Advice on the best wireless set-up (on a budget)

[admin_exported]

Hi

I'm looking to set-up a wireless network to stream music over. I'd like a dedicated NAS to store music (and pics/videos, etc) on. And then be able to play the content through my Arcam amp - as well as a JVC micro system in the kitchen (has a 3.5mm input).

For the NAS, the Buffalo linkstation or Western Digital My Book seem up to the task. Any comments on these?

But then streaming the content to the amp and micro system is a bit more challenging. Anysuggestions for streaming from the NAS to my amp? Is it worth waiting until I can afford the Sonos?

For the micro system, is the Apple Airport Express a good option for the kitchen sound (I also keep a USB print near there so could I set that up at the same time)?? Would this work with the Sonos if I got one in the future?

Any help, much appreciated.

Arcam A65 amp : Arcam CD72 CD Player : Quad 11L speakers : couple of Windows laptops

 

[Dan Turner]

The Airport Express route is definitely one of the cheapest and easiest entry points to streaming music/multi-room. If you got one you'd need your laptop on all the time with iTunes running as it's iTunes that drives playback (but you probably already know that).

The main disadvantage of the AE route is that some people can suffer quite badly from drop-outs caused by interference on their wireless network (from neighbouring networks of nearby devices that emit interference on the same frequencies used by the wireless network). This doesn't affect all people and certainly not all of the time - you may be lucky, you may not. I only mention it because if you are unlucky enough to be affected it can be a very long and painful process trying to resolve it.

Sonos is great. You wouldn't need to have your laptop on at all, the Sonos would just stream off the NAS. You would need at least a couple of ZP90 'zoneplayers' (£280 each) which would connect to your Arcam amp or micro system via analogue. I would think that would at least equal the sound quality of your CD player. If you can't connect one of the ZP90s to your router via ethernet then you'll need a 'zonebridge' which is approx £80ish I think, then that will connect wirelessly to the ZP90s. The beauty of the Sonos is in it's simplicity, and it's user interface. It's also less susceptible to wireless interference that AE or most other wireless music solutions because it automatically finds the best wireless channel to work on and each unit acts as sender and receiver to create a more robust signal (if you connect a zoneplayer to your router via ethernet then there is zero possibility for interference there obviously). You'd also need a controller - you get a bundled app for your laptop, or you can use the free iPhone/Touch/Pad app if you have one of those.

Unfortunately if you don't and you don't want to use your laptop then you need to buy a controller - £280 for the CR200, which is a lovely piece of kit, but damned expensive. Alternatively look for a deal on the outgoing CR100 on Ebay - I just bagged a brand new one for £80.

There are alternatives to Sonos - most notably from Logitech, which I think can work out cheaper.

You could always get the AE first as it's fairly cheap and then go for Sonos later. Unfortunately the AE would be redundant then, except if you wish to continue using it for the printer.

If it was me I'd save up for the Sonos.