home audio system

[Matt Price]

On Thu, Dec 12, 2013 at 7:58 PM, Richard Weait <richard-gNTHUr35LhcAvxtiuMwx3w at public.gmane.org> wrote:
> On Wed, Dec 11, 2013 at 7:17 PM, Matt Price <moptop99-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w at public.gmane.org> wrote:
>> hi folks,
>>
>> [ ... ] I want to build a
>> linux-powered home audio system, if possible organized around one or
>> more rap-berry Pi/beaglebone/whatever low-power systems that I don't
>> feel too bad about leaving on most of the time.
>
> I'm doing something like this and gave a presentation on it at KWLUG this year.
>
> [ ... ]
>> (1) file server, that provides the actual audio files somehow
>
> I use squeezeserver / LogitechMediaServer, because of some of the
> hardware I use.  I suggest that you not use this unless you have to.
> :-)

In your next email you said you might start with a squeezeplug.  So
it;s the proprietary hardware you don't like, not the squeezebox
server?
>
>> (2) audio server, that turns them into some kind of an audio stream.
>> should be able to handle mp3, m4a, ogg and flac, if poss. is probably
>> the same object as (1), above
>
> This part seems to work well on LMS, so devices that can handle flac,
> get flac.  If they can't,
> they get mp3 or whatever they need.

That's pretty cool (see below)
>
> In my case, yes, the file server is the media server / player controller.
>
>> (3) device that takes the audio stream and feeds it into 1 or more
>> stereos (I think actually 2 minimum, one upstairs in bedroom, one
>> downstairs in living room)
>
> I have the squeezbox devices that lead to my use of LMS.  They connect
> RCA <-> RCA to the stereo, or mini-phono <-> mini-phono to powered
> speakers.
>


> I also use RaspberryPi mini-phono <-> mini-phono to powered speakers.
> Nice.  :-)

Cool.  For players I'm now imagining:
(1) a Pi or similar device with a USB audio card, to connect to the main stereo
(2) A little stndalone device that works maybe the way you describe,
wit mini-phone to mini-phono

>
>> (4) client device that controls what stream is being fed to the two
>> stereos and optimally can also play a local stream.   (3), above,
>> potentially may also be a case of (4), but ideally there are also
>> clients that run on at least Linux and Android (iOS would be nice too
>> but isn't necessary and anyway my wife should switch!).
>
> I like this part of LMS.  It can stream different audio to each
> player, or synchronize them.  Yes, I have a client running on Linux
> laptop / desktops as well.  Haven't tried Android client.  Haven't
> tried iOS.  What is iOS? :-)

I've heard the android squeezebox client is nice.
>
>> (5) I would prefer to use as much Free software as possible, but will
>> compromise to make something that my family can use easily.  They
>> enjoy XBMC, so I know it's possible to turn them from the Dark Side if
>> the interface is good enough.
>
> Gotcha.  So, look at LMS if all else fails.  Works for me at the moment.  :-)

I've been messing around with MPD but, while I can play through the
pulseaudio output on the laptop that hosts mpd, when I attempt to play
over the network (using mpd's httpd output) I don't get any audio
output at all (grrr).  And it seems to me trying to set up a complex
network -- where streams can be either separate or synced -- is rather
difficult with mpd (I might be wrong about that, but I don't yet see
how it would work!).

Anyway so ar it's been un, I look forward to putting the actual
hardware together!  And would still welcoe more advice & guidance.
Thanks so much Richard!

Matt

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