JRiver vs CAPS on W2012

S

Steve

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So JRiver doesn't officially support installing and running its software on Microsoft Server operating systems. Apparently it is actively discouraging fringe audiophiles from doing so on their precision CAPS specified hardware solutions.

Bits are bits, 1s are 1s and 0s are 0s and DACs only need a bitstream to fill their buffers. It makes no difference which operating system you use, so the JRiver argument goes.... And if that stream is not received file bit perfect at the DAC then it's a hardware error....Your fault for choosing that particular hardware. Apparently JRiver don't think that clean power and timing is everything and as long as your CPU can multitask 500 other background processes that have nothing to do with the task at hand, it shouldn't make a difference.

There is even talk that JRiver is considering blocking its setup msi from executing with a platform check. Why why why?

I want to run a W2012 R2 server in core mode. Run an audio player service, an IP stack with a share to my NAS volume, some up sampling, maybe some ADC processing. That's it! There are enthusiasts who have done some hard yards building configuration tools to allow us an optimal configuration and performance outcome.

I thought there was no looking past JRiver but there is a taste of bad sentiment in the air....and an electrical storm on the horizon?

If its not going to be JRiver, what's it going to be?... I'm not going to invest time and effort aligning myself to a software vendor that does not want to grow with its customers.

Who's looking past JRiver?
 
Servers are usually not meant to run Audio/Video software, but I understand where you are coming from. Default installs don't even allow you to play a music cd in the drive, only software.
 
JPlay highly recommends Windows Server 2012 R2 for best results. JPlay looks like a viable solution into the future.
 
Wow...as a hardcore computer (only) audiophile; I have to agree. If this is true; it leaves a really bad taste in my mouth as well.

Just like JPLay, solutions like the excellent AO Highend-AudioPC | Page not found encourage 2012 R2, as the way to go.

Sounds to me, like they don't want the support headache. It's true...if you don't know what you're doing; you can brick your box. And some might come calling JRiver for help. I'm OK with them saying, these "fringe" and "extreme" set-ups...are outside of our support scope. But to go so far, as to block it from installation; sounds prohibitive.

Then again...I'm sure someone, will quickly find a hack or work-around :)
 
Not exactly what you're asking for, but I'm running W2012r2 and AudiophileOptimizer with Tidal. While I do have JRiver on local storage, I'm now listening exclusively to Tidal (both through its native app and through Chrome.)
 
Mike I considered Aurender a long time ago. Even Lumin more recently. I love their respective shiny, solid aluminium chassis....

CAPs community rate PC solutions highly. I have not really invested in digital as yet and a PC driven media player to me seems the best performance value proposition at a time where digital playback standards, interfaces and protocols are still evolving.

I would rather put the money on a solid DAC implementation that is vendor upgradeable as the climate continues to evolve. It's becoming appararent that DSD audio is what everybody wants and is here to stay. I also don't want to be locked into a vendor compliant specific DSD implementation that is proprietary.

The next Lapizator Big 7 or 8 Golden Gate tubes have me starry eyed ATM.

I'm an IT guy and I don't mind hacking around when I have the time. It helps me at my game.

We are talking about bleeding edge audiophile computing, that goes beyond the competencies of the average aficionado. It is not for everyone.
 
If you brick a PC, that can be fixed. Your data, the asset, should be on a seperate physical volume, preferably another storage device like a NAS.
 
Steve said:
Mike I considered Aurender a long time ago. Even Lumin more recently. I love their respective shiny, solid aluminium chassis....

CAPs community rate PC solutions highly. I have not really invested in digital as yet and a PC driven media player to me seems the best performance value proposition at a time where digital playback standards, interfaces and protocols are still evolving.

I would rather put the money on a solid DAC implementation that is vendor upgradeable as the climate continues to evolve. It's becoming appararent that DSD audio is what everybody wants and is here to stay. I also don't want to be locked into a vendor compliant specific DSD implementation that is proprietary.

The next Lapizator Big 7 or 8 Golden Gate tubes have me starry eyed ATM.

I'm an IT guy and I don't mind hacking around when I have the time. It helps me at my game.
Click to expand...

What about an Aurender N100 (from NAS) to a Lampi - if that's what you want. I will caution you about the Lampi. There have been more technical problems and sonic inconsistencies told to me than I can count. That being said, I would still like to try one personally.
 
Thanks for the cautionary advice on the Lampi products. I will keep my ear to the ground. Until such time, I have the MCD1100 USB PCM input as a starter.

I'm not dismissing Aurender or Lumin at this time. I'm just not ready to go there yet and they may not be ready for me either...

There is zero loss in CAPs as it can always be repurposed. I think it's a great introduction into quality digital playback at a low price point.
 
