Cambridge Azur 851N - setup questions

jsunandmax

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After some research, I finally pulled the trigger on the 851N.

Amazing sound, beautiful build quality but I am having some setup challenges. I'll ask about each of my 'sources' seperatly:

1. Synology ReadyNAS for my library. At first, it found the media server, but only indexed the handful of (junk) .mp3 files. After poking around, the CA docs themselves recommend MinimServer MinimServer which I did setup and the 851N finds all my 3000 flac albums now. Success! The only problem is, what to use for cover-flow from a mobile device? I need to be able to use tablet/phone to page through Netflix style and hit Play there. Suggestions? Happy to switch to another media server (I use Plex for movies, but doesn't look like 851N supports Plex?).

2. Tidal. I have a subscription and log in fine etc. but when I use the app and hit "Play" it plays from my phone. How do i use the phone to pick and play music on the 851N?

3. Soundcloud - HOW can i get Soundcloud on my 851N? Seems like folks talk about 'Chromecast' but Chromecast use HDMI and there is no HDMI on the 851N. This service is extremely important to me (for discovery) so any help here is greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance! I've noticed a lack of information on this so perhaps this will become a thread that helps lots of folks.
 
2. There is the ability in the Tidal app to select other renderers. Bottom left of the now playing screen on android, icon like a speaker. It should show the name you have given your 851n
3. There is a thing called a Chromecast Audio that has a combined optical/3.5mm analogue output. Optical would be the best connection to your 851n. Discontinued but plenty around s/hand.
 
1. Any decent 3rd party UPnP/DLNA controller (player) such as Bubbleupnp or mconnect installed on your mobile device will be able to access MinimServer on your NAS and use the 851N as renderer. I've not used mconnect but certainly you can configure Bubbleupnp to give you a 'Netflix style' presentation of your library.
 
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Thanks @larkone and @mseve1 .

For some reason Tidal on my android phone just WILL NOT see my 851N as a device. (tried delete cache, re-start app etc.). Frustrating.

I am aware of the discontinued Chromecast Audio; its getting close to what I want, although the ones I found seemed to only have headphone mini? Are there TOSLINK/USB Chromecast Audio that we KNOW work with the 851N?

Honestly this setup is EXACTLY what I want, what Darko has going on here:

The only issue, is that device is the DAC/streamer and I dont really want something junky in the signal-path to my 851N. Thoughts on this?
 
For some reason Tidal on my android phone just WILL NOT see my 851N as a device. (tried delete cache, re-start app etc.). Frustrating.
Are you trying to use Tidal Connect? I didn't think this was yet available on Cambridge Audio devices - or have I misunderstood something?
 
Thanks @larkone and @mseve1 .



I am aware of the discontinued Chromecast Audio; its getting close to what I want, although the ones I found seemed to only have headphone mini? Are there TOSLINK/USB Chromecast Audio that we KNOW work with the 851N?

You didn't read what I wrote - the CC Audio has a combined 3.5mm output that is analogue and also an optical out - toslink - so you are covered.
 
You didn't read what I wrote - the CC Audio has a combined 3.5mm output that is analogue and also an optical out - toslink - so you are covered.

fair enough, i missed that my apologies. My concern with adding a CCA is that device will do the decoding /DAC work and I wont get the benefits of the high-quality 851N. Is that a legit concern regarding sound quality?
 
@mseve1 Not exactly sure what Tidal Connect is, but I got Tidal basically working through Cambridge Connect https://techsupport.cambridgeaudio....e-TIDAL-with-the-Cambridge-Audio-Connect-App- but NOT through the Tidal mobile application; that app just doesn't find the 851N.

UPDATE: I did install BubbleUpnP, and I can find my media, but it too seems unable to find the 851N device on the network.....is there something special I need to do? It finds my MinimServer library fine, but can't get it to stream to the CA.....argh.
 
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fair enough, i missed that my apologies. My concern with adding a CCA is that device will do the decoding /DAC work and I wont get the benefits of the high-quality 851N. Is that a legit concern regarding sound quality?
If you use the optical out the CCA is just a transport and you would then be using the DAC in the 851N
 
Do you think that would also be true for the above Xiaomi Mi Box S ? If so, it may be answer to all my dreams...
 
If it has a digital/toslink output then yes it would be the same.
 
Not exactly sure what Tidal Connect is, but I got Tidal basically working through Cambridge Connect https://techsupport.cambridgeaudio....e-TIDAL-with-the-Cambridge-Audio-Connect-App- but NOT through the Tidal mobile application; that app just doesn't find the 851N.
An imminent firmware update from Cambridge Audio should allow you to access the 851N directly from the Tidal app - this is 'Tidal Connect'.

