Hi res streaming : Linux and Mac

[PJPJ]

Starting a new thread as there's a somewhat different emphasis for me.

Does anyone stream from NAS using a Mac? Or Linux?

I guess Songbook and JRiver are worth considering, though as a Windows user at the moment, I use Asset to run my Musical Fidelity CLiC.

https://www.dbpoweramp.com/asset-upnp-dlna.htm suggests this software exists in both MAC OS and Linux versions.

Will my WD NAS units work with Mac or a Linux machine? WD seems to make drives for Windows and other drives for Mac.

Any input from Mac or Linux users will be very welcome.

[Frances_iom]

never had a problem using windoze NAS etc on Linux - AFAIK Mac versions are just formatted with the Mac file system + an added profit as Mac users are used to paying high prices
I stream to a Cambridge DAC (over USB) from an early HP notebook (very underpowered) but works fine using Quad Libet

[PJPJ]

Thanks for that.

For those who may be interested :

https://code.google.com/p/quodlibet/

As a long-time foobar user, I'm a little too entrenched in my ways, so will have to adopt a sense of adventure!

[johnb]

This isn't much help but I stream from a HP Microserver (G7) running Ubuntu Server to a Logitech Touch. (I also run a mirror on a W7 PC.)

(The HP Microserver came with no OS so I initially chose Ubuntu Server because it was free and other people with Microservers had used it successfully - it was quite a learning curve though.)

[richardfinegold]

I had a lot of trouble when I tried to stream from a NAS with my Mac. I am told they work better with Windows PCs. I gave up and went the Mac/DAC route for my main system, and I then use Apple TV to get the music to my Home Theater System. I'm sure that it can be done with a mac but since I am a computer idiot and my set up works for me I had no desire to proceed further.

[PJPJ]

I had a lot of trouble when I tried to stream from a NAS with my Mac. I am told they work better with Windows PCs. I gave up and went the Mac/DAC route for my main system, and I then use Apple TV to get the music to my Home Theater System. I'm sure that it can be done with a mac but since I am a computer idiot and my set up works for me I had no desire to proceed further.

I'll have to investigate that - but thanks for the tip. Were I to have the USB DAC route, I'd go for Mac with Audirvana, highly praised by several users I know. I really will have to try to have a listen to that setup.

And johnb, thanks to you, too. I fear ubuntu may well be a step too far for me.

[johnb]

And johnb, thanks to you, too. I fear ubuntu may well be a step too far for me.

Ubuntu on a Desktop/Laptop is relatively easy to adapt too but Ubuntu Server requires you to use the terminal window (similar to MSDOS) and learn an entirely new set of concepts and command sets.

[neiltingley]

Yes. I posted about how I stream using a linux box running LMS (logitech media server) and squeezelite.

If WD Nas 'works' with windows then the (shared) folders you create can be mounted on macos or linux easily via CIFS. It's all seamless and you don't need to worry about the protocol, just browse your local network and the shares (shared folders) should appear.

NFS might be an option for you too.

[neiltingley]

Ubuntu: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MountWindowsSharesPermanently - for any flavour of ubuntu. Note: 'permanently; which means the shares will be 'mounted' if you restart your machine.

You can use the ubuntu file manager to browse your local network and mount windows (CIFS) shares (ditto Finder in windows)

[Dave2002]

I'll have to investigate that - but thanks for the tip. Were I to have the USB DAC route, I'd go for Mac with Audirvana, highly praised by several users I know. I really will have to try to have a listen to that setup.

And johnb, thanks to you, too. I fear ubuntu may well be a step too far for me.

I wasn't sure if you already had the NAS. I had a couple of Buffalo Linkstations. One was terribly slow, and the second was faster I think, but crashed when I tried to use one to backup the other, and also caused a crash on the one which was working. Backup was supposed to be seamless across the network. I was given a replacement which I hardly tried. There were several modes of using the Linkstations. One was to use them as a server to feed directly to a DAC, while other ways would effectively upload to the computer, and then play using a player on that.

