You’re the best, thanks!
I recall now
Squeeze + Squeeze is definitely a marked cut above all else for me in terms of sheer enjoyment of the music - but i can’t understand how people are prepared to put up with the Material interface for browsing and playing music. I’ve made the point before and i’ll make it again - if we are willing and lucky enough to be able to spend ridiculous amounts of time and money on this hobby surely we deserve the best user interface AND the best SQ. At the moment we are forced to choose one or the other (
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I do find myself wondering whether the more acceptable user interface options all come with a down side with sound quality. Is there a direct link to that?
Following @NickBacon ’s lead, I tried squeeze/squeeze setting with JPLAY. I only selected OladraPlayer in JPLAY and it worked for a brief moment! Then I tried other settings and play was garbled. I couldn’t get it to work again with the previous settings. Did Nick get this working with streaming content from Qobuz or Tidal or was it only working for local library content?
Is there a potential option with squeeze/squeeze using JPLAY for iOS users? It’s a nice interface, much better than LMS and you can add tracks directly to Qobuz playlists, something that Roon and LMS can’t do.
I have had several listening sessions with the MPD setting but I wonder if we can test squeeze/squeeze with JPLAY? I’m stuck at the moment from taking this any further. I just can’t get it to work again but will try the JPLAY developer forum.
@RCZR I almost exclusively listen to locally stored ripped and downloaded files stored on my Oladra, so I am afraid to report that is what I was listening to with JPLAY + Squeeze + Squeeze.
Having seen your post I have repeated the experiment and this combination still works fine for me with locally stored files.
I then tried to play a Qobuz streamed track using JPLAY and to be sure I played a track that I absolutely know for sure I do not have downloaded! See the JPLAY screen shot below. I got about a second of garbled noise then nothing.
Then going to iPeng and selecting Qobuz in the Apps area the same streamed song played perfectly.
I will be interested to get any feedback from you from anything you get on the JPLAY developer forum.
The other thing is that I cannot get JPLAY + Squeeze + Squeeze to play 16FS tracks (ie 705 or 786 tracks).
For others who might want to try the JPLAY for iOS control app with Squeeze + Squeeze, you do need to have the UPnP/DNLA Media Interface plugin active.
fyi the latest version of roon now lets you edit qobuz and tidal playlists from inside roon
Thanks for the heads up. I just updated and see Roon has finally responded to this long term user request. Great news!
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Thanks Nick, I’ll keep you updated. Will post in that forum later this week.
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I dont see any reason why there has to be. Material is a hobby project for someone, it could be so much better without any drop in SQ
Material is simply a skin. A skin defines how the user interface will appear to users in terms of colors and fonts and layout. The underlying software is LMS (Logitech Media Server) also known as “Squeeze Server”. It is LMS that provides the capabilities that allow us to manage and play our music.
LMS didn’t begin life as a hobby project as it was initially a commercial product that supported of the Squeezebox streaming products. Material could be thought of as a “hobby project” as it wasn’t developed for profit. I think it’s important to consider though that person who developed it sacrificed his own personal time to deliver something to the community with no expectation for personal gain. And in my opinion he did a better job than many who were actually paid to do this work.
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To recap the issue, I’ve been using JPLAY with Antipodes Oladra. Antipodes have a setting on their dashboard with Music Player Daemon (MDP) and Squeeze that connects to JPLAY. However, I tried another setting inspired by @NickBacon with Squeeze server and player from the Antipodes dashboard. Both the Squeeze server and player connected in JPLAY when you use the UPnP plugin in Logitech Media Server (LMS). Any tracks selected in JPLAY are mimicked in the LMS. I checked the Player in Settings in JPLAY and played a track from Qobuz. Then I selected the Server setting with player in JPLAY and music was garbled. When I went back to the previous settings it was still garbled. @NickBacon has tried the same settings and got a local library to work but not any streamed tracks. My question to the JPLAY developer and founder was why can we stream with MDP and Squeeze to JPLAY but not Squeeze with LMS connected to JPLAY?
Here is his answer:
This is a question to Antipodes. I think that some settings have to be adjusted for that playback method.
Best regards,
Marcin
@MarkCole could this be tested or on the development list for a future release of AMSv5.x? It would be great to use the Squeeze Server/Player on the AMS Dashboard and have to option of using JPLAY (for iOS users) instead of LMS. For some of us Squeeze Server/Player is preferred in sound quality over other options but we have to put up with a clunky LMS interface. If the same sound quality can be delivered with JPLAY then is it worth considering?
