Please can we have a pure streamer someone...

[SteveR750]

Dan Turner:

Exactly - if you're using a laptop as your source and you want to retain it's essential 'laptopness' then you have to stream wirelessly and if you plug it straight into your hifi then you have a computer fixed in a not particularly convenient place, was all I was trying to say.

The only context I used the term streaming was when replaying music via the network - I consciously didn't use the term in relation to when the laptop is plugged directly into my dac/amp, which I agree is directly comparable to using a CD Player in a logistical sense.

Thank Dan. I assumed that there are two options; hard wired and wireless.

 

[Dan Turner]

SteveR750:Dan Turner:

Exactly - if you're using a laptop as your source and you want to retain it's essential 'laptopness' then you have to stream wirelessly and if you plug it straight into your hifi then you have a computer fixed in a not particularly convenient place, was all I was trying to say.

The only context I used the term streaming was when replaying music via the network - I consciously didn't use the term in relation to when the laptop is plugged directly into my dac/amp, which I agree is directly comparable to using a CD Player in a logistical sense.

Thank Dan. I assumed that there are two options; hard wired and wireless.

I guess there are 3 options actually.

1 - streaming via network wirelessly (what I'm doing when I use the Airport Express; the AE is wired to my router via ethernet and my macbook* streams wirelessly to the router - both could be connected wirelessly though, but then susceptibility to interference is doubled)

2 - streaming via network wired - e.g. connect both macbook to router and router to AE via ethernet

3 - plug the digital out of the macbook directly into the dac/amp via an optical digital cable (or USB or Firewire if your DAC allows)

*Obviously Macbook can be replaced by (windows) laptop or PC and the options remain the same

Edit - ooh, just spotted what tape deck you've got, I used to have one of those. That takes me back!

 

[The_Lhc]

Craig M.:
the_lhc:Why hasn't anyone mentioned Sonos? Slackers...

Needs nothing but a nas, no software running on it required. Just doesn't handle anything above 16 bit formats unfortunately.

the op did, in the op...

Then I don't understand what else there is to say, it's the only one that just works.

 

[The_Lhc]

Dan Turner:
the_lhc:Why hasn't anyone mentioned Sonos? Slackers...Needs nothing but a nas, no software running on it required. Just doesn't handle anything above 16 bit formats unfortunately.
True - The Sonos looks good, but in comparison to the Squeezebox Duet doesn't look like great value - for essentially the same price you get the streaming device and the controller with the latter.
You don't need the controller you have an iPhone, use that.

 

[SteveR750]

Dan Turner:SteveR750:Dan Turner:

Exactly - if you're using a laptop as your source and you want to retain it's essential 'laptopness' then you have to stream wirelessly and if you plug it straight into your hifi then you have a computer fixed in a not particularly convenient place, was all I was trying to say.

The only context I used the term streaming was when replaying music via the network - I consciously didn't use the term in relation to when the laptop is plugged directly into my dac/amp, which I agree is directly comparable to using a CD Player in a logistical sense.

Thank Dan. I assumed that there are two options; hard wired and wireless.

I guess there are 3 options actually.

1 - streaming via network wirelessly (what I'm doing when I use the Airport Express; the AE is wired to my router via ethernet and my macbook* streams wirelessly to the router - both could be connected wirelessly though, but then susceptibility to interference is doubled)

OK slow down. I have a PC/Mac. I USB cable, and a pile of music on itunes . window media player etc. I want to be able to send emails whil the PC/mac etc is streaming music. I assume to do this without wires involves an Airport?? I have no problem with a B/band network in my house with my laptop and printer all networked, assume this is all the same kind of protocol?

2 - streaming via network wired - e.g. connect both macbook to router and router to AE via ether

oookaaayyyy

3 - plug the digital out of the macbook directly into the dac/amp via an optical digital cable (or USB or Fire

wire if your DAC allows)

*Obviously Macbook can be replaced by (windows) laptop or PC and the options remain the same

aha! not....

Edit - ooh, just spotted what tape deck you've got, I used to have one of those. That takes me back!

 

[Craig M.]

as long as the pc/mac is near enough to the dac to connect with a usb cable/optical, then you can play music and use the pc/mac without needing anything else. you might/might not have to do some settings in windows/mac os to stop system sounds (such as a beep for new e-mail) coming through the stereo when using usb.

 

[SteveR750]

Craig M.:as long as the pc/mac is near enough to the dac to connect with a usb cable/optical, then you can play music and use the pc/mac without needing anything else. you might/might not have to do some settings in windows/mac os to stop system sounds (such as a beep for new e-mail) coming through the stereo when using usb.

in which case operation as normal then.

Thanks!

 

[Dan Turner]

SteveR750:Dan Turner:
I guess there are 3 options actually.

1 - streaming via network wirelessly (what I'm doing when I use the Airport Express; the AE is wired to my router via ethernet and my macbook* streams wirelessly to the router - both could be connected wirelessly though, but then susceptibility to interference is doubled)

OK slow down. I have a PC/Mac. I USB cable, and a pile of music on itunes . window media player etc. I want to be able to send emails whil the PC/mac etc is streaming music. I assume to do this without wires involves an Airport?? I have no problem with a B/band network in my house with my laptop and printer all networked, assume this is all the same kind of protocol?

