USB Dac Assistance - Christmas, of course!!

[gnomus]

My son is due to be getting a USB DAC for Christmas. He has researched this to death, and he is quite clear what he wants - a Schiit Audi Modi Multibit. (Yes Schiit Audio - I kid you not!)

He will be using this with his PC for gaming and such like, but he is increasingly getting into music, and this is something I am keen to encourage. What would be the best way of allowing him to play his music files via the USB? I use Minimserver with my Linn system, and if he could have a way of using the Minimerver on his PC with all of the functionality that gives with something like Bubble or Kinsky, that would be great.
He has an iPhone too, of course.

Any thoughts?

[simoncn]

The best option for playing music on Windows from a MinimServer library is probably foobar2000 with the foo_upnp plugin.

The Windows version of Linn Kinsky is very good (I use it myself) but for correct operation it requires an OpenHome renderer.

[gnomus]

(21-12-2017 15:40)simoncn Wrote:  The best option for playing music on Windows from a MinimServer library is probably foobar2000 with the foo_upnp plugin.

The Windows version of Linn Kinsky is very good (I use it myself) but for correct operation it requires an OpenHome renderer.

Thanks Simon. I’ll try the Foobar option first. Never heard of OpenHome - any particular recommendations there (I found something called ‘MediaPlayer’)?

[simoncn]

MediaPlayer might work but I would suggest starting with foobar2000 as this is a more mature product and is likely to have better support for playing through USB DACs.

[gnomus]

(21-12-2017 18:56)simoncn Wrote:  MediaPlayer might work but I would suggest starting with foobar2000 as this is a more mature product and is likely to have better support for playing through USB DACs.

Thanks again Simon. Currently using Foobar to play my MinimServer library on my PC. It isn't very 'pretty' but it works.

Thanks again for your suggestion.

[Icarus]

(21-12-2017 15:25)gnomus Wrote:  My son is due to be getting a USB DAC for Christmas. He has researched this to death, and he is quite clear what he wants - a Schiit Audi Modi Multibit. (Yes Schiit Audio - I kid you not!)

He will be using this with his PC for gaming and such like, but he is increasingly getting into music, and this is something I am keen to encourage. What would be the best way of allowing him to play his music files via the USB? I use Minimserver with my Linn system, and if he could have a way of using the Minimerver on his PC with all of the functionality that gives with something like Bubble or Kinsky, that would be great.
He has an iPhone too, of course.

Any thoughts?

First post on here. I am in the DAC rabbit hole. My first USB DAC was a Gigaport HD+ recommended on another forum.

Then I started to try out NOS DACs and found them to be more analogue sounding. So now I have a selection of DACs. I began with TDA1543. Then bought a bargain AD1865 DAC. And I've bought a TDA1541A DAC minus the chip. I picked up a CD player with a TDA1541A chip which I have to extract. All of the NOS DACs have been from China via Aliexpress or eBay. So far the two chip AD1865 for £85 is my favourite.

The Gigaport HD+ is a good choice if your kid plays electric guitar. But for great analogue sound the NOS DACs sound better to my ears.