LMS2UPnP v Raspberry Pi plus Hifiberry

I thought I would put down on paper, as it were, my thoughts on these solutions to Roonifying legacy Naim streamers. I would be interested in other people’s observations.

I have a NDS and 4 Unitiqutes. In addition to the LMS and Raspberry Pi I also run a sonicorbiter in an Audiostore music server. Although I live in a small cottage I enjoy multiroom music, hence some of my comments below.

Audiostore music server
This solution allows me to run Roon through my NDS, and I can multiroom via the Naim app. Audiostore offer cheaper solutions too, but they are approximately three times the Raspberry Pi solution.

LMS2UPnP (Squeeze2upnp)
This software solution is elegant, I run it on a Mac Mini and it finds all my streamers. And I can use the Naim app to multiroom. However, it does not handle some music (The music plays fine on the NDS).
I tend to update the software when notified by the developer, but I have not set up my MacMini to automatically run a startup script so I have to periodically rerun the squeeze2upnp script.

Raspberry Pi plus Hifiberry
These little boxes began as a lockdown project; I use a Toslink cable to feed a single Unitiqute. I use two of them as I think I prefer the SQ over the LMS solution, however, I can’t use the multiroom capability of the Naim app.

I have not quantified the SQ differences between the three solutions. Perhaps I will one rainy day.
In summary, the sonicorbiter provides the simplest solution, but also the most expensive, and I can enjoy Roon with the NDS, and it’s the optimum SQ. The LMS software is a great solution, it’s free, but It takes a little tinkering with a computer to get it to work. It can multiroom, but it’s frustrating that it can’t manage some music files (or am I missing something?). I don’t mind updating the software, but I must fix how to reboot my MacMini. The Raspberry Pi solution takes tinkering to another level, which is rewarding, but it can’t multiroom. It’s relatively cheap, and I think the SQ is better than the LMS, but I need to do some more comparative listening.

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@Camphuw LMS2UPNP can handle hires music. Did you edit the config.xml file as you can set the max resolution of 96/24 in there and it will then stream hires, it’s default is 48/24.

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Recently installed LMS (piCorePlayer) on a RPi to have a play around and see what capabilities it now has after using SqueezeCentre many many years ago. It does have extensive capabilities supported by an active forum of developers/contributors. It’s now set up working with my NDS and a SB Duet that I used to use pre Naim DACs with a large Meridian DAC. It integrates with both Tidal and Qobuz very well and I’m sure I’ve only scratched the surface of all the plugins available.

Anyone wanting to tinker and have a play around with LMS/plugins will be very happy indeed.

Having said that it does take some effort to keep running/tuning than something like Asset. I’ve lost my playlists a couple of times and some of the plugins seem to returned to default and needed re-configuring. I have DSD playing well but can’t get HDCD rips to play. I’m sure there’s a solution and answer on the SlimForums but it comes down to how much time/effort you want to spend playing around.

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Nice write up @Camphuw.

Regarding the lms-to-upnp Hires issue I’ve never quite got to the bottom of this problem but I’m convinced it’s to do with bandwidth.

I run the software within Logitech Media Server which runs in a container on my QNAP which is a resolable specification for a NAS (Intel Celeron processor, 8gb ram, Gigabit network connection). I get no issues with Hires, not even 24/192 files.

However I do get issues with the same software with the same config file running on Raspberry Pi. 24/192 files don’t normally play and are substituted by a loud static noise, not unlike the sound of an un-muted FM radio between stations.

The only time I had this issue with the QNAP/Container solution was during a Virgin Media outage where our internet failed over to our backup ADSL connection which is only a 5mbs service. When playing the highest resolution files from QoBuz I would experience the same static sound. Using 24/96 material was OK as was local music at any resolution. This is why I wonder if it is bandwidth related as I was pushing my luck to stream the higher resolution music on that speed of connection.

I find sound wise there’s no difference between Roon and Asset playing the same files. I also find that QoBuz sounds as good as local material, better when there’s a suitable Studio Master version available vs a local CD rip.

