Squeezebox - any issues with delays, stuttering etc..?

[madeinstein]

Hi I'm trying to decide between Sonos and Squeezebox Duet and mostly because of the price + color + small remote control I'm going towards the Squeezebox.. but I've read online that some ppl have issues with Squeezebox.. and just wanted to find out if there is any problem with stuttering, transfer rate etc that you're experiencing.. I've noticed that my PS3 sometimes looses the sound when playing from my PC.

Anyone here using Squeezebox? I'm going to have max 3 zones..

 

[Anonymous]

Personally I get little in the way of problems, but I have mainly used it via ethernet.

Wireless CAN suffer but rarely IMO. I think it depends on the quality of your router. WIth 3 wireless zones I would think Sonos would be better. I doubt you could run 3 different simultaneous zones wirelessly via squeezebox.

 

[madeinstein]

Thanks,

Actually I could have didicated wireless router (I have got old Drytek Vigor 2600G which doesn't work with Be Internet), but I'm still a bit woried about 3 zones..

Do you know if it's possible to have a demo somewhere in London?

 

[Anonymous]

I've a Duet.

Almost all the times that I've used it i've experienced the following problem. Music will play for a while, then stop, then play again with no further problems. I need to work on it to find out whether it is some kind of interference, the wifi router or the server (I'm running the server from a QNAP TS-109 II).

Anyway, I think it's great and, altough haven't had time for a proper comparison, I think its sound is on pair with my NAD C542.ÿ

ÿ

One suggestion, before going for the duet, use some tool like netstumbler/vistastumbler to find out about the use of WiFi channels in your area. I found 9 wifi networks at home (I was lucky nobody was using channels 5, 6 and 7)

 

[PJPro]

I found that using wireless from my PC to my PS3 via a Netgear DG834G v3 router was a bit wobbly.....music cutting out, lost connections, etc.

I upgrade to a powerline network and this improved things somewhat.

I eventually put in a gigabit wired solution. Sometimes get DNLA connection dropouts....but I think that is more to do with the software than network speeds.

 

[Ajani]

I use a Squeezebox Classic and have no major problems with it... Once in a while, it may take a little longer than usual to play a song when I hit the play button... but other than that, no issues worth mentioning...

 

[Anonymous]

I find Sonos more robust.

 

[Binman]

I have a Squeezebox Classic. I've had a few issues with it, but its all working fine now.

For me it was down to how my music was ripped and the computer running squeezecentre. It was all Apple Lossless, which needs to be transcoded by the PC to FLAC before its sent over wireless to the Squeezebox. As the PC is only 400Mhz, and 512MB RAM it used to stutter - (basically it couldn't transcode fast enough to fill the buffer in the squeezebox)

I've converted all my apple lossless into FLAC using dbpoweramp (i recommend this program, free to try and its very good - if you have a dual core PC it will utilise both cores for converting resulting in double quick conversion) and its fine now, as the Squeezebox can play FLAC directly without needing the PC to do any transcoding.

Also had an issue with tracks not playing at all, but turning off the 'itunes intergration' in squeezecentre solved that one.

 

[Ajani]

Binman:
I have a Squeezebox Classic. I've had a few issues with it, but its all working fine now.

For me it was down to how my music was ripped and the computer running squeezecentre. It was all Apple Lossless, which needs to be transcoded by the PC to FLAC before its sent over wireless to the Squeezebox. As the PC is only 400Mhz, and 512MB RAM it used to stutter - (basically it couldn't transcode fast enough to fill the buffer in the squeezebox)

I've converted all my apple lossless into FLAC using dbpoweramp (i recommend this program, free to try and its very good - if you have a dual core PC it will utilise both cores for converting resulting in double quick conversion) and its fine now, as the Squeezebox can play FLAC directly without needing the PC to do any transcoding.

Also had an issue with tracks not playing at all, but turning off the 'itunes intergration' in squeezecentre solved that one.

Interesting... All my music is apple lossless running on a PC and I've not had those problems... but then again my laptop is pretty current, so that's probably why it has no issue with converting lossless to FLAC on the fly...

 

[madeinstein]

PJPro:I found that using wireless from my PC to my PS3 via a Netgear DG834G v3 router was a bit wobbly.....music cutting out, lost connections, etc. [..] Sometimes get DNLA connection dropouts....but I think that is more to do with the software than network speeds.

