Cd ripping and storing to NAS

Laughing Gravy

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Can I please ask for some assistance?

Since discovering the Poundland CD selection I have been buying up a large number of Cd's Music Magpie is also a treasure trove for the album that got away in the 70's 80's 90's (delete as appropriate)
If I invest in an NAS drive and rip them all to FLAC, will I then be able to stream them via my yamaha WX10?

Can I rip them in the office and put them on the drive or does the drive have to be plugged into the streamer? Can it be anywhere?

Would the NAS need any special software or does the Yamaha take care of that? I have had a browse on line but seem more confused than ever.

Thank you
 
I believe the WX10 can access a network file share, but you would have the check its manual.

Failing that, then if by NAS you mean something that can host a UPnP server (Synology, QNAP etc) then that is an option too - in which case stick the files on the NAS and setup a suitable file share.

If you mean something like a WD cheap mybook or whatever they called these days type NAS, then I have no idea what kind of network media support they have.
 
I believe the WX10 can access a network file share, but you would have the check its manual.

Failing that, then if by NAS you mean something that can host a UPnP server (Synology, QNAP etc) then that is an option too - in which case stick the files on the NAS and setup a suitable file share.

If you mean something like a WD cheap mybook or whatever they called these days type NAS, then I have no idea what kind of network media support they have.
Thank you

Does the NAS have to be attached to my router at home? I will be ripping the cd's in my office while im working, can I upload directly to the NAS like one drive?

Actually you have guided me to the synology website and Ive answered my own question.
 
The NAS will have to be connected to your home network and you will need to be able to log in and view that network remotely to transfer files to the NAS.

As long as you have a NAS that supports DLNA, you should be able to stream from it using the Yam. You will need a smart phone app to set this up I believe.

If you can't access from work, just rip the files and put them on a USB drive and copy them to the NAS once you get home.
 
Does the NAS have to be attached to my router at home? I will be ripping the cd's in my office while im working, can I upload directly to the NAS like one drive?

OK, I was assuming by office you meant home office on the same network. If you mean a separate office, then unless it is your own office as self employed, then as an employee you risk instant dismissal for something which is technically illegal (unless this has changed again?) using their equipment (yes - some companies will do this and have very strict rules about such things). This could even technically apply to using their laptop at home for this purpose. It seems harsh, but it about limiting their legal liabilities.

With a QNAP (and I assume synology) NAS, then it can support remote access software, or can play music from you home NAS using their own QMusic player.
 
Yeah, I did wonder about that myslef, but thought "maybe he is the owner of the company and can do what he likes".

When I was working in an office, I would never have been able to anything like this, all the PC's were locked down and monitored.....
 
OK, I was assuming by office you meant home office on the same network. If you mean a separate office, then unless it is your own office as self employed, then as an employee you risk instant dismissal for something which is technically illegal (unless this has changed again?) using their equipment (yes - some companies will do this and have very strict rules about such things). This could even technically apply to using their laptop at home for this purpose. It seems harsh, but it about limiting their legal liabilities.

With a QNAP (and I assume synology) NAS, then it can support remote access software, or can play music from you home NAS using their own QMusic player.
Thanks for the warning but should be ok on that score its my business ...............
Ill look at the QNAP
 
Thanks for the warning but should be ok on that score its my business ...............
Ill look at the QNAP

I used to use the QNAP player at work a long time ago, but these days, I just stream from Tidal or DI.FM etc when not at home, so it isn't a use case that seems to apply so much any more. Soon I hope they add remote access to Roon which will solve my few edge cases of ripped albums/tracks that are not generally found on streaming servcies.
 
I used to use the QNAP player at work a long time ago, but these days, I just stream from Tidal or DI.FM etc when not at home, so it isn't a use case that seems to apply so much any more. Soon I hope they add remote access to Roon which will solve my few edge cases of ripped albums/tracks that are not generally found on streaming servcies.
Just reading QNAP and I can use Roon on it I believe? Seems to tick all the boxes , thanks very much.
 
