Help ! Synology / Minimserver / Ministreamer / Bubble / Lumin app / Chromecast Audio

[simoncn]

You aren't the only person who can't get BubbleUPnP Server to work with Chromecast Audio. See this thread. As MinimStreamer transcoding is working for many other renderers, I think this is likely to be an issue with either BubbleUPnP Server or Chromecast Audio.

If anyone has been successful with this, please post your experiences.

[Snico]

That is sad :-). Which reasonably priced streamer would you suggest ? It must work with Qobuz also.

Thanks again for your help.

[Cebolla]

Hi Snico

The thread that link is referring to is quite old and BubbleUPnP Server, the Linn Kazoo controller app mentioned in the thread and even MinimStreamer itself have been updated several times since, so any problems highlighted then have more than likely been sorted out since. I'm certainly having no issues at all using BubbleUPnP Server providing OpenHome renderer for the Chromecast Audio and getting MinimStreamer to do ALAC & DSF DSD file transcoding to WAV.

In theory, you don't actually need MinimStreamer to do any transcoding when using BubbleUPnP Server with the Chromecast Audio, as the BubbleUPnP Server should automatically transcode to WAV any audio file format the Chromecast Audio doesn't support. However, you don't have any control as to what sample rate and bit depth is used by BubbleUPnP Server's transcoder, since it is all done for you in the background and there are no user settings. For example, all DSD files are always transcoded to 16-bit 96kHz WAV by BubbleUPnP Server for the Chromecast Audio. Also, there is an issue with the BubbleUPnP Server transcoding some ALAC files for the Chromecast Audio, in that they don't play.

So, if you need to transcode ALAC files and/or you prefer to be able to chose the resolution yourself, you should use MinimStreamer to do the transcoding instead. There should be no interference between the two, since MinimStreamer's transcoder will enagage first, so BubbleUPnP Server should always 'see' MinimSreamer's transcoded file, not the original file.

Are you certain you are playing MinimStreamer's transcoded files in the Lumin app? For example, if you are using a playlist created before you made the transcodings settings change in MinimServer, the music tracks will still be referring to the original ALAC & DSD files, not the transcoded WAV ones. You need to recreate your playlists in the Lumin app, so that the music tracks refer to the transcoded WAV files.

John

[simoncn]

The point about playlists is important and it raises a more fundamental point that is specific to the LUMIN app. Because the LUMIN app makes a local cached copy of the entire MinimServer library, you need to tell the LUMIN app to rescan/refresh this cached copy in order for any changes to MinimStreamer transcoding settings to take effect.

[Pepsican]

(01-02-2017 14:50)Snico Wrote:  That is sad :-). Which reasonably priced streamer would you suggest ? It must work with Qobuz also.

Thanks again for your help.

You could do a cheap DIY streamer. Order an Odroid C2 or Raspberry Pi (latest/fastest model) and run Volumio on it.

[Cebolla]

Volumio and any other audio file streaming distro that uses the upmpdcli upnp front end client for the internal MPD audio file player they use (eg Moode Audio & RuneAudio), would still require the BubbleUPnP Server software to provide Qobuz access. For the Raspberry Pi, openhome.org's own OpenHome Player might be the better option, as it'll provide native Qobuz access via OpenHome Streaming Services:
OpenHome Player for Raspberry Pi

In any case, it might be best for the OP to at least check that the Lumin app isn't still caching the old links to the relevant audio files, as was suggested, before giving up on the Chromecast Audio and/or the BubbleUPnP Server software!

[Pepsican]

(02-02-2017 14:29)Cebolla Wrote:  Volumio and any other audio file streaming distro that uses the upmpdcli upnp front end client for the internal MPD audio file player they use (eg Moode Audio & RuneAudio), would still require the BubbleUPnP Server software to provide Qobuz access. For the Raspberry Pi, openhome.org's own OpenHome Player might be the better option, as it'll provide native Qobuz access via OpenHome Streaming Services:
OpenHome Player for Raspberry Pi

In any case, it might be best for the OP to at least check that the Lumin app isn't still caching the old links to the relevant audio files, as was suggested, before giving up on the Chromecast Audio and/or the BubbleUPnP Server software!

Volumio also has support for Apply Airplay. You could stream Qobuz from your iDevice that way.

But agreed. Switching playback architecture would not even be Plan B, but Plan C.

[Snico]

Hello there. I tried with the Bubbleupnp app on Android as control app: it works perfectly. I guess Lumin app is not so stable. Too bad because it is much prettier. Thanks for your help ! I must say it is incredible to find such a software, with such a support, ... all for free !

Nicolas

[Donuk]

(06-02-2017 11:26)Snico Wrote:  Hello there. I tried with the Bubbleupnp app on Android as control app: it works perfectly. I guess Lumin app is not so stable. Too bad because it is much prettier. Thanks for your help ! I must say it is incredible to find such a software, with such a support, ... all for free !

Nicolas

Hi Nicolas, if you are referring to MinimServer as "such a software, with such support .... all for free", you ought perhaps consider making a donation. If Simon starves, no more Minimserver....

Donuk, sunny downtown York