All wireless streaming options are potentially susceptible to wireless interference and if you do a google or forum search you'll find a lot of people suffer this with Airport Expresses. Interference causes a drop in network bandwidth which wouldn't be noticed when browsing or transferring data over a network to copy files or print etc, but when replaying music it can cause drop-outs.

The AE also seems to have an inherent flaw where the sound via the digital output can 'blip' occasionally when connected to certain DACs. Something to do with it's 'clocking' (e.g. the timing signal accompanying the digital data stream) having poor adherence to specification (according to Cambridge Audio, who's devices particularly seem to be affected when connected to an AE).

My Broadband is good, and I'd observed no particular issues with my wireless network but I have been affected horribly by wireless interference. At the moment the wireless is behaving itself and I resolved it by connecting the AE to my router via ethernet (so the only wireless part is macbook to router), and found the wireless channel with the least interference, but it still isn't 100% interference free. It's just something to watch out for. Also bear in mind that the AE option may be the cheapest, but it definitely isn't perfect.

This is the main reason why I'm looking for an alternative to using my macbook as the source

 

[Dan Turner]

the_lhc:Dan Turner:
the_lhc:Why hasn't anyone mentioned Sonos? Slackers...Needs nothing but a nas, no software running on it required. Just doesn't handle anything above 16 bit formats unfortunately.

True - The Sonos looks good, but in comparison to the Squeezebox Duet doesn't look like great value - for essentially the same price you get the streaming device and the controller with the latter.You don't need the controller you have an iPhone, use that.

So like I said in my OP, Sonos is looking like the best option right now and you're right I don't need to buy the controller because I have an iPhone, but the point I was making was that the Sonos seems like perceptibly worse value for a device performing essentially the same function. Also although it, and some of the Squeezebox models, get closest to my original brief they all still have the analogue output stage which is redundant for me (and I suspect a lot of other people).

I did try a Sonos ZP90 on home demo a while back as it happens. For some reason it left me a little underwhelmed. I had trouble getting it to display artwork (I used the Sonos script to embed the itunes artwork into the file metadata, but it seemed to just hang every time I tried to run it) and also to find additional albums as I added them to the folder containing my music. Maybe I should give it another try - I think not needing to have it's own software running on the NAS just about swings it and makes it the best value solution around at the moment.

 

[Anonymous]

Dan Turner:
they all still have the analogue output stage which is redundant for me (and I suspect a lot of other people).

Appreciate your point, but better to buy a streamer which ticks other boxes (e.g. features, usability etc) with an internal dac you don't use, than choose a product without an interal dac which is lesser in other areas.

 

[The_Lhc]

Dan Turner:the_lhc:Dan Turner:
the_lhc:Why hasn't anyone mentioned Sonos? Slackers...Needs nothing but a nas, no software running on it required. Just doesn't handle anything above 16 bit formats unfortunately.

True - The Sonos looks good, but in comparison to the Squeezebox Duet doesn't look like great value - for essentially the same price you get the streaming device and the controller with the latter.You don't need the controller you have an iPhone, use that.

So like I said in my OP, Sonos is looking like the best option right now and you're right I don't need to buy the controller because I have an iPhone, but the point I was making was that the Sonos seems like perceptibly worse value for a device performing essentially the same function. Also although it, and some of the Squeezebox models, get closest to my original brief they all still have the analogue output stage which is redundant for me (and I suspect a lot of other people).

It might be redundant but really doesn't make any difference. If you stick that requirement you won't buy anything.

I did try a Sonos ZP90 on home demo a while back as it happens. For some reason it left me a little underwhelmed. I had trouble getting it to display artwork (I used the Sonos script to embed the itunes artwork into the file metadata, but it seemed to just hang every time I tried to run it) and also to find additional albums as I added them to the folder containing my music.

That would suggest some kind of permissions issue with your music folder or you haven't put the new files where you think you have, that's the only time I've had problems detecting new music.

 

[brendonw]

I've used the script on a NAS with files ripped by iTunes with no issues.

100Gb of music which needed artwork embedding too.

I think LHCs 2 suggestions are very likely.

 

[koolkeith]

Get a Touch & tweak it.
http://soundcheck-audio.blogspot.com/p/squeezebox-touch-great-base-for-network.html

 

[Dan Turner]

Just bought a Sonos ZP90 - there's nothing like an impusle hi-fi purchase to set the pulse racing...luckily the Mrs is away this weekend!

Thinking back to my original criteria it gets pretty damn close and I don't want to wait for months or years for the theoretically perfect solution to come along, and pay silly money for what is essentially a device performing a very simple function.

Come on 'Music Index', finish updating damn you!

 

[The_Lhc]

Dan Turner:Come on 'Music Index', finish updating damn you!

How big's your music collection?

 

[Dan Turner]

the_lhc:Dan Turner:Come on 'Music Index', finish updating damn you!

How big's your music collection?

172Gb, so not all that big. Might have been taking so long because i was also importing all of the items into a new iTunes library for future ease of administration. Anyway - all done now, up and running and sounding great!