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Audirvana


Dustyzz

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Like the topic says, who else is using Audirvana Plus for streaming? I am using it with a mini PC (windows 10) to stream Qobuz and Tidal to a Marantz AVR with a built in DAC (24/192khz). I am pretty new at this and just wondering what insights or tricks the old timers might have for getting the best out of Audirvana.

 

 

Edited by Dustyzz
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I looked it up and see it's merely software for sale for Windoze and Mac.  Didn't thoroughly study it for two reasons: been using Gnu/Linux for nearly 25 years; couldn't see how they would be able to justify some of their claims (MQA is a non-issue in my book, for one - Microsoft bought out something similar years ago (HDCD) and it too was such a non-issue it fell by the wayside early on).  There a plenty of free (both ways) softwares that perform everything necessary for the task.

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I use Qobuz in a Firefox browser window to stream it. It sounds just fine. On my phone I use the Qobuz app. I am streaming to an old Onkyo amp. I use a clone of Logitech bluetooth receiver. The clone cost €18, the original is €21.

 

For downloaded files, I like VLC Mediaplayer because it is cross platform: I have it on my Linux laptop, on my video editing desktop machine, and even on my Android phone and Amazon Fire tablet. It is free. On Linux, I also like Clementine, which seems to be less known, but does a really good job. It even runs on a Raspberry Pi.

 

I'm not sure about Audirvana+. Never heard of it before. VLC Mediaplayer has been around for... 15 years - just a guess.

Experience has taught me that many of these new pay-for media players are basically nothing more than an adapted graphics user interface. Once you start looking  under the hood, there is little or nothing of new or added technology that isn't already running in the background of your device. On the contrary, I 'm reluctant to use these paying programs, because  I'm afraid of the exotic codecs they may install, messing up a clean install of standard codecs. Some of them are nothing less than the front of scheme for luring consumers into a subscription and then they hijack your system and your media files.

 

I have three suggestions:

  1. conservative: install VLC Mediaplayer on your Windows mini-pc: https://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-windows.nl.html
  2. adventurous: download Ubuntu and install it on a usb-stick. Run it on your mini-pc. 99% chance your hardware will be compatible with it.Give it a try for a couple of days. After that, you can always return to Windows, but it is likely you'll throw Windows out and do a full install of Ubuntu: https://ubuntustudio.org/download/
  3. challenge: build your own media center with a Raspberry Pi + hifi add-on (built in DAC): https://thepihut.com/products/hifiberry-dac-dsp

 

 

 

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The was a time... early to mid '90s, when using linux was far more difficult than today.

 

Today is far different. No longer user surly software. I use linux mint, a ubuntu/debian derivative, running Harrison Mixbus 32C for my audio production. Incredibly stable for doing multitrack recording and mixing.

 

My workplace has around 400 PCs, about 70% of which are linux. We work with folks with developmental and intellectual disabilities an linux is far more secure to help us guard personal/medical information. Much easier to deploy and maintain, to.

 

Bruce

 

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Thanks for the responses guys, I am very familiar with Linux and was using Slackware (Minix) in the early 90's long before RedHat and the host of other variants were even thought about. What I am doing with Audirvana  is network streaming high-res audio (>16bit/44.1khz) from Qobuz and Tidal (MQA) and using the built in DAC on a Marantz SR7012. The Marantz DAC isn't high end but it isn't low end either and seems to do a really good job up to 24bit/192khz. Bluetooth and Airplay both have issues with causing high-res audio to be down sampled, so the only option I could come up with is was to try and roll my own media renderer to stream across my LAN or to use something like Audirvana... Audirvana is pretty cheap and so far has done a stellar job streaming high-res  FLAC and unfolding Tidal MQA. The net nut is that I can stream better than CD quality audio for a tiny fraction of what a dedicated network attached DAC would have cost.

Edited by Dustyzz
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  Rather than stream I use an optical Thunderbolt cable to connect computer to dac. Use a 33’ Cable now. Have a 100’ for running to other rooms. Got to believe a 20 GB/sec hard connection is cleaner than the air waves in my home. 

  But I am old fashioned. Got more wireless devices than I ever dreamed; router, phones, tablets, printers, tv, and computers. One less can only help.

  I have an old install of A+. Quit using at least 3 - 4 years ago. Only use Pure Music app. Like the 64 bit crossover and integration to Pure Vinyl. It also only updates every year or two.

  A+ used to update a lot. Several versions a week at times. Not sure the last few years. 

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I'm a little confused just what it is you need Audirvana for.  Won't your receiver already stream all that anyway?  I looked up the receiver and didn't see DLNA mentioned, so on a hunch, checked out what HEOS is, and it seems to be a "taken-over" form of DLNA. 

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The Marantz does indeed have Heos connect modules built in for Tidal but not for Qobuz. The HEOS Tidal connect module limits the FLAC stream to 16bit/44.1khz (cd quality) but down samples anything else with higher data density... it might just be my ears but most down sampled Tidal FLAC's sound somewhat muddled or muddy to me. Since Marantz disabled the USB port from being able to connect to anything except a FAT32 device, the only native Marantz option for QoBuz is wireless via bluetooth or AirPlay which also will downsample anything over 16bit/44.1khz. Using Audirvana+  I am streaming up to 24bit/192khz audio over my home 1gb ethernet network directly to the built in ethernet connection on the Marantz that uses the built in DAC, this setup completely bypasses the somewhat limited HEOS connect modules.  I am not really interested in the religious topics of high-res vs. non high-res, or lossy vs. lossless, or the benefits/detriments of upsampling as everyone seems to have a differing opinion on those topics... including me. I am successfully streaming high-res audio directly into the SR7012... I have been very pleased with the results I have had using my homebrew media streamer (Intel NUC (mini pc) and Audirvana+). I already had the Intel NUC laying around so my only cost was $74.00 for Audirvana+, compare that to the cost of an off the shelf streaming media server that can push up to 24bit/192khz audio... the bonus is that I am using the DAC built into the Marantz. My original question was if anyone has any experience and/or advice using something like Audirvana+ doing direct high-res audio network streaming and if so what were some of the tips or tricks in getting the most out of your system. 

Edited by Dustyzz
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2 hours ago, Panelhead said:

  Rather than stream I use an optical Thunderbolt cable to connect computer to dac. Use a 33’ Cable now. Have a 100’ for running to other rooms. Got to believe a 20 GB/sec hard connection is cleaner than the air waves in my home. 

  But I am old fashioned. Got more wireless devices than I ever dreamed; router, phones, tablets, printers, tv, and computers. One less can only help.

  I have an old install of A+. Quit using at least 3 - 4 years ago. Only use Pure Music app. Like the 64 bit crossover and integration to Pure Vinyl. It also only updates every year or two.

  A+ used to update a lot. Several versions a week at times. Not sure the last few years. 

 

We have a very similar setup... my computer is an Intel NUC, the DAC is built into the Marantz receiver, but I am using 1gb ethernet instead of a Thunderbolt cable. The biggest difference between your setup and mine is that I don't want to maintain a big local music library so I stream the music from a provider using Audirvana+ and organize my music by playlists on Tidal and Qobuz... which I find to be both more convenient and portable.

 

 

Edited by Dustyzz
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