[asliarun]

I hope I'm not rehashing an old topic, but I could not find good information on this subject, in this forum or a few others I know of.

Since Squeezebox is no longer in production, I've been trying (with little success) to find a good alternative for my aging Squeezebox Classic. While it is still working, it will conk out sooner or later, or I will get hit by upgraditis.

I'm looking for a device (not a PC/Mac) that can act as a "source". It should:
1. Be able to connect to the internet via wifi
2. Be able to stream internet radio channels
3. Have a (basic) user interface that allows me to search/browse internet radio channels
4. Support the newer radio/streaming services such as Pandora, Spotify, etc.
5. Allow me to browse and search music from a USB source (pen drive, external hard drive), an inbuilt hard drive, or both
6. Play FLAC and 320kbps CBR/VBR mp3s (and uncompressed WAV files I guess)
7. Have a digital out (and optionally a USB out, I guess) so that I can connect it to an external DAC
8. Optionally have a decent quality DAC inbuilt
9. Be reasonably priced - preferably under $500, although this can be a bit flexible. A product with different prices for different configurations of inbuilt DAC and inbuilt storage for example would actually be awesome.

Does such a device exist? I know Squeezebox Touch met all these criteria but it is no longer in production and is now being sold for ridiculously high prices. At any rate, I would rather spend money on a product that is currently in production.

Olive is trying to raise funds and create something like this - the Olive One (http://www.indiegogo.com/OliveONE). However, I suspect it will end up becoming a mass market "all in one" product instead of a device that does a really good job of serving music and nothing else. For example, it has an inbuilt amplifier that is of no use to me.

Anyway, can other forum members please help share their knowledge on this subject? Have you used a device like this, especially one that you have liked?

I know a lot of people use a Mac or a PC as a music server, but again, it seems overkill to me so I would want to consider it as a last resort option.

[HAL]

Have you seen the POGO plug replacement thread for the SB?  It is a DIY replacement for about $30 not including the DAC.

[RCduck7]

You should look to a Teac WAP-AR100 that came out a few years ago, read the specs and manual. You will found out it is very close to meeting al your requirments and be well under 500$. It has storage for a 2.5" hdd (or ssd) and two usb inputs for extra hard drives or usb sticks. That is something that is becoming a rarity for the newer music streamers, some even don't let you plug any form of hdd directly to it through usb. It is better then squeezebox someone told me, especially if you plan to use it for music from the usb inputs or internal (Squeezebox isn't really designed to do that). Optical out it has but not usb out for a DAC, the DAC inside is also very good.
I own the Teac wap-AX250 wich comes also with 2x125 watt icepower. Neat looking one box solution, just attach speakers and your setup. You can use either iphone,ipad with it or teac it's own brc touchscreen remote.
I bought my from Amazon.de under half the price. Where i live voltage is 230v, so if your using 110v lookout!
There are only a few European reviews of the Teac WAP range wich makes me wonder it did actually made it to the US.
http://www.teac.eu/hifi-audio/audio-streaming/receiver/wap-ar100/

They do have cheaper models to like the WAP 8500 but the dac inside the AR-100 is a bit better.

[asliarun]

Thanks for your replies, Hal and RCDuck.

Hal, yes, I did read the thread about using PogoPlug. To be honest, I'm not very DIY savvy so I was hoping for a readymade solution. However, on further reading (and the VortexBox thread as well), it sounds like a really nice and reasonably priced solution. I guess the solution will still lack support for internet radio but it is still a very attractive and elegant solution.

RCduck, the TEAC unit is intriguing - while it seems to be available in Germany and UK, I cannot find it anywhere in the TEAC USA website and it looks like it is not sold or supported in USA. It is very decently priced as well - about the same as what Squeezebox used to cost.

I have a more generic question about TEAC as well. Do the TEAC line of products benefit from all the research and technology they've put into their Esoteric line of products? I've only heard good things about Esoteric from people who spend that much on high end sources and DACs.

[RCduck7]

Thanks for your replies, Hal and RCDuck.

I have a more generic question about TEAC as well. Do the TEAC line of products benefit from all the research and technology they've put into their Esoteric line of products? I've only heard good things about Esoteric from people who spend that much on high end sources and DACs.