Yup, I was one of the first with a CAPS, CAPS 2.0. But after wanting to chuck my computer in the water, I moved to the Lumin and never looked back. As good as the CAPS was (and I even had the red wine battery PSU), I just don't like having a computer in my listening room. I found they never provided a "relaxed" digital presentation. There was always a slight nervousness to the sound that I could never explain. But if you're a digital tweaker, than the Aurender with the DAC of the Month is a great alternative IMHO.
 
I'd be very interested in hearing more experiences with Jplay as the primary music player. The last time I looked (which was a couple of years ago) Jplay didn't have much in the way of library functions or GUI; then there was the Jriver/Jplay disagreement where Jriver threatened to block Jplay from being used with it, and I didn't follow what happened after that.
 
And that's also the problem with digital. The "DAC of the month".

The adaptation of digital often makes me want to wait it out longer like an old chameleon!

The other driver for me is ADC for my vinyl collection. An Ayre QA-9 would compliment that digital loop.

Or should I just buy some blank tape for the Studer...for the time being....
 
Using a bare bones Windows 8 Pro 64bit OS and JRiver v20 is just thru the roof audiophile quality playback that I experience myself. I have no complaints. Very easy to setup and rock solid.
 
Steve said:
If you brick a PC, that can be fixed. Your data, the asset, should be on a seperate physical volume, preferably another storage device like a NAS.
Click to expand...

Steve...I both agree, and disagree with you slightly (and I'm in IT too; so no p*ssing contests ;)).

1) While you're right..."fixing" a bricked CAPS PC is easy enough (re-image/re-load); if you're not savvy enough, to have not bricked it in the first place...that user might not find those things so "easy" either.

2) In my case...I don't see, re-purposing a CAPS PC. The whole idea, behind an audio streamer...and it sounds like you're in line with me, as you reference AO, JPlay, etc...is to run, with as little overhead as possible. Minimize Windows evasiveness, run with a small CPU to minimize power needs...and so on. So...when you don't need that CAPS anymore, like the one I currently have (but I'm making sure, my Aurender is going to work out...before I chuck my Squeezebox Touches and CAPS build); what do you use it for?

I don't think...in my case anyway...it has enough muscle, to do much else. Browse the web, check email? :blush:
 
Steve said:
And that's also the problem with digital. The "DAC of the month".

The adaptation of digital often makes me want to wait it out longer like an old chameleon!

The other driver for me is ADC for my vinyl collection. An Ayre QA-9 would compliment that digital loop.

Or should I just buy some blank tape for the Studer...for the time being....
Click to expand...

Do you like to spin CD's, SACD's too Steve? That was a big part of me picking up the T+A PDP 3000 HV. I've amassed several more SACD's since I last had them ripped to DSD and getting them ripped is a PITA. Sometimes when that new SACD arrives, you just want to pop it in and listen. I can't imagine the T+A PDP 3000 HV with a Aurender N100 (or N10 when it comes out) not being the complete solution for all your digital needs. Of course, sonically, it remains to be seen vs the Lumin. And the T+A + Aurender is 3-4 times the cost of the Lumin and the T+A will never be a true network music player.

After reading all this digital stuff about SoTM cards and JCat cards, I'm beginning to think mounting a new cartridge on my Kronos isn't so painful after all. :)

Mike
 
Chris...the CAPs I have built has an i7 3770T with 32GB RAM. OK as a general purpose quiet Home PC/server, but would likely go into an office headphone/bookshelf system if I tired of it in the main rig.
 
Mike..Yes I have quite a SACD collection. Been very happy with the MCD1100 for that purpose. Can't see myself ditching that box ever which forms a part of my McIntosh stack.

When in the mood, I also have the MVP891 (same DAC as MCD1100 but different implementation) wired up for multi-ch SACD playback via analog ext.in into the Denon pre-amp. The Denon passes that through directly to the Mcintosh fronts and surround channels without any further ADC/DSP and sounds fabulous. There aren't many AV pre-amps that can do that. Even so, it's own DAC doesn't do a bad job by accepting the PCM over HDMI. I don't believe the MVP891 can do DSD over HDMI but I'm pretty sure the Denon does accept it.

Never contemplated ripping the DSD off SACD. I don't have that PS3 or? No doubt, difficult to do...

What are you using to rip your vinyl?
 
Looks like there are a few IT people in the audiophile hobby. My first experience with computers was with commodore 64, AMIGA 500, IBM XT, IBM 286, IBM 386, 486 and a bunch of clones. I configured so many NOVELL/NT servers and LANs I lost count. For my 20+ years I performed mainly as a Network Engineer/Administrator for both NOVELL and Microsoft. Just a small portion on what I have worked on long ago. I remember populating memory cards and mother boards which I dreaded so much! EISA bus, ISA bus. Remember all the dip switches you had to set? In those days the general population could not build a PC.

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