I think things have improved a lot since then, so it's not really fair to compare a new system with one from five or more years ago, but I just thought I'd let you know of the problems I had. If you are planning to have the NAS as only a music server that might be a good idea - but you'd need to get one with a good server interface. If you are planning to have it to store other files, and possible act as a remote backup as well, then you need to choose a model which would hopefully be more reliable than the one I started with. Having the ethernet link was very slow compared with USB or now USB 3 or Firewire, though perhaps gigabit ethernet would be better. Also, some of the earlier NAS models had very underpowered processors, and a very slow interface.

You could use something like a Mac mini as a server, with an external hard drive - though that would cost more. If you have an old laptop that could also do the job. I"m not sure if you could use a Raspberry Pi - for a cheap DIY job.

Re the NAS systems I used, they would work with PCs as well as Macs (I had both at the time, and used both Windows and Mac OS X), but as I said, ultimately they did not work out as very reliable, or fast, so I reverted to using USB hard drives. Really depends what you want your system for.

[richardfinegold]

I wasn't sure if you already had the NAS. I had a couple of Buffalo Linkstations. One was terribly slow, and the second was faster I think, but crashed when I tried to use one to backup the other, and also caused a crash on the one which was working. Backup was supposed to be seamless across the network. I was given a replacement which I hardly tried. There were several modes of using the Linkstations. One was to use them as a server to feed directly to a DAC, while other ways would effectively upload to the computer, and then play using a player on that.

I think things have improved a lot since then, so it's not really fair to compare a new system with one from five or more years ago, but I just thought I'd let you know of the problems I had. If you are planning to have the NAS as only a music server that might be a good idea - but you'd need to get one with a good server interface. If you are planning to have it to store other files, and possible act as a remote backup as well, then you need to choose a model which would hopefully be more reliable than the one I started with. Having the ethernet link was very slow compared with USB or now USB 3 or Firewire, though perhaps gigabit ethernet would be better. Also, some of the earlier NAS models had very underpowered processors, and a very slow interface.

You could use something like a Mac mini as a server, with an external hard drive - though that would cost more. If you have an old laptop that could also do the job. I"m not sure if you could use a Raspberry Pi - for a cheap DIY job.

Re the NAS systems I used, they would work with PCs as well as Macs (I had both at the time, and used both Windows and Mac OS X), but as I said, ultimately they did not work out as very reliable, or fast, so I reverted to using USB hard drives. Really depends what you want your system for.

I really hated the Buffalo interface. The learning curve was steep and the functionality poor, per your post.
I have found it much easier to connect a 3 Tb hard drive to my MacAir and direct iTunes to there. The Air connects via FireWire to my DAC. Listening to Karajan's Pictures At An Exhibition as I type. The external HD is quiet, the sound is terrific. I don't think I will bother with NAS drives when I can store this much on an HD.

[Dave2002]

I really hated the Buffalo interface. The learning curve was steep and the functionality poor, per your post.
I have found it much easier to connect a 3 Tb hard drive to my MacAir and direct iTunes to there. The Air connects via FireWire to my DAC. Listening to Karajan's Pictures At An Exhibition as I type. The external HD is quiet, the sound is terrific. I don't think I will bother with NAS drives when I can store this much on an HD.

Richard

As so often you and I seem to be in agreement, and have similar experiences.

There seem to be only a few reasons to attempt to use a NAS.

1. To serve out the same files, or media streams to different devices, without having to have multiple copies.

2. To avoid the need to have a computer permanently on, and hopefully to save energy as a result.

3. To simplify backups and improve reliability.

For some, 1 might be a valid reason. 3 just doesn't seem to work - it seems that having multiple USB drives is likely to be more robust than trying to maintain data across a network. Re 2, using MacBooks, or MacBook Airs doesn't seem to use much energy anyway, and similar considerations would apply to Mac Minis.

[PJPJ]

I wasn't sure if you already had the NAS. ....

Re the NAS systems I used, they would work with PCs as well as Macs (I had both at the time, and used both Windows and Mac OS X), but as I said, ultimately they did not work out as very reliable, or fast, so I reverted to using USB hard drives. Really depends what you want your system for.