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I wonder about the static sound … I’ve thought upto now that it was only hires files causing the problems, but listening last night I could not replicate the problems. Ok I was under the influence of a bottle of Port, nevertheless I have amended my post.

Yes … I know think it’s only certain files, not necessarily hires. See comment below/above.

I use the Ropieee software on my Two RPi with their Hifiberry HATs. These provide @jmtennapel me with a cheaper solution than the Audiostore cheaper products. The RPi is useful when I don’t want the NDS running.

Its Likely how the 24bit is wrapped when it’s sending pcm. You can change how its decoded in the settings XML I had this issue when using the plugin for non Naim systems.

I had wondered what the xml file did. I had thought it was irrelevant for OSX.

Nope. The programme was originally designed as a plugin for LMS and had a GUI to set most of the parameters, which created the XML. Its all in the instructions as to what each do. As each UPnP device is different and report differnet things you need to sometimes tweak them for better compatbility.

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Here is an example of my common settings. Th me L24 format is the parameter for how the 24bit is wrapped .

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<squeeze2upnp>
<common>
<streambuf_size>524288</streambuf_size>
<output_size>4194304</output_size>
<stream_length>-3</stream_length>
<enabled>1</enabled>                                                               <remove_timeout>120</remove_timeout>
<codecs>aac,ogg,ops,ogf,alc,wav,aif,mp3</codecs>                                   <mode>wav</mode>                                                                   <raw_audio_format>wav</raw_audio_format>
<sample_rate>192000</sample_rate>
<L24_format>1</L24_format>
<flac_header>3</flac_header>
<roon_mode>1</roon_mode>
<forced_mimetypes></forced_mimetypes>
<seek_after_pause>0</seek_after_pause>
<send_icy>1</send_icy>
<volume_on_play>1</volume_on_play>
<volume_feedback>1</volume_feedback>
<send_metadata>1</send_metadata>
<send_coverart>1</send_coverart>
<max_volume>100</max_volume>
<accept_nexturi>0</accept_nexturi>
<auto_play>0</auto_play>
<server>192.168.1.26</server>
<resample_options></resample_options>
</common>
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Thanks - very helpful. Just so I understand, I assume that this is the xml file rather than the config?
I see an evening of tinkering coming on.
May I ask where you learnt about this, is there a guidance note available?
Thanks
Steve

Yes it’s the config.xml it creates when first run. You then need to edit it in a decent text editor that will keep the XML formatting. If you check the help docs for the plugin then you will find out what some of them do. There are a few others not enabled in mine. You need it stop and start it each time to pick up any changes you make.

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I’ve recently started running Lms (with upnp bridge plugin) on quite an old model B raspberry pi to my NDS, having previously having run it on my NAS. I’ve not had trouble with HiRes files from Qobuz, even with my old rpi, though it does take it’s time serving up the album cover pictures when I’m searching my favourites. Right now I’ve also configured it to transcode from Qobuz flac to pcm/WAV which I think gives a small uplift in performance. This too it seems to take in it’s stride, though I do have an intermittent problem with gapless play. This only seems to happen now and again and I just move proceedings on my using the forward button within the client app.

I’ve done all of the configuration through the standard setup upnp/bridge configuration screens. Fyi here are the two upnp device plugin configuration screens, firstly the common parameters applied to all devices, followed by the specific Nds config which applies changes where specified to the common parameters.

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It seems the only place my config.xml (within the ‘bin’ folder) differs is the server line, where mine shows ‘?’ rather than an address.

I’ll read the help documents and see if I can come up to speed.

Thanks again for your help.

That will just default to first server it finds. I set mine as I used to Roon LMS as well at same time so it would lock on to that and not Roon. I would experiment with the L24 parameter to see which works best. I had the static all the time until I found one setting that worked best.

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I finally put my Sonore UPnP bridge onto my network. Other than the fact that despite updating it to ver 2.8 3 times, and it still ‘stuck’ on ver 2.7, it was simple to integrate into Roon.

I’ll only use it with my UQ2. I’m not sure it’ll sound any different than my Allo DigiOne, but it does provide volume control through the Roon apps, which is a plus.

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