PC for Multichannel Music Playback - What's your Setup?

[HomerJAU]

Anyone using Kodi/XBMC with and IPad, IPhone or IPod Touch needs to check this app out. It allows you to browse through your music artists, albums & tracks and create a Play Queue on the fly. It also supports music video playlists that have been created externally:

http://xbmcmusicremote.com/apps/kodi-music-remote-pro

There is a cut down free version or the Pro version for about $3 I think. Great app. I use this all the time for my multichannel FLAC (Kodi also supports DSD now I believe but I convert everything to FLAC).

You don't need a PC or TV screen to play music as its all controlled from the app. My Kodi Intel NUC is connected via HDMI to my multichannel amp.

I'm using version 4.0 beta which adds some new features including display of codec info (e.g 24/96kHz Quad etc).

 

[Eclectic]

Anyone using Kodi/XBMC with and IPad, IPhone or IPod Touch needs to check this app out. It allows you to browse through your music artists, albums & tracks and create a Play Queue on the fly. It also supports music video playlists that have been created externally:

http://xbmcmusicremote.com/apps/kodi-music-remote-pro

There is a cut down free version or the Pro version for about $3 I think. Great app. I use this all the time for my multichannel FLAC (Kodi also supports DSD now I believe but I convert everything to FLAC).

You don't need a PC or TV screen to play music as its all controlled from the app. My Kodi Intel NUC is connected via HDMI to my multichannel amp.

I'm using version 4.0 beta which adds some new features including display of codec info (e.g 24/96kHz Quad etc).

If you're an Android user, there's a similar Android app called Yatse https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.leetzone.android.yatsewidgetfree&hl=en. It's great, and it's free.

 

[atrocity]

I didn't get to spend as much time with it as I'd have liked, but preliminary results are very promising.

Played a FLACed version of "Koyaanisqatsi" last night. Sounded great 99% of the time...but I got five or so multi-second bursts of static on top of the music. Out of nowhere the music would suddenly decrease in volume but the overall sound level would remain the same because there'd be something much like interstation FM noise on top of it.

I'm not sure I've ever played the rip all the way through before, so I suppose the files could be corrupt. I ripped my own disc myself though, so that seems unlikely. The computer serving the files was also doing a heavy backup job at the same time, but I'd expect buffering and silence rather than corruption if that really caused a problem.

I will try a different album tonight and maybe spend some time Friday with the Cubox hooked up to a different system, but so many past failures have left me pretty pessimistic about this.

One good piece of news is that I'm now positive that the music completely stopping that I mentioned in my previous post was indeed the fault of the controller app.

 

[atrocity]

I will try a different album tonight

It was "Discipline" and it played flawlessly. I hope to try "Koyaanisqatsi" on a different system tomorrow. At that price, I really want to like this little box. If it can reliably do for multichannel what the Squeezebox does for stereo, I will be very, very happy.

 

[atrocity]

Played a FLACed version of "Koyaanisqatsi" last night. Sounded great 99% of the time...but I got five or so multi-second bursts of static on top of the music. Out of nowhere the music would suddenly decrease in volume but the overall sound level would remain the same because there'd be something much like interstation FM noise on top of it.

I have yet to have this issue present itself again. I checked the FLACs today and verified that they're clean. Given that the noise seems to be analog in nature, I suspect something is/was going on in my receiver rather than the CuBox. After having played with this for several more hours on my main system, I'm ready to call it a winner.

And since we've been doing hand porn, here's my hand job showing how small the box really is:

 

[sukothai]

I have yet to have this issue present itself again. I checked the FLACs today and verified that they're clean. Given that the noise seems to be analog in nature, I suspect something is/was going on in my receiver rather than the CuBox. After having played with this for several more hours on my main system, I'm ready to call it a winner.

Thanks atrocity, this looks interesting. I see newegg.com has them for $140.00 and I'm seriously considering ordering one.

 

[Skylineivan]

Great info! Thanks for sharing. Can I please ask a Newb question? I am a producer, want to produce new content in Quad and deliver it to my listeners. Is there any tech. or app around that would allow them to listen to my music, in Quad via their smartphone or media player after I have mixed it in 4 channels? Or do I have to create it and then burn it onto a DVD or Blu Ray to deliver it to them?

 

[bmoura]

Great info! Thanks for sharing. Can I please ask a Newb question? I am a producer, want to produce new content in Quad and deliver it to my listeners. Is there any tech. or app around that would allow them to listen to my music, in Quad via their smartphone or media player after I have mixed it in 4 channels? Or do I have to create it and then burn it onto a DVD or Blu Ray to deliver it to them?

That's easy. Simply create 4 Channel - or 5.1 Channel - music download files in DSD, FLAC or both - and provide on a download site or music downloads store. Any modern music download player like JRiver Media Center, Foobar, etc. will provide Stereo, 4.0 and 5.1 playback - assuming the device is capable of Multichannel playback.

