JohnB

I have a couple of different machines that could serve as my music server and was wondering what people felt were the minimum system requirements for such a server. While I have a Mac Mini I could use (and used to use) I prefer not to use a Mac for this (this is not bashing the Mini's capabilities as a music server, just a personal preference). That leaves me with 3 possible machines. 1) A couple of years old Asus netbook. Has 2 GB RAM, Windows 7-64 bit, can't remember the hard drive size but have an external drive I could use in that case. 2) A desktop - this is my current music server and I was trying to use it as an overall entertainment hub but found using a stand-alone blu-ray player and Roku box worked better for me so it is now just for music. It has a second gen i7 chip, 8 GB RAM, 2 500 GB drives (one for programs and the OS, the second for music files). 3) An Acer Timeline X series notebook. I think it has a first gen i5 chip, 8 GB RAM, and a 500+ GB hard drive. With this machine I would probably pull in to service an external USB drive to hold my music files. My system is not the most revealing, it consists of a Marantz receiver (NR-1601) and PSB Imagine B speakers. The computer is hooked up to the receiver by a Halide Design Bridge. Files are FLAC (rips from CD's and downloads) and MP3's. Music consists of pop/rock/jazz, rarely classical though I do have a few such albums. I like the idea of using the netbook because otherwise it just sits in a box unused (even for traveling as I use a tablet) but I wasn't sure if I would lose anything because of the machine being kind of under-powered. At the same time, how much power does a music server really need? Seems like it shouldn't be much but I honestly don't know that for sure hence the question. I also like the idea of the netebook because it simplifies the set-up with the built-in keyboard and mouse (though I interact with the music server via VNC or JRiver remote control from a tablet). While I like the idea of using the netbook I don't want to sacrifice sound quality if one of the others would serve me better (I should do an A/B test to see if I can hear a difference I know just thought if people had tried this before I could leverage off of their tests). Thoughts, Thanks - John

I've ordered from them a number of times, both equipment (I think I ordered my speakers from them) and cables and have never had any problems. I can't say I've ever dealt with them as far as returns or problems as everything I've ordered I've been happy with. But for the orders I've placed things were delivered promptly and problem free. John

Am I satisfied with the Halide Design Bridge? Yes but truthfully I don't know that I find it any better than the M-Audio USB Transit I used previously or the M2Tech device either. But truthfully I'm one of those people that while I love reading about this stuff I tend to set things up and forget it and just enjoy what's there. I've A/B'd gear in the past (back when I had much more expensive gear) and sometimes I can hear a difference and sometimes not but I find my ears adjust to what I have and so with a lot less disposable income I just stopped worrying about getting every ounce of sound out I can. Guess that doesn't help much does it? I still try to run a good set-up but it is just not going to be uber revealing of differences in gear. Oh, in case you are curious I'm using a Marantz receiver (NR-1601 I think).

I recently built my own HTPC for blu-ray playback and FLAC and I went with an Intel i3 chip and have found it more than capable (but I have an older LCD TV so the problems I've read of 24 fps playback issues is not a problem for me). For blu-ray sound and streaming content I use the HDMI out to my receiver and for music I use a Halide Design Bridge. I admit my unit isn't silent but it is quiet enough given the sound in and around my apartment (live in New York so there is generally plenty of extra noise to drown out the sound of the fan). For control I primarily use a a Windows Media Center Remote, the basic commands are programmed in to a Harmony One remote (like pause and skip), the Windows remote will also control the mouse so I sometimes have to just grab the original and use it. For music since I don't want to have the TV on I use a VNC client on my iPad. This approach has worked pretty well, it isn't perfectly seamless but I've found it good enough. I can't speak to your hardware selections, I can just say that I found a simple set-up to work really well. I'm very happy with the blu-ray picture quality and haven't found a need for a sound card given the use of HDMI and USB. But the nice thing about this set-up is I can expand it or change it over time if I find something is lacking. I did go with a fanless power supply which helped avoid extra fan noise and I've thought of going fanless with the processor but like I said with the extra noise around my apartment the fans have not been a problem.

