Highest Possible Sound Quality from iTunes

[Confused]

So in conclusion. If you want to use track ratings, then the options are:
1. Computer based, so use a PC with JRiver, iTunes with a Mac (or similar options with NUC's etc.)
2. Something made by Aurender - It's worth noting that this is the ONLY option in the list that allows track rating from the control app itself.
3. Music Servers that are basically a Windows PC, such as the CAD CAT.
4. Music servers that will run Roon. You would still have to make things like smart playlists, or create a playlist of specific artist / rated 5 or whatever in iTunes, but at least the Roon'd server would pick these up directly on start up. (Personally, I quite like this option, you could spend a few minutes on a computer sorting out a few playlists, once done, no messing with a computer whilst playing through a pretty looking Roon app. Get fed up with / finish these playlists, then take a few minutes to set up some more)

It intrigues me that the only thing on the entire planet, the whole wide world, that will allow the rating or sorting of a track in the control app is the Aurender. Can this be true? Can anyone think of another?

Actually, I have thought of one other, which would be to use a Mac Mini headless with full screen style remote access, so you would have the full iTunes screen, maybe on an iPad Pro. (Or a similar set-up with NUC + Windows Pro + Remote access app) This is cheating a bit though, because it is still basically a full screen computer set up. This does still leave the question of is the Aurender really the only thing in the known universe that will allow track ratings in the app itself?

[GuillaumeB]

Surely J Remote lets you input ratings on the fly... no? I don't have it here but looking at screenshots it looks as though it does.

Other than that I think your list is narrowing down nicely 

The Roon business does seem like a bit of a faff though - why add all these extra steps. I say stick with iTunes and optimise it with Audirvana etc.

Or go down the J River route with the CAD. Assuming J Remote will let you do the stuff you need to do. Mind you you can always run a remote access screen...

And of course (when does this end?!@!) the Aurender might fit the bill nicely, and sound super to boot... hang on I thought we were narrowing down your list!   

Guillaume

[Hifi_swlon]

...
Or go down the J River route with the CAD. Assuming J Remote will let you do the stuff you need to do. Mind you you can always run a remote access screen…
...

OR

-- and let me say right now that I know this is probably a stupid suggestion and may come across a bit flippant even though it isn't --

in Confused's case, maybe just forget track ratings ever existed, pick the thing that you like using the most, as well as liking the way it sounds, and then enjoy rediscovering your music all over again with a new system. Half the stuff you rated as 5* you might not even like anymore, and you might have grown to love some old 1* and 2* classics of old that you've probably not heard for years

[Confused]

...
Or go down the J River route with the CAD. Assuming J Remote will let you do the stuff you need to do. Mind you you can always run a remote access screen…
...

OR

-- and let me say right now that I know this is probably a stupid suggestion and may come across a bit flippant even though it isn't --

in Confused's case, maybe just forget track ratings ever existed, pick the thing that you like using the most, as well as liking the way it sounds, and then enjoy rediscovering your music all over again with a new system.  Half the stuff you rated as 5* you might not even like anymore, and you might have grown to love some old 1* and 2* classics of old that you've probably not heard for years    

Guillaume - That's the beauty of the CAD CAT, versatility!  It runs JRiver as default, but if you want, you could use it with JRiver & Roon, or anything else that works on a PC. It would also work fine in the future with something that does not even exist yet. (Say a Roon killer player comes out in 2017, or anything else) - Versatile!

Hifi_swlon - all suggestions are gratefully received on this thread, no matter how off the wall.  (although the last one gets only 1*)

[GuillaumeB]

...
Or go down the J River route with the CAD. Assuming J Remote will let you do the stuff you need to do. Mind you you can always run a remote access screen…
...

OR

-- and let me say right now that I know this is probably a stupid suggestion and may come across a bit flippant even though it isn't --

in Confused's case, maybe just forget track ratings ever existed, pick the thing that you like using the most, as well as liking the way it sounds, and then enjoy rediscovering your music all over again with a new system.  Half the stuff you rated as 5* you might not even like anymore, and you might have grown to love some old 1* and 2* classics of old that you've probably not heard for years    

Guillaume - That's the beauty of the CAD CAT, versatility!  It runs JRiver as default, but if you want, you could use it with JRiver & Roon, or anything else that works on a PC.

Hifi_swlon - all suggestions are gratefully received on this thread, not matter how off the wall.  (although the last one gets only 1*)

I must say I'm coming round to the CAD. 

I might see if Jon will lend me one to evaluate at home.

Guillaume

[Confused]

Surely J Remote lets you input ratings on the fly... no? I don't have it here but looking at screenshots it looks as though it does.

Other than that I think your list is narrowing down nicely 

The Roon business does seem like a bit of a faff though - why add all these extra steps. I say stick with iTunes and optimise it with Audirvana etc.