 

[Skylineivan]

Great info! Thanks for sharing. Can I please ask a Newb question? I am a producer, want to produce new content in Quad and deliver it to my listeners. Is there any tech. or app around that would allow them to listen to my music, in Quad via their smartphone or media player after I have mixed it in 4 channels? Or do I have to create it and then burn it onto a DVD or Blu Ray to deliver it to them?

 

[Skylineivan]

Thanks so much! Didnt realize that was all there was to it! I appreciate your reply.

 

[Skylineivan]

bmoura, so once I have created my album in quadraphonic format, I then make sure they are DSD or FLAC (or both), upload those to my online store or downloads page and anyone that has Jriver Media Center, Foobar, etc. would be able to play those (as long as they have a 4 speaker Quad setup? I guess my lack of knowledge comes into play since I know that smartphones output stereo and wasnt sure how that would translate to 4 channels without something like a decoder. Or is that part of JRiver, Foobar, etc?

That's easy. Simply create 4 Channel - or 5.1 Channel - music download files in DSD, FLAC or both - and provide on a download site or music downloads store. Any modern music download player like JRiver Media Center, Foobar, etc. will provide Stereo, 4.0 and 5.1 playback - assuming the device is capable of Multichannel playback.

 

[bmoura]

bmoura, so once I have created my album in quadraphonic format, I then make sure they are DSD or FLAC (or both), upload those to my online store or downloads page and anyone that has Jriver Media Center, Foobar, etc. would be able to play those (as long as they have a 4 speaker Quad setup? I guess my lack of knowledge comes into play since I know that smartphones output stereo and wasnt sure how that would translate to 4 channels without something like a decoder. Or is that part of JRiver, Foobar, etc?

The buyer would need a Multichannel Digital to Analog Converter (DAC) like the ones found in the Oppo 103 and 105 disc players and exaSound e28 Multichannel DAC to do the digital to analog conversion needed to bring the DSD or FLAC files back to analog for playback. If they have that, it's just a matter of buying the files, storing on the local hard drive (or USB stick), playing via the software player and the Multichannel DAC.

Today, most DACs are Stereo only. Which explains why most music downloads (and sales) focus on Stereo. As Multichannel downloads appear (as you'll find on sites like Native DSD, Blue Coast, Super HiRez and others), we will see more Multichannel capable DACs appear on the market. Here, I use the Oppo 105 and the exaSound e28 for my Multichannel music downloads file playback.

For more on using the Oppo 103/105 as a DAC and Multichannel Music player, check out Brian's Corner # 1 at https://www.nativedsd.com/information/ted-brians-corner#blog-2

 

[Skylineivan]

Thank you so much! You just help me incredibly! I appreciate you!!!

That's easy. Simply create 4 Channel - or 5.1 Channel - music download files in DSD, FLAC or both - and provide on a download site or music downloads store. Any modern music download player like JRiver Media Center, Foobar, etc. will provide Stereo, 4.0 and 5.1 playback - assuming the device is capable of Multichannel playback.

 

[bmoura]

Thank you so much! You just help me incredibly! I appreciate you!!!

Glad to help! Happy Multichannel uploading, downloading and listening.

By the way, you'll find free Multichannel and Stereo music download files to try and experiment at a number of web sites including:
http://oppodigital.com/hra/dsd-by-davidelias.aspx
https://justlisten.nativedsd.com/albums/just-listen-1-compilation

 

[Skylineivan]

Do you know if there are any other Multichannel Digital to Analog Converters that may be more affordable (obviously sacrificing sound quality for price)?

 

[Skylineivan]

FYI... I am basically

 

[bmoura]

Do you know if there are any other Multichannel Digital to Analog Converters that may be more affordable (obviously sacrificing sound quality for price)?

The Oppo players are the lowest cost assembled Multichannel DAC for DSD and FLAC I am aware of. There is a Do It Yourself DAC Kit - the Buffalo III 8 Channel DAC from Twisted Pear Audio - that plays Multichannel DSD or PCM/FLAC for $379. Can't say I've tried that.



The Buffalo III 8-Channel DAC from Twisted Pear Audio
http://twistedpearaudio.com/digital/buffalo8.aspx

 

[Skylineivan]

Again, many thanks!!!

 

[bmoura]

FYI... FYI... I am basically building a prototype as an experiment for a product to help autistic children. There would be 4 speakers (1 on each corner of a bed) that would need to have their own channel. I am trying to do this as economically as possible so that It is affordable to them.

The Buffalo III kit may be the way to go in that project.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Do you know if there are any other Multichannel Digital to Analog Converters that may be more affordable (obviously sacrificing sound quality for price)?

In about 2 weeks, there will be. http://www.minidsp.com/products/ht-series/nanoavr-hda