Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion HiFi & HT Chat PC as music server

I was reading the wiki "served music tips and tricks"
and was attracted to the idea of getting either the Tascam or EMU USB interface mentioned by George Mills. I did some research on the internet and found that people have had trouble using asio with Windows 7.

Anyone had any experience with this?

ASIO works fine on windows 7 both 64bit and 32bit with TASCAM 144 MKII. The EMU 0404 however is buggy and I would not receommend it for Windows 7 or Vista. It's not so much ASIO. It's different venders implementation. And both sides have to be well implemented. As far as players go JRiver is probably one of the most solid http://www.jriver.com/ but I hate the user interface compared to Winamp. I love the interface off Winamp but it does not support WASAPI yet, oddly enough (Jriver does, I think Foobar does too but I hate that interface even more). If you don't mind running JRiver, then I would look for a USB device that supports WASAPI for Windows 7 (make sure it supports 64bit or 32bit WASAPI depending what you are running). If you want Winamp (which I do) your stuck with ASIO and the TASCAM does work. Earlier TASCAM ASIO drivers were buggy (but usable) new ones are much better.

And if you dont understand any of that, (Plenty of us dont) you get Sooloos. But you have to pay the price, of course.....Chris

Exactly. And even if you do understand some of it, I find it all quite boring after 20 years of building PCs and tinkering with Windows: which is why I (a) went to Mac and (b) would only buy a media-server if the usability for me was excellent, which means, like you said, I am a sucker for Sooloos.

Or you can just Stream the Data from the PC to an SB or Sonos Player, using whatever Media Player you like. Sooloos is not the only other option.

Or you can use a PC with an Optical or Coaxial Output direct to your Meridian Processor.

As regards User Interface and Usability, Sooloos does not lead the field either IMHO.

When used in conjunction with an ID40 (or MS600) then the Sooloos will likely have the edge in Sound Quality, which IMHO remains as the USP of the Sooloos.

Macs have issues too. If you don't care about quality then use a Mac. Or use a PC for that matter and skip setting it up right. Macs can be setup right too. Just don't use anything that begins in "i".

I could buy what ever I want. Including a Sooloos. I have a spare SqueezeBox I choose not to use. At home it's different. But for work (already sitting on a PC) I choose Winamp. Macs are not used for mainstream commercial work yet.

You can take any clunker PC with USB 2.0 and spend $130.00 and make it work perfect. And get decent headphone preamp too.

Or buy a PC with optical as Ronnie suggests. That I have yet to see driver support for WASAPI or ASIO. And you may have to add a optical to coax converter if you want to DSP speakers direct.

Both Mac's (including those with an "I") and PC's can be set up to act as a Good Quality Music Server. Certain, non-complicated steps need to be taken with both. But both can be used with equal efficacy

In the wide range of Manufacturing Companies I deal with on a daily basis, I've seen the use of Personal Computers migrate from an almost exclusive Windows / Linux environment to about 10 to 15% use of Mac's. These are increasingly being used in Production, Engineering, Design, Labs, Pilot Scale Facilities, Production Control etc. The Industries that this is happening in is in the Multi-National Pharma, Wafer Fabrication, Electronics, Smelting, Brewing as well as many other Industry types.

Our people have had to be trained to be equally comfortable working in both Windows and OS/X environments. Macs are far from a niche product any more, including Commercial and Industrial environments

Windows PC's and Macs have their own idiosyncrasies and ways of doing things, but in today's world, both can be equally flexible in achieving desired goals. Either side claiming "victory" or "supremacy" is a facile argument

Hi George

Just curious about which aspects concern you about Mac usage? I haven't listened to any served music in a while as I'm using the Mac as the main machine, and I had Squeezecentre running out of the PC which is currently out of action.

I've kept the Mac iTunes library more up to date than the PC, so I would like to use it as the main server at some point (both PC and Mac libraries are Apple lossless). What would the downsides be of using the Mac in this way? It's an iMac, top spec from about 20 months ago.

Cheers

George

Someone asked specifically about an article I wrote on running a PC with hardware I recommended and I wanted to update him on some things.

Then the Mac/Sooloos lovers trashed it IMHO. I think they were pretty impolite replies. If you don't want to run a Windows PC, then keep your mouth shut.

For me to take the time to help update someone then have it basically trashed is pretty de-motivating to help folks. My only goal here it to get my name off the Top Posters list.

You've warn me down guys.

George

What are you talking about? I'm happy to start a new thread or PM you...they were genuine questions, but you seem to have gone off the deep end?

George

Ouch! I didn't mean to start a squabble.

I have a PC with an optical digital output. However, it does respond to the volume control in Windows which I gather means that it is not bypassing all
Windows machinations.

It seems overkill to buy a gadget which has DACs, microphone in/out and other
bells and whistles when all we want is a bit perfect digital stream out. Is
there no simpler way to get that?

I was not referring to you George.

But you did quote me out of context

All machines need knowledge to optimize them. And I'm tired of folks saying, run a Mac and your life will be problem free.

Meridian is not exactly problem free either.

If I were to run a Mac, I would definitely have this at the top of my list. Which has been discussed before.

http://www.channld.com/puremusic/index.html

But no body ever mentions it as prereq to using a Mac. Just Plug and Play, yeah right. I'm sure there are some settings and details that go along with PureMusic too. And if I posted a paragraph on setting up that would it make sense for someone to come along and say just run Windows Media Player on a PC and nothing to worry about. The Mac responses were THAT lame in my opinion and I'm sick of it (it's been going on for years). And I suspect if I did run a Sooloos or a Mac you'd see some Wiki Pages covering some tweaks for either as well as reponses like I gave the person asking about the PC in this thread.

Sorry if you don't get it.