I did install BubbleUpnP, and I can find my media, but it too seems unable to find the 851N device on the network
In the Bubbleupnp app you can tap on the 'cast' symbol to see a list of available renderers which should include the 851N.
 
@mseve1 - will be nice when the 851 does firmware update and gets that.

As for Bubble, for some reason the little 'cast' icon says "Select Renderer" and Local is only thing available. Do i have to tell it about the 851N somehow explicitly?
 
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No, all UPnP/DLNA renderers on the network should appear automatically. If they don't then it's likely to be a problem with your network management system's (eg router) support of IGMP multicast, which UPnP uses for device discovery.
 
@Cebolla okay, thanks for that...., thats what I thought.

What's so odd, is the 851N is completely discoverable with the CA Connect & Stream Magic (still dont understand why they have two apps). If it was a router issue, you would think the device would not be discoverable by ANY clients, right?
 
You're assuming the 851N's is using UPnP for device discovery with its own apps, which may not be the case. Having said that, I've just read that MinimServer (a UPnP/DLNA media server) is being found by BubbleUPnP and the 851N itself, so UPnP device discovery is working at least partially on the network.

Have you connected the machine MinimServer is running on to the network in a different way to how the 851N is connected to the network?

BTW, I can't find/never heard of a Synology ReadyNAS - did you mean Netgear ReadyNAS?
 
Right, I started with the Netgear ReadyNAS; my bad. It's this thing:

Synology 8 Bay NAS Diskstation (DS1819+)


Thats the device running MinimServer. Most of the network is wired but I have an ethernet cable running from the 851N to a "wireless extender", so its not as good as proper ethernet but better than just wifi on it's own.

Just at a loss at this point, but I just ordered the Xiaomi and I'm hoping that solves my issues. At minimum I'll have Plex for finding music on home library, and the voice search looks pretty handy too.

BTW: found the CA announcement re: Tidal Connect for our devices, about a month ago. Has anyone found any more info on when we can expect this? https://techsupport.cambridgeaudio....o-I-get-TIDAL-Connect-on-my-Network-Streamer-
 
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Most of the network is wired but I have an ethernet cable running from the 851N to a "wireless extender", so its not as good as proper ethernet but better than just wifi on it's own.
I'm willing to bet that the wireless extender may well be the source of your problems but can't explain the disparity of results between the Cambridge and 3rd party control apps. Should be easy enough to change the configuration to check whether using either a 'proper', fully wired ethernet or wireless setup without the extender allows Bubbleupnp to discover the 851N.
If you can't accommodate a fully wired ethernet connection and the WiFi signal is too poor to be usable by the 851N then the use of powerline ethernet adapters should give a trouble-free connection.
 
Most of the network is wired but I have an ethernet cable running from the 851N to a "wireless extender", so its not as good as proper ethernet but better than just wifi on it's own.
Aha - it's not unknown for wireless extenders to have issues with IGMP multicast, eg (post #4 onwards):
Airplay Issues - Wireless Extender and Airplay Speaker

Any chance you could connect the 851N directly into the wired network as a test to see if the BubbleUPnP app can now see it?

Edit: sorry took a bit of couple of mins to find that info, didn't see @mseve1 's recent post!
 
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thought folks might appreciate an update, i did indeed go with the Xioami and have been reasonably happy. Its a bit slow and I have posted recently about that elsewhere.
 
Thanks for the update. Did you sort out your 851N's discovery issues? Did you eliminate the wireless extender as the suspected culprit?
 
I didnt' eventually figure out what was causing the problems. I am still using the wireless extender, but ran a ethernet from Cambridge to the extender...
 
While I cannot remember exactly what each specific system above using in terms of discovery methods, there are a couple of basic methods in common use: one which uses local network broadcasts and the other which uses multicasts. It is quite possible one may work and the other may not depending on the router.

I wrote the Logitech Harmony integration for Roon (Deep Harmony) and do sometimes come across users having issues with one part of the various discovery processes involved (extension discovering Harmony, Harmony discovering the extension) as they have to use different mechanisms (broadcast vs multicast) as defined by others in the past. So I would not be at all surprised if a user found that one mechanism worked while another does not.
 
Indeed - even when the problem is with multicast a different flavour of it may or may not work, eg, mDNS (as used by AirPlay & Chromecast) and SSDP (as used by UPnP/DLNA).
 
I didnt' eventually figure out what was causing the problems. I am still using the wireless extender, but ran a ethernet from Cambridge to the extender...
If you want to test if the extender is the problem, you really ought to take it completely out of the picture, ie, test the Cambridge connected by ethernet directly to your router.
 

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