Just reading QNAP and I can use Roon on it I believe? Seems to tick all the boxes , thanks very much.
Roon needs an x64 type CPU to run the core, however, depending on how you use Roon, it may need a i3/i5 or even i7 type CPU which would significantly push up the cost of a NAS (especially when you consider you really want a NAS with an M2 SSD as well). I run Roon on a separate intel i7 NUC with SSDs as my NAS is an old TS-251+ with 8GB RAM. I used to run Roon on the NAS when I first started to use Roon, but the CPU and mechnical drives in the NAS were most definitely not up to the job to ensure fast responsiveness from Roon and be able to support multi-rooms, DSP room correction/EQ etc.

If Roon is of interest to you, then I would suggest first a read of the Roon KB around system recommendations. I really like Roon and can certainly recommended it for people who will make good use of its features.
 
In regard to Roon, as Khazul points out NAS support is limited to models with 64-bit x86 CPU's which tend to much more expensive that the basic entry level models. There are package for both QNAP and Synology but if running Roon is your primary goal — and the main reason you're looking to purchase a NAS — then running Roon's ROCK Operating System on a dedicated Intel NUC is a better route. It's basically a Roon Nucleus for a fraction of the cost.

Unless you have a huge library, or lots of endpoints playing music at once, a used 7th or 8th Gen i3/i5 NUC (£150-£200) is almost certainly enough — the Roon ROCK page lists the recommended models. A H at the end of a NUC model number means you can install an additional 2.5" HDD drive inside the case for your music files alongside the SSD that runs the Roon Core. Alternatively you can just use a K model NUC with a regular external USB hard drive (directly attached) or point Roon at a shared folder elsewhere on your network. You can pick up plenty of suitable models with the required Ram/HDD on eBay, CEX or the classified forums here.

I terms of ripping CD's you own. Roon ROCK provides support for ripping from an external USB CD drive. However if your planning to rip a large number of CD's I'd recommend investing in some desktop software like dbPoweramp CD Ripper (£29) and rip each CD locally (44.1Hz/16bit FLAC). Then copy the resulting folders of FLAC files to your central music library folder (on a NAS or NUC/ROCK) via your local network.

Or if you're using an external USB hard drive with a NUC/ROCK just unplug the drive, attach it to your PC to copy the FLAC files over and then reattach it back to the NUC once you're done. In fact if your PC (with a CD drive) isn't on the same network as the NUC/ROCK or NAS holding your music library then you might find it easier to use an external USB HDD anyway, simply to transfer the files across (the same drive could also be used to provide a backup).

But if all you want is a basic 2 bay NAS to store your files and allow them to be played back via your Yamaha WXAD-10 then a Synology or QNAP will be fine. You just have to install or enable a UPnP/DLNA server on your NAS to index your music files. Synology comes with it's own UPnP/DLNA server and QNAP has something similar. Synology also comes with it's own library manager / player called Audio Station which you may prefer to the Denon app. In terms of ripping CDs, the above comments re. dbPoweramp CD Ripper also apply here as well.
 
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So an older laptop or desktop would be suitable to use?

live noticed the wx10 doesn’t have a usb input so would I be better returning that and going for an upgrade? Upgrading my upgrades before I’ve even used them
 
So an older laptop or desktop would be suitable to use?

live noticed the wx10 doesn’t have a usb input so would I be better returning that and going for an upgrade? Upgrading my upgrades before I’ve even used them

If it's got a 64-bit x86 CPU (AMD/Intel) which most modern laptops or PCs do, then yes it should run the Roon Core package without issue. Although you''ll probably have to install the Roon Core package on Windows or a general Linux OS as Roon's ROCK OS only (officially) supports Intel NUCs.

The main advantage to an Intel NUC (other than it's ability to run Roon's streamlined ROCK OS) is it's a small, low powered, low-cost device which you hide way in a closet and leave switched on 24/7. The ability to run ROCK OS on it also saves you having to install Linux or purchase a licence for Windows, as well as reducing ongoing maintenance down the line. Effectively it turns it into a dedicate device/music server the solely runs the Roon Core device (like the Nucleus) which you can then control from any device in your house running the Roon remote app.

Another advantage to using a small (near silent) computer like a NUC to run the Roon Core is you can attach it to cheap USB DAC like a Topping E30 or D10 and place it in your HiFi rack. Of course you can do that with a standard PC too, but they tend to have more fan noise.