I'm trying to switch to a PC-based media server (because I want blu-ray playback) and based on the recommendation here for JRiver Media Center I have been trying it for the last week. I have to say, I'm sorely disappointed in this given the recommendation on this site. The fact they feel their out of date wiki is sufficient "documentation" is a pretty poor excuse for support. And searching the web has turned up basically zero help in trying to troubleshoot the problems I'm having with my files. I realize with features often comes complexity but even just trying to do the simplest of configs with it has proved to be so painful that I'm considering giving up with it and switching to iTunes (which I was trying to avoid because of the lack of bit-perfect playback). Given the complexity of the program you'd think they would offer a little more hand-holding on configuration (my problem being trying to play Apple Lossless - which I realize is something you could lay at Apple's feet for making it complicated but that is the file format I have and while I can convert the files the app claims support for this format). While not relevant here, one of the reasons I was intrigued by the program was its video support including Netflix which is mentioned as a feature but is never described as to how to set it up, you have to dig through not their wiki which is their "documenation" but their message board to find a reference. I realize this is a bit of a rant but I wanted to express my disappointment that a program lacking in documentation or set-up guides has found its way on to the CASH list along with 2 recent articles on its use - that just doesn't jive in my opinion. It seems like it could be a great program but there is more to software than what it does, you can have the best program but if it is so difficult to use and you don't help people try and understand how to use it then it is worthless in my book. I'm not yet giving up on it as it seems to offer the features but I am getting extremely frustrated with how difficult it is to use along with its complete lack of current documentation. John

I'm in the process of switching from a Mac Mini-based music server to a Windows 7 64-bit server (making the switch because I want a multi-function machine, one that can play blu-ray, stream something like Netflix/Hulu/Amazon, and play my music collection). Even though I'm looking at a multi-purpose machine I still want to get the best audio quality from it I can. To that end I was exploring media players and was checking out JRiver as it seems to be well received here while offering some of the remote control options I've become accustomed to with the Mac Mini/iTunes system I have been using. So I've installed Media Center 15 but seem to be hitting a snag getting it to recognize and play my Apple Lossless files that I have been using on the Mini (they were stored on an external drive that was formatted FAT32 so it plugs in just fine to Windows, and JRiver picked up all the mp3 files I had from it, just not the lossless). Is there some magic to getting this to work? I installed iTunes and set JRiver to use Quicktime for m4a files but that didn't seem to work, kept getting an unrecognized error. I've done a fair amount of web searching on this and can't seem to find a concise solution, most of what I'm finding are "it didn't work and then it did" type of things or they relate to older version of JRiver which is configured differently than the new, at least from what I can tell. Now the only reason I was switching from iTunes was because I understand it is not bit-perfect on Windows. Of course most of those references are to older versions so I wasn't sure if anything had changed. And no, I've not done any comparisons to see if I could actually tell any difference, that is next but would prefer to keep things "pure" if possible. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks, John

I can't help completely as I'm not familiar with AppleTV but here is what I do know. An external hard drive can be used to store your music and movies. The Mini's generally don't have huge drives so using an external drive just allows for more storage. I use an Seagate external drive with my Mini because it just allows me to unplug and go. If the main drive in the Mini is large enough to hold everything for you then you don't need the external drive (except as a backup! Don't forget to do that). VNC is a way to see your Mini's screen from another computer. This is nice because it means you don't necessarily have to have a keyboard, mouse, and monitor with the mini. And by having the screen shared you have full control over the mini from the comfort of your chair. Remotes is another story, I've been happy with the built-in remote app on the iPhone/iPod Touch - it works great for controlling iTunes if you are satisfied with that. I've also read about RowMote which again allows you to control your Mac from an iPhone/iPod Touch. There might be other options but the combination of VNC (which I also run on my iPhone) and the Remote app have given me all the control I need. Software wise, to record your DVD's you'll probably want to use something like MacTheRipper. I have done this with some of mine though I don't often play them on the Mini (the Mini doesn't show well on my TV). There is also iTunes though I don't know how it works for managing Movies you record. I did have my movies accessed via Front Row but found Front Row to buggy to use (it froze on me a lot). I'm sure there are other media managers you could try though I don't know what sort of remote options they might offer.

