DCS Network Bridge

[DavidL]

I've been using a dCS Network Bridge for 4 weeks, locally streaming my music library from a Synology NAS running MinimServer software, connected to a PS Audio DirectStream DAC. Basically it’s brilliant hardware. The improvement in sound quality relative to that of the Bridge II in the DAC is remarkably large considering the Network Bridge is only converting ethernet packages to a digital stream (I’m using the AES output). I am hearing more detail and ambience with the music. Image depth is greater. Violins are sweeter, there is more ‘body’ to the sound. Bass is better defined and the music flows better. Trumpets ‘rasp’ convincingly. Inner detail is now audible in loud, complex orchestral works. There appears to be greater dynamic range in music, with the quietest passages noticeably more delicate. Overall the sound is yet more ‘natural’ and engrossing.

[DavidL]

Yes I am using Mosaic Control but it has a serious bug (for me) that is known to dCS and I'm told will be fixed in version 1.0.2:

 

Currently Mosaic lists music library contents as Album/Composer rather than Album/Artist. This is a major problem as I use ‘Album’ for ‘Work’ for the classical music in my library so where I have several performances of the same work by different artists in my library they all look the same in the Mosaic album listing! 

 

Compared with BubbleUPnP I'm missing a scroll bar that allows rapid, accurate access to items in a long list. So until version 1.0.2 arrives I'm still using BubbleUPnP as controller. Of course I therefore have to accept that playback is not gapless.

 

[DavidL]

On 8/17/2019 at 11:50 AM, DavidL said:

Yes I am using Mosaic Control but it has a serious bug (for me) that is known to dCS and I'm told will be fixed in version 1.0.2:

 

Currently Mosaic lists music library contents as Album/Composer rather than Album/Artist. This is a major problem as I use ‘Album’ for ‘Work’ for the classical music in my library so where I have several performances of the same work by different artists in my library they all look the same in the Mosaic album listing! 

 

Compared with BubbleUPnP I'm missing a scroll bar that allows rapid, accurate access to items in a long list. So until version 1.0.2 arrives I'm still using BubbleUPnP as controller. Of course I therefore have to accept that playback is not gapless.

 

 

An update. Yesterdays release of the dCS Mosaic control app 1.02 has fixed (1) the Listing of albums and added other browsing features. Scrolling (2) is 'in the works' for future release.
As a result I've just switched from BubbleUPnP to Mosaic. Playback is now gapless and sound quality is improved in my perception.