Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems New Music Server

Less than �500 bought me a Squeezebox Classic and a Netgear ReadyNAS Duo with 2 x 500Gb drives (that amply stores my whole music library, with plenty to spare).

So, just a little bit cheaper than a Sooloos!

Even so, my CD player rarely gets fired-up these days. It's the best investment I have made since I originally purchased my Meridian system!

In the not-too-distant future, I look forward to a Meridian DSP version of something like the Revox Re:system M51 - a two-box solution - with separate server, and multi-modular DVD system.

http://www.revox.com/content_bg.tpl?iid=l103a1b10c2d4e3f36&lang=2&iid2=11

I might even be tempted to spend a little more than �500 (+ an extra 0).

Roger:

I am cheating / leveraging on my RadianceXE...that is SONOS ZP 90 --> RadianceXE --> HD621 --> 861...that is, without the RadianceXE this would NOT be possible...

HTH

From Joel's comment, I guess that's the same for Squeezebox and most digital music controllers. Is anyone aware of one that'll plug straight into the HD621?

If I use wired LAN for my NAS and Squeezebox, how do I connect things up? My room has one LAN socket. I guess the NAS (which I'm still to choose) will go into that. Can the Squeezebox be plugged into the NAS?

Dolf: you mentioned that you're having trouble saving CDs as both FLAC and MP3. My research on software for ripping as FLAC (or other lossless) and MP3 points to RipNAS Essentials:
http://www.dBpoweramp.com/ripnas-essentials.htm
which has an added benefit of verifying the ripped tracks (if you also use a Teac CD drive).

Apple TV Has HDMI out, which can carry audio.
Cheers,

Ed.

Where does your LAN socket go? Unless you put it in yourself, are you sure it is not a WAN/internet connection?

Basically, with wired networks commonly using CAT5/6 twisted pair cabling, the network is a star arrangement - so everything goes from the centre of the star to each of the devices, one cat5/6 cable per device. The centre of the star is normally a router (which routes data between different networks, ie home network LAN and internet WAN), or a switch (and less common these days, a hub) which switches data from one CAT5/6 segment to another.

On a CAT5/6 segment, there is normally only one device, or a switch or router, in which case, you have another star. Connections between switches, or a switch and a router is normally called an uplink or backbone. The advantage of a backbone is that only one cable goes between rooms or floors even if there are multiple devices in each room/floor. The disadvantage is that all traffic between stars goes down the single segment, but its not normally a problem as you would normally use a high speed backbone (gigabit etc) that would normally handle far more data than even multiple devices can transmit.

So, in one room, you can have a switch, and in another room, you can have another switch, or a router, connected together by a single CAT5/6 cable. If one room only has one device, then it does not need a switch. Likewise, you can join two network devices together by a single cable and not need a switch - although you normally need a different type of cable (crossover) to mimic the missing switch/hub. Between switches/routers and devices, you normally use a 'patch' cable.

So, in the case of your setup, you need to know where you want all your equipment and where you want your hifi. They are likely to be in different rooms, noise/heat in one room, hifi in another.

You need to know where your LAN socket goes (if it is one) and work out what devices you want to be plugged into each end of it. Then select switches for room LAN/LAN or a router (routers often have a 4 port switch built into them) for LAN/internet connection as you probably don't need a switch for that room unless you exceed the number of available LAN ports. Your router may also have a wireless network, which may give further options. I personally do not use my wireless router as a switch, instead I use a separate gigabit switch which the router is connected to on its own - from experience, routers that also double up as internet modems are not that reliable, needed to be rebooted every so often, so keeping the switch separate from the rest of the network makes the internal LAN/home network resilient to router glitches. Also, last time I looked, most routers don't have gigibit ports built in which means a slow backbone that theoretically could become swamped.

But three examples for simplicity. Both based on squeezebox.

1. NAS + Squeezecenter PC + Squeezebox
NAS and Sqeuuzecenter PC are plugged into a switch sitting in a room that is not the listening room. Two cables goes from the switch, one into each device. Another cable goes into the listening room and plugs into the squeezebox, which is plugged into your hifi. Configure. Job done.

2. As above, but switch is a wireless router as supplied by your broadband supplier.
NAS and Sqeuuzecenter PC are plugged into wireless router sitting in a room that is not the listening room. Two cables goes from the wireless router, one into each device. WiFi is used between wireless router and received by the the squeezebox, which is plugged into your hifi. Configure. Job done.

1. NAS/Squeezecenter + Squeezebox
NAS incorporates Sqeeezecenter software and is sitting in a room that is not the listening room. Since crossover cable goes from the NAS box into the squeezebox, which is plugged into your hifi. Configure. Job done.

Hope this helps

PS. There is more than one way to skin a cat.

That is a big plus for the Apple TV for folks with HD621's.

Thanks everyone! And to Ian, especially, for such a comprehensive explanation.

I haven't set this up yet but I would aim to setup some macros or some other means of automation on a PC or Mac and use an iPod touch to control a Meridian processor over RS-232 as well as whatever audio playback software you end up using.

There are quite a few fanless PC setups, with the Intel Atom boards being a good (and very cheap) option to consider.

Perhaps someone already has a similar setup?

Hi Andy,

Thanks for the suggestion. I am going to open the NAS drive subject on a new thread to try to keep it organized.

I am cheating / leveraging on my RadianceXE...that is SONOS ZP 90 --> RadianceXE --> HD621 --> 861...that is, without the RadianceXE this would NOT be possible...

HTH[/quote] Very interesting. So you use the Radiance for converting the Sono's (Squeezebox would probably do the same) digital audio output to an HDMI signal to be fed into the HD621? Do you know about a cheaper way to do this SPDIF or Toslink to HDMI conversion of an audio signal?