If you're asking can you run the Core and Remote on the same machine. While you can use Roon like you would a standard desktop music player (with the Core and Remote on the same machine) it's not ideal if you (or someone else in your house) needs to boot up the PC in order to use the Roon remote app on your phone to play some music. That said if the only place your ever going to be browsing and playing music is via the PC then you may as well install both the Core and Remote app on the same machine and use it that way.

---

But before this thread verves further way from CD ripping and onto Roon hardware, it's probably worth thinking about what you really want / need from a setup. If you're set on using Roon and want the nice apps, rich interface, metadata, recommendations and multi-room functionality it provides, there are plenty of folks on here and the Roon forums that can advise you the best way to get that all setup.

But if all you want is a basic/low cost way to listen to some CD rips there are far cheaper routes to achieving that. Either a UPnP supporting device like the Yamaha WXAD-10 in conjunction with a PC or NAS running a UPnP/DLNA server, or a more advanced streamer that allows the direct attachment and indexing of an external USB drive like the Bluesound Node. At the most basic level if all you want to do is play some music from your PC to your HiFi without cables then a Chromecast Audio or a used Airport Express for £7 is possibly all you need.

So it's probably worth outlining your key requirements, existing kit and budget, along with an idea of your competence/ability/time/patience to handle any technical configuration and setup, to get better (or at least more applicable) recommendations / advice.
 
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If it's got a 64-bit x86 CPU (AMD/Intel) which most modern laptops or PCs do, then yes it should run the Roon Core package without issue. Although you''ll probably have to install the Roon Core package on Windows or a general Linux OS as Roon's ROCK OS only (officially) supports Intel NUCs.

The main advantage to an Intel NUC (other than it's ability to run Roon's streamlined ROCK OS) is it's a small, low powered, low-cost device which you hide way in a closet and leave switched on 24/7. The ability to run ROCK OS on it also saves you having to install Linux or purchase a licence for Windows, as well as reducing ongoing maintenance down the line. Effectively it turns it into a dedicate device/music server the solely runs the Roon Core device (like the Nucleus) which you can then control from any device in your house running the Roon remote app.

If you're asking can you run the Core and Remote on the same machine. While you can use Roon like you would a standard desktop music player (with the Core and Remote on the same machine) it's not ideal if you (or someone else in your house) needs to boot up the PC in order to use the Roon remote app on your phone to play some music. That said if the only place your ever going to be browsing and playing music is via the PC then you may as well install both the Core and Remote app on the same machine and use it that way.
Thank you. Very helpful. Would I be better returning the wx10 then, would I have a need for it?
 
Thank you. Very helpful. Would I be better returning the wx10 then, would I have a need for it?

I think it depends on what you want to achieve,

If your set on Roon (and Roon is very good, possible the best in class, but it comes with a price tag) then the Yamaha probably isn't the best device as it can't act as an official Roon (RAAT) endpoint (instead Roon will connect via AirPlay, which has some minor limitations). There are better/cheaper options if a Roon endpoint is your key goal. In fact if you were to run the Roon Core on a NUC/ROCK you could just attach it directly to a cheap USB DAC like a Topping E30 or D10 and control it via the Roon app on your laptop/phone. That's a particularly Roon centric setup. Roon Core (NUC) --> USB DAC --> analog HiFi.

If you want a one box solution to which you can attach a external USB drive and which (with some important limitations) can index those files itself (rather than using an external UPNP server), then lots of users on here sing the prices of the BlueSound Node.

I have no personal experience but by all accounts the Yamaha WXAD-10 is a fine (yet basic) device. But (AFAIK) it will only work with an external UPNP/DLNA server (running on a NAS or PC) which may be overkill if you only need to store/play a few dozen albums.

If you still have the Yamaha you can test it out now by installing a UPNP/DLNA server on your PC. You can also download and test out Roon (via the 30 day trial) on your PC by way of comparison (it will connect to the Yamaha via AirPlay). Lastly if your PC is the only device you'll ever initiate/control music playback from then you may find that a DLNA supporting desktop music player like Audirvana works fine for you (think of it as a combined DLNA server/control app), but this will be limiting if you want to use your mobile to play music while your PC is turned off.

