I'm a Node 2i user currently and looking for a change. I've been reading lots of posts for the last week or so and I'm not sure if I'm more or less confused then when I started. Lol Looking to move on from the Node platform because the UI is bothering me.
Most of the topic of discussions based around the multitude of streamers seems to be on SQ. I could be off base, but I think in my mid-fi system, (Wired 4 Sound
STI-500V2 >dac to be determined>Dali Helicon 800) I'll be happy with the SQ of most any streamer. I'm much more concerned with the UI as I really just want it to work as intended.
I've got about $2K to spend on a dac and or dac/streamer. I see a ton of praise for the Lumin gear but I also see that it seems to be built around the IOS platform and I use Android / PC. Has this issue been resolved or am I making a mountain out of a mole hill?
I also like the idea of the Pro-Ject Stream Box S2 Ultra, just have no idea what the UI is like. Or any small form streamer that "just works" I like the idea of being able to DAC swap with these.
What I want out of it: Streaming mainly. Tidal, Spotify and the like. Ethernet Connection to my router and no issues linking to my local music files. (Node keeps dropping my local files)
I like the look of my Jriver index but I'm not married to it. Don't care about Roon at this point.
I don't need a NAS do I? I have less then 1TB of music.
Hmmm, not sure what to tell you because BlueOS is the best that I’ve used, and I currently own streamers that use the following, in addition to BlueOS: LUMIN OS, Streammagic (Cambridge), HEOS (marantz), and DTS Play Fi (Integra). Granted, I’m only using them to stream Tidal and not using them to access local libraries.
its funny because I am moving on from bluesound for sound quality reasons, but the interface is good IMO : )
what type (eg, cat 7?) and length of Ethernet cable are you using? I got drops with LUMIN before going to cat7
kren0006 I'm not saying it's the best sound possible out of my system. Just that I listen more casually and I'd be happy with any minor upgrade that could be adjusted more on the DAC side.
Cat6 and about 30' of cable. I'm not getting drop outs. The BlueOS is completely loosing my local files. In the past I could "reindex" in the music settings. But now they are gone and I can't seem to get them back. Rather then really digging into the situation and rectifying it, I'm using it as an excuse to upgrade ;-)
flavo, I’ve been using BluOS since 2014, use the Melco HD app, as well as being a Roon user. What you are experiencing if I could hazard a guess sounds more like a network issue. Where do your local files reside? Has your network path been corrupted? Simplest fix might be just to plug in an external USB device containing your music files directly into the Node 2i.
jazzman7 You’re running the Melco app over or instead of the BlueOS app?
I think I’m not understanding your question of where my local files reside? They are one of 2 SSD inside of my PC case. The SSD they are on is mainly for storing of my media files.
In reading Nodes literature, they don’t recommend using the USB port for anything but temporary music files. IE, don’t leave it plugged in and expect good results. Why, I have no idea. It couldn’t hurt too bad to try.
For what it's worth. I've just "reindexed" my library in the Nodes settings again and I have my local library back. This has not worked the last 3 times I tried it.
flavo, I use the Melco HD app only with my Melco N1A music server which also functions as my systems NAS. Roon I use with my Roon Nucleus as well as my Bluesound kit. I also use BluOS with my Bluesound players. I’m still guessing that you are experiencing a network issue. Plugging in a USB storage device (flash drive or external hard drive, etc ...) directly to the Node just bypasses any network issues or corrupted path issues that you may be experiencing.
If you’re not happy with BlueOS you most likely not going to like the other player specific apps. Your best bet is to find something that can operate as a Roon endpoint.
flavo, I still don't think switching to a different streamer or brand of streamer is going to solve the problem of your streamer "dropping your files". I just checked my Node 2i User Manual which I have saved as a PDF on my PC. I did a find on all references to USB. Didn't see any mention of reasons not to go this route. All I found was "USB (TYPE A): Connect a USB mass storage device to the USB input. Typical USB mass storage devices compatible with the NODE 2i include portable flash memory devices and external hard drives (FAT32 formatted)." This would definitely bypass any networking issues. I also think that you would most likely have less issues if you used a NAS drive such as a WD MyCloud or some such connected by ethernet cable to your router. Your problems with connectivity in my opinion has less to do with your Bluesound kit than with the files you are accessing being stored on your computer. These are less expensive solutions than buying new streaming kit, where my guess is your connectivity issues would remain so long as your music files being accessed were stored on your computer.
I could be off base, but I think in my mid-fi system, (Wired 4 Sound
STI-500V2 >dac to be determined>Dali Helicon 800) I'll be happy
with the SQ of most any streamer.
The sound quality of DAC's is so much better now than 20 years ago that I can see that.
I'm much more concerned with the UI as
I really just want it to work as intended.
