Devialet AIR working (mostly) on QNAP virtual server...and a few questions

[El_Duderino]

Hello guys, i recently bought devialet 120 and try to find out what this machine can do. Maybe someone here can / would like to help me? 

Having all the music on Qnap TS-212, incl. 24/192 and DSD64, is it possible to play from QNAP directly via USB on Le120? Should i have a special streaming client? (now i use twonky on Qnap and stream as UPnP to Naim NDX and then via digital input to Le120, but /192 is the limit on this way because NDX goes not over 192). What else should I have? and any particular settings?

Thanks for any help or suggestions

Finally i got an answer to this topic from Devialet support, look at this below   

https://help.devialet.com/hc/en-us/artic...from-a-NAS

Customer care team
I'm sorry this is a misunderstanding, we need to make a correction on the website content you just shown me because in reality you can stream from your NAS, only if you connect your NAS to a computer, and you connect the computer on the Devialet

typically french... 

in this way this post can be closed until Devialet will perform some homework...

Hi Anton,

As you've discovered, Devialet support is total crap.  You'll have better luck seeking answers on this forum.

The QNAP-212 is fairly underpowered and is not particularly designed for anything beyond basic NAS functionality.  I think you will encounter limitations due to processor and cache bottlenecks when it comes to decoding higher resolution files on the QNAP.  Having said that, you could try to install JRiver Media Center QPKG on the QNAP and point it to your music.  I am uncertain whether the QNAP-212 supports USB audio out.  If it does have this functionality, you could try a direct connection to the Devialet.  However, the QNAP, being a "noisy" environment -- in terms of electrical noise and insulation -- will probably be less than ideal from a sound quality perspective when directly connected to the Devialet.

The superior alternative, in my view, from both a user experience and sound quality perspective would be to purchase an Intel NUC.  Both the 5th generation i5 versions seem to work fine based on my (limited) experience and the more extensive experience of others on this forum.  You can then install Windows 10 on the NUC along with Devialet AIR.  The NUC would connect via ethernet to your router, as would the Devialet and the QNAP.  

The software for music library navigation would be installed on the NUC which has several orders of magnitude greater processing power than the QNAP.  JRiver is one option.  Another would be to install ROON server software on the NUC and point it to your music collection on the QNAP.  You can then use a tablet (Android, iOS, or Windows) to interface via wi-fi with the NUC to control the music software in an elegant, wire-free fashion.  Music would be played back via Devialet AIR which, according to many, is potentially the finest audio quality achievable through the Devialet. 

Hope this helps.