HiFi Subjectivist ¦ Audio Forum ¦ NVA User Group

A PC running Volumio can still access internet via Wifi or ethernet. The program can update itself - but can be set to do that when the user chooses, and it only takes 5 minutes (usually).

Getting Windows to update over wifi will slow down network access considerably as the update files are mostly very large. Better to take the laptop and hook it to the router with a LAN cable for the duration of the update, which will be quicker.

Installing Volumio on a PC can be done temporarily with a USB drive. So it can be tried out. Installing Volumio on the hard drive of a conputer is not reversible, it will render Windows unuseable and lose all data. Be careful or get a new/2nd hand/unused unit that has nothing important stored on it.

Argh - wireless networks, old houses with chicken wire and goodness knows what in the wall, faraday cage chimney stacks and high pressure do NOT go together.

Our kitchen is just at the very limit of getting a good signal from the router, I tried several boosters, but it seems the kitchen is the wireless equivalent of the Bermuda Triangle when pressure is relatively high. even daisy chaining from another AP failed to get it going.

Anyway it seems the solution for the kitchen is to go back to the homeplug - not ideal but at least it works.

The bugger of it is that I reckon I can fix it with a mesh AP made by the same manufacturer, but care of a combination of Covid & Brexit, the one I would like currently is out there with rocking horse poo in terms of availability.

Still at least it's currently playing music, if you count Jesus & Mary Chain as such..

Fretless wrote: ↑Mon Mar 22, 2021 3:11 pm
Installing Volumio on a PC can be done temporarily with a USB drive. So it can be tried out. Installing Volumio on the hard drive of a conputer is not reversible, it will render Windows unuseable and lose all data. Be careful or get a new/2nd hand/unused unit that has nothing important stored on it.

I have a laptop I’m willing to do this but don’t see the option to save to hard drive when downloading

You need to flash the file to a USB stick and then restart the computer with the operating system from that USB input.

Once Volumio is running then there is an option to write it to the computer's harddrive, after which the USB stick can be removed.

For some reason the site would not let me type a reply after I'd quoted the above post. Thought I'd submit and then edit, still didn't work.
No problems regarding using the pc, I purchased a Minisforum the same as you and it's only used for music playback. Latteman, you could type in on Amazon 'Fanless PC', there are loads to choose from, mine came from Amazon.com due to me staying in Cambodia but cost about £140, and I control it using a 7" touchscreen, about £60. I will say a 7" screen is very small and in hindsight would have paid a little more for a larger screen.
Should have added, I have downloaded Volumio and Etcher so was already to go, unfortunately left my usb sticks in the uk, went to buy one here, "what, $17 for 8Gb's, I can buy one in England for $2 or 3, I'll leave it". Actually $3-4 on AliExpress and it does take a few weeks to get here.

A 1m length of DH Labs Silversonic USB cable FS on Wam for £45. A bargain.

Anybody fancy a £30,000 Linn streamer ? If that is what you have been dreaming of then your dream has just become reality.

I'll take two, please.

There will be some Die Hard Linnies that still live in the Source First paradigm that will mate the £30k streamer with slimline low efficiency ported speakers like Linn 140's.

They will feel happy about their purchase and convince themselves that they have the very best system they could have gotten for the total money spent.

Also from Linn's point of view, this is a somewhat clever form of "Power Creep" - in the online gaming definition of the term. Or "Price Creep." The number of these that they sell is not that important. What it does mean is that they can - over time - increase the price of products lower down in the range, with the marketing being "this is a great value for money product as it's only 25% of the cost of the top of the range item.

There may also be an element of Veblen goods about the £30k price tag.

The price of this streamer is as irrelevant as any other high end by price digital source - to the vast majority of people reading this.

It's just something to point your finger at and laugh at. And something to feel superior over. As in, I'm so glad that I've got a system that I'm very happy with that cost 1% / 5% / 10% / 30% of the cost of that Klimax.