I have my CD's ripped to my Mac in Apple Lossless, however I've been thinking that I should consider an alternative, more universal format such as FLAC. Thus I converted my library to FLAC using Max and now have FLAC versions available. My problem in making this switch completely is finding a good program to use as a player. I've been using iTunes and the Remote app on my iPhone/IPod Touch and find this integration to work exceptionally well - it connects quickly, the navigations is fast, the shuffling works perfectly. So I am trying to find something that gives me the same capability yet does so with Flac files. I know about Play but it lacks the music management and remote controllability of iTunes. I've been playing with Songbird which feels like it is about 80-90% there just not quite perfect (especially the remote part, I have the Songbird Remote which is nice, just wish it handled the navigation from artist better - it navigates to an alphabetical list of songs instead of albums. Same is true of the shuffle capabilities, just not as rich (or maybe it is just lack of understanding). While I can use VNC to do this it isn't as nice a solution for those times I want something quick, plus I find the screen distracting (where my iPhone can just be turned off and on quickly). Oh, I should note this is on a Mac Mini. I should also say that while I would like to make this change I'm not completely sold that I have to make it. I've been happy with the way things are so in some ways I'm like why mess with something that works yet at the same time I'm not a huge fan of being tied to iTunes and Apple's software/encoding. Does anyone know of a good alternative for the Mac?

This might be inappropriate for an audiophile website but I was wondering if anyone has any experience comparing DACs with the results of using something like Audyssey room correction? For instance, I have a simple music/movie system consisting of a Mac Mini running to an Onkyo receiver via an M2Tech HiFace, within the Onkyo I use Audyssey's Dynamic Volume (in the lowest setting). When I compare this to no equalization/room correction I find the Audyssey makes a huge difference and really improves the overall sound. I am wondering how much of a difference an upgraded DAC would make - for instance, most likely I would need to rely on the analog connections for this which would mean I would lose the Audyssey unless I engaged it which seems like it would defeat the purpose of the upgraded DAC since this would require an additional A/D and D/A conversions. I hope that over time I'll evolve the system though it will most likely always have to play double-duty and as I move it forward just trying to get a sense of the best way to budget money. John

Using a 24/192 source with the receiver should be possible though only via an analog connection. If you want to get that out to the speakers unaltered you'll need to engage the analog bypass (may be called Pure Direct). If you don't do that it will most likely go through a A/D-D/A step for the speaker distances, cross-over settings, etc... that is the normal operation. I can't say if that set-up is better than another product, in my experience with the type of music I listen to, how critical I listen, room, speakers, etc... I'm hard pressed to tell much difference between the different receivers/pre-amps/amps I've had in my system (which have run the gamut of cost ranges). But then again I've also not A/B'd the equipment either so maybe there is a bigger difference, I just tend to sit back and enjoy what I have (having changed out some piece for one reason or another) and not worry so much about the rest. Your question about the integrated amp is interesting, I've actually been thinking about that some lately. One of the things holding me back is I like what I get from my Onkyo receiver with the EQ settings. I have a single system for music and movies and find the Dynamic EQ settings beneficial in my situation so in some ways worry that with an analog integrated amp I'd actually loose something in the process, while it might give me a purer sound I don't know that it would give me as enjoyable one. I find the boost it gives beneficial since I am generally listening at lower levels (curse of apartment living). The same might be true of your Denon if you have automatic room correction on it - I realize some people might prefer a more pure path but it is one of things that might be worth trying and seeing what you think. John

I recently switched from an M-Audio Transit to a M2Tech HiFace for sending music from a Mac Mini to my Onkyo Receiver. I had some initial trouble getting the driver install to work but found a note on another thread saying the latest driver only works with Snow Leopard so after upgrading the Mini I finally had sound coming out. While I'm lucky not to experience clicks and pops that were reported by others I do have one little problem with it and was hoping someone might have some advice - when I switch over to the Mini from say watching TV and start to play a song (I use iTunes on the Mini controlled by either a MacBook using the share screen feature or Remote running on my iPhone) either the Onkyo doesn't track the incoming signal or the HiFace doesn't immediate come to life so I get no sound. If I go in to Sound inside of System Preferences and switch the output device to the internal speaker and then back to the HiFace I do then get sound. Is it possible there is a setting I've failed to make to bring the HiFace to life immediately? The Transit didn't have any trouble once installed, it would just start up no issue though I never tried it under Snow Leopard so maybe this is Snow Leopard and not the HiFace. The other change is a switch on the Onkyo from toslink to coax so not sure if there might be a difference there but figured I'd check to see if anyone here had any suggestions. Thanks, John

