2. pc-audio
  3. 152576-3277

Music Server or Laptop?

I’m looking for suggestions. I exclusively listen to my music collection ripped to FLAC from my laptop/Foobar--->DAC--->amp--->speakers. I’m wondering if there is a decent, no-frills, music server that I could use in place of my laptop or would I be better suited to just buy another, smaller laptop that I would use solely for music and maybe save a little bit of money? I’m just looking for something that I don’t have to have a wire running across my room all the time or it coming loose when I move the laptop when in use.  If it helps, I do not stream anything.  I prefer to listen to my own collection.

Thanks!
nicodemix
sfar's avatar
sfar
1,758 posts
 
A simple but very good solution, if you can find one, is the Arcam rPlay. It's been discontinued but available on ebay and other places. I have one plugged into my router that works extremely well taking streaming from an iTunes database on an iMac, Spotify and Apple Music HD and passing it on to my DAC. Another option might be the Google Chromecast Audio, also discontinued but available on ebay. I have one and it works well but haven't used it enough to know it very well. Here's a review comparing the rPlay to the Bluesound Node 2.
https://www.whathifi.com/features/arcam-rplay-vs-bluesound-node-2-which-better 
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,198 posts
 
Stick with the laptop.  No need for expensive proprietary music server hardware. 
nicodemix OP
90 posts
 
So, I’m completely dumb when it comes to this stuff but just realized that I can purchase another small footprint laptop, hook it up to my Chord Qutest, and play my music from a shared folder via my network. Does this make sense? Is there a limit to how much I can store on a shared folder?
ozzy's avatar
ozzy
7,461 posts
 
I use Bryston BDP 2. You can hook up large (8TB) hard drives to it along with usb drives. It comes with Qoboz, Tidal, and Roon apps.
Very easy to use.

ozzy
matthewrudy's avatar
matthewrudy
1 posts
 
Try daphile.com, if your looking to turn a small pc into a dedicated server.  Requires a little computer knowhow but the results are stupendous.
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