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Hello everyone
I have an Antipodes CX that I have used as a server/player for several years now. Lately I use the Roon/Squeeze Player combination because it is the one I consider best in terms of library management and sound
I have tested Squeeze/Squeeze Player managed with Ipeng or Material skin and on my system I see the following
- Perhaps the bass is tighter, more contoured
- The presentation gives the sensation of greater tranquility
- The music seems to sound from further back compared to Roon/Squeeze Player
- Treble seems more extended
At first it seems like it sounds more natural but as I listen I notice a certain thinness in the sound, less impact and less sense of presence…
I saw that the C-3PO plugin function was activated. I disabled it to leave the format without Upsampling and I thought it sounded better
I also wasn’t happy with the sound and I went back to my original Roon/Squeeze Player configuration and… it’s definitely better for me
- Immediacy returns in the sound presentation
- The treble is less intrusive but does not lose detail
- The music has more Punch in general
Perhaps it is true that Roon since version 2.0 has improved. I checked the resource consumption and in both configurations it was practically identical
Roon may work better with certain settings. In this link that I leave they talk about these configurations:
There are a couple of them that really make the improvement in sound clear. All is important
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31 posts were split to a new topic: JPLAY on Antipodes
What resolution are you able to receive streaming BBC radio 3?
I seem to get BBC 3 only at 96kbps CBR 48khz. If there is some way to increase this please let me know. I found some HLS plugin that I activated, but no difference. Might be a world vs. a UK feed issue.
Antipodes Player/server combinations :
Exploring Playback App Choices and the Dual-Computer Advantage in Audio Systems
Oladra review & Interview with Mr. Mark Jenkins, Antipodes CEO and founder (December 2024)
I must admit that Squeeze Player sounds more accurate, and it is a step up from a pure audiophile reproduction perspective. The tonality is improved, the sound is more open, and the bass is cleaner. It offers a more coherent presentation, providing a deeper insight into the music with better timbral quality. The Roon player tends to both accentuate and soften the bass while adding some lushness and sweetness to the midrange. This is a pleasant aspect and has a clear advantage in some more clinical systems. However, the sound tightness and clarity are not as well defined as with the Squeeze Player. (…) For now, I have adopted the Squeeze player, as it is the better tool for correctly assessing different sound qualities. It provides a clearer view of the sound without the apparent aberrations imposed by the Roon Player.
I received assistance from Mr. Mark Jenkins in answering my questions, and he graciously provided detailed responses, more than I could have ever hoped for.
MJ: All of the playback apps we offer sound good, and your preference should be what makes the overall experience more enjoyable.
CC: Antipodes offers some of the most comprehensive software configuration choices. I am a Roon addict because of the user experience and luxurious interface. But based on the sound quality alone, what will be your recommendation from the Squeeze, MPD, HQPlayer, and MiniDLNA options?
MJ: Preferences can change when new versions of the software apps are released. But we have generally found that Squeeze delivers the most natural and open sound. HQPlayer is also excellent, but it has a different presentation. Which you prefer may be driven by how much DSP you like the sound of and your choice of DAC.
When I listen to the alternatives to Squeeze, I hear various small deviations, some of which are important. For example, one of the alternative playback methods has a relatively plodding and plummy bass region that robs some music of its coherence, but it also has an attractive juicy tinge to its mid-range that some may argue is more real. Another playback solution has a slightly smoothed and distant presentation, which may help some systems achieve a more pleasing balance. It is worth trying them out for yourself. But I realize that people also prefer the playback app they are used to, which is another reason we offer as many app choices as we do.
I also have my personal biases. I personally find time coherence is critical to music, such as when an artist plays alternately behind and ahead of the beat to create a sequence of tension and release, and this is particularly important with the Jazz and Blues genres. So, I don’t like aberrations that interfere with my perceptions of musical timing. Other listeners will be more concerned about something else, like precisely hearing who the violin’s maker was.
MJ: There is a very distinct advantage to the dual-computer approach.
In the Oladra and KALA 50, we use one computer to run the Server application and another to run the Player application. It is not so much about separating the processes because you can separate them within a single computer. It is about the fact that the ideal computer for the Server step differs significantly from the ideal computer for the Player step.
Currently, no single computer can do both jobs well. It is a bit like the best car to tow your boat, but it is not the best car to enjoy a twisty coastal road.
Generally speaking, using an ideal and powerful computer to run the Server app can add layers of detail and musical insight but will sound mechanical and emotionally cool on its own. Similarly, using an ideal and low-power computer for the Player app can deliver natural timbre and a sense of ease and flow but will not be able to present all of the essential musical details on its own.
Using a single computer involves trade-offs. Using two computers can avoid the trade-offs.
It is not as simple as just using a high-power computer for the Server and a low-power computer for the Player, either. Each of these computers is carefully selected and tuned to perform its role.
(…) Different boards sound different, so board selection is crucial, and you can fine-tune the sound of a board by making firmware tweaks. We have developed a high level of expertise over the last 15 years of doing this.
Quotes from:
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