Understanding UPnP

Understanding UPnP

Through this article you will learn what the UPnP technology is and how to use it with Devialet products. Many audiophiles use very high quality files, whether stored locally on a dedicated NAS, on their phone, or on a streaming platform that offers 24-bit / 192 kHz quality, such as Tidal or Qobuz. Streaming via Bluetooth, or even AirPlay, you cannot play these HD files without losing quality.

Fortunately, there is UPnP, and the good news is: there are universal and affordable apps that can be used to play local music or Tidal or Qobuz directly on Phantom I, Phantom II, Devialet Dione and Expert Pro

 

Deep dive into UPnP

Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) is a set of networking protocols that permits networked devices, such as personal computers, printers, Internet gateways, Wi-Fi access points, and mobile devices to seamlessly discover each other's presence on the network and establish functional network services for data sharing, communications, and entertainment.  Therefore UPnP is not only for audio purposes. 

However, in our case, UPnP protocols can be used to stream audio files from a device to a Phantom I, Phantom II, Dione or an Expert Pro, as long as every device is connected to the same network. 

Expert Pro with Core Infinity, Phantom I & II and Dione are compatible with UPnP. Important: UPnP uses the existing network

 

UPnP Sound quality

It is important to note that UPnP is a file sharing protocol, not a streaming one. UPnP transfers non modified files and their formats are processed locally, a streaming protocol has to support the file format to process it and deliver the audio content through a network connection. If those protocols were postal services, UPnP would be one that would transfer the parcel in its packaging (analog to the file format) without modifying it. 

A streaming protocol would change the packaging of the parcel to ensure the quality of delivery.  As a consequence, UPnP supports any kind of format and any kind of sound quality.

 

UPnP with Phantom and Dione

You cannot use UPnP if the Phantom or Dione are not connected to your network and configured with the app. If you have a NAS, configure it on your local network by following the instructions provided by the manufacturer. 

Download the UPnP app you want to use and open it. We suggest several possibilities for remote access applications such as Bubble UPnP (for Android), MConnect or QNAP (for iOS), Hifi-Cast, etc. 

These apps are very easy to find if you search the app store. Please note that the manufacturers of NAS (QNAP, Synology ...) generally have their own dedicated application. 

In the Devialet app, select the Online tab then UPnP in the available sources. The application will advise you to open Bubble UPnP on Android smartphones. For iOS, you can use MConnect and it's the same principle.

 

UPnP with Expert Pro

Before using UPnP with your Expert you will need to ensure that your Expert Pro is up to date and connected to your network. We highly recommend to use an Ethernet cable between your router and your Expert pro when it comes to streaming, this will bring more stability than domestic wifi in general.