For me as well. The two things I nee are a nice UI plus interoperability with my Mac/Windows/Android home. iPhone/iPad only devices have no interest to me.
So, I'm using Roon, and streaming to a $150 Raspberry Pi 4 running Ubuntu and using USB to talk to my Mytek.
I'm not saying other solutions wouldn't work or be as good or better, but I'm very satisfied with the following:
Android support
Digital domain equalization
Tidal integration
The seamless way in which my personal and Tidal librarey are integrated.
Like others, I actually think the BluOS UI is one of the better ones. I have Aurender Conductor, Auralic Lightning DS and BluOS in different systems and like BluOS the best of those. I’ve also tried Lumin while auditioning one of their units. Sound quality was fine, but I thought the UI lacking relative to Conductor and BluOS.
Have you considered Roon? It might be the easiest solution as the Node 2i is an endpoint - if you’ve got someplace on your network to run Roon Core. Roon is very good at finding and keeping track of network files and it’s pretty seamless for streaming services. And the interface is arguably the best out there.
Alternatively, if you’re really just listening casually, you might not need to do anything - just stream Spotify and not worry about your files. The BluOS app hands off to the Spotify app. Great UI, great library (unless you listen to lots of Classical music).
jazzman7 The help is greatly appreciated and I'm going to look further into some sort of simple audio NAS. Would you care to hazard a guess as to what my actual connectivity issue might be?
erik_squires What interface are you using to view your local library? IE. Audirvana, Jriver? Or can you run any interface on Ubuntu and it doesnt matter? I'm assuming Ubuntu is the operating system.
mgrif104 glennewdick And everyone else that is recommending Roon. I've been avoiding it because I can be cheap I guess and I don't see the perceived value in a software that organizes my music when that software costs as much as the streaming service that we all use to stream from. It just seems wrong to me.
I guess I should DL it and see what it's all about. The reviews I've read on it seems like the vast majority of it's perks would be wasted on me.
If all I want is an attractive interface with photos of the albums (like my Jriver app) I need to pay $120 a year for that?
If all I want is an attractive interface with photos of the albums (like my Jriver app) I need to pay $120 a year for that?
No you don't. That is my nit with Roon as well. I've tried it twice and I don't like the way it organizes my music and I don't need all their bells and whistles. I went to some length to tag my music in a way that allows for optimal organization per my needs. For me, I just want a folder view that is easily navigated. Sounds like you want something similar. I have been using Auralic Aries for years. My music is on a Synology NAS and I run Minum Servier on that. The Aries Lightning App has no trouble locating my music library on the NAS and has a decent UI. However, I can use Linn Kinsky as a control point as well and it's UI is pretty decent and provides a folder view. Not sure if Kinsky is an option for you but worth looking into.
If you're using Roon you can use their interface for your local library. I run ROCK which is Roons OS on an Intel NUC and use a raspberry pi4 running Ropiee for an endpoint. You can use the Roon interface on Windows, Mac and Linux devices.
Flavo: you make fair points. However, I was assuming that you’d prefer to find a solution for $150/year rather than pay $2k+ for a new solution. Since you’re self described as being cheap - and having problems with keeping connected to your library - Roon seemed like a viable recommendation. No skin off my nose either way.
FWIW: I have Roon and am dropping it. While the interface is great and it’s the easiest way to find and index stored files, it doesn’t sound as good as Lightning DS that is available to me on my Auralic. So, I won’t be renewing my subscription.
Roon is a little different in that they don’t have a true browser client. They have dedicated clients for Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android (but not Linux) and I use it’s interface most of the time to browse my music library, but I can for instance, mount the music library and play with it via JRiver if I wanted to. I’d just have to set up my music folder on my Ubuntu box as a Windows share and off I go.
I want to reiterate that the cool part of Roon is that I don't really experience a separation between Tidal and my local library. If I look for Mel Torme all albums show up, whether I have them locally or on Tidal.
@mgrif104 "
I was assuming that you’d prefer to find a solution for $150/year rather than pay $2k+ for a new solution. Since you’re self described as being cheap - and having problems with keeping connected to your library "
Damn fine point you made there yourself. I'll give it some more consideration.
@erik_squires I had no idea that's how that worked. I've yet to get a single "ping" on this thread. I was trying to figure out how to turn notifications on just gave up.
"I want to reiterate that the cool part of Roon is that I don't really experience a separation between Tidal and my local library. If I look for Mel Torme all albums show up, whether I have them locally or on Tidal."
+1 more: Roon. And its SQ is as good as it gets. Roon dos have its issues, but what software doesn’t? Now back to your problem. Lost data is not a UI problem, unless you simply don't know how to find them. All systems struggle, to a degree, with Metadata. Is Ludwig Von Beethoven the same as Beethoven, Ludwig V., 1770-1827? Often roon doesn't think so. itunes is pretty confident they are two different people.
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