You know, when I built my new PC in 2013, and ripped all of my CDs in WAV format to the HDDs, I used Windows Media Player 12 under Windows 7 to stream to my Onkyo network receiver and to my Sony Blu-ray player (I prefer the Onkyo, because Sony only shows the track titles - no artist or album info and no album art. Guess they are too tired from defending Beta and MiniDisc as viable formats for 753 years). I also had many FLAC files, which WMP had no trouble streaming since there are a variety of free codec pacs on the Net that allow you to both rip and stream FLAC and ALAC files, besides lossless WAV and the lossy formats (personally, I use the great dbpoweramp software to rip all of my music and add tags and album art to it. Wonderful program!). I heard countless complaints about WMP, but it worked perfectly for me when streaming, since it sent everything on my PC EXACTLY to my Onkyo as it sits on my hard drive, making locating and playing music a breeze, and also showing track titles, timings, artists, and album art. It was great, until...
The Windows 10 Upgrade. Hey, don't get me wrong. I really like Windows 10. It runs great for me, but when I upgraded, they did something to WMP that they never corrected: it now streams all the audio tracks in my album folders IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER! That's right - if you listen to "Sgt. Pepper", the first track that WMP lists and plays is "A Day In The Life" and the last track is "Within You, Without You". The track order when you open WMP on the PC is fine; this only happens when you stream, to ANY device. A "costumer service" (believe me, this person deserves the bunny ears) at Microsoft suggested I write an individual playlist for EVERY album I have ripped, and since I have all my music ripped in both WAV and mp3 (I try to avoid transcoding on the fly for people who have phones or laptops or tablets that can't play WAV but can play mp3), that would mean THOUSANDS of playlists. Suffice it to say, it took every fiber of my being to keep from screaming at this person. I simply said goodbye and hung up the phone (and it isn't just Microsoft. Nearly all of the help centers , including Apple, give you pat answers that do you no good whatsoever). Microsoft never seems to want to fix the problem, which I believe resides in the Windows Registry, so I now use different programs to stream my music. And it is truly amazing how many pieces of highly-rated software do NOT stream WAV, using the lame (pardon the mp3 pun) excuse that there are no tags on WAV files. Funny, all my WAV files have tags and album art that show up when streamed, so what's their real excuse? And I'm looking at YOU Plex, Kodi, Media Monkey, and a few others!
But, like I said, before the Windows 10 upgrade, WMP 12 streamed beautifully. I really wish Microsoft would fix that alphabetical problem, because I really liked using WMP 12.
- REVIEWS
Displays Electronics 
Speakers Sources Other Gear Software - HOW TO
How To Buy How To Use Tech 101
What Are the Best Options for Streaming High-Res Audio?
Q I recently bought a Marantz 7702mkII preamp-processor and am wondering about the best options for streaming high-res FLAC and other lossless files from my computer. The Marantz wants me to use my Windows Media Player library when setting up a media server connection. However, it’s my understanding that WMP can’t play FLAC files without additional transcoding, and even then it can’t handle files with 24bit/192kHz resolution. Do you have any recommendations for getting the best-quality playback from my high-res audio downloads? —Trey M. Turner
A Sounds like you’re already on the right track by questioning the use of Windows Media Player (WMP) as the media server in your setup. WMP can work as long as you’re streaming files in uncompressed WAV format, or ones that have been compressed using common lossy schemes like MP3. But as you say, it doesn’t provide native support for lossless file types such as FLAC and ALAC that are commonly used by high-res download sites. At least that’s the case with WMP on Windows 7, which is the version of Windows that I — and many other people, apparently — am currently running.
My suggestion would be to look into other DLNA/UPnP-compatible media server software options like JRiver Media Center Asset UPnP , or Twonky Server . These are applications that run on a PC, Mac, or NAS drive and enable audio, video, and image files to be streamed over a home network to a DLNA renderer like your Marantz 7702mkII preamp. The media server applications mentioned above can handle a wide range of file types, including FLAC and AIFF with resolutions up to 24bit/192kHz. They can also transcode different file types on-the-fly so they will play through your Marantz. I regularly use JRiver Media Center as the media server in my own setup and find it to be reliable and easy to use. There’s even an Android/iOS app called Jremote that can control playback of JRMC running on your computer or NAS from a phone or tablet.
Here’s some advice since you’re specifically interested in streaming high-res audio: either use a wired Ethernet connection or upgrade your wireless router to the best possible model you can afford. I’ve found that older 802.11n routers aren’t a reliable option for high-res streaming via DLNA; you’re more likely to get glitch-free playback when using a dual-band router that supports data streaming over the 5 GHz band, or an 802.11ac router, which boosts data throughput to 1.3 Gbps. Powerline adapters, which use your home’s electrical wiring to distribute data, are another good option.
- Log in or register to post comments
COMMENTS
"Q I recently bought a Marantz 7702mkII preamp-processor and am wondering about the best options for streaming high-res FLAC and other lossless files from my computer. The Marantz wants me to use my Windows Media Player library when setting up a media server connection. However, it’s my understanding that WMP can’t play FLAC files without additional transcoding, and even then it can’t handle files with 24bit/192kHz resolution. Do you have any recommendations for getting the best-quality playback from my high-res audio downloads? —Trey M. Turner"
I spend a lot of time tweaking my digital music delivery stream, and therefore have quite a bit of empirical evidence. Here are some general recommendations:
A. Use a separate DAC (especially if you have DSF/DFF files)
B. Use a purpose-built computer for digital music (DIY or pre-configured)
C. Experiment with various DLNA servers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_UPnP_AV_media_servers (I've tried many of them, but elected to stick with Universal Media Server for almost 7 years)
D. Get a DLNA-capable NAS (FWIW, I use the Synology DS214play)
Your results may vary since your equipment and listening room differ from others. You can certainly try various combinations of the above suggestions, as well.
I also highly recommend isolating your networked audio using optical cable:
http://www.audiostream.com/content/electrically-isolate-your-networked-a...
(Be sure to implement this method as close as possible to your endpoint.)
Happy listening!
If you only want to stream music, the free MinimServer package is great. Just run it on your PC and point it towards your collection and you are good to go.
SPONSORED VIDEO
| Displays Electronics Speakers | |
Sources Other Gear Software | |
Top Picks of the Year Top Picks | |
Custom Install How To Buy How To Use | |
Tech 101
|
|
Latest News Features Blogs | |
Resources Subscriptions |
WHERE TECHNOLOGY BECOMES ENTERTAINMENT
© 2024 Sound&VisionAVTech Media Americas Inc., USA
All rights reserved
