Help me find a kitchen system for the wife

[admin_exported]

Hello all

Looking for candidates for a kitchen system to please the better half. Must haves:

* Ability to play back iPlayer (radio only really)

* DAB radio

* Ability to connect to my iTunes library on my Drobo NAS

* Ability to plug in iPod/iPad etc, but doesn't want this to be the main driver for music

* Good, room-filling sound

Really like the Sonos stuff but it's perhaps a little expensive... unless we extend it out to be the main system.

Any thoughts mich appreciated.

Cheers

 

[PEAYEL]

I have just gone whole house Sonos and put a P3 in the kitchen. It fits perfectly, can stand either vertically or horizontally and easy to keep clean if splashed (an important consideration). It will seriously give great quality and cover all your bases. You already have a NAS and the controller software is free for android/iphone phones. You can expand later when funds allow and you wont regret it. I don't think thatit is expensive when you consider what you are getting.

 

[chebby]

Your wife should choose it.

 

[Andrew Everard]

I'd assumed it was some kind of barter/trade-in deal...

 

[Clare Newsome]

I have just gone whole house Sonos and put a P3 in the kitchen. It fits perfectly, can stand either vertically or horizontally and easy to keep clean if splashed (an important consideration). It will seriously give great quality and cover all your bases. You already have a NAS and the controller software is free for android/iphone phones. You can expand later when funds allow and you wont regret it. I don't think thatit is expensive when you consider what you are getting.

That's a good shout - and there's a big Sonos discount deal available at a range of dealers at the moment; you get a free Zonebridge when you buy a Play:3, so you're effectively getting a Sonos starter system for £40 less.... Click here for an example

 

[visionary]

and it looks so discreet and sounds so good...

Go on, you know you want to

 

[Anonymous]

I'd assumed it was some kind of barter/trade-in deal...

Ha ha, I wish Would like to think SWMBO would be worth more than £300 though!!

Anyway looks like I'm down to:

Sonos P3 - which you already know about

Logitech Squeezebox Radio

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Logitech-Squeezebox-Radio-Internet-streaming/dp/B002N2YZYU

(does this do iPlayer though?)

Something from the Philips range eg

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Philips-Streamium-NP1100-Network-audio-player/dp/B001C5TMBU/

(hmm, not sure about the brand to be honest, also not an iPlayer device?)

Or a PURE box:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Philips-Streamium-NP1100-Network-audio-player/dp/B001C5TMBU/

Looks clever but software not up to scratch? Sound probably not as good as Sonos?

Any thoughts on these guys?

Cheers

 

[bigboss]

You don't need DAB radio if you have internet radio. I haven't heard of BBC iplayer audio before. Is it just BBC radio? You'll get that in internet radio. I would recommend a Sonos too.

 

[PEAYEL]

Further to my P3 reply. I tested most of the above before going for the P3. With Logitech/Squeezebox you will need to have squeezebox server on your NAS. It is choosy as to which server it will work on, I would advise that you check their forums to ensure that yours is compatible. Furthermore, Logitech, Pure and Phillips all use your wifi, unlike the Sonosnet. If you use a PS3, BBC iplayer or other movie/HD/ downloading at the same time as high quality audio then you may get some drop out of signal.

I almost bought a house load of Pure Avanti. They are really very good, I went to John Lewis to try the lot out. Again Sonos came out on top. My personal opinion is that the Avanti was too big for the kitchen and not so splash proof.

With Phillips, Ibelieve that you need external speakers with the NP100. It will stream from the NAS, I may be wrong, but I seem to remember that the software is not really up to scratch.

just a few pointers, hope they help.

 

[Anonymous]

Just to be absolutely clear, does the Sonos kit access iPlayer audio?

Wife likes to listen to comedy shows from R4 once they have been broadcast.

Thanks