NAS confusion

[nemick]

I am planning on purchasing a Linn Selekt early next year and I want to connect to a QNAP NAS which I will also be purchasing. The NAS will be replacing a USB hard drive and the Selekt will be replacing my Mac Mini and my current MF DAC and the spdif converter or whatever it is.

I want to continue using JRiver Media Center, as I have gotten used to it and I like what it does. Can someone help me understand how I implement JRiver into all of this and whereabouts it lies in the system, etc?

 

Sorry if this seems really obvious to many of you, but my head is about to shrivel up.

 

Thanks so much for any insight.

 

Neil M.

[One and a half]

I forgot the NAS route as a NAS has far too much fluff software, can take a while to spin, and copying large amount of data is like pulling teeth.

 

 Instead, opt for a minimum i7 standard server type desktop that sits in a cupboard with JRiver on it, to VNC from an iPad phone or similar. Why a desktop? There’s plenty of space to reduce coupled noise and allows the use of JCAT net cards. With Apple iOS, well they make that difficult don’t they. You could try the HACKINTOSH route, Linux, or Windows, there you go, choice.

If you run out of disk space, there’s plenty room to add heaps more using 3.5in drives.
 

 The Mac mini is a really noisy device, and can be used for anything other than audio. The only problem is cable distance from the computer, but since you use the Selekt in the future, that’s not going to be a problem.

[PAR]

15 hours ago, nemick said:

I am planning on purchasing a Linn Selekt early next year and I want to connect to a QNAP NAS which I will also be purchasing. The NAS will be replacing a USB hard drive and the Selekt will be replacing my Mac Mini and my current MF DAC and the spdif converter or whatever it is.

I want to continue using JRiver Media Center, as I have gotten used to it and I like what it does

The Linn Selekt is a streamer/DAC  or streamer/DAC/amplifier depending upon the version.  You no longer use a computer to play your music, that is what the streamer does . So you don't ( can't) use JRMC. Instead you use the Linn control app ( Kazoo) on a computer or, more conveniently on a  handheld device like a tablet or smart phone, to navigate the music library held on your NAS  and to access streaming services such as Qobuz or Tidal and internet radio.

[Cebolla]

17 hours ago, nemick said:

I am planning on purchasing a Linn Selekt early next year and I want to connect to a QNAP NAS which I will also be purchasing. The NAS will be replacing a USB hard drive and the Selekt will be replacing my Mac Mini and my current MF DAC and the spdif converter or whatever it is.

I want to continue using JRiver Media Center, as I have gotten used to it and I like what it does. Can someone help me understand how I implement JRiver into all of this and whereabouts it lies in the system, etc?

 

As @PARhas already pointed out, it looks like you've also got an audio file player confusion - given your plan of purchasing a Linn Selekt network audio file player, yet still wanting to continue using JRiver Media Center:

 

- Have you realised you will no longer be using JRMC as the audio file player?

JRMC will be just controlling the Linn which will actually be playing the audio files, though you should still be able to engage JRMC's audio engine as a transcoder - so perform any required resampling & other DSP (if that's one of the reasons you 'like what it does') on the audio file tracks before they are sent over the network for the Linn to play;

 

- Do you know that the Linn Selekt will not support gapless playback when controlled by JRMC?

This is because JRiver only supports standard UPnP/DLNA streaming, not OpenHome (aka UPnP with Linn extensions) streaming and Linn DS devices only support gapless playback when used as OpenHome streamers. So be prepared for gaps between album tracks that are not meant to be there.

 

 

Also, assuming your current version of JRMC is running on the Mac Mini with attached USB HDD, ditching the Mac Mini & USB HDD for a QNAP NAS appears to be an odd decision as there isn't a version of JRMC designed specifically for running on a QNAP NAS. It may be possible to get around that problem, but be prepared for a fair amount of Linux DIY using Docker:

JRiver on QNAP

 

 

It would be useful to know what exactly are your reasons for wanting to continue using JRiver Media Center?

[nemick]

Hmm, it appears that I am even more confused than I already thought I was, lol. The reality is that I like the JRiver interface, library view, etc. From the sound of things, I may be placing too much emphasis on this aspect of things. I certainly want gapless playback, a more robust, centralized storage system for my music and movies, etc.