One very important consideration when choosing a music streamer / library manager — which often gets overlooked when comparing technical specs — is the software / apps. This is the part of the platform/software you will be engaging with on a daily basis, so make sure you know what your buying into there. Companies like Roon, Bluesound (NAD) and Sonos invest heavily in their apps/software, while at the other end of the spectrum you have vendors using poorly maintained apps or third party 'while labeled' software with varying degrees of success.

I really like Roon and went though a few different platforms/setups before settling on it. It's apps and interface are benchmark standard, it's metadata support and recommendation engine are top notch and it's architecture extremely flexible — I particularly like that it's multi-room features are vendor neutral, meaning it works with all my various audio setups/devices without locking me into one hardware manufacturer. But it's not cheap software and it's not 100% perfect — for one it's very album centric in it's content handling (so no podcast or Mixcloud/Soundcloud support and your limited to Qobuz or Tidal for streaming) and there is still no easy means of accessing your library when away from home. So it's worth having a play with it via the trial to see how it works and if you think it's worth paying extra for. For basic playback of a music library / music files there are much cheeper routes like the Bluesound Node mentioned above (which can also act as an official Roon RAAT endpoint should you not get on with it's BueOS app/interface or want a migration path to using Roon later on).
 
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Very informative. I think I will return the Yamaha and have a serious look at the bluesound node. I imagine I will use your reply’s as the basis of my research. Very kind of you to take the trouble of replying . Not normally this naive with technology but it’s years since I’ve looked at hi fi and the advances are massive. Cd carrier?? I’ll just keep reading Thank you.
 
I think it depends on what you want to achieve,

If your set on Roon (and Roon is very good, possible the best in class, but it comes with a price tag) then the Yamaha probably isn't the best device as it can't act as an official Roon (RAAT) endpoint (instead Roon will connect via AirPlay, which has some minor limitations). There are better/cheaper options if a Roon endpoint is your key goal. In fact if you were to run the Roon Core on a NUC/ROCK you could just attach it directly to a cheap USB DAC like a Topping E30 or D10 and control it via the Roon app on your laptop/phone. That's a particularly Roon centric setup. Roon Core (NUC) --> USB DAC --> analog HiFi.

If you want a one box solution to which you can attach a external USB drive and which (with some important limitations) can index those files itself (rather than using an external UPNP server), then lots of users on here sing the prices of the BlueSound Node.

I have no personal experience but by all accounts the Yamaha WXAD-10 is a fine (yet basic) device. But (AFAIK) it will only work with an external UPNP/DLNA server (running on a NAS or PC) which may be overkill if you only need to store/play a few dozen albums.

If you still have the Yamaha you can test it out now by installing a UPNP/DLNA server on your PC. You can also download and test out Roon (via the 30 day trial) on your PC by way of comparison (it will connect to the Yamaha via AirPlay). Lastly if your PC is the only device you'll ever initiate/control music playback from then you may find that a DLNA supporting desktop music player like Audirvana works fine for you (think of it as a combined DLNA server/control app), but this will be limiting if you want to use your mobile to play music while your PC is turned off.

One very important consideration when choosing a music streamer / library manager — which often gets overlooked when comparing technical specs — is the software / apps. This is the part of the platform/software you will be engaging with on a daily basis, so make sure you know what your buying into there. Companies like Roon, Bluesound (NAD) and Sonos invest heavily in their apps/software, while at the other end of the spectrum you have vendors using poorly maintained apps or third party 'while labeled' software with varying degrees of success.