I leave that for someone else to ask, i really don't know.

Here are some pictures of the touchscreen remote and the smaller and more simple wap 8600 posted on head-fi forum. For best results used with an external dac i thinkn not that i think it's bad but the AR100 is more of a grown up product.
http://www.head-fi.org/products/teac-wap-8600/reviews

[wagnju]

I have seen and heard this at a friends house in Germany last week .
I was impressed , but couldn't find a source here in the US so far .

He paid about $460 for it .

http://www.cocktailaudio.com/home.html

http://www.cocktailaudio.com/overview.html

[jarcher]

I know a lot of people use a Mac or a PC as a music server, but again, it seems overkill to me so I would want to consider it as a last resort option.

May not be what you want to hear or so helpful, but I would get a Mac (mini) or PC as a music server, or if you really like your Squeezbox, then get another one second hand - many trade hands here on AC & have mods or upgraded power supplies.  I got a second SB Duet that had been modded + an upgraded power supply for about $250.  Why abandon what you like? 

To keep it under $500 w/ Mac you'll probably have to buy used / refurbed if you don't want to swing the $550 - $600 of what an entry level one runs.  A PC-based music server should be doable for under $500.

It may be "overkill", but if it's within your budget & allows you to do what you need and more, seems like it would be worth it. I get a lot of use out of my mac mini not only as a music server, but also for internet TV (for a slingbox, HBO2GO, etc).

[asliarun]

Thanks for the replies, wagnju and jarcher.

JArcher - I'm not opposed to the idea of a PC - might actually end up with this as a solution, or with the pogoplug. I just wanted something easier to setup.
I was also a bit concerned about the form factor. However, I'm discovering a whole bunch of exciting options for small form-factor PCs:
1. Intel i3 based NUC - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16856102001
2. Foxconn Atom based - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16856119067
3. Zotac ZBox - http://techreport.com/review/24298/zotac-zbox-id42-plus-nettop-reviewed

I'm sure there are other options, and an ARM based mini-computer would probably not even require a fan. The pogoplug option is also a really cool solution. All of this would require some hardware and software hackery, although I'll admit that people on forums have really laid out the steps required in great detail.

P.S. I do have a Roku that is dying on me, so these options are now even more compelling.

[asliarun]

Is there an Android and ARM based box that supports wifi and can be used as a media server?
I'm thinking of something like a Roku, but for audio.

[asliarun]

I just placed an order in NewEgg for a Minix NEO X5.

It is powered by ARM Cortex A9 dual core CPU, will run Android and XBMC, has 1GB RAM, 16GB internal storage.
In terms of connectivity, it has wifi, LAN, and bluetooth.
In terms of ports, it has 3 USB ports and SD card slot, so I can connect a USB drive and SD card for additional storage.
It also has HDMI and optical out so I can hook it up to a TV and can hook it up to a DAC using the optical.

All this for $91 which is a pretty good deal, IMHO.

It seems to have all the features I wanted on paper, but I still need to get it setup and running.
Let's see how it goes.

My Roku is also acting up, so this might end up doing double duty as an audio server and a video streamer.

Link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16856178001

[mresseguie]

I just placed an order in NewEgg for a Minix NEO X5.

It is powered by ARM Cortex A9 dual core CPU, will run Android and XBMC, has 1GB RAM, 16GB internal storage.
In terms of connectivity, it has wifi, LAN, and bluetooth.
In terms of ports, it has 3 USB ports and SD card slot, so I can connect a USB drive and SD card for additional storage.
It also has HDMI and optical out so I can hook it up to a TV and can hook it up to a DAC using the optical.

All this for $91 which is a pretty good deal, IMHO.

It seems to have all the features I wanted on paper, but I still need to get it setup and running.
Let's see how it goes.

My Roku is also acting up, so this might end up doing double duty as an audio server and a video streamer.

Link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16856178001

Asliarun,

Hello. I looked at your link. The Minix Neo X5 looks interesting. If you have had time to play with it, I'd love to read about your experience using it. Thanks in advance.

