I use daily a dedicaced PC (Intel NUC) with Jriver/Jplay 4.2 ultrastream on PWD USB with good results comparatively to the bridge.
I tried the free linux audiophile program daphile: http://www.daphile.com/
Copy and extract it on an USB stick, and boot. It transforms your PC in a squeezebox (the PWD is automatically recognized)
Remove the stick, reboot, windows is back.
The server program LMS can be used from the computer/stick or like my configuration on the NAS (free package in Synology NAS)
When i use LMS option FLAC to PCM conversion, results in SQ is better than Jriver/Jplay for me !
I use iOS remote iPeng, it works with all squeezebox ecosystem (radios, streaming apps…)
This solution is very good in SQ, simple, stable, totally free, and for all these reasons, should be tested !
Thank you. I will try this when I get home from travelling.
Extremely clever idea.
I have recently considered using one of the tiny computer modules along with one of the audio optimized Linux distributions to create an external music player substitute for the Bridge. Not hard tondo for $100~$150 or so. Of course, an Audiophile qualified power supply would quadruple that price (if you are lucky!). Seems like an interesting exercise for only a modest amount of money.
J.P.
@ralberge thank you for sharing. May I ask which exactly NUC you have? Any practical comments? Is it dead silent, or very quiet, or you can hear it from listening position when it’s quite in room?
Thank you
I use an Intel NUC DC3217IYE i’ve never heard in my listening position as well with JRiver/ Jplay or Daphile . Nice machine very fast .
I am convinced that Daphile improves any computer because this OS is designed entirely for audio avoiding all the unnecessary process of Windows.
Install Daphile with Unetbootin on the key (explained on http://www.daphile.com/#download)
Remember to give priority to Boot USB in the BIOS. Insert the USB key (keep cool, this OS is’nt installed on the PC, when you remove the USB key, your PC boots on windows)
The auto detection process takes few minutes and need a screen to check the step. After that, you can access Daphile by any browser after PC boot with the USB key (25 seconds).
The LMS server can run on the PC or elsewhere ( NAS in my case) .
I had to enter the IP address and after reboot the PC and NAS . That’s all.
If you prefer Daphile manages the LMS server , there are three storage choices:
- On the USB stick with the OS , the easiest way to quickly test SQ
- PC Disk : not tested
- On a network drive : I have to contact the creator ( responds very quickly )
cifs://username@NASNAME://SHARED FOLDER / SUBFILE + password
I have not gone further because I am very happy with LMS managed by the NAS
I had big improvement in transcoding FLAC to PCM: LMS (advanced/file type)
My advice : just give a quick test with any PC and a simple USB stick with the OS and few known tracks. With a decent USB cable, you could be surprised. Let me know
Yes, I’ve been wanting to compare my deeply stripped down Win 8 to a Linux system and this sounds like a great way to do it. Unfortunately, I am stuck in the Denver airport so I won’t get to play with it tonight.
I tried Daphile with my laptop and an almost regular USB cable. The improvement over the bridge is significant! The sound is more focused, better positioned, cleaner! This is the first impression though.
I could only play music that I copied to Daphile’s drive. I was not able to play on it from jRiver. When I leave the Media Server blank in the settings, jRiver and other software can see PWD on Daphile as a media player, but fails to play on it. However if I specify jRiver IP address, I get this message “Local players are configured for external server use”, the audio devices disappear, Daphile becomes super slow to respond and jRiver does not see it anymore. Would appreciate an advice here.
I got a response from Daphile regarding jRiver. Daphile is only meant to be used with other Daphile server or with Logitech Media server. The recommendation is to use CIFS network drive.
Don’t forget transcoding FLAC to PCM: LMS (advanced/file type), SQ 
Hi,
I have a question and also a solution or two.
1. How does one get Daphile to see the music library? I got it installed on thumb drive but that is as for as I get.
2. Solutions
To get jRiver and LMS to talk, one needs to install a free utility called Whitebear.
http://www.whitebear.ch/mediaserver
3. As an added bonus for you Squeezebox fans, a friend has found that just installing this made his system sound better when installed along with LMS.
Hope this helps!
Steven
B-)
Hi,
My experience with daphile opened my eyes:
- Simple is best (jplay and wavestream experience…)
- OS does most of the SQ
- Linux OS sounds better
- LMS is a robust and practical server, especially with Synology
But frustated by the hardware potential…no time to build an optimized PC.
I’ve heard of SOTM SMS-100 mini server with its Linux OS and LMS/airplay/DLNA compatibility.
After a home trial, i bought it with the external battery.
It’s a kind of synthesis of Daphile OS + excellent Hardware: today, I can’t be more happy with my PWD. Natural and Harmony. For me, it blows bridge despite USB connection.
Small green computer seems build the OS, wich is very similar to Daphile.
IMHO, a V2 bridge should have this kind of OS
The W4S server is similar as well: Linux OS, LMS… Similar price to the SoTM, but also has the HDMI I2S output. The external battery is a significant upgrade on the W4S server.
I think you mean another product, the new SOTM SMS-100 is far cheaper 450$ and 849$ with battery http://www.sonore.us/SOtM1.html
But you need a PC or a NAS
Hello,
My experience of Daphile on a Ayre QB9 (lent to me) because I’m still waiting to receive my PWD 
The SQ is really good, I compared it against a Raspberry PI with RuneAudio (not able to run Volumio) and I preferred the Daphile sound and solution. To my ears, the SQ of Daphile on my PC was largely, largely better than the RaspberryPI (same USB cable).
Daphile rely on Logitech Media Server (LMS) which is very powerful and rich in term of functionality. Initialy I ran the LMS included in Daphile, so locally on the PC (a NUC with thunderbolt / network interface) . I finally preferred the option to run LMS on the NAS (QNAP) which has the advantage to free a little bit the CPU load on the NUC. The NUC is powerful, unfortunately it is NOT Fanless (a mistake I made, I was sure to buy a fanless PC).
I’ve found SqueezCommander on Android which works very well and user friendly.
On iPad, iPeng is good, even if the GUI is sometimes weird to me.
Note also that the Daphile developer answer quickly (for the moment 
to questions and was very helpful.
Here is my feedback.
Cheers
I think you mean another product, the new SOTM SMS-100 is far cheaper 450$ and 849$ with battery http://www.sonore.us/SOtM1.html
But you need a PC or a NAS
You are right, I bought my W4S server second hand, so it was only comparable price when purchased second hand.