I really like Roon and went though a few different platforms/setups before settling on it. It's apps and interface are benchmark standard, it's metadata support and recommendation engine are top notch and it's architecture extremely flexible — I particularly like that it's multi-room features are vendor neutral, meaning it works with all my various audio setups/devices without locking me into one hardware manufacturer. But it's not cheap software and it's not 100% perfect — for one it's very album centric in it's content handling (so no podcast or Mixcloud/Soundcloud support and your limited to Qobuz or Tidal for streaming) and there is still no easy means of accessing your library when away from home. So it's worth having a play with it via the trial to see how it works and if you think it's worth paying extra for. For basic playback of a music library / music files there are much cheeper routes like the Bluesound Node mentioned above (which can also act as an official Roon RAAT endpoint should you not get on with it's BueOS app/interface or want a migration path to using Roon later on).
HI Jamie
I have given it some thought. My family are not interested in my vinyl and cd's they have spotify !
Ive just bought an Arcam SA10 and Dali Oberon 3 Speakers and it is sounding very very nice. Thunder Road by Springsteen has piano notes I have never heard before. (hat tip to Paul7777x)
I have a collection of over 300 cd's which I would like to add over the coming months to a system whereby I can stream them at the same cd quality, via my new set up. I have an old Marantz cd I am using at the moment. Its interesting you mentioned the front end software as the Roon looks fantastic ,and happy to pay for that facility but it may be beyond my needs. Many of the alternatives have little information on the capabilities or look of their software (that I can find)
So Id like to be able to add cd's as and when downloaded. I could save them to the cloud and perform this at home if necessary. Id like decent control and sourcing via an IPad.
Multi room would be nice but not essential. I am happy to pay around £750 to get the right solution as I will not be changing it in the near future (famous last words) Ive no brand loyalty so happy to mix and match.
I could save all my files to a hard drive however I believe this will not be as effective as saving to a NAS Drive so if I went down the bluesound route would I still need to buy the NAs.
Have you seen anywhere the idiots guide to setting my ideal system up. Id have thought it is standard fayre but Im getting more and more confused.

Thank you
 
Yeah, I did wonder about that myslef, but thought "maybe he is the owner of the company and can do what he likes".

When I was working in an office, I would never have been able to anything like this, all the PC's were locked down and monitored.....
Same with my employer. None of our laptops have CD/DVD drives and the USB ports disabled.
 
Have you seen anywhere the idiots guide to setting my ideal system up. Id have thought it is standard fayre but Im getting more and more confused.

Thank you

In a world of online streaming services, support for local music libraries has become more of a niche market. Which is probably why finding a single perfect 'consumer focused' device/setup for a sensible price is harder than it should seem.

The DIY market is slightly better served with Raspberry Pi based solutions like Volumio and PiCorePlayer (LMS) offering local USB music indexing and playback, but they tend to require configuration and are less plug-n-play than their commercial counterparts.

If money was no object it would be easy, Roon Nucleus + a ‘Roon Ready’ network streamer. What’s tricky is suggesting a path that doesn’t involve those costs yet doesn’t require you to jump though loads of hoops and configuration.

The BlueSound is probably the best value-for-money, an all-in-one commercial device that does what you want, but directly attaching an external USB drive does have some limitations. I don't own one myself so hard to say how much those limitations will impact you in practice.

Adding a small 2 bay NAS to your setup would allow you to use lower cost devices like the Yamaha WXAD-10 and give you a place to store your music files centrally on your network. But they also require setup and some networking experience and a certain degree of ongoing maintenance thereafter. So it’s worth bearing that in mind if you’re not technical and want a more plug-n-play setup.

Additionally if you had hopes of running Roon Core on the NAS down the road you’d need to step up to the models with an Intel processor like the DS220+ or DS218+ and also upgrade the memory to 4GB and while it will likely work fine with average usage, Roon doesn’t recommend this configuration.

If Roon is your end goal you’d be far better off skipping the NAS and getting a dedicated x64 (Intel/AMD) based computer to run your Roon Core. My choice would be an Intel NUC (something like a ~£195 used Intel NUC 7 i5 NUC7i5BNH) as you can install Roon Rock on it which make everything super simple re. setup. But you could also use a old laptop, PC or a used MacMini (ideally a model with an SDD drive) — the latter has the advantage that you can directly connect it to one of your Arcam's digital inputs using a mini TosLink to TosLink cable. You can then either store your files on an internal drive or attach a external ~£50 WD Passport USB HDD to it.