Does the article really surprise anyone? I recently started getting TAS and to be honest, just don't find it to be that good or interesting - not the cover to cover reading I used to do of my audio and A/V mags. Maybe I don't click with the reviewers (i.e. similar taste in music, types of gear), maybe it is the fact so much of what they review feels so esoteric and outrageously expensive (though I'm sure if I had the money to burn I might very well be buying some of the gear they review but alas my pockets are much emptier these days). Truthfully this isn't just TAS, it feels that way with most of the audio (Stereophile) and A/V mags I get (Sound & Vision and Home Theater). I remember the days maybe 5 or 6 years ago when I'd read these things cover to cover and the coverage just felt "right". Now days it seems to be so much vinyl and gear so far out of my price range I've just lost interest in them - and they really don't even seem to want to touch computer audio or computer-based A/V systems, both areas I find myself really excited about. Even their blasting of iPods as crappy basically cutting off coverage there frustrates me, instead I feel they should be trying to help us achieve the best possible sound from these devices. While an iPod might offer crappy sound it along with MP3's has really helped me rediscover music and has gotten me excited about music again and from that to created a computer based music system originally starting with my ripped mp3's but then I re-ripped everything to AppleLossless to get the best fidelity I could - and now I'm constantly on this site looking at how I might improve upon my current set-up. I hope the article on USB audio is just the beginning, that maybe they are seeing computer-based audio as a growing segment and one worth helping build and inform but my gut tells me my dissatisfaction will continue and I will continue to be outside the demographic they are trying to reach. Sad, I really used to enjoy these magazines... John

I'm in the process of setting up a new machine replacing my Mac Mini with a Windows-based machine (because I wanted the flexibility of changing out hardware, wanted support for movies - I just felt the Windows PC offered more choices for play than the mini). My original plan was to use Windows Media Center interface but was having some trouble getting the Apple Lossless files to play (haven't spent a lot of time with the various solutions) so was going to temporarily just play them via iTunes and use Windows Media Center for movies. However, when I tried playing music via iTunes I got a lot of stops, stutters, and drop-outs in the music. I'm running Windows 7 and have it connected to my Integra pre-amp via HDMI - probably neither an ideal solution. Has anyone else experienced these sorts of drop-outs? I should try switching to the digital out instead of the HDMI though I like having the single cable connection handling video and audio. There is tons of hard-drive space (some 700GB free), tons of memory (has 4 GB RAM). Has anyone else experienced such a problem?

This may not be the level of quality you are looking for but I have no complaints with my Mac Mini music server using an iPod Touch for remote control. I have an upgraded hard-drive in my Mini (the original died) but also have access to my NAS drive if I needed to expand beyond or could attached a USB drive. Of course this solution means I'm using iTunes for music management but there are other options like Songbird using another Touch app. My mini is dead silent so it can easily sit with my other equipment and I have the choice of a USB dac solution or can use the optical out. And I find the Touch to be a great remote control for it. If I need to do more than music selection I can either use VNC from another computer or turn on the TV which I have it connected to (seldom do this since I got the Touch). I picked the Mini mostly for the form factor as its small size worked perfectly for me (guess what I'm saying is I don't have strong feelings on whether Macs or Windows machines are better - I have both and enjoy both and don't really feel one is better than the other). While this set-up is not the most elaborate (using an M-Audio Transit in to my Integra pre-amp) I've been very happy with it and with the sound quality. I have the music in AppleLossless (for those things ripped from CD, made sense to me for the file size and support in iTunes though would prefer to use FLAC) and some MP3 purchased online.

I use an Apple's Remote app on an iPod Touch when listening to music, I think it works amazingly for that. While it might not let you do everything it let's me do the basics for music listening, things like picking songs, albums, artist, shuffle, etc... Now if I need to actually do anything on the computer I do use a VNC program on my Mac (JollyVNC) or Windows PC (TightVNC) - now I don't do an awful lot on the computer since it is only used for music so I don't switch over to VNC that frequently. I've found this combo approach to be very convenient. One reason why I don't use a VNC program full time is I often listen with the lights off/low and I find having a computer on for control the music to be distracting. John