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FAQ - Streaming Music Players
Welcome to our Frequently Asked Questions for our range of Streaming Music Players that includes hints and tips to help you get started and to make the most of these high performance products. Disc ripping, file formats, storage and network setup are just some of the subjects that are covered within this FAQ section.
Should you require further advice, all Cyrus approved retailers are fully trained and they can provide a wealth of experience and support to help you find the best solution. Find your local Cyrus retailer
Choosing Your Streamer
Q. My Cyrus system does not feature a DAC, which streaming product can I use?
A. There are a number of options available depending on the combination of equipment. Sometimes it can be a simple factory upgrade whereas others may require a bit of box swapping. We strongly recommend getting in touch with your local retailer to discuss the best path to choose.
Q. Can I order a streaming product in one of the classic finishes?
A. Unfortunately we are not able to offer the Streaming range in any discontinued finishes such as the smooth classic black or silver finishes.
Storing Digital Music Files
Q. Is a computer the best place to store my digital music files?
A. No. It is fine to rip your music CDs on a computer, but it is best to store the files on a Network Attached Storage (NAS) drive. There are many benefits to using a NAS drive including:
1. The streaming of media isn’t dependent on your PC being switched on
2. Offers improved speed and stability
3. A cost effective solution to storing large amounts of data
4. NAS drives are quiet and energy efficient
Q. Is there a particular NAS (Networked Attached Storage) drive I should buy?
A. We have found that Western Digital NAS drives are very stable. Whichever NAS drive you choose, it must have a UPnP or DLNA compatible media server installed. It is also strongly advised to choose one that is RAID protected so that all of your music is automatically backed up.
Q. What are the main differences between a NAS drive and a portable hard drive?
A. USB hard drives do not have a UPnP or DLNA server installed and consequently this severely limits the way in which you can browse your music library. There is no automatic categorising of your music collection into artist, album genre etc. Also, every time you want to store new music, you will need to reconnect the USB hard drive to your computer. Portable hard drives are generally not RAID protected so have no additional back-up features and they can only be used by one device at a time. USB hard disk drives are also typically slower to navigate than a NAS drive.
Ripping CDs
Q. How do I build my digital music library?
A. There are many ways to achieve this, but to obtain a consistent and high quality source of music, ripping your CDs is highly recommended.
Q. What is the best way to rip my CDs.
A. To gain the most enjoyment from your music collection we recommend ripping your CDs in an lossless format. We have had great success using dBpoweramp which will enable you to rip your CDs to FLAC files with compression set to 0. For more information visit http://www.dbpoweramp.com/cd-ripper-setup-guide.htm
Q. What file format do you recommend for high quality music?
A. FLAC is a very popular choice and is widely used because it is a high quality music format that also retains metadata information. Retaining the metadata means that you can see artist, album, artwork and track information on the n-remote.
Setting Up Your Streaming Music Player
Q. Why do you recommend using a wired network rather than wireless?
A. For ultimate performance we recommend a wired network due to its increased speed and stability. This method is also independent from external wi-fi interference.
Q. Why do you recommend using a switch when I have spare ports on my router?
A. The network switch solely deals with the routing of data and therefore transfers data more quickly and reliably between your networked audio devices. It will provide the fastest and most consistent level of data transmission between the Cyrus Streaming product and your NAS drive.
Getting Started – Streaming Music
Q. Do I need a specific type of router?
A. For the last 2-3 years most routers commonly available feature UPnP compatibility. You need to make sure the model of your router is compatible with UPnP. A quick search on the manufacturer’s website should provide this information for you. If you need a new model of router then you need to make sure it has full UPnP compatibility.
Q. Do I need to configure the Streaming product to see my NAS drive?
A. The great thing about UPnP is its simplicity and ease of setup. If you have a UPnP enabled NAS Drive on your network, assuming you have not set up any type of access control you will be able to see the server as soon as you navigate into the ‘Network’ mode on the Cyrus Streamer.
Q. How do I setup Wireless?
A. Assuming you already have a wireless network in place, you need to make sure the SSID (network name) is broadcasting and ensure you have written down the password. We recommend following the getting started guide to setup the wireless connection.
Q. What file formats are supported?
A. .FLAC, .WAV and .AIFF (up to 24/96), .WMA (not .WMA lossless or .WMA pro), .AAC (must not have copy protection) and .MP3.
Q. How can I connect if I do not have a Wireless or LAN installation?
A. If wireless reception is limited or non exsistent and you do not have a LAN network installed then you can try using one of the many Homeplug products on the market. This allows the transmission of network data across your ring main. We have had particular success with the Netgear Powerline range of products. Try to aim for 200mb and above for best range and speed. Alternatively you can still stream from a USB drive, but for best use we always recommend streaming from a NAS drive.
Using Your Streamer
Q. What categories are available on a NAS drive for browsing my music.
A. Different NAS drives offer alternative methods in which they categories your music files. You will normally always find Artist, Album and Genre but some NAS drives can offer much more detail or even create custom fields.