 

I felt that moving away from the Mac Mini would be the next sensible step and the Selekt offers several benefits, including a streamer, pre-amp, DAC and possibly amp in a one box solution. Whilst it may not be alone in providing these solutions, it also contains a phono input for my turntable with moving coil, which is very important to me.

 

Being sensible, it sounds as though I need to investigate the software options for the Selekt and see what they actually are, rather than predicating a decision on +- $7000.00 purchase decision on $100 worth of software.

 

I appreciate everyone's input.

 

Neil M.

[jcbenten]

There is an app for QNAP for JRiver: https://is.gd/SKFe0e

 

I have not tried this route. I need to but have not got around to it and I am happy with LMS or Minimserver.  I have JRiver on my PC.

 

For using the QNAP, create a network drive on your PC (and I assume MAC if that is what you use) and just point JRiver to the drive.  

[Cebolla]

1 hour ago, jcbenten said:

There is an app for QNAP for JRiver: https://is.gd/SKFe0e

 

 

If you to go the JRiver forum thread I linked to in my last post, it does mention that very same QNAP app and it is no longer supported by JRiver - the advice is not to use it as it is unreliable and if you must run JRiver on QNAP, use the Docker method instead. See also:

MC22 for QNAP (TS-453b mini 8GB)

MC22 for QNAP (HD-Station) aborts after entering Master License for MC23

[jcbenten]

2 hours ago, Cebolla said:

 

If you to go the JRiver forum thread I linked to in my last post, it does mention that very same QNAP app and it is no longer supported by JRiver - the advice is not to use it as it is unreliable and if you must run JRiver on QNAP, use the Docker method instead. See also:

MC22 for QNAP (TS-453b mini 8GB)

MC22 for QNAP (HD-Station) aborts after entering Master License for MC23

Sorry...missed that part of your post.

[Marcin_gps]

On 10/24/2019 at 11:13 PM, One and a half said:

I forgot the NAS route as a NAS has far too much fluff software, can take a while to spin, and copying large amount of data is like pulling teeth.

 

 Instead, opt for a minimum i7 standard server type desktop that sits in a cupboard with JRiver on it, to VNC from an iPad phone or similar. Why a desktop? There’s plenty of space to reduce coupled noise and allows the use of JCAT net cards. With Apple iOS, well they make that difficult don’t they. You could try the HACKINTOSH route, Linux, or Windows, there you go, choice.

If you run out of disk space, there’s plenty room to add heaps more using 3.5in drives.
 

 The Mac mini is a really noisy device, and can be used for anything other than audio. The only problem is cable distance from the computer, but since you use the Selekt in the future, that’s not going to be a problem.

 

There are some QNAP NAS models which  allow for installing PCIe extension cards and the JCAT NET Card FEMTO works  plug &  play in the QNAP NAS. See the picures below

 

Regards, 

Marcin

 

 

 

[One and a half]

14 hours ago, Marcin_gps said:

 

There are some QNAP NAS models which  allow for installing PCIe extension cards and the JCAT NET Card FEMTO works  plug &  play in the QNAP NAS. See the picures below

 

Regards, 

Marcin

 

That's good to know, but sadly for my QNAP, it won't matter, it's a home now for spiders

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mfaoro]

I’ve had three Linn DSMs. Used Kazoo and Minimserver (however it’s spelled). 
 

Now use Roon and will never ever go back. Great sounding server and a much better Ux. Setup is a breeze (and I ain’t Too technical.

 

michael 

[pvanosta]

have to concur with mfaoro. I have used various apps in the past (JRiver on a PC, Minimserver on a NAS, Auralic Lightning DS, Lumin, Linn Kazoo, ....). I switched to Roon over a year ago and never looked back. My streaming hardware and associated setup has changed as many times as the apps you see listed here. But since I installed Roon on a fanless NUC, with my music stored on a NAS, all 'playing' hardware (streamer, DAC, integrated AMP with built-in DAC, ...) has been chosen in function of Roon support. For sh*ts and giggles, I still have Minimserver running on my NAS, to drive a NAIM MuSo 1st gen in my home office. The interface is so clunky (no auto updates in the library, no sorting the library by date added, etc). I always go back to Roon, because it does everything I want and it does it simply and automatically. YMMV as always.