alternative to laptop for playing music

[MaSh]

I have been using a laptop for playing FLAC through usb -> dac -> amp etc. So is there any alternative in the market nowadays? Something with usb and a screen (to select album directories etc).

I think squeezebox used to be one. What are the newer options today?

Appreciate the feedback.

What exactly are looking to achieve? Convenience, sound quality, something else? I ask cos PC>DAC>AMP is already a good chain(component depending).

but again as I said earlier my computer did not recognize CA. It said 'no casting device found' I think.

Is this your work computer or personal? Even my work computer does not connect to the CC due to some policies set. I get the same error message, even after trying various extensions and apps in chrome. All other personal laptops and mobile devices have no issues.

Raspberry Pi is a good easy on the pocket solution for both Music and Videos, however, no matter how simple it may seem, a bit of interest is required to download the distro, burn it on the SD Card and get it running. There are numerous videos available online to help you get there. I was using Volumio on Pi3 till about a week ago, now moving to a HTPC based source. I preferred Volumio as it was easier to get it running with my hard disk over a shared network. Moode somehow gave me a headache, however, there are many who swear by it. So it is a bit of trial and error before you settle down with a distro you like.

Another option would be to get https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/shield/shield-tv/

MaSh

 

[rraghuram]

I have been using a laptop for playing FLAC through usb -> dac -> amp etc. So is there any alternative in the market nowadays? Something with usb and a screen (to select album directories etc).

I think squeezebox used to be one. What are the newer options today?

Appreciate the feedback.

Hi Nandac, which brand of laptop are you using and how is its sound quality? I am strongly thinking of moving away from CDs/CD player to an all digital solution. My schema would be same as yours: Laptop>amp>Spks or Laptop>Dac>Amp>Spks.

My ideal laptop would be a simple "music only" machine with big storage, high quality audio (analog/digital/usb) output. Not planning to stream from internet or NAS. I am not looking for a "computer" experience but just a storage & playback machine. Dump everything into laptop & use Foobar to output to amp. Minimal number of components & a no fuss experience.

Sounds like a tall order? Is there such a machine in the market? Thanks.

 

[rikhav]

If possible keep os and softwares on a separate drive, preferably a SSD. A smaller capacity will also do say about 128 gb
And keep music in a large capacity mechanical drive

There are many other tweaks on os and hardware but this is the most basic one any music PC should have

 

[manniraj]

Hi Nandac, which brand of laptop are you using and how is its sound quality? I am strongly thinking of moving away from CDs/CD player to an all digital solution. My schema would be same as yours: Laptop>amp>Spks or Laptop>Dac>Amp>Spks.

My ideal laptop would be a simple "music only" machine with big storage, high quality audio (analog/digital/usb) output. Not planning to stream from internet or NAS. I am not looking for a "computer" experience but just a storage & playback machine. Dump everything into laptop & use Foobar to output to amp. Minimal number of components & a no fuss experience.

Sounds like a tall order? Is there such a machine in the market? Thanks.

Hi rraghuram

I have a barebones PC for sale which can accomplish the things that you are looking for a no frills PC experience for digital playback. Look here my sale http://www.hifivision.com/sale-owner/59238-foxconn-intel-atom-barebones-pc-4gb-ram.html and PM me if you are interested. I used this PC with Win7 + Foobar before I upgraded to another barebones PC.

Thanks

 

[TCHeN]

Hi Nandac, which brand of laptop are you using and how is its sound quality? I am strongly thinking of moving away from CDs/CD player to an all digital solution. My schema would be same as yours: Laptop>amp>Spks or Laptop>Dac>Amp>Spks.

My ideal laptop would be a simple "music only" machine with big storage, high quality audio (analog/digital/usb) output. Not planning to stream from internet or NAS. I am not looking for a "computer" experience but just a storage & playback machine. Dump everything into laptop & use Foobar to output to amp. Minimal number of components & a no fuss experience.

Sounds like a tall order? Is there such a machine in the market? Thanks.

Budget?

At the low end Raspberry Pi is an excellent option.

Daphile will blow you away... can do an awesome PC build for audio playback with it.

I'd agree with a small SSD for the OS, and a regular HDD that will contain the music.

 

[rraghuram]

Budget?

At the low end Raspberry Pi is an excellent option.

Daphile will blow you away... can do an awesome PC build for audio playback with it.

I'd agree with a small SSD for the OS, and a regular HDD that will contain the music.

TCHeN, thanks for your reply! I don't have a budget yet. I am still exploring modern options. I had a look at Daphile's site and observed that it is a Linux OS that is stripped down for music storage/playback. Correct me if I am wrong.

While Daphile could be a potential software solution (I can handle *nix), I am not particular about the OS per se...even Win XP would as do long as I can deploy foobar or some other capable tool & output a digital stream. What I am concerned about is how I connect the Pc to the amp with minimal fuss. Usually, PC audio is an after thought!

Is there a way to extract digital streams from a laptop and feed it to a Dac? Is there a model of PC or laptop (prefer this) that outputs digital?

 

[Naturelover]

A slightly old thread but will help.
http://www.hifivision.com/showthread.php?t=54187

 

[TCHeN]

TCHeN, thanks for your reply! I don't have a budget yet. I am still exploring modern options. I had a look at Daphile's site and observed that it is a Linux OS that is stripped down for music storage/playback. Correct me if I am wrong.

While Daphile could be a potential software solution (I can handle *nix), I am not particular about the OS per se...even Win XP would as do long as I can deploy foobar or some other capable tool & output a digital stream. What I am concerned about is how I connect the Pc to the amp with minimal fuss. Usually, PC audio is an after thought!

Is there a way to extract digital streams from a laptop and feed it to a Dac? Is there a model of PC or laptop (prefer this) that outputs digital?

Connectivity depends on the outputs your PC/sound card has and the inputs on the DAC (or you want to use the PC/laptop soundcard as DAC). In short multiple options are supported - USB, wireless, Toslink, or pure analog (3.5 mm too).

I'd recommend Daphile as it's a stripped down OS that's optimized for music playback and nothing else. No need to tweak like a Windows machine where you need to turn off a ton of services.

Coming to Daphile it's easy to install, and run. Configuration is also easy. The SQ is easily one of the best.

 

[raja_mastana]

Here is an alternative with RPI and Rune Audio

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ARAsekM3X0

 

[grunthos]

I have been using a laptop for playing FLAC through usb -> dac -> amp etc. So is there any alternative in the market nowadays? Something with usb and a screen (to select album directories etc).

I think squeezebox used to be one. What are the newer options today?

Appreciate the feedback.

This query is somewhat open ended and a LOT of solutions are possible

1) I think we need to constrain it by budget first
How much do you want to spend to build/buy a replacement system

2) Second, convenience/laziness
How phone-integrated or couch friendly solution you want :lol:

Once you define these, forum members can suggest better recommendations