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Spotify Box

evanhailey.com

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Re: Spotify Box

#151

Post by chrisjc »

oarsinsync wrote: post #127
chrisjc wrote: post #120

I don't think it's explained in the article, but why was spotifyd chosen instead of cast or airplay "middleware"? Surely cast and airplay work with Spotify while delivering equal sound? Either way, amazing work and looks fantastic in wood.

Not the author, and I'm also not sure I fully understand your question, but am assuming 'cast or airplay' refers to the method used by mobile devices to redirect AV streams to different devices. Both those solutions still require a spotify client somewhere to interact with the spotify api. The spotify client is still ultimately responsible for determining what to play, where to play from, and what stream URL then nee…

> but am assuming 'cast or airplay' refers to the method used by mobile devices to redirect AV streams to different devices.

Yes, thank you for phrasing it better.

I don't think what you said is 100% true. I have an old chromecast that is capable of playing Spotify without the "spotify client" (i assume you mean spodifyd).

From what I understand about chromecast is that it uses a "cast protocol" (?) and therefore doesn't require "clients" (xyzd) for each media service integration.

Unsure about airplay though.

I imagine the reason they chose to use this spotifyd approach might be

- There is no "cast client" or "airplay client" available

- Audio properties of the Spotifyd client are superior to the alternatives

- They only use spotify

- just because they wanted to

Yup, i understand the idea behind these clients and why they're superior to bluetooth.

Re: Spotify Box

#152

Post by chrisjc »

lxgr wrote: post #130
oarsinsync wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not the author, and I'm also not sure I fully understand your question, but am assuming 'cast or airplay' refers to the method used by mobile devices to redirect AV streams to different devices. Both those solutions still require a spotify client somewhere to interact with the spotify api. The spotify client is still ultimately responsible for determining what to play, where to play from, and what stream URL then nee…

This is true for AirPlay, but not really for Google Cast: While a Cast-capable device is required to initially launch Spotify, the Spotify Cast app is a full-featured Spotify Connect client. For example, you can launch Spotify on a Google Home and control it from any device logged in to the same account, regardless of whether it understands the Cast protocol, is on the same network etc. I suspect that once Spotify of…

Very interesting...

I kinda knew this since I think the feature you described is also available through Alexa/Echo, but I never really took the time to think about what was going on behind the scenes.

However, I'm still struggling to understand what is going on in your example.

When you control Spotify from your phone (volume++, next, new song, etc), how does Google Home know to do something?

When you tell Google Home "google play never gonna give you up", how does the Spotify app on your phone know how to reflect what's playing on the Spotify app?

Technically I can imagine that there is a shadow state of your Spotify instance sitting out in the cloud somewhere, but what are the mechanisms that make all this work together? Is this part of the "cast" protocol/architecture? Is this Spotify specific IP/tech that they can push on Google and Alexa to include on their IOT/smart services since they have the clout and pull?

Do you have any good links (not too technical, not too lite) on how this works?

Re: Spotify Box

#153

Post by ThinkBeat »

wwn_se wrote: post #124
ThinkBeat wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I prefer buying physical media. I am partial to CDs but that might just be my age. When CDs were everywhere, getting them was easy and prices more competitive. The last CD I wanted I had to order from Germany and the company really took far too much for the shipping. (€ 15) Once it arrived in Norway (ECC, not EU) I had to pay taxes on top of it. Media downloads from the artist is good in that I get to direct the mone…

You are just old ;) I have not lost a file in 10years. I have a NAS with backup to the cloud, nothing fancy just a single drive NAS with automatic rolling backups. Important files go to multiple clouds.

yupp. Both old and stubborn admit it.

There does seem to be an increasing interest in physical mediums. Or perhaps that fad has faded already.

I know some of the younger guys at work have started collecting vinyl. For a short period, it seemed like cassettes were hip too. I have no idea if that ever got going.

Re: Spotify Box

#154

Post by ghostly_s »

decryption wrote: post #61
ghostly_s wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wonder if there's something like this that supports Plex?

Give Rasplex a shot - http://www.rasplex.com/

I don't mean just a lightweight plex client, but a headless plex audio sink. Plex supports , "passing" your stream session over to another client on the local network now, I'm not sure what protocol it is exactly but my Tcl Roku tv is compatible with this and its quite handy to be able to queue some stuff up on the mobile app them send it over there to play rather than fumbling with the remote and the handicapped Roku app.

Re: Spotify Box

#155

Post by mikewave »

sneak wrote: post #33
mikewave wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Any recommendations for the DAC? I'm using a USB sound card right now on my Volumio Pi but haven't been thrilled about it. What I really want is SPDIF coaxial or optical output, on the cheap.

You can use the DAC on the pi itself; you will not be able to tell the audio quality difference on any equipment you own (your ears included). There is a stereo mini jack audio output on the pi. Just use that and don't waste your money on audio woo. (This is also a standing bet of $5000 to anyone who can pass an ABX in front of me to discern the difference between the two in headphones of their own choosing. You pay…

Sorry, but I did try this, and it sounds absolutely awful. There's a ton of noise. I don't know if my Pis (and I've tried 3 of them) are different from yours, but a cheapo $20 USB sound adapter already has a much better noise floor than the built-in one. This is regardless of what I connect them to.

There's "audio woo" where you spend $1000 for a USB to SPDIF adapter that literally does almost nothing, and spending $50-100 for a decent DAC that doesn't have an audible hiss.

Re: Spotify Box

#156

Post by modo_mario »

alias_neo wrote: post #143
modo_mario wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Doesn't it have those made for you thingies that change weekly or so? In my case it makes em for the varying genres i listen to so even tho i listen to some techno at work i can pick a metal playlist with new stuff.

I noticed some mixes it makes but it has talk shows, podcasts etc thrown in and I'm really not into that. Also, because it has basically ruined my music preferences, despite me telling it what I want to be recommended, it makes recommendations for "Dua Lipa" and "Doja Cat". Nothing against either of them, but not really what I was looking for.

Hmmm it doesn't have any of that thrown in for me. Feels like we're having a completely different experience for some reason
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