AnalogWave Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 This is not a platform war question, just a simple curiosity – are you using a Mac, Linux or a Windows PC for a media server? I got the idea for the question after reading the following post from Dave, which spotlights a Windows/Linux only program. http://community.klipsch.com/forums/t/157149.aspx I ask because I'm wondering how the market is developing in comparison to the user base. I use a Mac Mini with Pure Music software. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 This is not a platform war question, just a simple curiosity – are you using a Mac, Linux or a Windows PC for a media server? IMHO, no reason anymore to debate. Good solutions on all platforms. Linux is most cost effective, PC works fine, Mac if you have money...all equaly effective. When I built my first media computer in 02, it was quite a challenge. No more. Now, I am very interested in the Signalyst software I mentioned in another thread. DSD playback, if it is for real and not resampled to PCM as I fear, would be very cool and almost the "ENDGAME" for media pc's. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnalogWave Posted December 25, 2011 Author Share Posted December 25, 2011 No debate, just a head count. A 'Poll' function would be more to the point but I don't think this forum has that functionality. In some fields I can see not spending the time or money on a Mac compatible software package but music wouldn't seem to be one of them. Again, I'm not resentful or throwing stones, just curious. In fact, it would also be interesting if one of the forum Admins would comment on the ratio of Macs to PCs used by members to access the forum and maybe provide a little historical data. Mac - 1 PC - 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 Actually, my media computer is a dual boot Windoze/Linux Mint box. I use LM most of the time for playback as it is so much faster and responsive, but Windows for tasks that it is better at, such as Sound Forge and such. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groomlakearea51 Posted December 26, 2011 Share Posted December 26, 2011 PC with Win7 for storage and "front end" playback. But most of my stuff is .wav files (I like .wav as I believe in the KISS principle, and it's simple and I'm stupid). The back end is the Creative Labs X-Fi Titanium HD stereo only "audiophile grade" card. Has interchangeable op-amps, etc. I may however, look at Dave's suggestion regarding Signalyst software. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhoak Posted December 26, 2011 Share Posted December 26, 2011 I'm running a fairly low end Dell Optiplex with Windows 7 and J. River Media Center. I've installed an Asus Xonar card that provides an optical output which feeds my Emotiva XDA-1 DAC. It sounds really nice. Especially when playing the few 24/96 FLAC albums that I've bought from hdtracks.com. The bulk of my music collection (6000+ tracks) is ripped to 320Kb VBR MP3s. Slowly but surely I'm re-ripping my CDs to lossless FLACs. The weak point of the machine is the on board video. As such it really can't do any HD video without lots of problems. Maybe one of these days I'll pick up a decent fideo card for it. Until that day comes it's a music only machine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psg Posted December 26, 2011 Share Posted December 26, 2011 Linux on a PC with three sound cards. Rip to FLAC using abcde and playback to main floor sound system using banshee through toslink on sound card #2, and to downstairs main system using xbmc through coax on sound card #3, controlled via my Android phone (perhaps a tablet would be a better remote). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KdAgain Posted December 27, 2011 Share Posted December 27, 2011 Home built Win 7 HTPC. Quad core CPU, 4 GB RAM. Previously had all media (several TB) on a Windows Home Server. Am in the process of migrating media HDDs to HTPC. JRiver MC17 Playback Software with it's Media Server enabled to share media to several other PCs. Asus Essence ST with H6 Daughter Card soundcard - analog outs straight to power amps. 5.1 Audio for playback of ripped and downloaded audio as well as video including BlueRay. Very happy with what we have. Rod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cut-Throat Posted December 27, 2011 Share Posted December 27, 2011 I am sold on the Squeezebox Touch for its Versatility and adaptablity. I own 3 of them. All of my media is stored on a Super Fast, Super Quiet, Custom PC. Intel Quad Core i7-2600 3.4 Ghz Sandy River, 16gb of ram, 2.5 TB of Disk... Blah, Blah Blah.......The nice thing about the Squeezebox is the PC is located upstairs and the listening room is downstairs.....Squeezebox