What is the point of a streamer?

[proffski]

It streams Innit! :O

 

[whoam1]

So, what is your view of Sonos? :?

Who me? I'd have thought I'd made that quite obvious by now? I've had Sonos for about 5 years now (I think, I can't honestly remember exactly how long), I love it, wouldn't have anything else in the house.

Yes, I'd rather gathered that.

I was pulling your leg.

 

[BenLaw]

(Actually as my apartment is a loft is basically only has one room anyway.)

I'm guessing you're not the target audience for multi-room system manufacturers then...

 

[Native_bon]

Streamers came alone, then DACs came alone. Then the purpose of the streamers does not look that important when most DAC'S has got multiple inputs direct from PC.Example, USB INPUT,Opitcal, & others.

I for one think streamers are just new toys, with not much purpose. The only advantage may be the size of a computer to that of a streamer?...

I got a super computer which is very silent & it does about everything a streamer will do & more. All my songs neatly but together controlled from my phone remotely. Optical out from copmuter to my Audiolab M- DAC. Job done.

As per multi room, not my thing, but that may be the reason why others need a streamer.

 

[relocated]

The Denon Cocoon is also a nice option. Looks really good.

Does it glow when you chuck it in the bath?

That's very good. But if it did I bet it wouldn't make you younger, you just wouldn't get any older. >)

 

[relocated]

The Denon Cocoon is also a nice option. Looks really good.

Sounded good when I heard it at the D+M Group event a couple of months ago, but the sonic streaming star was the Marantz Consolette

Shame that it looks like a gas powered car from the second world war then. Nice backside though.

 

[Andrew Everard]

Shame that it looks like a gas powered car from the second world war then. Nice backside though.

Hence my careful use of the word 'sonic'. Actually I quite like the looks of the thing 'in the flesh' – and I'm not sure pictures do justice to it – though I have to say the opinions of those present have been divided on the two occasions on which I've encountered it, at the Munich High End Show and at the D+M Group event. No such qualms about the sound, though.

 

[Cypher]

Andrew,

does the Cocoon sound as good as a lets say Marantz PM6004/CD6004/Monitor Audio BX 2 system ? Does the sound come close to it ?

 

[Andrew Everard]

does the Cocoon sound as good as a lets say Marantz PM6004/CD6004/Monitor Audio BX 2 system ? Does the sound come close to it ?

No.

 

[professorhat]

Streamers came alone, then DACs came alone. Then the purpose of the streamers does not look that important when most DAC'S has got multiple inputs direct from PC.Example, USB INPUT,Opitcal, & others.

For one, DACs have been around for donkeys years. For two, streamers and DACs are two completely different pieces of kit. Most streamers have built-in DACs.

 

[hammill]

Streamers came alone, then DACs came alone. Then the purpose of the streamers does not look that important when most DAC'S has got multiple inputs direct from PC.Example, USB INPUT,Opitcal, & others.

I for one think streamers are just new toys, with not much purpose. The only advantage may be the size of a computer to that of a streamer?...

I got a super computer which is very silent & it does about everything a streamer will do & more. All my songs neatly but together controlled from my phone remotely. Optical out from copmuter to my Audiolab M- DAC. Job done.

As per multi room, not my thing, but that may be the reason why others need a streamer.

My £138 streamer comes with a very good DAC, so I don't need to buy another DAC. I did occasionally use my computer for playing music but that was a hopeless solution as it had to be attached to the hifi by a cable - the computer is used all over the house by the whole family. I can now listen to internet radio including BBC catch up without turning on the laptop or can stream my music regardless of where the laptop is. The music played via the touch also sounds better than when it was played directly from the laptop. Seems to me like your DAC is the new toy without much purpose.

 

[shooter]

In few years, most of us (if not jet) will have bunch of computers (notebooks, tablets …) and some of them will be ready to take place of current streamers....

I like to think that we will have a holographic experience, like in 'those' films.

Not sure how it would be implemented though, but thats not my worry.

