DLNA renderer controller for Mac

[Merdatauri]

I have a couple of Goodmans Module DLNA renderers which work fine with the Qualcomm iPhone App controlling Serviio music server on my iMac. In fact, I'm incredibly impressed with them when used with a separate DAC.

 

However,  I'd like to control the Serviio connection to the Goodmans renderers directly from the Mac. Serviio's media browser only allows me to play media from the server in a browser window using the iMac's audio. I've searched in vain for suitable software for a couple of days now. I did download Kinsky which recognised the Goodmans renderers as UPnP devices but wouldn't play any audio.

 

Can anyone suggest software that could solve my problem? Not looking for a freebie, but I've been unwilling to purchase Apps like FireStream as I'm not sure it will do what I want.

[Cebolla]

Your best bet is probably another free controller by Linn - Kazoo. Kinsky is actually quite old and now mostly ignored by Linn, as it has been replaced by Kazoo for use with Linn's own (OpenHome supporting) devices:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/linn-kazoo/id848937349

 

However, unlike Kinsky, Kazoo does not support both standard UPnP/DLNA renderers and OpenHome renderers, as it's strictly an OpenHome controller and therefore incompatible with standard UPnP/DLNA devices. So you also need to install the BubbleUPnP Server helper application and configure it to create (an emulated) OpenHome renderer for every one of your standard UPnP/DLNA supporting Goodmans:

https://www.bubblesoftapps.com/bubbleupnpserver/#openhome_configuration

 

 

BTW, the 'Room' name itself has to be unique, otherwise Kazoo won't be able to distinguish the renderers (for some reason Linn assumed one renderer per 'room'). So logically giving the created OpenHome renderers a unique 'Name' & 'Room' in combination won't work (as 'Name' is not actually used by Kazoo).

 

 

My other recommendation would be to use a decent, transparent, well supported, music file dedicated UPnP media server, such as MinimServer (instead of one mainly designed for providing video files, like Serviio):

https://minimserver.com/features.html

[Merdatauri]

Thanks so much for your guidance on this. Amazingly, I've managed to get all this to work. Unfortunately Kazoo won't allow me to group the renderers, but that's no big deal.

[Merdatauri]

Just discovered that somewhat perplexingly - at least to a computer blunderer like myself - that the Allplay Jukebox app allows me to group players which can then be controlled from Kazoo, which is nice!

[Cebolla]

16 hours ago, Merdatauri said:

Thanks so much for your guidance on this. Amazingly, I've managed to get all this to work. Unfortunately Kazoo won't allow me to group the renderers, but that's no big deal.

 

Indeed, the (optional) Songcast grouping function is only available to true OpenHome devices as there isn't a standard UPnP/DLNA equivalent that can be emulated by the BubbleUPnP Server's created OpenHome renderers.

 

 

15 hours ago, Merdatauri said:

Just discovered that somewhat perplexingly - at least to a computer blunderer like myself - that the Allplay Jukebox app allows me to group players which can then be controlled from Kazoo, which is nice!

 

That's interesting. Was this by just selecting one of the existing Goodmans player created OpenHome renderers in Kazoo, or did you create a new OpenHome renderer for a new Goodmans player 'group device' (that may have suddenly appeared after you'd grouped the players with the Allplay Jukebox app) and select that in Kazoo instead?

[Merdatauri]

I had already added the second room to the renderer list in BubbleUpNP which then appeared in the list of devices on Kazoo. So I could select either destination from Kazoo which worked well. I then opened the Allplay app on my iPhone and found that I could control the volume, pause play, move to the next track etc. from it - again, very handy. At the same time I found that Allplay would also allow me to group the two rooms I have set up which didn't seem to confuse Kazoo at all, it just kept working as if just targeting one device.

[Merdatauri]

I should add that I'm so impressed by these very cheap Goodmans Module renderers (£9.99 GBP from Amazon) that I'm going to buy a couple more and run them with a decent DAC for my two other systems.

 

Thanks again for all your help.

[Cebolla]

Wow appears to be a real bargain at a third of the price of the Chromecast Audio as it even includes the optical cable apparently (which is extra with the CCA), as well as a power adapter & line-out cable - so never mind if it doesn't actually provide hi-res audio at up to 32-bit/192kHz according to Amazon!

 

Would be good to know what your DAC says about the resolution it's actually capable of outputting.

 

BTW, did you test if the Module supports gapless playback, both via Qualcomm Allplay streaming & standard UPnP/DLNA streaming? The BubbleUPnP Server would have allowed you to tick the Gapless playback option (indicating that it should support UPnP/DLNA gapless) when you created the OpenHome renderer for it.

[Merdatauri]

Unfortunately, I don't have any means of testing what the DAC is seeing. With my study system (Digital Renaissance Tube DAC (know nothing about it - gift from a friend), old Technics SU-V2X and Celestion SL-600s) it sounds very good, but I've not compared it to a CD. For my main system (Meridian CD206, Quad 44/606, Rogers LS7s) I might be tempted to try a more high end renderer, but I need to find a good DAC first - I was thinking of a a Cambridge Audio Dacmagic 100. I'll try one of the Goodmans Modules first to see how it compares to the Meridian.