Connect Frontend Playback Devices

Scope

This series applies to ECHO Next on Windows desktop. It describes how decoded audio is routed to a frontend playback device — the terminal or last stage that performs D/A conversion and drives the transducer.

Overview + topic pages. This page covers routing and terminology; wiring, Connect, scenarios, network prerequisites, and FAQ are on subpages.

Subpage index

Page	Contents
Local output	USB DAC / headphone / speaker wiring, Windows devices, ECHO mode progression
Connect page	Connect UI, cast flow, DLNA vs AirPlay, vs remote library
Typical scenarios	Desk DAC, living-room DLNA, AirPlay, HQPlayer step-by-step
LAN and firewall	Segments, multicast, Windows firewall, router isolation, VPN
FAQ	Frontend connection FAQ
Windows audio setup	System sound settings aligned with ECHO
Device types	Streamer / NAS / receiver DLNA roles
Bluetooth and wireless	Bluetooth local output vs Connect
30-minute guide	Time-boxed verification path

Terminology

Term	Definition
Frontend playback device	Where the user actually hears output
Local output	ECHO engine → Windows stack → locally attached device
Network cast	Connect sends the current track to DLNA Renderer or AirPlay 1 receiver
Media Renderer (DMR)	UPnP/DLNA role that plays media
Path exclusivity	Only one primary output path should be active at a time

Four output paths

Path	Where sound is produced	ECHO entry	Topic doc
Local output	PC sound card / USB audio	Output drawer; Settings → Playback	Local output
DLNA cast	LAN Media Renderer	Connect → DLNA	Connect page · DLNA guide
AirPlay 1	AirPlay 1 / RAOP receiver	Connect → AirPlay	Connect page · AirPlay boundaries
HQPlayer / NAA	DAC at end of HQPlayer chain	Settings → Playback	Scenarios · HQPlayer · HQPlayer guide

WASAPI and ASIO apply to Windows only. Network casting relies on LAN discovery (SSDP / multicast), not general internet access.

Path selection (summary)

Scenario	Path	Next
Headphones / speakers on PC or DAC	Local output	Local output
Streamer / receiver / TV on same LAN	DLNA cast	Connect page
AirPlay 1–compatible speaker only	AirPlay 1 cast	Connect page
HQPlayer + NAA already deployed	HQPlayer chain	Scenarios
Cables / OS playback not verified	Start from zero	Beginner setup · section 3

Caution

Troubleshoot by path. No local sound → output mode and Windows device; empty Connect list → LAN and firewall; cast connected but renderer silent → format and URL reachability. See FAQ.

Exclusivity and baseline order

• Do not debug local, DLNA, AirPlay, and HQPlayer in parallel for one issue.
• After DLNA / AirPlay cast, ECHO attempts to pause local playback (see DLNA guide · misconceptions).
• Baseline order: physical → Windows playback → ECHO System → Connect → Exclusive / ASIO / DSD → HQPlayer.

Signal chain

flowchart TD
  A[ECHO track / decode] --> B{Output path}
  B -->|Local| C[Windows stack → local device]
  B -->|Connect DLNA| D[HTTP URL → Media Renderer]
  B -->|Connect AirPlay 1| E[RAOP → AirPlay receiver]
  B -->|HQPlayer| F[HQPlayer → NAA → DAC]

Path	Flow (summary)
Local	Decode → engine → Windows → device → transducer
DLNA	DMC control + temporary HTTP URL → DMR pull (not sound-card capture)
AirPlay 1	RAOP link → receiver (no AirPlay 2)
HQPlayer	ECHO → HQPlayer → NAA → backend DAC

Concepts (quick reference)

Concept	Is	Is not
Connect cast	Send current track to Renderer / AirPlay	Remote library import; sound-card relay
Remote library	Read files from NAS / Jellyfin	PC audio casting to TV
DLNA DMR	Renderer that plays	File-only DMS

Out of scope

• AirPlay 2 multi-room, HomePod-specific behavior
• Bluetooth pairing policy (Windows-managed)
• Screen / video mirroring
• DRM or platform authorization bypass
• Stacking ASIO / DSD / HQPlayer without System baseline

Further reading

Topic	Doc
Output modes, WASAPI, ASIO, DSD	Audio output
DLNA formats, URL, troubleshooting	DLNA / streamer guide
USB DAC drivers	Official driver links
Find pages by goal	Quick navigation