Thanks again to everyone for all the good advice. As I like the idea of simple (as in “one box”) but expandable in that it can be used in connection with a NAS to boost available storage space, I’ve found a used “entry-level” Aurender N100H at a good (possibly suspiciously so) price here in France. Cheaper than a Melco which seemed to be the best alternative. The Aurender software gets good reviews as does the sound quality from the hardware. It’s a bit of a dipping-of-a-toe-in-the-water for me which will at least familiarise myself with using this kind of caching/streaming device. I realise that it would have been cheaper to buy a NAS plus software etc but have been persuaded by various reviews which emphasise the improved sound quality from the likes of the Aurender box. Probably the snake oil to the charms of which I frequently fall.
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I will be interested in your take on how the Aurender app organizes Classical Music.
After reading johnb posts, I decided to hang on to to my Bryston but I was able to obtain a second hand Melco N100, their entry level model, so I will be comparing their software shortly. I plan to run the Melco into the Bryston.Comment
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The HiFiNews reviews of various Melco models have emphasised that it comes into its own as a "USB Transport" showing its superiority to other servers, Mac Minis etc., more clearly in this mode.
As you know I use a dedicated Macbook Pro via USB with add-ons (filters, regenerators) for Qobuz/Audirvana and I'm very happy with it. (Only for streaming now, I buy disc rather than download). Interested to see experiences of those above....Comment
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One of these days I am hoping that you go the dedicated server route, so that I and others can benefit from your input. Yes, it's possible to get very good sound out of a PC, but I prefer not to have one of the danged things in my music system since I have to work with them all the time...Originally posted by jayne lee wilson View PostComment
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Yes, I was wondering (leaving aside all those acronyms in this thread which mean nothing to me!Originally posted by richardfinegold View Post
) why anyone would go to the bother of buying a dedicated music server when all you'd need to do the same thing is a fairly basic computer, a DAC and a hard drive or two. Why pay more?
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I do too, using a separate Mac for all 'Utilities", work, tax and accounts, shopping, news, weather etc etc.... I did once feel the same about computers in the sound system, but setting another aside as a pure music server worked for me (especially once I was running USB 2, i.e asynchronous)....the Melco does interest me, but now my listening is stream or disc a hi-fi server (especially with extensive storage...one reason I didn't get one during my download years was my desire to have SSD, substantially more costly..) feels less essential. And that new disc-player has inevitably put the other sources in a new perspective.......Originally posted by richardfinegold View Post
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This may be of interest for anyone considering a low cost option...
SteveComment
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Following Stunsworth video, this one starts roughly in the same place but progresses through to the Allo Digione Signature, which I use as a Squeezebox Touch replacement. He also compares the Allo Digione Signature favourably to a £1,500 Aurelic streamer.
A word about the battery "disaster" - the polarities in the battery carrier are now labelled correctly, albeit with stick-on labels.
Also, he said that the battery pack, using LiFePo4 batteries, has an approximately 12 hour life. This will be somewhat influenced by the specific LiFePo4 batteries that are used but I've tested the battery pack with batteries that look suspiciously like the ones he was using and it was 96 hours (3.27V avg/cell) before the voltage started to gradually fall away and 135 hours (3.15V avg/cell) before the voltage started to drop off a cliff edge. LiFePo4 batteries are damaged if their voltage drops to 2.0-2.5 volts so one needs to keep well away from the cliff edge. 80 to 90 hours use before recharging would leave a wide safety margin, at least for LiFePo4 batteries I have used.
Note that the battery pack takes 18650 size batteries (larger in size than the common AA batteries) and LiFePo4 batteries are recommended.
(I also bought a significantly larger custom built LiFePo4 battery pack.)
Player
Having said that, if I was starting again I would get a good quality power supply instead of using batteries (they are too fiddly). Allo have a power supply they recommend and there are many other high quality options.
