work, my experience with logitech telephone support has been very positive.

The controller that comes with the duet works not only with the receiver that came with the duet but works with any SB product (touch, radio, boom, etc.) You can use the ipad to control the SB receiver with the right app (Logitech has a good forum with some threads on this) or you can download and use the squeezebox server software on either of your old computers. I often use an xp netbook as the controller since it is small and portable.

But you do need a hard disc up and running either on a computer or a nas; here is beginners guide to servers for squeezebox, http://wiki.slimdevices.com/index.php/BeginnersGuideToServers. Either of your old computers should be fine as a server assuming they have enough hard disc space.

 

[Codifus]

....the most precious commodity here, right?

 

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/Magic-Words-Power-Mac-G5-versus-Mac-Mini

 

CD

 

 

 

[dedalusxx]

Thanks to bikemig and Codifus for the answers. I hoped that one could simply attach a NAS to the router for the Squeezebox, apparently it is more complex than that.

 

Codifus, many thanks for the info on the G5. Now of course I have to find a place where to hide it... what digital out of the G5 do you feed to the DAC?

 

[Codifus]

.....your only choice is the optical output. The problem with that is:

 

1) The G5 has to be reasonably near your stereo, and it is one very noisy computer.

2) The optical output is limited to 24/96 on most Macs, including the G5 I believe. That's probably not too much of an issue given that your DAC's native sample rate is about 110 Khz.

 

Also, the PowerMac G5 is a dead Mac walking. Mac OS X 10.5 is that last OS it will ever have. Apple has retired the PowerPC and has gone full force with intel now.

 

If you were to explore other DAC choices you do have USB2.0 ports and firewire.

 

A G5 mated via firewire to a firewire DAC apparently is a killer combination.

 

If you read that other thread I mentioned, there's alot of info in there.

 

CD