[LightFire]

I notice that the availability of hard drive DVD recorders in the market is increasing and their price starting to steadily decline. Because this type of equipment can also play CDs they also could be able to record audio tracks (CDs are not copy protected). However most of them don't claim to do so. Except the ones made by Pioneer, like this one:

http://www.pioneer.co.uk/uk/product_detail.jsp?product_id=12744&taxonomy_id=42-125


It is stated that it can work as a "digital jukebox".

Do you guys think they could become "Olive Killers"? They are already cheaper than Olive.

Does anybody knows about any other hard disk drive DVD recorder that can record audio tracks?
 

[ehart]

Neat device, but I would say that it's not an "Olive killer".  The Olive has a lot of audio-specific features, such as:

- FLAC encoding
- Automatic recognition and labelling of CDs and tracks (this is huge)
- Ability to record from tapes and records, with facility for identifying gaps/tracks
- Ability to stream Internet music (shoutcast)
- Ability to share music with UPNP servers on your network
- Interface designed around artists/albums/tracks/genres

And there's more.

- Eric

[Loftprojection]

With a 160Gb disk and no Flac encoding, it is certainly no Olive killer! 

[JLM]

What seems to be killing the Olive is themselves (probably just on the learning curve):

1. The lack of a display that can be seen from wherever my lazy butt is sitting;

2. The flop of the Opus as an audiophile version.  (At $3000 I haven't bothered to keep up with the whole story.)


Olive better hurry to climb the learning curve as I see it:

What would it take to connect a PDA to a Mini-Mac tweaked for audio?  (The Mini-Mac already comes with a remote.)

For the mass market move up to a tweaked iMac format that could also be HT ready.  (For $2,000 the 24 inch screen version has a 250 GB hard drive.)

[Brad]

You could use the web browser on the PDA to connect to SoftSqueeze (or comparable program running on the MacMini) and use its digital out to feed a nice DAC

[ehart]

I keep hearing the "lack of a display that can be seen" thing.  It really comes from a lack of understanding of the Olive.  I happend to hit the MENU button on my Musica remote twice yesterday, and voila, a very large and visible two-line display that I was easily able to navigate from 10 feet away.  This works great for me.  I thought about a Mac Mini and didn't see where the 24" display was going to fit into my living room!

- Eric

[csc]

I went from Squeezebox to a Sonos setup.  300gb of NAS, Sonos ZP80, and Sonos Remote....total was under $1K with excellent functionality.  I was a very happy Squeezebox owner, but with the Sonos, I have a graphical interface in my hand and no need for server software.

[JLM]

curtis,

Now that's the sort of thinking that's needed to sell to the computer dumb masses (like me), not browsers, PDAs, and more software on top of a PC.

Now the ever greedy audiophile in me wants to know if it's sound is (or can be made to be) hi quality.


eric,

Wonder why others don't know of this feature?  (I understood it was Olive's #1 issue to fix.)

[Vinnie R.]

All,

Olive is completing the software update to allow users to view and control their music via a wireless PDA.  This should be ready 2006, as I was told by Olive.  They said that they already have it working with a Nokia (forgot the model).  I'm guessing that it will also work for a wireless laptop for those of you who like to work on the computer an listen to / control your music at the same time.

What ehart stated it true.  I remember Gordy mentioning this a few months back and it is a helpful feature for viewing (up to 8 to 10 feet away in my case).

I'm looking forward to the updates!

-Vinnie

[csc]

curtis,

Now that's the sort of thinking that's needed to sell to the computer dumb masses (like me), not browsers, PDAs, and more software on top of a PC.

Now the ever greedy audiophile in me wants to know if it's sound is (or can be made to be) hi quality.

Since I have it digitally connected to my pre/pro, as I did the Squeezebox, I detect no differences.

I'll add that the Sonos remote works via RF, so no need to be line of site with the player....and it can control up to 32 players.

[Brad]

CSC,

Have you tried the analog outs on the Sonos?
I'm wondering how the sound quality would compare to the analog outs of the Squeezebox.
They don't have much info on the DAC in their unit.

I guess I could always go to a Scott Nixon tubedac if I went Sonos.....

[John Casler]

I am an OLIVE dealer, a SONOS dealer and a Russound Dealer, and prefer the OLIVE for my system.

I did take a good look at the Russound unit, which has a nice "interface", but it didn't have FLAC conversion and I suspect the "sound quality".

It did have "video outs" which can be a nice feature.



http://www.russound.com/source.htm

I have a local client considering the SMS3.  I'll see how it does.

[csc]

CSC,

Have you tried the analog outs on the Sonos?
I'm wondering how the sound quality would compare to the analog outs of the Squeezebox.
They don't have much info on the DAC in their unit.

I guess I could always go to a Scott Nixon tubedac if I went Sonos.....

No...I haven't.

I'll also add that I have never tried an Olive.