If you don't want to (or can't in the case of a NUC) connect the computer running the Roon Core to your Arcam using a optical/toslink cable, you can instead use either a Chromecast Audio or a £7 AirPort Express (connected via a mini TosLink to TosLink cable) to act as a cheap but perfectly functional Roon Endpoint/Output that will use the DAC inside your Arcam. The Yamaha WXAD-10 can also function as an AirPlay endpoint for use with Roon but is limited to only having analog outputs and costs a lot more than a £7 used AirPort Express if that is all you need it for.

In terms of guides Roon has their Knowledge base and forums. The architecture page is probably the best place to start in terms of getting your head around how it all works.

--

Hope that helps and hasn't added even more confusion...I guess in short.

Standalone device route (like BlueSound Node)
  • Pro: easy to use / configure, allows direct attachment of a USB drive of music files.
  • Cons: Limited options re. suitable devices within your price point, some limitations re. indexing when using a USB drives directly connected to a Bluesound Node. Tied to one audio manufacturer/vendor in multi room setups.
NAS / DLNA/UPnP / Media Server route
  • Pros: wider range of (lower cost) network transports/streamers, possibility of using the NAS's other functions. In addition to use as a basic DLNA server you can also use free/low-cost audio/media server packages like Audio Station or LMS to output to low-cost bridge devices like a Chromecast Audio, AirPlay Express or a Yamaha WXAD-10.
  • Cons: requires additional cost of NAS and technical configuration of media server and other settings on the NAS
DIY route using a RPi based streamer (ie. Volumio, PiCorePlayer)
  • Pros: cheap, good and tend to have excellent support for local music libraries and directly attached USB drives
  • Cons: requires you to get your head around setup and configuration, not for users wanting plug-and-play, interfaces and apps can be a bit of a mixed bag depending on the distro/software used.
Roon
  • Pros: absolutely superb interface and features, great multi-room support, vendor neutral re. devices it can stream to / wide range of low-cost endpoints/bridge options (if existing hardware not supported directly).
  • Cons: Licence costs, (ideally) requires a Intel NUC to run the Core on and possible requires a seperate Roon endpoint/output device (although this can just be a £7 AirPort Express).
Thinking about it, although I have never used one, if your OK using Apple devices then a used Mac Mini might make for a perfect all-in-one device to run the Roon Core on as you can connect it directly to your Arcam optical input using a mini TosLink to TosLink cable and use the Arcam's built in DAC. Alternatively a cheap NUC based Roon setup would be a used NUC7i5BNH running Rock and a used AirPort Express connected to your Arcam with a MiniTosLink->TosLink cable.

--

But before buying anything if you still have the Yamaha then you can trial out Roon on your current desktop PC or Mac (it will connect to the Yamaha via AirPlay and you can control it using your desktop or iPad) and while your there also try the Yamaha app with some local FLAC files hosted on your PC by installing a UPnP/DLNA server on your PC and see how they compare.
 
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I think I would be foolish not to give Roon an opportunity to amaze me.
I will get either an old laptop or desktop and run the trial on there.
I will update you with my progress.
Many thanks you have been very kind.
 
Been watching this thread as I have been looking at the bluesound node for some time and as i have all my FLC files on a NAS drive i wanted to make sure it can all work together and found this
might be of some help.

At the moment i run a Raspberry pi with Volumio and all works very well but and it's a big BUT the wife hates it ! so i might get one to get her to play the her music on are main system, then again ;)
 
NAS / DLNA/UPnP / Media Server route
  • Pros: wider range of (lower cost) network transports/streamers, possibility of using the NAS's other functions. In addition to use as a basic DLNA server you can also use free/low-cost audio/media server packages like Audio Station or LMS to output to low-cost bridge devices like a Chromecast Audio, AirPlay Express or a Yamaha WXAD-10.
  • Cons: requires additional cost of NAS and technical configuration of media server and other settings on the NAS

Thanks, Jamleu, for an illuminating post#19. So few explanations ever mention the downside of the NAS music streaming approach. From a personal perspective, I'd like to highlight the fact that every NAS will have it's own "Operating System" (don't know if it's actually called an OS but that's what it's like) which I have found to be, in the case of my QNAP, a miserable experience. Obviously, more tech savy users - or those into code breaking type challenges - might be OK with this but I just wanted to stream music without hassle.
 

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