I’m looking for a cheap endpoint for Audirvana? that’s hopefully gapless and highres.
I’m looking for an audio server solution. I’m considering Roon and Audirvana.
Right now I’m using VOX and a free alternative, using OneDrive and an iPhone or iPad with a cheap app called CloudBeats. With those solutions I can use both, the iPad or the iPhone as endpoints and output Highres to the Dragonfly Red external DAC and directly to my analog preamp. It sound great! Better than my $1,000 USD old Olive 03HD server. The only downsize is that I can’t control them remotely. And can only send via AirPlay music to my multichannel system.
So, I’m considering Audirvana or Roon, Roon can use both as endpoints too. But not Audirvana, and right now I can only use it on my iMac, which I don’t spend much time sitting in front of. Audirvana does sees my Integra AV/Receiver as an endpoint and can send music to it, highres music I guess, my receiver doesn’t say what’s being input in NET mode. But that’s it, can listen on my handheld devices or my hifi stereo system.
So, what’s a cheap endpoint I can use for my stereo system? That Audirvana can see and send highres music to it, and that will output RCA stereo. If I find anything I can then use Audirvana for my stereo and multichannel system, and keep using the free alternative for my handheld devices
You could try a raspberry based solution.
Raspberry is a Single Board Computer (SBC) and you can install on it various sw like
Volumio, free
moOde, free
or GentooPlayer (payed)
It is quite cheap, a raspberry pi4 4gb ram costs around $60/70.
With a power supply, a microsd card and a case you’ll spend less than $100.
Connect the raspberry to your lan and to your dac with usb, After the installation just enable upnp client (for both Volumio and moOde) or enable MPD/upmpdcli for GentooPlayer.
At the end you’ll find raspberry under network devices in Audirvana and you’ll be able to play music through it.
I use it successfully with stereo file, never tried with multichannel files. I can play hires pcm files and dsd as well.
Audirvana is not designed to be a server solution. Have a look at Minimserver if you want to go the cheaper (open source) route and stick to UPnP (open standard). Audirvana can complement this quiete nicely, for example for your primary rig. It would give you a nice interface and if all your endpoints can do UPnP it kind of emulates the Roon functionality without the multiroom capability.
If you get a mobile control point app like Glider you will be able to play from the Minimserver to the endpoints without the computer.
Yeah, I’ll give it a look at your suggestions and decide something. I’m still leaning more towards ROON, but it’s more expensive. But I have several endpoints that I can actually use, and won’t have to buy a new one.
Another option would be the Allo USBridge Signature. Though not as cheap as a Rasperry Pi, ist is around 200+ Euros. With the Allo USBridge you can go either route: Audirvana of Roon by installing RopieeeXL on the SD card. Great little thing, dirt simple to install.
Do you have the Audirvana remote app on your iPhone? It’s cheap and it’ll let you control Audirvana on your iMac remotely. The interface is quite good - comparable to what you have with Vox, and you’ll have full control of Audirvana, including switching any of the settings.
Yes I do, and I can control it remotely. But I can’t play music with the iPad or iPhone.
And I’m looking for a way to play it to an endpoint, like a Raspberry Pi 4 with an add on HAT or an external DAC, but I’m reading is very hit and miss with UPNP.
You don’t need an endpoint to have a dac installed in it. All you need is a device that your Roon or audirvana can see so it can route the music to it. The endpoint then interfaces with an external dac. Don’t make it more complicated than what it is. For example, for background music, I have 6 endpoints throughout the house and multiple of them I use the little Apple TV devices, for the others I use wireless speakers, and some homepods. For my main dedicated audio room, I use the ps audio ds sr dac hooked up with the Ethernet interface, never will use the flawed usb interface for more critical listening.
It is a bit hit and miss, that’s why you need an endpoint from a reputable company with track record of keeping the firmware up to date or an open source solution that allows you to use different distros depending on the issues you encounter. For that reason, RPi based solutions are safe choice or a device that uses RPi compute module (like Allo USB Bridge).