[BFitz]

I just placed an order in NewEgg for a Minix NEO X5.

It seems to have all the features I wanted on paper, but I still need to get it setup and running.
Let's see how it goes.

Link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16856178001

Curious, what is your plan to make it an audio server?

In terms of being a player, are you aware of the android apps available for that? I have a kindle HD 8.9 and was able to load Squeeze Commander ($5.) from SlideMe and "Squeezeplayer" ($5.) from Android Pit. Also "Orange Squeeze" should also work as a remote control. This thread gives more detail -
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=102106.0

It may at first seem to only address the remote control side, but...provided "Squeezeplayer" can be loaded and works, it will turn it into a player as well. One app for control, one for play. It works well for me on the Kindle Fire HD.
I can help if you have specific questions on loading these, or search the web, I used advice found from others on the topic...       
In general, Apple or Android based phones make great remotes for squeezebox players.

BTW, I also use a Pogo, it works well as either a player or server, but can't really do both at once (reliably). This makes sense when you consider it would be trying to read and write over three USB 2.0 ports all at the same time (USB stick operating system, USB music hard drive, USB DAC). But it makes a great cheap 24/7 squeezebox server, only draws 3-5 W when playing, and it will serve up internet radio as well as play your local music files.     

[asliarun]

Asliarun,

Hello. I looked at your link. The Minix Neo X5 looks interesting. If you have had time to play with it, I'd love to read about your experience using it. Thanks in advance.

I was finally able to get the Minix Neo X5 installed and running. Its been only a day so far though. The boxing was good, and the unit itself had a small blemish in one edge but it is small enough and the unit is cheap enough that I don't mind much.

It is running Android out of the box and I only had to plug it into my TV's HDMI. I had some difficulty with the input but I went and bought the Logitech K400 which is a keyboard and integrated touchpad. It works like a charm and the Minix accepted it without any complaints. I was able to do some basic stuff like setup my wifi on the Minix from the standard Android setup, set the date etc, download a couple of apps, and tested that internet browsing was working fine. I also watched an HD movie via the Netflix app - everything looked good or almost as good as my Roku, although the video stuttered once during the entire movie, but only for a fraction of a second.

The keyboard has already taken up a USB port. I still need to figure out how to make this a music server.
Any ideas would be really welcome. I'm really not much of a tweaker and haven't done any of the "upgrading ROM" business yet.

I'm able to install Android apps on the stock OS that came with the device and I would first like to see what I can achieve just through Android apps. I know that XBMC is available for Android but I'm not sure how much use it is as a media server. Not sure about Squeeze server at all.

I'm also hoping that the dual core CPU is high spec enough to do double duty as a media player and server. But I will only know after trying it out.

Any ideas or suggestions would be quite helpful and welcome!

(I can already say this much - this is one heck of a device for 93 bucks - at this form factor (only a bit larger than a Roku or Apple TV), it is practically a full blown computer. While more ports would still have been nicer, it has decent number of ports to let us try various things)

[mresseguie]

Outstanding start IMHO!

I hope it works well for you, and hopefully someone who has tried this before you will notice this thread and comment.

I'll scour the internet for ideas as I have time. [I'll be AFK for the next 4 days.]

Have fun!

[shadowlight]

Why not get the new Intel box - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16856102002

[mresseguie]

Speaking for myself, at first blush it looked interesting. Then, I started reading the reviews. I can simply use my soon to be retired home computer beside the TV rather than spending more on this unit. Granted, my home unit is not nearly as small, but I have the space.

[asliarun]

I seriously considered the Intel nuc but it is already 300 bucks and still needs ram, ssd etc which is not exactly an out of the box solution and will end up closer to 400 or 500 bucks which is PC or laptop price territory. Plus it is not fanless.

This is definitely not a workhorse PC but I think it works for the limited stuff I am throwing at it. The downside of this being an interesting toy is only 93 bucks.

Truth be told, I was most impressed by the large number of ports it has. 3 USB, HDMI, and even an optical out. I still haven't done the music bit yet but am almost done watching House of cards on the Netflix app and so far so good.

The android interface is decent too and the unit ships with a fairly modern version - 4 I think.