This is exactly what's happening with my setup (PC with TVersity streaming FLAC to PS3). It just stutters from time to time and it's extremely annoying. I just don't want to have anything like that in my NAS + DAC + AMP setup..

I went to the shop today and I was looking at Sonos.. And I just can't buy it.. The remote is impossible.. I've got IPhone and I love the interface and when I put my IPhone next to Sonos RC.. Sonos looked like it's from sixties! I know it's good, probably the best product on the market.. but I've decided to boycot Sonos until they introduce better remote control + black version (I've got everything black tv, speakers etc..).

I think I might go with Apple TV for time being - I know it's white, but maybe I will hide it somewhere

. This is not going to be multiroom solution as I will connect this directly to my amp (no stuttering via wifi) but I think I have to live with this for time being.

 

[Hendy00]

I have a SB3 Classic with a Draytek Vigor 2800g (very similar to your router) and i have not experienced any dropouts as yet. Mind you, i'm not using Flac format which may be the reason why it is stuttering or delays (re-buffering) due to the size of the Flac file being pump through wirelessly.

Best option would be to connect with a network cable which would cure that problem but understandably, having this may not be a viable solution plus unsightly unless it can be hidden.

Be Internet could be like SKY internet where the only router that will work is the router they supply you with. In SKY's case that would be a Netgear wireless router.

 

[Anonymous]

I've not had enough time to be 100% sure about it but I think I've fixed all my problems.

What I did:

1.- re-install SqueezeCentre

2.- Disable DHCP server in my network

3.- reset SB Duetÿ

4.- Setup Duet using static IP addresses

Point 2 is needed because the only way to setup Duet with static IP addressing is not having a DHCP server in your network. I think not using DHCP with the Duet does really make an improvement.

Hope this helps!ÿ

 

[Anonymous]

I have 4 SONOS Zones off a Terrastation NAS and becasue it runs on its own network (something akin to 802.11a)there is no interference the music just keeps coming.

If I use the same NAS with Itunes via my Laptop over 802.11g network there is often stuttering playback if I am working on the labtop at the same time.

So by putting 2 and 2 together I would think that if you are not going to be doing anything else at the same time then the squeezebox will work fine most of the time but if you plan to do something then you wll have to put up with the breakup. Draft n networks may changethis f course offering greater throughput but I don't know if the squeeze is compatible.

 

[Anonymous]

I have spent 6 months trying to get the stuttering and freezing to stop. I have a Duet, but use my iPod Touch with iPeng (£5) which is better than the Squeezebox remote (£200).

Could it be my laptop, that locks up too? Could it be the wireless? quite possibly. Could it be Squeezebox Server - I have problems with that too. I tried cables to avoid the wireless - it was worse! I have friends with the same system who built their own dedicated silent server to put next to the router. It still has problems. Another friend has a no-expense spared SONOS which still has wireless problems.

If you don't need multi-room, then just use a USB cable from ITunes to a Digital amp (Mine's a Cyrus 8 XP d). That WILL work. and you can use the free "Remote" iPod / iPhone app to control it. Which is BETTER than the Squeezebox remote.

Be prepared - you could be on a long journey to get this working.

 

[The_Lhc]

Steve Weeks:Another friend has a no-expense spared SONOS which still has wireless problems.

Sonos only has wireless problems if there's interference from other networks or if the units are out of range of each other, if you have lots of surrounding wireless networks then there isn't a great deal you can do about the former, except for wiring every zoneplayer (which would also cure the latter problem).

As for your issues if wiring the Squeezebox has made things worse than I can only imagine either your server (laptop?) or router aren't up to the job of handling the traffic.

 

[method man]

I feel your pain my brother. im a squeezebox owner. I got lucky. I have the Duet. I had a problem for maybe the first week.

then i updated the firmware. went on squeeze forums. found out about cordless phone interference, microwaves. changing the

wireless channel from default. and its never skipped a beat since. i have the reciever in the same room as my router which i guess really helps but it never shows more than 75% on signal strength. I have a boom upstairs in a different room thats worked great from day one. and always shows 90%. lord knows why.

my speedtouch modem/wireless router didnt have the right connections at the back so i daisy chained a spare wireless router and the squeezebox kit wireslessly connects to that, not the speedtouch that connects to the computer. again a year or so later ive seen advice that what im doing can often be a good idea.

love the squeezebox me.