squeezebox

[Nox]

anyone got one/what do you think? i'm starting to think I should be putting my cd's onto my computer - have just binned Paul Weller due to a particularly bad scratch :(

Nox

[Chewie]

Hmmm
I was reading on the bbc news technology site yesterday or day before, about something similar.
1st one was the Sonos system. Same sorta thing, streams music from your PC to a hi-fi set up. http://www.simplysonos.co.uk/acatalog/index.html

The other was one being released by Mac

Heres the article
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/5187574.stm

I like the ideas, but not sure which i'd rather have, so for now I'll settle for listening via my Logitech X-230's.

Got something like 5k tracks at the moment on my machine which is a bout half my collection :wink:

[Nox]

The wife will like the idea of the mac one!

A couple more options to choose from is good - thanks for that, will keep me quiet today as I hunt out some reviews :D

Nox

[Gripper]

Why stream, when you can Network? Why Wi-Fi, when you're already wired?

Simplest and best solution is to output your music from your PC on digital to an A/V amp. Pure digital throughput, avoiding lossy DACs.

My media box is under the TV (which also outputs optical to the amp).

On last count the music library is 5600 tracks, with 153 full DVDs backed up, a large library of downloaded TV shows... all play from the remote, are fully tagged, and the quality is as good as it gets.

This way also you get the full benefit of Internet Radio - Shoutcast is particularly good.

So it's not only time to rip those CDs, it's also time to get all your media organised, tagged, and in a full-screen menu on your TV....

If you're on a forum like this, you're more likely to have a PC in more than one room than a hi-fi; and anyway it's cheaper to build a network client to sit near the hi-fi than to go for some more fancy 'wireless streaming' device (where, believe me, the 'quality' is not assured).

Don't mean to rant, it just bugs me that people say that the 'digital home' won't be possible for years because of wireless streaming problems....

I built mine two years ago, it does more than most people have even dreamed of, and it's never crashed.

[Nox]

i'm actually thinking of the spare pc route now, but re the wires - its the opposite end of the house and a floor away, ie will be really annoying :(

Nox

[Gripper]

Well, OK, I'm not totally against wireless! Just don't rely on it for DVD-video, and forget HD... No problems with music. Personally, I'd rather take half an hour to run a cable one-time than constantly worry about signal strength etc.

[stephenbright]

Gripper - just come across this discussion from yesteryear.

You might be interested in the on-going chat on the Audio/Visual section about the exact same problem (Mulit-Room Audio Query).

In your system, have you just connected your PC direct to a normal amplifier ? How is this achieved ? Phono jacks or network connections ?

Does your system send music all round the house ? Richer Sounds system looks favourite to me for this, routed via Cat 5/6 network cable.

Any pearls of wisdom most appreciated !

Steve

[Elysius]

I don't know if this is true or not, but i believe wired connections are the way to go, rather than wireless, something to do with the digital signal capping the frequencies and flattening them out, rather than through an analogue wire, some form of this coming straight of your pc, and you can hide wires undercarpet edges etc, nt that bad, however, if yoru playing digital music, which it will be off you pc, its not going to make to much difference.

[Idleparis]

:idea: You may or may not be interested that Squeezebox are taking preorders for their version of the Sonos system. It's called Duet:

:arrow: http://idleparis.co.uk/?p=540

[kayanbee]

Hi, I purchased a Squeezebox Duet as soon as it became available a few weeks ago and it is the best bit of kit I've purchased for years. Kayanbee

[Nox]

yeah, still torn between this/sonos/the laptop i have setup with itunes doing exactly the same job - can't justify spending any cah at the moment i don't *have to* (xmas...)

Nox

[Vic]

I don't know if this is true or not, but i believe wired connections are the way to go, rather than wireless

You're probably right. Wireless is half-duplex, and there is a TX/RX switching time to consider. Small packets (especially the 100-byte type that so many games generate) murder your throughput...

And,of course, your available bandwidth is shared between all stations on that channel.

Shall we talk about adjacent channel interference next? :-)


something to do with the digital signal capping the frequencies and flattening them out, rather than through an analogue wire

No, you're talking about compression artefacts. Those will happen whenever you use a lossy compressor (MP3 or Ogg, for example). But if you use a reasonable data rate, even MP3 can give you enough fidelity to pass muster in a double-blind trial (although audiophiles will *always* tell you they can tell the difference - even when they've just picked the wrong one...)


you can hide wires undercarpet edges etc,

I wouldn't put Cat5 under the carpet - that'll give you a lump :-)

I've had success in the past using silver wire for speakers. That can hide under the carpet. You'd still want very efficient speakers to keep the overall current down, though.


if yoru playing digital music, which it will be off you pc, its not going to make to much difference.

Sadly true.

The digital revolution was supposed to usher in a new era of fidelity. With the bandwidth most people seem to pick when ripping music, that's kinda true - it's all in BT-fi now :-(

Vic.

[Nox]

I wouldn't put Cat5 under the carpet - that'll give you a lump :-)


This is so not true!!! It actually gives your carpet a lump! The worst it can do though is trip you up indirectly giving you a lump when you hit the floor or another object nearby!!!

:D

Nox

[kpkpkp]

anyone got one/what do you think? i'm starting to think I should be putting my cd's onto my computer - have just binned Paul Weller due to a particularly bad scratch :(

Nox

I have and I have been telling everyone how awesome it is, one of the best bits of what I call "Cross Over" technology I have ever purchased - it is a breeze to set up and the fact that it back ends with Itunes and media player makes it all the more easy to use. Mine is the duet version and whilst I know it is quite an expensive toy it means I do not have to have a media centre PC in my lounge ever again.

My router is in the front room behind my AV kit so all I have done it hard wired it into the back of the router which again is hard wired into my PC up stairs, then took the optical out the back of the box and straight into my AV Amp. As for Cat 5 under the carpet I got some that was produced without the out sleeve and then ran that under the carpet and the underlay - no lumps.


I have just checked and we have two in stock as everyone I demo'd mine to wanted one I bought some in, to be honest I was not sure when I first saw the product but after using one I see why the guys at Logitech were sooooooo excited. As I say I do think they are a tad pricey but against the price of a new PC, the hastle factor of putting a PC some where I think they are a worth while purchase.

http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/specpage.html?LOG-930034


Kp