Hello all here is a question I have a pwd mkii I have music in several formats . Flac , dsd. I would like to use a dedicated CPU or server to play music. This is a list of what I have on hand. Surface pro , iPad 3. PC with ss drive for c drive raid storage for music internal. Although I am reading all the possibilities here and understanding most it. I just want to hit a couple of buttons and play. What approach should I go towards here. I am open to buy what is needed but I really want the beast sound too. I am reading about changeling my music storage to wav . This is no biggie but if I do where is the best place to store and play . Help please. I also have jriver and this is what I currently use.
For storage I use two 3tb LaCie external drives. I plug them into my Mac by firewire although they are also available with usb2/3.
Another alternative is to use a NAS, which is pretty much the same thing but with it’s own brain.
I do regular back ups and do not need “mirroring” which is useful for more critical servers.
I also have not wanted to add another “computer” to my system and since Jriver requires [for now] a PC running anyway, then I’ve decided to keep things as simple as possible.
In my case the computer [Mac Mini] is at the PWD so everything can be hardwired and I also have the option to connect by USB from Mac to PWD. [ resulting in gapless play by that connection.]
I have been expecting a quantum leap in appropriate storage systems but have seen nothing exciting for a while so who knows?
hope this helps.
It does to a point so I should just use my surface pro pointed at a nas server then . Keep it next to the Pwd . That fine but what about the on the fly format changing ?? Does it pay to convert flac to wave. I cannot see the playback benifit other than the CPU maybe cause sound to degrade.
alrainbow,
Can you setup your nas as a named drive on the surface pro? If so, that is my recommendation. We have had some experiences with nas installations where the nas ‘brain’ has a different opinion on how things should work than a server like eLyric or jRiver. There are many happy installations with nas configurations, but we get more calls on them than we do with PCs with named drives. I use an external USB HDD connected to a PC with success.
As far as FLAC or WAV go. It should not matter from a functional perspective. There are many on the forums with more discerning ears than mine though, so I will leave it to them to give a more informed opinion.
Dave
Thanks . I understand what your saying , and it does have a name like a drive . But the music needs to be at the root and then it works . I guess in the end I should use one of my 1 gig USB drives connected to the surface pro. As for the sound it is just from reading as I really do not have the time to see. This system is in my office and I just want to hit play and walk away , and use the remote to pause or mute on the dac. The Pwd dac really puts you front row center . Great dac. And thanks all.
AlD
alrainbow,
Do you want (or need) to have a computer running all the time when you listen to music? If not, I highly recommend a NAS setup. I run a Synology NAS (but there are other good brands) with MinimServer, using my iPad with one of several available control points. MinimServer enables you to transcode FLAC to WAV before the file is sent off to the PWD, which many users find preferable. I find this setup reliable, fast, and as simple as anything in computer audio can be. (I see you have a PWD but am not sure if you have a Bridge, which you would need to run this kind of setup via ethernet.)
my advice
A NAS based system is great, but if/when wave stream comes online, your NAS is no longer the player, and you have to go back to a server either via the bridge on a nework or direct (USB, I2S).
Of the latter options I found the simplest method with best SQ is achieved from a dedicated Linux based server. The examples I tried were Bryston bdp2 and W4S ms2 server (i2s output to PWD). This latter option is simple to control from a tablet with the iPeng app, and has great SQ (better than the bridge).
Magister
I have the bridge , to me the bridge edges out the USB , unless I use a AP1/PP OR MY OFFRAMP5 .
So bridge preferred but no a must . I am reading what is posted here now and I will post back. And thanks all. This is what I needed in this adventure …
Al D
Ok I looked up the items listed for music servers. Ok first off Isn’t the bridge supposed to be this in one box server, I know it’s not without issues as this thread is not telling as others do. But if I do I then have to use other proprietary equipment to play my music . Yes they both have several output formats but I have to be stuck with there spec,s on jitter . But the up side is I can use the server for any dac, s I have at my office and no CPU involved…
Good Ideas and I’ll bet they are much more stable and easy to control from my iPad …
I’m thinking ???
alrainbow said: Isn't the bridge supposed to be this in one box server
Nope. The Bridge is not a server at all. It's a network interface with some proprietary hardware to help the sound quality of streamed audio. It definitely requires other hardware in the way of networking and a server, be that a NAS or PC/MAC.
Simple would be via USB, IMO. This could be accomplished directly from a computer or via a hardware streamer (if that is the right term) like the Bryston or Wired 4 Sound units (see Stereophilus' post, above). Results using the dedicated hardware units are reportedly the equal or better than The Bridge.
I use The Bridge with a PC on my network and have been very happy. I would like it to play gapless without EMM making it one big "track," but it doesn't, yet. This has not been a buzzkill for me and I love the way that the PWD/Bridge combo sounds. I have very little stability problems set up like this:
PC with Win8 and EMM. Internal hard drive with AIFF files. Apple Airport Extreme to Bridge via cat 5e. I have the most instability issues with the eLyric iDevice apps, but this usually just requires resetting the link in "Devices." Why is my setup so stable? Dunno. Lucky? Win8 stripped of maintenance and convenience functions? Divine intervention? It just works for me.
Thanks I am reading and reading many forums and trying to come to conclusion.
Al D
Unfortunately, PS Audio’s marketing adds to the confusion:
"The PerfectWave Network Bridge is slide in board that instantly transforms the PerfectWave DAC into a state-of-the-art network media server."
This is incorrect; the Bridge makes the PWD a network player, not a server.
O:-)
Yes a agree , but the Elyric was supposed to be that server right ??
My home and office CPU windows 7. Will no longer find the bridge any more witch is why I am doing this in some ways . I was using it and it was fine and then I updated the firmware and it was gone . Anyway the dac does give me a front center ticket to the show…
Al D
@ALRAINBOW
I hate to say the re-XXXC words again, but many have needed a cold boot [power cord out] including modem/router to get the connection again.
ALL off and then re-power in the order of the flow. PWD LAST.
I’m fine with the statement , but I did one up. It’s a whole different house here. It went from my house to my office . From Verizon DSL to fios . It was unplugged for three days at least . And it is a different CPU . The only two items not to change was ME and the dac. Lmao. So how’s that for the biggest reboot ever.
As I really do truly appreciate this forum and all the members help. This is why I am looking for another way here. If paul comes out with a new bridge tomorrow and it the greatest . Fine in time after the smoke clears the battle field and all the dead bodies are removed and counted . Then I will consider it…
You may call to goof on me if you wish …
Al D
Funny thing is I am the IT guy for my office and two homes although I am a bit of a retard compared to people here I do get it working.
Funny thing is I am the IT guy for my office and two homes although I am a bit of a retard compared to people here I do get it working.
Not at all. The bridge has a way of bamboozling the most IT savvy among us. It is indeed uncanny how the simple dream of streamed network audio is relentlessly frustrated by the various gremlins of firmware, software and network glitches.
Hence, until it all settles, a USB or HDMI interface from a simple server to the PWD will give you the most stable result.