Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[kebrein]

My original post is below but I haven't received many responses so I may have described my problems poorly.  I have successfully (apparently) set up the WDM driver on my music computer but I don't think it is working correctly.
1. With the stereo configuration described below, the DAC only shows 44.1kHz quality even if the file playing on my music pc is higher resolution. The sound quality actually sounds much worse than CD quality.  I would probably be fine with CD quality if it truly sounded as good as CD quality should but I am curious as to why my DAC isn't showing a higher resolution coming from the WDM driver and, more importantly, why it sounds no where near as good as CD quality?
2. If I were to get the WDM driver working correctly with the Amazon Music App on my music computer, what is the best way to control it (e.g., select songs to play, create playlists)?  I generally don't have a keyboard and monitor connected to my Music Computer since I just use JRemote to control JRiver MC29.  I tried to use Windows RDC (Remote Desktop Connection) on my iPad to control the Amazon Music App, but the songs streaming on the Amazon App on my music computer played through my iPad speakers, ....not my stereo??!!  Is there a better way to control the Music App than RDC?  Any ideas why it played through my iPad vs the DAC connected to my Music PC?

With regards to below questions about streaming services for my living room and outside deck, I will likely upgrade my AVR to a model that includes HEOS or other options for utilizing streaming services and playing to different zones.

If running Amazon Music on a Music PC with WDM driver without using a keyboard is not a good solution for my media room, is there a streaming device that anyone would recommend that would give me audiophile quality output to my DAC or pre-amp with a convenient App for controlling it?  I'm frustrated with JRiver (with myself also  ) since I can tell others are doing far more complicated and cool things with JRiver MC than I am able to implement!!

Any help / ideas would be greatly appreciated! 

Original Post:
I've been using Media Center for 10+ years but only for playing my personal digital music library and controlling it with JRemote on my iPad in my dedicated music / theater room.  I would really like to add Amazon Music streaming capability while retaining ability to control it through JRemote or at least Windows RD Client on my iPad.  It seems like the newest version of Media Center, MC31, has ability to control Amazon Music (and YouTube) via Theater mode but quality will be limited to CD / 44.1 vs the higher resolutions available with the WDM driver?  My brother helped me originally set this system up but he has gone to the dark side (Roon) and lives in another state so he can't help with these modifications.  Below are details of my setup.  I am a novice on using Media Center for all but the most basic of capabilities.  Please share ANY suggestions you have for improving my utilization and capabilities of JRiver in my dedicated media room and / or to my living room system! 

+ Currently using MC29, but more than willing to upgrade if that improves ability to stream Amazon Music, or just to further support JRiver
+ Have dedicated Music Computer with MC29 loaded to play my digital music files.  PC is connected via Ethernet to a MyCloud storage device which contains my digital music files; I control MC29 using JRemote on my iPad.
+ Music PC sends digital output to my Luxman DA-06 DAC via USB connection
+ DAC sends analogue signal via balanced outputs to my Valvet pre-amp which sends output to my Audio Research Amplifier, which sends sound to my two Zu Audio speakers.
+ I only play stereo in my media room and in my living room system (Samsung TV, Roku Ultra, with a Denon AVR 3313CI connected to two different speaker zones: living room and outside deck)
+ Oppo BDP-103D DVD player in media room.  Roku Ultra is connected to Oppo as the primary input source.  Output is to a Sony projector which is displayed on a 120" diagonal screen. 
+ Roku remote is used to control video channels, sources, etc. in media room.

Questions:
+ What is best way to stream Amazon Music through my system, hopefully using JRiver but open to other suggestions?  Note that I tried to follow instructions for setting up the WDM driver.  I was able to play using a keyboard and monitor to control the Amazon Music App on the Music PC, but my DAC only showed CD level quality even when playing high resolution files and those sounded no where near as good as CD quality files on my server.  Also, when I tried to control the Amazon Music App on the Music PC using Windows RD Client on my iPad, I could only get the music to play through my iPad, not the stereo!
+ YouTube music videos sound excellent currently through the Oppo.  Is there an opportunity to improve sound or video further playing through JRiver Theater View instead of through the Oppo?  If so, would Netflix, etc. also sound or look better through JRiver vs through Oppo?
+ Is there a way to use JRiver Media Center (and JRemote) to play my music library (and Amazon Music?) through the Denon AVR in a different room?

Thank you in advance for all that share their expertise here.  I love the JRiver sound, but the learning curve is quite steep for a retired guy that knows nearly nothing about coding or pc terminology!

[cncb]

+ Is there a way to use JRiver Media Center (and JRemote) to play my music library (and Amazon Music?) through the Denon AVR in a different room?

Yes, if it has HEOS it will show up as a DLNA renderer / zone in MC.  You can then use JRemote to play your local music to the Denon.  You then use the HEOS app to play Amazon Music at high quality on the Denon.

[kebrein]

CNCB, Thank you for the response!  Unfortunately, my Denon AVR is an older model that doesn't include HEOS.  Once I see other responses about best way to stream Amazon Music to my main stereo system in the Media room, I may consider upgrading my AVR to a newer model that includes it!  The Denon 3313CI also won't play tv audio to my Zone 2 speakers (outside patio) so is a little frustrating as well.  Right now, I'm limited to Pandora and Internet Radio for Zone 2.  Sirius XM worked at one point but that capability was lost in one of the Denon firmware upgrades (or XM streaming changes).

[cncb]

Is there an Amazon Music app for Roku?  This might allow you to play the higher quality.

I have a new Fire Cube which supports high-quality playback even up to Atmos (you need an HDMI connection for that).  You can use the Amazon Music mobile app to control playback.

[kebrein]

Good idea.  Roku has the Amazon Music app, but unfortunately the App's sound quality is poor (believe it is typical MP3 quality).  It might be fine for background music but definitely not for critical listening. 

I also tried Apple Air Play to cast the Amazon Music App from my phone to the Roku Ultra in the media room which is attached to my Oppo via HDMI.  That sound quality was about the same as the Roku Amazon Music App.

I thought the Roku Amazon Music App might be a good option for playing background music on our patio, but my Denon 3313CI AVR cannot play "TV Audio" to Zone 2.

[kebrein]

Still have received almost no responses to my earlier posts.  Would really appreciate any suggestions that are out there.  It appears many are using the WDM Driver to play Amazon Music and other streaming services, so surely someone can provide some assistance or point me to other posts that would help?