Having said that (No 2), if I was starting again I might well have been tempted by a Metrum Ambre with its sd card replaced by a one running piCorePlayer.Last edited by johnb; 01-02-20, 21:43.Comment
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The Aurender N100H duly arrived, to my relief as I had a slight suspicion that I had been scammed (it was really very cheap by comparison with the list price; communication was by instant message). Easily installed (an ethernet connection is essential + an iPad onto which the Aurender App is downloaded). Software seems OK but has exposed my laziness in saving music files (easily remedied). But it sounds great - files which with the MacBook Pro/Audirvana sounded a bit constricted (e.g. Vladimir Jurowski/LPO 10th Anniversary recorded live in the RFH) are now much more open. No doubt I could have achieved the same result at lesser financial cost - but at far greater opportunity cost. For me, life is too short to be stressing out over NAS, raspberry pis etc. So, a simple one-box solution (built like a small aluminium tank, unlike flaky-looking raspberry pi etc things) suits me well.Comment
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Glad to hear you are enjoying it. Can you offer more detail on the software? Does it do a decent job of organizing music by Composer? The streamers that I have seen, for example, will wind up with multiple folders for Beethoven, Mahler, etc. perhaps you need to load more music before this will be apparent. And how about loading music from usb drives? Can you do high resolution downloads directly to the Aurender, or do you have to transfer them from a Computer?Originally posted by HighlandDougie View Post
Today my Melco N100 was unboxed. Experience not as pleasant as HD. On the plus side, it sounds amazing. I have about half a dozen albums loaded, and two of them were CDs that I had been spinning recently; an album of Boulez/Cleveland in Debussy, the other Dvorak String Quartets by the Panocha Quartet. Both sound noticeably enhanced with the Melco. On the negative, the app doesn’t work. A new version was released on Jan 20 and I ordered my unit 4 days later. However, all the reviews on the app, which came after I placed my order, are scathing, with everyone having the same experience-it crashes and then refuses to work. I have spent a frustrating two hours repeatedly booting, rebooting, changing cat5 wires in my switch, all to no avail.. Pity, because in the brief interval when it worked, it did appear to be much better for Classical Music than either Bluesound OS or Bryston Manic Moose. I can control the player from its front panel, but not sure how much fun that will be when dozens of albums have been loaded...Comment
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Congratulations, do let us know how you get on with the box.Originally posted by HighlandDougie View Post
I apologise for the length of this post and for "teaching my grandmother how to suck eggs", but .....
The user interface tends to be glossed over in the websites and reviews of streamer boxes.
IMO there are three factors:
- The design of the software used in the streamer box
- The thought through, systematic tagging of the music files, in a way that is compatible with the software on the box.
- A well designed control app for a tablet
I see the Aurender supports the "composer" tag, which is important for classical music (though there can be ways around its absence).
I would copy a few ripped CDs onto the Aurender then play with the controls to see how the box uses the tags. You then have the opportunity to revise the tags if necessary.
I rip each CD to its own folder, this way the CD can be played direct from the folder. However the most common method of browsing and searching for music is by use of the tags.
For Windows THE standard recommendation for tagging software is mp3tag. It is free, supports most file formats (not just mp3), integrates with Windows Explorer, is very versatile and can be very powerful indeed (and has an undo option).
The most common tags in use are:
album
work [not universally supported]
albumartist [I don't use this]
artist
composer [not universally supported]
title
genre
year
comments
This is how I use the tags. It suits me but other people might have other ideas:
album
Some software supports the use of the "work" tag for the work or piece in classical music. Otherwise we have to use the "album" tag for the work (rather than using it for the CD as a whole).
I use the following format for the album tag (this could also be used for the "work tag)
<composer> - <work> - <main performer(s)>, as in:
Beethoven - Symphony No 5 - Haitink, LSO
One advantage of this is that "albums" are listed in a sensible order.
Where a CD contains a collection of short pieces (e.g. Barbara Bonney's "Diamonds in the Snow" CD) I use the following format:
<performer> - <CD title>, e.g.
Bonney - Diamonds in the Snow
albumartist
I don't use this tag but other folk might do so.
artist
I use this for the performers.
Important: it is very, very helpful to test whether your box supports multiple artist tags, i.e. in the above example, separate artist tags for "Haitink" and "LSO". This makes searching for a performer much easier to do, otherwise one would have to decide between tagging as "Haitink, LSO" or"Haitink".