I do have a working network with a couple of WD NAS drives (with backup drives plugged into each via USB), all functioning via Windows. Using the BT hub, I'm getting quite reliable wireless streaming through a Musical Fidelity CLiC, and largely trouble-free wireless streaming at 24-96 (partly thanks to johnb's excellent advice).

The system will have to be dismantled and re-assembled when I move home shortly. Not looking forward to that, though I will be able to revert to a wired system.

The laptop controlling all this has done very well but will need replacing. I had intended to buy a new, more powerful machine, running Window 10, until the latest Microsoft patch Tuesday cock-up (it's not the cock-up which has annoyed me, it's Microsoft's arrogant attitude and reluctance to fix it which was the last straw) which is making me have second thoughts about sticking with Windows. Hence my enquiries about the wisdom of changing to MAC or Linux.

I've no experience of MAC, though have read about similar problems with updates, or changes in operating systems. I don't mind buying the new computer - I don't want to have to replace the NAS drives as well if MACs don't like them.

I know I'm asking a very small pool here, but I thought it best to ask first in familiar surroundings in case someone has a fully working reliable MAC network running, say, a Linn DS or Naim, or MF CLiC like mine, and getting 24 bit files to play seamlessly.

[PJPJ]

Richard

As so often you and I seem to be in agreement, and have similar experiences.

There seem to be only a few reasons to attempt to use a NAS.

1. To serve out the same files, or media streams to different devices, without having to have multiple copies.

2. To avoid the need to have a computer permanently on, and hopefully to save energy as a result.

3. To simplify backups and improve reliability.

For some, 1 might be a valid reason. 3 just doesn't seem to work - it seems that having multiple USB drives is likely to be more robust than trying to maintain data across a network. Re 2, using MacBooks, or MacBook Airs doesn't seem to use much energy anyway, and similar considerations would apply to Mac Minis.

I'm sorry to say you make some very good points. Having had very few problems with the network (and those were overcome), I still do wonder whether it was worth the bother. It does work, though, and everything's backed up twice, but not in another location.

[Dave2002]

I've no experience of MAC, though have read about similar problems with updates, or changes in operating systems. I don't mind buying the new computer - I don't want to have to replace the NAS drives as well if MACs don't like them.

I know I'm asking a very small pool here, but I thought it best to ask first in familiar surroundings in case someone has a fully working reliable MAC network running, say, a Linn DS or Naim, or MF CLiC like mine, and getting 24 bit files to play seamlessly.

The networks here have a combination of wireless and wired links. We have two, though they are not interconnected. Most of the laptops and iPads and other devices can connect to both wirelessly.

Macs will probably cost more, but I do think they are substantially better, but YMMV. I have had experience of NAS, but not with your WD units. Perhaps check the user manuals. Most things can be made to work with Macs, though you may have to reformat the drives. Alternatively you may need to ensure that any Mac machines could read and write to Windows file formats - FATn is common to both, but you may need to instal additional drivers for NTFS if you use that format for any attached drive. The most likely format for current Mac OS X files is Mac OS Extended (journaled). The Buffalo NAS models I mentioned earlier tended to use Linux file formatting (e.g EXT2 or EXT3), but that wasn't always a great problem - I don't know about other manufacturers' models.

If you do switch to Macs you'll need to decide what you want the machine(s) for. The cheapest options are Mac Mini, Macbook Air, and then Macbook Pro in that order, though you'd need to check the interfaces on the laptops - the latest models don't come with ethernet (you need an adapter - easy to find/buy for under £40) and IIRC the air doesn't have the combi optical headphone output. If you want to do serious work as well, then I recommend the desktop models - but they are pricey, though if you have the space they are really good to work with and lovely big screens. If you are "only" using these for music streaming then, luxurious though that is, that is something of overkill, and if you don't need (a/nother) laptop, then the basic Mini is probably the best bet. If you haven't already got any Apple stuff, then you probably don't have an iPhone or iPad either, otherwise you could use those for control purposes, and perhaps also for some streaming.