gordon said On the Bridge web page have you set the gateway to the same as the MBA?Yes, same gateway. I give up on this. It shouldn't be this difficult. I'll log a support ticket with Alex.
Just to be clear. the Bridge needs to have the same gateway as the MBA IP, not the router IP. IOW, the MBA becomes the router. Set it up with the MBA not connected to any network.
Back to your OP, I am a little surprised that the sound quality difference between CD and DS DAC is not detectable, although overall CD player quality is no guarantee that it will make a good digital transport. I take it that you are feeding the DS from your CD player’s S/PDIF output. Have you tried USB as a comparison and is there a difference? I occasionally stream wirelessly (Macbook Pro to router, at least) but I find that, at my house, it is glitchy and likes to shut down unexpectedly. The sound from a dedicated wired network server or streamer has been much, much better (I have no experience with NAS but I gather that the same applies). Hopefully PSA will get you up and running but be aware that you may face further tribulation with the wireless route.
The injured top: This is a simple repair for a luthier. The finish will look like a black guitar - no orange peel whatsoever if done right. It does take a while to do right with nitrocellulose lacquer, however, which is what guitar people usually use. I believe that the lacquer on the PWD/DS top is a pre or post cat lacquer which is quick to cure but is probably incompatible with NS lacquer and will need to be removed for best results. Might sound a little daunting but for those acquainted with the process it is no big deal. Ask for a quote. You’ll have to operate your DAC “topless” for a bit…
wglenn said Back to your OP, I am a little surprised that the sound quality difference between CD and DS DAC is not detectable, although overall CD player quality is no guarantee that it will make a good digital transport. I take it that you are feeding the DS from your CD player's S/PDIF output. Have you tried USB as a comparison.....For me at normal listening levels I can't pick any difference. Others who have listened to my system have picked the DS over the CD player coax out but have said very careful listening is required to tell them apart. For me, paying such close attention to critical listening is a distraction. If you crank up the volume then sure, it becomes easy to pick the DS. There is more energy in the bass, and the attack you hear on the pluck of an acoustic guitar string takes full advantage of the 100V/microsec slew rate of my power amp. Sure, you can hear that in the DS over the CD player. However the case for keeping the DS boils down to normal listening levels, and it doing stuff the CD player can't do which is hi-rez audio.
I have tried the USB with limited success but I don’t want to sit the MBA on the DS whilst I sit 5m back in my seat (i.e. 5m long USB cable was that problem). Which is why I need to get the Bridge working, and ultimately connect the MBA wirelessly with it sitting on my lap for hi-rez audio playback (via a Pakedge W7 in client bridge mode). Starting point is to get it working with hardwired direct connection before I introduce wi-fi into the equation (unfortunately the W7 can’t act as a DHCP server when in client-bridge mode).
What I’ll probably have to do is put the DS and MBA on their own network using a cheap router that supports UPnP. Unless of course my support ticket comes through with a solution. Oh the irony. Easily $10k worth of enterprise class networking infrastructure here at home but I need to put the DS on its own dedicated low-end network to get it to work (DHCP and UPnP support required).
For the life me, I don’t understand why you don’t lose all that, and just control your MBA (running airserver or airfoil) from an ipad or iphone.
IMO, in the pursuit of “perfection” many here have lost the real joy of listening.
(dons flame retardant suit)
I set up a dedicated network for the DS, comprising:
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Bridge set to DHCP connected via ethernet to an un-managed switch.
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Access point configured as a DHCP server also connected via ethernet to the switch.
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MBA set to DHCP showing a valid IP and connected via wi-fi to access point.
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DS input selected to Bridge and showing a valid IP.
I can successfully ping the Bridge from the MBA.
The MBA has eLyric, iTunes and VLC. The MBA has a collection of music which I have downloaded from HDTracks and other sources.
How do I now get the DS to output music being played on the MBA?
I still don’t understand how I can’t make the network connection with static IP, but I can with dynamic. I still want to solve this problem so I don’t need the network switch and the AP acting as a DHCP server.
audiobill said For the life me, I don't understand why you don't lose all that, and just control your MBA (running airserver or airfoil) from an ipad or iphone....you mean, dispense with the Bridge altogether, connect MBA to DS via USB, and control it all with Airserver? Is that the suggested solution?
audiobill said IMO, in the pursuit of "perfection" many here have lost the real joy of listening.For many, the pursuit of perfection is also a joy.
