AC Ryan or Logitech squeeze box touch

[andykillen]

Hey all hope you can help,

I've been looking around loads in the past week for a decent digital music/internet radio machine. so far I have whittled it down to 2 setups, either the AC Ryan PlayON HD, or the Logitech Squeeze Box touch. This is more based on the extent of my pocket than anything else as there are many higher prices ones.

I'm not so interested in the video capibilties from the AC Ryan box, as I've got a decent PVR from the cable company and a nice playing situation with my PS3 which I've been using for years. All of it HD. ok I have to convert MKV files but that's it.

What I am interested in is peoples experices with with Internet Radio (BBC Radio 6 mainly) and with subscription services like Spotify with either of the two systems.

I use to use an m-audio 1614 as my DAC with XLR cabling and an iMAC, but have now migrated that to my office and need something at home to make it nice and don't want to have to have the PC on all the time.

All help very much wanted...

system: PS3, Sony 42" tv, Marantz PM6003, very old Mission 760Ise speakers, i5 based self made computer using realtek onboard sound card, cisco HD PVR/cable box

 

[AL13N]

Based on your needs, definitely the Squeezebox Touch.

Click here for a list of music services, both free and subscription based, that are available.

Being open source there are many 3rd party apps too. For example, using the Alien BBC plugin you can access both live BBC radio, as-well-as the BBC Listen Again service, without having a PC switched on.

It can also handle upto 24bit/96kHz files, and you can connect a USB HDD or SD Card to play music directly instead of via a NAS or computer. It also has a very good DAC onboard so you can use it without an external DAC, via the analogue outputs.

 

[andykillen]

Hey AL13N,

Many thanks for that. was not 100% about the DAC on the squeezbox but with a glowing report like that, I'm sold. And to be honest did not think about the external drive via USB option.

Off to the shops in the morning to bring a smile to my face and some cleaner sounds to my ears.

All the best and thanks again

Andy

 

[nads]

the squeezebox touch DAC is way better than it should be. as good as the Dacmagic or better.

Spotify is a different thing though, have a read of the info on the Squeezebox forums for the current solutions.

 

[andykillen]

Thanks I'll check it out.

 

[andykillen]

Just to let you know I got the squeeze box the other day and have been really happy with its performance and ease of use.

thanks for the pointers

 

[jovend]

nads:
the squeezebox touch DAC is way better than it should be. as good as the Dacmagic or better.

Spotify is a different thing though, have a read of the info on the Squeezebox forums for the current solutions.

hi nads,

just want to confirm what you said above. the DAC in squeezebox toucn better than Dacmagic, or say the Beresford TC_7520 ? I currently have the TC and planning to buy the SQ Touch but seems it will make my TC DAC useless. Can you confirm this ? or anyone in the forum ?

regards.

 

[Anonymous]

I think you could also use your PS3 as a media client to play your tunes on. Not sure of the NAS box requirements for this, whether DLNA is sufficient or you need to be able to run a specific PS3 media server.

You may be able to do everything you want using that. I'm sure someone else with a PS3 will be along shortly with an answer for this.

-N-

 

[andykillen]

Hey Neon K

I must be honest I tried the PS3 as a media device and found it to be woeful when dealing with music, excellent with film. Plus in my situation I really want to be able to listen to music while the TV is being used up by two trigger happy boys on the PS3 playing call of duty (headphones directly into the TV).

yep, me a the misses wanted to be a little more free than just the one play device so this was just the ticket.

By the way if you want to get around those pesky DLNA errors that plague the PS3 you can always serve the video directly from a web server, here's a little how to I wrote a few years back http://phat-reaction.com/how-to-play-all-types-of-video-through-your-playstation-3-using-windows-vista-and-iis7/ hopefully the forum will let it show as it seems to have issues with the editor at the moment. if not just search on google for "IIS PS3 phat"