I mostly use just the surname, e.g. "Haitink" apart from where there are more than one performer with the same surname, in that case I put the surname first, e.g. "Haitink, Bernard".
In mp3tag you can enter multiple artist tags by using the following as the separator
For example ifCode:\\
is entered as "artist" mp3tag will create two separate artist tags, one for "Haitink" and one for "LSO".Code:Haitink\\LSO
[Edit, Originally I incorrectly put forward slashes (//) instead of back slashes, but the forum software doesn't like two backslashes so I have had to use the CODE formatting.]
composer
This isn't universally supported but is very useful indeed for classical music.
It's important to work out how you want to format the composer name - then stick to it.
I usually use just the surname, e.g. "Beethoven" apart from where more than one composer has the same surname, in which case I put the surname first e.g. "Beethoven, Ludwig van". This way, the composers appear in alphabetic order, and using just the surname minimizes the opportunities for duplicate entries with similar names. Note that each of the following would be dealt with as separate composers:
Ludwig van Beethoven
Beethoven
Beethoven, Ludwig van
Beethoven,Ludwig van
Beethoven, LV
Beethovn, Ludwig van
title
This is used for the track. In classical music this is the movement (though it is often called "song" in software).
Most ripping software populates the title tag with something like:
"Beethoven Symphony No 5 in C minor, Op. 67- I. Allegro con brio".
I prefer to use just the movement name, e.g. "I. Allegro con brio" as the work is defined in the "album" tag.
(mp3tag tagging software can automate this type of edit. If anyone want to know how to set this up using "Actions" in mp3tag - please let me know)Last edited by johnb; 11-02-20, 12:59.Comment
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John, many thanks for the time you have taken over this - its very good of you to contribute in this way, and generally in providing information in this thread.Originally posted by johnb View Post
Your experience and informed suggestions are invaluable for me. I have a Synology NAS, and hope in the next few months I can implement a streaming system in the house. I'm reluctant to hitch my wagon to a branded product - I would have to learn how to use it and set that up, like any other option, but I don't want to be subject to manufacturer's decisions (commercial or technical) and their view of the life of the product. I am willing to put that effort into setting up and using software such as jRiver, Foobar or Log. Media Server (LMS).
Also, I don't relish the task of setting up the system criteria and accessioning the downloads I have and the rips I would make - so I will gladly study your observations and recommendations.Comment
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Very much seconded by me! Invaluable advice for someone like me whose lazy approach to labelling music files in a systematic way has come back to bite me in loading up the Aurender box (although its software is in general OK).Originally posted by Cockney Sparrow View PostComment
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Just had the price list of the Aurender stuff. Maybe it's good, but I think I'd have to win the lottery before I'd buy one. I can afford one, but unless my eyes deceive me, the units seem to be around £8k. They ought to be good at that price.Comment
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The best value proposition that I have used in Servers is Bluesound. The Node2i, which is the basic streamer/DAC, goes for around $500 here, and I have one in both of my midfi Home Theater systems. If you need aCD Ripper and 2TB storage, along with the streamer, the Vault2 adds another $600. Bluesound has a relatively easy to use interface, will play high Resolution recordings, has Internet Radio and compatibility with every streaming service imaginable. From a picky Audiophile perspective, the weak point of the Bluesound is the DAC—at that price point there is only so much quality to be had—but many people will find the DACto be adequate, and if you have your own DAC, it makes a fine digital transport. My Bryston and now my Melco sound much better as transports, but if I had to rely only on the Bluesound, it would be more than just a make do.Originally posted by Dave2002 View Post
The Melco continues to beguile with it sound but frustrate with the App, which when it works is a real joy but is as irregular about showing up for duties as many of my millennial coworkers are. Melco and Apple point fingers at each other here. Melco is due to release it’s updated App which will include SongKong in May, so in the meantime I am using a third party App called Bubble (I think) which is basically the Melco App is a more plain looking Interface, but which is a major improvement in managing Classical collections compared to iTunes, Bluesound, or Bryston horrid Manic Moose.Comment
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