CD playback over USB

pieterv1

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2022
Messages
468
As the title says: it would be nice to add support for CD playback from a simple generic USB CD drive. Additionally a way to rip the audio to any attached storage device would be a cool bonus. Retrieval/displaying of the artwork and metadata of the web even more so.

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As the title says: it would be nice to add support for CD playback from a simple generic USB CD drive. Additionally a way to rip the audio to any attached storage device would be a cool bonus. Retrieval/displaying of the artwork and metadata of the web even more so.

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This is why people use music servers. You have much more control over the ripping process and tagging using a PC.
 
You have much more control over the ripping process and tagging using a PC.
Yes I totally agree :) just thought of it while writing. But there's also people here who store their library on external HDDs directly connected to the Ultra.

Just direct playback from a USB CD drive seemed like a cool and feasible idea. The hardware is there and should be capable enough. USB seems to be the preferred way to connect external DACs because the digital audio transfer is asynchronous. Playing a CD through USB vs optical possibly has the same benefits of reduced jitter and it's simply a nice and compact solution.
 
Yes I totally agree :) just thought of it while writing. But there's also people here who store their library on external HDDs directly connected to the Ultra.

Just direct playback from a USB CD drive seemed like a cool and feasible idea. The hardware is there and should be capable enough. USB seems to be the preferred way to connect external DACs because the digital audio transfer is asynchronous. Playing a CD through USB vs optical possibly has the same benefits of reduced jitter and it's simply a nice and compact solution.
In terms of usb audio input support, WiiM said they didn’t support it when asked. They didn’t say it was on their roadmap or that they might consider it in the future which might suggest it doesn’t have the hardware to support it and that it’s not just a case of having the right Linux drivers in the firmware, so perhaps USB CD connection can’t get off the starting block with current hardware.
 
Yes I totally agree :) just thought of it while writing. But there's also people here who store their library on external HDDs directly connected to the Ultra.

Just direct playback from a USB CD drive seemed like a cool and feasible idea. The hardware is there and should be capable enough. USB seems to be the preferred way to connect external DACs because the digital audio transfer is asynchronous. Playing a CD through USB vs optical possibly has the same benefits of reduced jitter and it's simply a nice and compact solution.
Yup there is a plugin for LMS to allow CD playback but I've never tried it. @castalla uses it I believe.
 
In terms of usb audio input support, WiiM said they didn’t support it when asked. They didn’t say it was on their roadmap or that they might consider it in the future which might suggest it doesn’t have the hardware to support it and that it’s not just a case of having the right Linux drivers in the firmware, so perhaps USB CD connection can’t get off the starting block with current hardware.
Ah yes I think you're referring to usb audio input from a tablet or computer? Maybe my analogy with USB DACs doesn't really hold up as in case of a USB CD reader, we're probably talking about data transfer rather than usb audio input.
 
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I do indeed use the cd player plugin - it works excellently. I use LMS on a mini Pc (win 10). I couldn't get the plugin to work with my usb cd players on pCP.
I know you can stream LMS to a WiiM, but like you say, it's not a direct solution for everyone as it still requires a separate server like a RBPi or mini PC. Let's stay on topic :)
 
I know you can stream LMS to a WiiM, but like you say, it's not a direct solution for everyone as it still requires a separate server like a RBPi or mini PC. Let's stay on topic :)
What's there to discuss, then? As it stands there's no way to use the usb port on the Wiims as an audio channel, and probably never will be implemented.

FiiO recently released a portable CD player (dm13) which has Bluetooth transmit, this may work as a device with Wiim streamers - a drawback (in my eyes) is that there's no remote, so operating it will be cumbersome. There are cheaper Bluetooth cd players with remotes but aesthetically most of them look like kids' toys.

Once implemented, the LMS cd player plugin is an elegant & working method to play CDs to Wiim streamers.
 
I don't know why you keep referring to USB audio input. An external cd drive is a (read-only) storage device, not an audio device.
Yes LMS is very powerful and if you already have it set up, that's probably the way to go, but it's not a direct alternative.
 
I don't know why you keep referring to USB audio input. An external cd drive is a (read-only) storage device, not an audio device.
Yes LMS is very powerful and if you already have it set up, that's probably the way to go, but it's not a direct alternative.
Splitting hairs! I see your point (technically speaking) but for everyday normal use most people will treat a cd player as an audio player (same as a cassette or turntable) - something you switch on it plays music!

The cd image at the top of the thread shows a usb audio cd player - that's what I mean - it outputs audio data via USB input to the software player on a PC.

Let's leave it at that.
 
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There are plenty of compact DVD players available with Toslink port. They will play CDs just fine into your WiiM’s optical input. Sony and other reputable brands make them.
 
There are plenty of compact DVD players available with Toslink port. They will play CDs just fine into your WiiM’s optical input. Sony and other reputable brands make them.
Yes this was my cheap solution several years ago, before buying a dedicated 6-cd monster :)

The problem with most dvd players is that they have a very limited display or none at all. The WiiM Ultra in comparison now has a nice touchscreen which would work great for playback control.
 
Yes this was my cheap solution several years ago, before buying a dedicated 6-cd monster :)

The problem with most dvd players is that they have a very limited display or none at all. The WiiM Ultra in comparison now has a nice touchscreen which would work great for playback control.
The basic small display screens are a limiting factor for easy use. The LMS workaround gives a full tablet sized display - plus you can even create a playlist of tracks in the order you want. Easy-peasy.
 
The Ultra supports music servers quite well for this purpose, alternatively buy an older cd player with an optical out feature, and connect this to the ultra, the device will itself have a screen and excellent controls, and can be cheaper than a USB cd-drive.
 
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