does the streaming into a DAC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnalogWave Posted December 27, 2011 Author Share Posted December 27, 2011 So thus far... Windows - 4 Linux - 2 Mac - 1 Interesting. I've more complex questions about the Digital Realm, I just hafta' figure out how to formulate them. As a side note, they're some crafty buggers on this forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fwphoto Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 So thus far... Well, here's my "digital" system(s): - An older 800 MHz. Titanium PowerBook as my "media pc." - (2) 80 Gig Firewire portable hard drives set up in a RAID 1 configuration for storage. - Keces DA-151 USB DAC / Beringer FCA202 Firewire DAC (new to me, thanks Nick!) - Rip to ALAC (Apple Lossless) using MAX (free) app. - iTunes The analog output from the DAC is routed to the Spare Input of a Dynaco PAS-3 which feeds a Dynaco ST-70 & Forte IIs. On the HT system I have Apple TV into an Onkyo 7.1 receiver. That gives me all my ripped music via "sharing" with my MacBook Pro, Apple's music channels, + Pandora through either a 2 channel (kg3.5s) system, or a 5.1 surround system. Turntables (Thorens TD-160 & AR-XA) & CDPs (Rega Planet & Sony muli-player) round out my analog sources. It's All Good! ;-) Frank W. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitarman Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 DIY W7 HTPC and DIY WHS for server. Tried JRiver, went back to WMC/Media Browser/Media Center Master...works like a charm. Shark007 codec pack. HDMI bitstreams to Denon 4311. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnatnoop Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 PC running Win7. Squeezbox Duet get's the FLAC files to the DAC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnalogWave Posted December 30, 2011 Author Share Posted December 30, 2011 Windows - 6 Linux - 2 Mac - 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockhound Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 MAC Mini with all my lossess tunes on a 1tb external drive streaming to 2 apple tv's that are controlled via iPads and iPhones...."it just works"! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwingylee Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 Six CORE PC running Windows 7 and J River Audio Media Center. Mother board has both optical and SPDIF out. I am using the SPDIF out to feed a customize Benchmark USB DAC. I couldn't deal with itunes and I like to Squeezebox idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnalogWave Posted January 3, 2012 Author Share Posted January 3, 2012 I've a Benchmark USB DAC as well - what did you have done to yours and was the result subtle or quite noticeable? I really like mine but I must admit I was a bit disappointed to hear from a Benchmark Rep that they don't offer upgrades when I purchased mine. He seemed to suggest (almost two years on now) that there really wasn't much more to achieve sonically and that it would just be the feature set that changed. If I wanted different/new features, sell privately and buy new. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dale_s Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Another linux user here. I run a 1TB Vortexbox as the server for both FLAC and MP3. This goes out to iPhone, iPod, Old Roku, WD TV, Squeezebox etc... On a ironic note - I've been a PC guy for more than 25 years... I bought the Vortexbox so that I could quit fiddling with the server side of it and just listen to music. Best purchase I have made in a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftwinger57 Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 I use a Gateway w/ windows 7 as a pc.I have rca cables run from computer to my Yamaha rx-v665 audio to pick up i-net radio.Right now I'm on gd,net the Grateful Dead station. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Added to my system...my son got an Xbox Kinect for Christmas. It's now connected in the family room which has Frazier Eleven's (these are refrigerator sized monsters for those not familiar). Setup was a typical Microsoft nightmare, but it is now also connected to my music server and I must say I am amazed at the audio performance of this thing. I am not a big fan of Media Center, whose interface it uses, and prefer just to access my files via a file browser, but it is tolerable and using gestures to access things suggests the future is just around the corner. As a bonus, Netflix performance, both sound and picture, is much better than the Roku and there is BluRay as well. Nice for my son to get a toy I can enjoy as well. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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