Which NAS

[Naturelover]

Thanks. It's actually not that important to me to break my head over it. So I will give it a pass for the time being. maybe some time later.

It's straight forward. You just need to install a streaming software. The problem will arise when you want to play the stream. Not all DACs are capable of playing through such a stream. Your Marantz should be able to do that. Your desktop computer also can (through a software player). But your M1Clic may not be able to. But I could be wrong on the M1Clic part as I don't have any first hand experience with.

 

[Naturelover]

Please do help me on the best method to connect the Marantz to the network. Do forgive the self quote.

3rd rig: Bedroom with Marantz M-CR503. This does not have wifi or LAN port. LAN cable from router in place with LAN switch for multiple connections.

Requirements:
Need to attach the M-CR503 to network. Considering Sam's WD TV. Any opinios/suggestions. The music PC can also be placed in the bedroom so the it can be connected directly. Will this need a DAC?
The portable hard drives can be connected to either the router or the music PC. They can also be used for back-up in which case will look at the suggested options.
As of now, no video streaming is planned.

 

[GeorgeO]

My Marantz AV 7005 prepro is connected via an ethernet port to my network and it can access my NAS as well as the net for firmware updates. I have to select the network audio player option as a source to play audio,

 

[Naturelover]

Thanks George, but my query is for ways to connect a non network enabled device to a network.

 

[GeorgeO]

Ok I just saw this from your earlier post

>Bedroom with Marantz M-CR503. This does not have wifi or LAN port. LAN cable from router in place with LAN switch for multiple connections.

If you dont have either wifi or LAN how do you expect it to connect to a network? That sounds plain contradictory to me! All my life I learnt that you need either wifi or ethernet on a device to connect it to a network.

 

[GeorgeO]

Ok I just saw this from your earlier post

>Bedroom with Marantz M-CR503. This does not have wifi or LAN port. LAN cable from router in place with LAN switch for multiple connections.

If you dont have either wifi or LAN how do you expect it to connect to a network? That sounds plain contradictory to me! All my life I learnt that you need either wifi or ethernet on a device to connect it to a network.

 

[Naturelover]

Well, that's exactly what I wanted to find out if it can be done. Maybe some sort of interface such as the WD TV. If I connect the LAN to the WD TV and the WD TV analog out to the Marantz M-CR503, will it work?

If you dont have either wifi or LAN how do you expect it to connect to a network? That sounds plain contradictory to me! All my life I learnt that you need either wifi or ethernet on a device to connect it to a network.

 

[sam9s]

@Nature Lover ......... NAS does not do any thing to inprove sound quality neither is it needed to enhance it. NAS as the name suggest is a storage, albeit a centralized storage unit, that can be accessed via LAN. It main advantage is it makes all your data centralized and organized and available across all devices connected via same home network.

Coming to radio station there is a difference between a streaming solution and a radio station. YOu need a streaming solution to have your songs played all across your bedrooms, preferably reading from your NAS.

Finally Marantz M-CR503 its a CD player with no networking capabilities. Clear this, why would you need LAN on this CD player unless you want it to act as a Media Player which certainly it isnt, its suppose to play CDs and I guess with the number of CDs you have you should only use it to play CDs.

Though you can connect a WD TV LIve as Marantz M-CR503 has AUX IN via composite AV cable. WD TV Live can further be connected to your LAN to get all your songs stored on a NAS. SO yes that solution is possible. You wont need a DAC in all probability.

 

[sam9s]

If I connect the LAN to the WD TV and the WD TV analog out to the Marantz M-CR503, will it work?

Short Ans ... Yes it will, long answer .... on request ..

 

[Naturelover]

Thanks, Sam.

Will the audio quality be the same from a NAS and a HDD connected to the USB port of my router?

NAS does not do any thing to inprove sound quality neither is it needed to enhance it. NAS as the name suggest is a storage, albeit a centralized storage unit, that can be accessed via LAN. It main advantage is it makes all your data centralized and organized and available across all devices connected via same home network.

