[gwertheim]

Hey all,

Looking to set up a listening station beside my comfortable chair.

It is close enough to my computer where I can run an optical cable no problem but switching songs would be a problem.

Anyone have an idea of how I can have access to my music on my server connected to my dac, to my amp, to my headphones? Or should I just get a DAP and call it a day

 

[ProtegeManiac]

It is close enough to my computer where I can run an optical cable no problem but switching songs would be a problem.

Anyone have an idea of how I can have access to my music on my server connected to my dac, to my amp, to my headphones? Or should I just get a DAP and call it a day

Tablets and smartphones can control miniPCs, replacing the mouse and keyboard. Just look for "headless audio server." Just in case this requires restarting your computer every time you want to switch over to the tablet/smartphone, you can get an Android miniPC or Intel NUC running Win10 and then connect that to the file server on the network so you can access the same audio files.

Some player apps for desktop also allow for that through a dedicated tablet or smartphone app, like MediaMonkey and Monkeymote, and the equivalent for Foobar. I'm not supposed to restart my computer using MonkeyMote on an iPad and MediaMonkey on a Win7 computer, but it doesn't work otherwise. So this isn't any guarantee either, just something you can try before you blow $100 on a miniPC or NUC.

 

[gwertheim]

Well that sux, I was more hoping for a iPad like device which has an optical out and a simple interface similar to a DAP but connects to a network folder instead of onboard storage

 

[Whazzzup]

Hey all,

Looking to set up a listening station beside my comfortable chair.

It is close enough to my computer where I can run an optical cable no problem but switching songs would be a problem.

Anyone have an idea of how I can have access to my music on my server connected to my dac, to my amp, to my headphones? Or should I just get a DAP and call it a day

My server is part of my network, interface via iMac/iPad/iPhone as a remote.

 

[gwertheim]

My server is part of my network, interface via iMac/iPad/iPhone as a remote.

Yeah but how is your audio connected?

 

[Whazzzup]

Yeah but how is your audio connected?

My system listed below in my sig. server USB dac xlr amp balanced our hp

 

[gwertheim]

Yeah that's not happening anyone try Roon?

 

[Whazzzup]

Yeah that's not happening anyone try Roon?

yes its a roon core server

 

[gwertheim]

yes its a roon core server

What I am asking is Roon any good?

 

[Whazzzup]

its why i have it

 

[gwertheim]

Going to use a chromecast audio and set up a roon server on my file server box and connect it through that

 

[gwertheim]

I am just getting started in figuring out what gear I want, chromecast audio seems like the cheapest way to start and build from there

 

[Whazzzup]

soooo you don't have this dac, server, etc... a cheap budget, im out

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Well that sux, I was more hoping for a iPad like device which has an optical out and a simple interface similar to a DAP but connects to a network folder instead of onboard storage

For $12,000 you might as well buy a Marantz NA7005, hook it up to your home ethernet, configure it to use your server, then run the Marantz remote app on a tablet.

 

[gwertheim]

soooo you don't have this dac, server, etc... a cheap budget, im out

You got to start somewhere. Work with what you have and build from there.

I have a beast of a retired desktop/new server which was over built to hold 5+ hard drives and handle video editing and photoshop, it costs more than most roon nucleus models. My new desktop is the size of a shoebox and can do everything my old machine can do twice as fast.

That's the server I am starting with, using chromecast audio to connect to something like a jds labs El dac is not a problem for me.