Elk saidaudiobill said IMO, in the pursuit of "perfection" many here have lost the real joy of listening.For many, the pursuit of perfection is also a joy.
brodricj saidExactly. And if you look at the "How Tos", you can see how that's set up with the Mac Mini, an MBA in your case.audiobill said For the life me, I don't understand why you don't lose all that, and just control your MBA (running airserver or airfoil) from an ipad or iphone....you mean, dispense with the Bridge altogether, connect MBA to DS via USB, and control it all with Airserver? Is that the suggested solution?
Airserver allows your MBA to act as an Airplay “receiver”.
This setup will also easily allow you to stream Tidal, Qobuz or others from their iOS apps on your mobile device to the MBA.
“I have tried the USB with limited success but I don’t want to sit the MBA on the DS whilst I sit 5m back in my seat.”
Perfectly well understood. Just curious if you noted a difference in sound quality vs S/PDIF from your CD player.
It appears that for some reason 10.1.1.4 is not being set on the bridge. Either it is already in use or it is getting an error when trying to set it. What happens if you point a browser to 10.1.1.4?
Dennis
Dennis Kerrisk said It appears that for some reason 10.1.1.4 is not being set on the bridge. Either it is already in use or it is getting an error when trying to set it. What happens if you point a browser to 10.1.1.4?10.1.1.4 is outside the DHCP range of the router. But in any event the DS is not connected to the router. The network only consists of 2 devices. The Bridge (10.1.1.4) and the MBA (10.1.1.1). 10.1.1.4 (or any other static IP) does not stick in the Bridge, it always reverts itself back to 0.0.0.0
brodricj saidDennis Kerrisk said It appears that for some reason 10.1.1.4 is not being set on the bridge. Either it is already in use or it is getting an error when trying to set it. What happens if you point a browser to 10.1.1.4?10.1.1.4 is outside the DHCP range of the router. But in any event the DS is not connected to the router. The network only consists of 2 devices. The Bridge (10.1.1.4) and the MBA (10.1.1.1). 10.1.1.4 (or any other static IP) does not stick in the Bridge, it always reverts itself back to 0.0.0.0
If you manually set it, can you access the web interface? If you can then try setting it via the web interface and see if that works.
What version of bridge code are you running?
Dennis
This is what I have just checked:
Bridge version 0.2.15a
Bridge set to DHCP connected to router, dynamic IP 10.1.1.36 gateway 10.1.1.1
Configure static IP via DS touchscreen 10.1.1.4 gateway 10.1.1.1
Power DS on/off via front power button
In web browser 10.1.1.4 no contact.
In web browser 10.1.1.36 contact with Bridge
In web browser Network configuration shows static IP 192.168.1.4 gateway 192.168.1.1
If the browser web page connects with .36 then the bridge ip seems to be stuck there.
if rebooting the dac as well as the router does not clear it then you could reset the router and start over.
if you ar comfortable with networks then check the dhcp range of the router and set the dac to a static ip OUTSIDE of the dhcps range.
restrict the router dhcp to something like 101-199 for example.
As Dennis suggested, try setting the bridge ip from it’ web page, n set dhcp to NO.
then set the gateway to the computer ip and see if the bridge keeps it’s this time.
Let’s review the problem…
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Bridge connects with DHCP from router but Bridge web UI reports a different IP to the one it has been assigned by the DHCP server (the IP assigned by the router is correct, the IP displayed on the DS touchscreen is correct, the IP reported by the Bridge web UI is incorrect).
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I want the Bridge to have a static IP. This does not work. It always reverts back to 0.0.0.0
Forget about DHCP. I want this thing NOT connected to the local network, hence not connected to a router. I want it to connect directly to the MacBook Air, each device with their own static IP. This does not work.
Did you try setting static and the IP address from the web interface?
Dennis
Success! I can set static from the web interface and this is then displayed on the DS touchscreen, but the Bridge stays on the dynamic IP until the DS is rebooted. The static IP is sticking after reboot and does not revert back to 0.0.0.0
Great, it sound like there is a bug in the bridge code setting static from the front panel. I’ll look into it when I get time.
Dennis
Dennis,
Not sure if this is related, but it might be:
After I moved my Bridge from the PWD to the DS, I wanted to rename it. I could not do this from the front panel; only the first letter or two of the new name would stick. I tried 3 or 4 times, with a reboot or two for good measure. But renaming worked OK from the browser interface.