Can you elaborate how to do this? I have not yet gone through you thread.

Coming to radio station there is a difference between a streaming solution and a radio station. YOu need a streaming solution to have your songs played all across your bedrooms, preferably reading from your NAS.

Just a thought, will the same work with a USB connection between the WD and the Marantz?

Though you can connect a WD TV LIve as Marantz M-CR503 has AUX IN via composite AV cable. WD TV Live can further be connected to your LAN to get all your songs stored on a NAS. SO yes that solution is possible. You wont need a DAC in all probability.

PMed

Short Ans ... Yes it will, long answer .... on request ..

 

[ranjeetrain]

Naturelover, I got Marantz M-CR503 mixed up with Marantz M-CR603, which is a network capable device. Apologies for the oversight. If network playback is your top priority you should have got the Marantz M-CR603.
?
Now, if you must hook it to a network, you will need to insert a network capable playback device. WD TV will do. But please be reminded that the playback quality is likely to be much lower than if you would play through a portable drive directly connected to the Marantz CD receiver or had it been network capable.

I think you made a mistake in choosing a title for the thread. "Which NAS" - diverts the mind in a different direction. The question here isn't what NAS do you need, rather how do I get my devices to work with a centralized data storage. The thread title caused the discussion to veer into a different direction.

Coming to SQ difference between a portable device shared on a router and a good quality NAS, all I would say is - hear a good resolving system and you will come to know whether there is a SQ difference or not. As of now, since we are talking about a system whose output will be determined by the analogue out of a WD TV live, I think that part of the discussion can be left far far behind.

 

[Naturelover]

Thanks Ranjeet.
I had bought the 503 about three years back at which time I was not even thinking of going digital and having a network. But today, due, in no small measure, to this forum and your "Let's talk digital" thread, I am seriously considering it.

I did realize the folly of the thread title after a few replies and did mention that in post 12. I had actually believed that a NAS would be the only solution and had not realized that a hard drive could be used through the router, silly me .
The NAS/HDD/My Book etc is my actual requirement.
The networking of the 503 rig is really a spin-off. Just trying to get it done with minimum complication and investment.
I did not really expect so many pitfalls. It is really getting complicated now.
The WD TV or similar will be used with the CR503 connected to a pair of wall mounted Dali Zensor 1's. So hardly an audiophile set-up but still good SQ. I have actually also considered replacing the 503 with a 603 but here I have to decide how badly do I need the connectivity.

Naturelover, I got Marantz M-CR503 mixed up with Marantz M-CR603, which is a network capable device. Apologies for the oversight. If network playback is your top priority you should have got the Marantz M-CR603.
?
Now, if you must hook it to a network, you will need to insert a network capable playback device. WD TV will do. But please be reminded that the playback quality is likely to be much lower than if you would play through a portable drive directly connected to the Marantz CD receiver or had it been network capable.

I think you made a mistake in choosing a title for the thread. "Which NAS" - diverts the mind in a different direction. The question here isn't what NAS do you need, rather how do I get my devices to work with a centralized data storage. The thread title caused the discussion to veer into a different direction.

Coming to SQ difference between a portable device shared on a router and a good quality NAS, all I would say is - hear a good resolving system and you will come to know whether there is a SQ difference or not. As of now, since we are talking about a system whose output will be determined by the analogue out of a WD TV live, I think that part of the discussion can be left far far behind.

 

[ranjeetrain]

Thanks Ranjeet.
I had bought the 503 about three years back at which time I was not even thinking of going digital and having a network. But today, due, in no small measure, to this forum and your "Let's talk digital" thread, I am seriously considering it.

I did realize the folly of the thread title after a few replies and did mention that in post 12. I had actually believed that a NAS would be the only solution and had not realized that a hard drive could be used through the router, silly me .
The NAS/HDD/My Book etc is my actual requirement.
The networking of the 503 rig is really a spin-off. Just trying to get it done with minimum complication and investment.
I did not really expect so many pitfalls. It is really getting complicated now.
The WD TV or similar will be used with the CR503 connected to a pair of wall mounted Dali Zensor 1's. So hardly an audiophile set-up but still good SQ. I have actually also considered replacing the 503 with a 603 but here I have to decide how badly do I need the connectivity.