 

[edplaysdrums42]

I've never seen the point of getting a streamer meself. I've got an airport express for the hifi and one for the kitchen. i'll either stream from the imac, iphone or use the iphone as a remote, it all sounds great to me. The Tunein radio app on the iphone is superb, spotify is great too.

Its all very tidy and versatile.

Cheers, Ed

 

[Andrej_1]

So you don't have a streamer, but you have airport express?

 

[The_Lhc]

I've never seen the point of getting a streamer meself. I've got an airport express for the hifi and one for the kitchen. i'll either stream from the imac, iphone or use the iphone as a remote, it all sounds great to me.

So you HAVE got a streamer then? Two in fact. :doh:

 

[edplaysdrums42]

Oh right i suppose they are but not in sense of how they have been described on this thread, you know what i mean.

Ed.

 

[The_Lhc]

Oh right i suppose they are but not in sense of how they have been described on this thread, you know what i mean.

No, not really, conceptually Airport Express is almost exactly the same as Sonos just a bit simpler in scope.

 

[edplaysdrums42]

Fair enough, i dont have any experience of the Sonos but the AE is not a box plugged into your hifi with a remote control etc...

 

[Anonymous]

Streamers offer versatility, the ability to switch from different sources and be controlled by various types of server software and phone and tablet apps.

Wel, mine does anyway.

They also look good trailing in the wind.

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

For me to have the pc next to the amp is not viable, and SBT is! I can control it with the ipad where I want.

With the PC would have to install a program that is not "user frendly" and my computer skills are basic.

And sound quality of the SBT should be superior to the PC.

The kids and the wife use it, and whit the pc it would be more complicated.

 

[Andrej_1]

Fair enough, i dont have any experience of the Sonos but the AE is not a box plugged into your hifi with a remote control etc...

He uses it as such (pluged in, and controlled with iphone). This is the point of streamer.

So problematic are only dedicated streamers?

 

[The_Lhc]

Fair enough, i dont have any experience of the Sonos but the AE is not a box plugged into your hifi with a remote control etc...

Errr,

I've got an airport express for the hifi

The remote control is your PC (as well as the source).

 

[plastic penguin]

Don't really see the issue for or against streamers. Clearly they suit some and not others; mirrors other formats. You may as well argue what's the point of all-in-ones like the Uniti or Arcam Solo.

Is this a fair assessment or a non sequitur?

 

[Dogruff]

The fact that there has to be so much differing opinion regarding 'What Is The Point Of A Streamer' really does seem to underline how relevant the original question is, for many people a streamer is probably something they dont need but think they need because of the 'marketing' ?

I have digitised my music bit-perfect in Flac and only need to listen in one room. I can connect a Computer to my Hi-Fi either wirelessly or with cable using an external DAC or utilise the DAC in AV Amp if I want to stream films etc. I use Media Monkey which means that on a PC screen or Laptop I can see at a glance Albums and Tracks individually or a Library view and easily scroll through the Music List without having to strain my eyes on a small server display. I tend to 'see at a glance'an Album by its 'Artwork' and choose music accordingly, i.e the picture instantly triggers the recognition of the music whereas the written 'title' is not quite so intuitive, at least for me! Probably this may be because I come from the age of LP's and CD's rather than downloads.

 

[The_Lhc]

I have digitised my music bit-perfect in Flac and only need to listen in one room. I can connect a Computer to my Hi-Fi either wirelessly

Really? How?

I use Media Monkey which means that on a PC screen or Laptop I can see at a glance Albums and Tracks individually or a Library view and easily scroll through the Music List without having to strain my eyes on a small server display. I tend to 'see at a glance'an Album by its 'Artwork' and choose music accordingly, i.e the picture instantly triggers the recognition of the music whereas the written 'title' is not quite so intuitive, at least for me!

I can do all that and I'm not straining my eyes on anything, in fact the text and artwork displays on my controllers are larger than they are in Media Monkey on my laptop.