Q. Do you support Apple Lossless?
A. The Cyrus streaming range does not support Apple Lossless. If you have a collection of Apple Lossless files it is easy to convert to another lossless format we support. We recommend DBPoweramp for this process. It can easily and quickly convert an entire library to .FLAC and retain any metadata. Because Apple Lossless is a lossless format you can easily convert to any other format without loss in quality.
Q. How do I connect an analogue source to my Steam XP or Streamline?
A. You can purchase an Analogue to Digital converter for this purpose. Your retailer should be able to advise you in the right direction.
Q. What input signals does the DAC accept?
A. The 5 digital inputs on the Streamline and Stream XP are designed for 2 Channel PCM signals up to 24 bit / 192khz. It will not accept surround sound signals such as Dolby Digital or DTS.
Q. How can I store favourite radio stations via the internet radio function?
A. You can use the TuneIn internet radio service without registering but for full functionality such as adding favourite radio stations you need to create an account at www.tunein.com. We recommend following the registration procedure described in the manual. Once the product is registered you can browse radio stations and quickly add them to the presets list which automatically appear on the Cyrus streamer.
Q. Does the n-remote control my existing Cyrus equipment?
A. The n-remote is preprogrammed with IR codes to control the major functions of current and existing ranges of amplifiers, pre amplifiers, CD Players and DAB tuners. So if you have a Stream X partnered with a DAC XP+ the n-remote will be able to control the volume of the DAC XP+.
Q. Can I access a shared folder on a networked USB drive attached to my Router?
A. The Streaming products will only see UPnP server shares, which is why we recommend a dedicated NAS drive with a built in UPnP media server.
Product and File compatibility
Q. Will the streaming products work with Apple Time Capsule?
A. Because Time Capsule is not a UPnP server it is not compatible with the Streaming range. We recommend purchasing a NAS Drive with an onboard UPnP server for streaming music. Most NAS Drives are compatible with Time Machine software so it could be easily integrated.
Q. What file types can I play back from my iPod?
A. Because we only stream digital PCM from an iPod any file you normally store on the iPod (including other similar products such as iPhone or iPad) gets decoded before streaming so even Apple Lossless files will play back through your Streaming product via the iPod.
Q. Why can I not search by Artist / Album / Genre etc. on my USB device?
A. When browsing a USB device it acts as a simple file browser as if you were looking at the drive on a computer, there is no capability to auto sort via the metadata. To browse properly categorised music we recommend the use of a NAS Drive with built in UPnP Server.
Smartphone Applications and Control
Q. Can I use a Smartphone to control my Cyrus Streamer?
A. Yes. Since the streamers were first launched they have had the capability to be controlled by a range of third party UPnP applications or apps such as eLyric, Plug Player and Songbook available on Apple or Android devices. However, the functionality of these apps is limited to the streaming functionality of the product and do require a strong wireless connection to your network for best use.
Q. Can I control the volume of my Cyrus Streamer using a Smartphone app?
A. Yes. The volume on the current models of the Streamline and Stream XP can be controlled from any UPnP applications that have this function.
Q. Can I control the volume on my Stream X or connected Cyrus system using a Smartphone?
A. No. The Stream X is a source component and therefore has no volume control function. Any non-streaming Cyrus products are not able to interface with a computer network so are unable to be controlled this way either.
General Questions
Q. How can I manually enter the name of my wireless network if the SSID is hidden?
A. The software will only search for networks with an active broadcast of the SSID (network name). If you are currently hiding the network name then you will need to temporarily disable that function to allow the streaming music player to connect. Once the settings have saved and the device has connected you can hide the SSID again.
Q. Why does Stream X feature inactive Phones & Mute buttons?
A. We recognise that in time you may want to improve your system further and one of the many benefits in choosing a Cyrus product is the flexible upgrade path we offer. The Stream X can be readily upgraded to a Stream XP that includes an audiophile preamplifier and DAC. Through each design stage we consider the upgrade process with the aim of minimising future costs to our customers. Stream X therefore features an inactive 'Phones' and 'Mute' button because by incorporating these, we have significantly reduced the upgrade cost to a Stream XP, since this negates the need for the front panel to be replaced.
Q. What is the range of the n-remote?
A. The approximate range of the n-remote is around 10 metres in free air.
Q. Can I control multiple Streaming products simultaneously?
A. Whilst there is the ability to pair with multiple devices you can only control one at a time with the n-remote.
Q. How do I update the software on the Streaming products
A. All software updates for the products are handled by the retailer you purchased the unit from.
Q. Is gapless playback supported?
A. Yes, gapless playback between songs is fully supported.
Q. Can I use the Stream XP as a source?
A. The Stream XP features an option in the setup menu to disable the volume control and pre outputs allowing it to be used within a system as a source.
Q. A ripped piece of music shows different metadata on the Streaming product to what I can see in my playback software on the PC.
A. The Cyrus streaming products read metadata embedded within the file. Some playback software gets the data from a different source, so you may need to edit the metadata to get the information you would prefer to see on the Cyrus streaming product.
Q. Why does the internet radio keep dropping out, but I can stream without issue?
A. The performance of the TuneIn internet radio service is reliant on your broadband connection, so a lack of internet speed may impair the performance of the internet radio function.
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