Nice to hear your kind words about the "Let's talk digital" thread. It seems the thread has met it's intended purpose to an extent

I think your heart is set on network playback; and for a good reason. Once you have experienced network based playback you will fail to understand how you could do without it.

IMO you should put your M-CR503 on sale and get a 603. Believe me, that switch will be far more satisfactory and future-proof than patching your current setup with a WD TV.

 

[sam9s]

Thanks, Sam.

Will the audio quality be the same from a NAS and a HDD connected to the USB port of my router?

Yes it will be, unless you are not planning to have your network cable span across for more than 100m .. ., which clearly isnt the case here.

Can you elaborate how to do this? I have not yet gone through you thread.

Elaborate what ?? how to set up a Radio Station ??? Or I guess you mean how to stream ....... well if you go with WD TV Live connected to your Marantz (or any network player for that matter), you actually already are using a streaming solution. There are truck loads of ways to stream (wired, wireless). The current one we are discussing with you is one of them.

Just a thought, will the same work with a USB connection between the WD and the Marantz?

I am not sure what you mean here

 

[Naturelover]

Thanks Sam.
There is a USB out on the WD TV and a USB in on the CR503. Can the two be connected through these ports?

I am not sure what you mean here

 

[sam9s]

Thanks Sam.
There is a USB out on the WD TV and a USB in on the CR503. Can the two be connected through these ports?

There is no USB out on WD TV live, where did you get that information? PLus even if you had one (a micro usb out) it would not make any sense as it does not have any internal HDD.

Any way I dont think there is any media player out there that gives micro USB out to connect its internal HDD

 

[haisaikat]

Thanks Sam.
There is a USB out on the WD TV and a USB in on the CR503. Can the two be connected through these ports?

USB is NOT a peer-to-peer protocol, so you cannot just connect two USB host ports together with a plain cable. And on the WD TV it is also USB input and not output like what you think it to be.

Now regarding your case I believe one option has already been discussed being an upgrade and another option is WDTV and in the latter case due to WDTV having an inferior DAC the audio quality might and will degrade.

I can think of two more, from the specs of the 503 I see that it supports bluetooth adapter RX101 over its M-XPORT which (adapter) you need to buy separately and once that is done you may stream your central music to 503 via any bluetooth connected devices like your wifi enabled smartphone.

Apart from this if you have a iphone / ipod which supports wifi then you can directly plug your device to the front USB of 503 and you can then leverage UPNP streaming of music from your central server through your i-devices. This route will have better Audio quality than the previous one since usually the quality of the DAC is better in i-devices.

Finally since your 503 supports only analogue inputs so to get equal or better sound through analogue input the source must have a good DAC. In this respect you can think of either a streaming DAC / Network audio player (I think 30K +) that will be way costly or you can consider a small fanless networked PC with good soundcard like Xonar STX (will be around 15 to 20K price) or even a raspberry-pi or cubox running softwares like volumio or runeaudio and connected to a low cost USB DAC (I am currently using this and pleased too with the ODAC).

Please also take a look at this link [APP][4.0.3+] PodMode - Connect ur Android d… | Android | XDA Forum for another alternative

 

[sam9s]

^^ All good points except I would never recommend Music over bluetooth even if its 4. For what ever reason it does not sound as good as wired/wifi. Maybe its the protocol I dont know but flacs/CDs do loose quality over bluetooth (very personal experience), noticible even on a mediocre sound system

 

[GeorgeO]

On reviewing this thread, I think the effort involved in making a silk purse out of sow's ear may not be worth the effort.

 

[Naturelover]

That's probably correct. I had got interested in the WD TV from another forum where it was praised as a music server though using the digital out. That doesn't apply in my case. Maybe I better reconsider my options.

On reviewing this thread, I think the effort involved in making a silk purse out of sow's ear may not be worth the effort.