Or go down the J River route with the CAD. Assuming J Remote will let you do the stuff you need to do. Mind you you can always run a remote access screen...

And of course (when does this end?!@!) the Aurender might fit the bill nicely, and sound super to boot... hang on I thought we were narrowing down your list!   

Guillaume

Guillaume - You are absolute correct, JRemote does let you input track ratings.  In fact it is an optional feature, it's disabled by default, but you can tweak a few setting in JRiver and then add ratings to the specific track you are playing on an iPad.  What you can't do via JRemote is anything useful with the ratings, that is to sort or filter tracks by rating, much the same with the iTunes app, you can only sensibly use ratings when in full screen mode on an actual computer.  I believe the Aurender conductor app can do some of this stuff, I have played briefly with the conductor app but certainly not enough to have formed an opinion.  Demo's planned later this month should give me more of an idea re conductor.  Again the CAD CAT gets tempting when you think about this stuff, for example you can directly plug in a touch screen PC monitor for full functionality, maybe stick the screen on a nice Meridian style support.  I'm sure one day we will see full function remote apps capable of all sorts of stuff on nice big iPad Pro type screens, not anytime soon though I'm guessing.

[Xander]

iTunes is 'just' a player and content system with a GUI. I don't think you can improve iTunes, it delivers the bits you feed it to your sound card or digital transport. Tuning can be done on all hardware after, but then you're tweaking the rest of the chain.

[Antoine]

In theory that's true, 'bits are bits', in practice though many experience that bit perfect player software can sound different and even the OS the software runs on makes a difference. (unfortunately, I can't wait for the day this all no longer matters and DAC's are immune to jitter and noise from computers and can work with any level of signal integrity once it crosses the critical treshhold of being bit-perfect...)

[tategoi]

Couldn't you just store your iTunes library on a Melco, in AIFF format? Melco connected to your Devialet via ethernet.

You'd be using iTunes as the front-end, Melco for storage and AIR (in it's Ethernet mode, if that makes sense) as the transmission mechanism. Not sure if this is feasible, but it's something I'm keen to explore too.

Ethernet AIR is much more reliable than Wireless AIR, in my opinion, and I know that many people have issues with iTunes, but I've been using it for years and enjoy the familiarity.

I'm not sure if I've interpreted this correctly?  If you are connecting a Melco to a Devialet via Ethernet, this would require AIR to be loaded onto the Melco.  AIR comes in different versions for Windows and Mac, but nothing suitable for a Melco running Linux?

Having said that, a Melco somehow running iTunes would be most excellent for my needs.  I just don't see how it could be done?  I presume impossible?

I believe the new Melco app is coming soon, I will cirtainly be interested to see what that looks like.  But that's something for the Melco thread.

Can we have iTunes Library residing in Melco, and using iTunes as the server to serve digital files to the Devialet via Melco's Player LAN port? 

I'd like to avoid outputting Melco via USB as its isolated Ethernet output is supposed to be far superior.

[Confused]

Couldn't you just store your iTunes library on a Melco, in AIFF format? Melco connected to your Devialet via ethernet.

You'd be using iTunes as the front-end, Melco for storage and AIR (in it's Ethernet mode, if that makes sense) as the transmission mechanism. Not sure if this is feasible, but it's something I'm keen to explore too.

Ethernet AIR is much more reliable than Wireless AIR, in my opinion, and I know that many people have issues with iTunes, but I've been using it for years and enjoy the familiarity.

I'm not sure if I've interpreted this correctly?  If you are connecting a Melco to a Devialet via Ethernet, this would require AIR to be loaded onto the Melco.  AIR comes in different versions for Windows and Mac, but nothing suitable for a Melco running Linux?

Having said that, a Melco somehow running iTunes would be most excellent for my needs.  I just don't see how it could be done?  I presume impossible?

I believe the new Melco app is coming soon, I will cirtainly be interested to see what that looks like.  But that's something for the Melco thread.

Can we have iTunes Library residing in Melco, and using iTunes as the server to serve digital files to the Devialet via Melco's Player LAN port? 

I'd like to avoid outputting Melco via USB as its isolated Ethernet output is supposed to be far superior.

All of the above would be absolutely splendid I think.  The trouble is I just can't see how it would work, there are multiple issues.  For a start, the Melco runs Linux, so although you could put an iTunes library on a Melco, you could not install iTunes itself.  (or not without great difficulty and instability anyway, say using 'WINE' or similar)

Also, the LAN port is designed to feed a Streamer, and the Devialet is not a streamer.  At best a Devialet could perhaps be considered half of a streamer, but it does require AIR, and AIR needs to be installed on a PC or a MAC, there is no Linux version of AIR.