Music servers

They are called music servers but most of the time it is about direct playback exactly as you are using a PC.
As a lot of them are also UPnP/DLNA compliant, they can be used as a server as well.

 

Basically a music server is simply a dedicated audio PC.

The idea is nice; you have one box which does it all.

Comfort is the name of this often rather expensive game.

 

Often they have the look and feel of conventional audio equipment.
Connect it to your amplifier just like a CD player and there you are.
Some manufacturers even stresses that it is NOT a computer.

 

As the acceptance  of a computer as an audio source is growing, today a lot of these boxes are positioned as what they are, a computer dedicated too audio.
The small screens are disappearing, likewise the remote control.
Today you have an app on your smart phone to control the box.

What do you get?

Well, a computer running Linux or Windows with some proprietary software to manage your music collection and in general a very small display and a sound card.

A computer in disguise.

 

These are the internals of a Meridian - Sooloos Source:One

From left to right:

• switching power supply
• VIA Epia PC
• RME Hammerfall DSP 9632 PCI sound card

Price  €3,600.00

 

Aria music server €3,995

 

A silent PC combined with a high quality sound card or an outboard DAC will probably:

• equal or outperform most of these dedicated boxes in sound quality
• offers a better interface
• at a lower price.

But you do have to do your own homework.

Buying a music server means a couple of engineers has done your homework.

A great comfort but, yes, engineers need payment too.

 

If you go this -in general a bit expensive- way, there are a couple of things you better check.
The music server is your tool to store and maintain your collection.
Beside sound quality, you should also check the ease of use.

 

• Backup
  The box might break down or be dropped or stolen or one day you want to move to another music server, in other words can you get your collection out of this box?
  Check backup facilities, some use a backup strategy making it impossible to transfer your music to another system.
  Maybe they do so to avoid problems with copyright, but you are lost the moment you want to move to another system.
  
• Network access
  Can you access the audio files over the network?
  Convenient if you want to backup to a NAS.
  Required when you want to use a system like Sonos (file sharing).
  Often network access to the music folder is blocked.
  
• Tagging
  The tags allow you to browse your collection by artist, genre, etc.
  What is the quality of the tagging?
  If the tagging fails (it does sometimes as looking up a CD is guesswork) can you manually correct it?
  Does it support cover art?
  In case of classical music, is the composer tag supported?
  
• Stability
  Check user forums, the software is often proprietary so might be a bit buggy
• Performance
  All these boxes work fine if you load a couple of CD’s.
  What happens if you have a +20.000 tracks collection?
  Often these boxes crack under such a load.
  
• Hardware
  

  A music server is most of all a computer with a sound card dressed up as audio gear.
  What have they done hardware wise to justify the in general rather steep price tag?
  If the components used are not different from a well-designed PC, why pay a premium.

• Noise level
  The unit is in your listening room.
  Fans and hard disks can make a lot of noise.
  Fanless design and good sound isolation of the HD are a must.
• Digital out
  If you are not satisfied with the sound quality, a digital out allows you to connect an outboard DAC of your choice.

 

A list of music servers (no longer maintained)