[cacophony777]

A bit off topic, but I found this interesting:

Apple just announced a new AppleTV product. It's only $99, it has an optical out, and you can stream content directly from your ipod touch, iphone, or ipad (what they call AirPlay). This sounds much more appealing to me than the Squeezebox, with its dated interface and dependency on a computer running a media server.

http://www.apple.com/appletv/

A good solution to those audiophiles that already have a touch, iphone, or ipad?

[Bemopti123]

That feature is a possible game changer.  Even though I have got a Sonos, it seems as if this will do things cheaper, quicker and more polished, as Apple is known to be the bringer of. 

I will wait and see how that AirPlay works before even considering, also an audio quality review would be interesting. 

[divisionbell77]

Apple has been know to do things cheaper?

Their business model says otherwise.

With that said, Squeezebox and Android phone all the way.  The squeezebox app for android allows you to just copy any song from your squeezebox server onto your android phone with one click.  Yes, it's nice to have the pretty GUI up on your TV while listening to music.  i used to do it with my Mac Mini, which I bought just to do that.  That was cool and nifty, and as the above say, looks polished.  The squeezebox, in the end, is the far better product for music lovers.

[Watson]

In an earlier part of the talk, Steve Jobs said that the existing "AirTunes" was being renamed to "AirPlay". So it sounds like anyone with a regular Airport Express will be able to do this kind of streaming too. (i.e. Audiophiles won't have to pick up an Apple TV.) Should be nice. There are plenty of Airport Express devices floating around cheaply on the used market, and it is known to be a bit-perfect transport for Redbook audio, albeit with moderate jitter levels.

I like this solution a little more than Squeezebox, etc. because it eliminates some storage hassles.

[Nuance]

Apple has been know to do things cheaper?

Their business model says otherwise.

With that said, Squeezebox and Android phone all the way.  The squeezebox app for android allows you to just copy any song from your squeezebox server onto your android phone with one click.  Yes, it's nice to have the pretty GUI up on your TV while listening to music.  i used to do it with my Mac Mini, which I bought just to do that.  That was cool and nifty, and as the above say, looks polished.  The squeezebox, in the end, is the far better product for music lovers.

Word!

[divisionbell77]

FYI, as for storage hassles/server needed for a squeezebox, with the touch all you need is an external hard drive that can plug directly into the back of the unit.

[Watson]

FYI, as for storage hassles/server needed for a squeezebox, with the touch all you need is an external hard drive that can plug directly into the back of the unit.

Yes, but then I need to store my music files in a *third* location (laptop, SB Touch, and portable music player). Streaming directly from a portable media player eliminates one of those....

[divisionbell77]

no, you only need it on the external storage drive.  you can move it to and from the computer and squeezebox when adding music.

[Watson]

no, you only need it on the external storage drive.  you can move it to and from the computer and squeezebox when adding music.

If I have to carry around an external storage drive and move it between my laptop and music player, it's not (IMHO) really a convenient solution.

[cacophony777]

I like the idea of avoiding hard drives because of the higher power consumption, noise, and heat. Also, spinning drives can be fragile and failure prone.

[sarge_in]

IMO Sonos still trumps all the other solutions out there. SB is good and cheap(er) if it works well, but there are a lot of users that have frequent dropouts. Plus SB works best when its server is running on a computer. Sonos can run off a plain NAS drive.

Yes, Sonos is expensive, but in the last month or so I have had it, it has been an absolute pleasure to use without a single dropout. Also has a free iPhone app that has 100% functionality of its controller. It imports iTunes (and other) playlists as well quite seamlessly. I moved my iTunes library to a NAS drive, and Sonos plays songs and iTunes playlists off of that extremely reliably.

Sonos gets even stronger if implementing multi-zone or whole-house audio. Synching is perfect - more than can be said about SB.

The ONLY thing the SB has on Sonos is that Sonos can't do hig-rez music as of now.  I used Airport Express for a year before, but that too suffered several dropouts and needs iTunes to run. And you can't do different songs on more than 1 unit if you wanted to (unless you had them linked to different libraries running on different computers). Also love the access Sonos gives to Rhapsody, Napster and other thousands of internet radio stations out there, including all my local ones too).

[Art_Chicago]

A bit off topic, but I found this interesting:

Apple just announced a new AppleTV product. It's only $99, it has an optical out, and you can stream content directly from your ipod touch, iphone, or ipad (what they call AirPlay). This sounds much more appealing to me than the Squeezebox, with its dated interface and dependency on a computer running a media server.

http://www.apple.com/appletv/

A good solution to those audiophiles that already have a touch, iphone, or ipad?

I am not too excited about this new appletv.
I own the previous version of AppleTV (160GB), run by Remote from iphone 4 since I got it, and I love it (all my files are in the cd format).  I am not sure if the compressed files from an ipod or iphone, etc, should be considered audiophile. I guess I will stick to my setup until it lasts.

[cacophony777]

I am not sure if the compressed files from an ipod or iphone, etc, should be considered audiophile. I guess I will stick to my setup until it lasts.

Various formats are supported, including lossless:

HE-AAC (V1), AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), protected AAC (from iTunes Store), MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, and 4), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV;

[mchuckp]

I have a 160g ATV collecting dust in my closet.  At the time I liked it because I could store my music collection local on the HDD without using computer access.  It worked decent as a media server until I got my SB Touch.  Biggest hang up I had with the ATV was lack of file support for hi rez and flac.  The Touch has been perfect for my needs as it supports basically everything and when hooked up to a quality DAC it sounds great.  I've taken it a step further and have Bolder mods and power supply that took it even further in SQ.

Seems the new ATV should work just fine as a cheap media server solution as long as you don't care about hi rez or non-supported files.  As someone mentioned, the jury is out on how it will sound.  Maybe we will see some nifty mods for it.  I hear the Bolder Mac Mini power supply makes a pretty substantial improvement.

[divisionbell77]

If I have to carry around an external storage drive and move it between my laptop and music player, it's not (IMHO) really a convenient solution.

I know your preference is different(you like Apple), and that is fine.  But moving a 1 pound hard drive once a week or so to add a CD is hardly making anyone go out of their way.

Its nice being able to read it off your ipod, ipad or whatever you have.  Whats it really matter considering you already have that same music right there on your computer?

I had completely forgotten about the lack of FLAC support.  Not thanks Apple, you are still making yourself fail with having to control every little thing.

[divisionbell77]

IMO Sonos still trumps all the other solutions out there. SB is good and cheap(er) if it works well, but there are a lot of users that have frequent dropouts. Plus SB works best when its server is running on a computer. Sonos can run off a plain NAS drive.

Yes, Sonos is expensive, but in the last month or so I have had it, it has been an absolute pleasure to use without a single dropout. Also has a free iPhone app that has 100% functionality of its controller. It imports iTunes (and other) playlists as well quite seamlessly. I moved my iTunes library to a NAS drive, and Sonos plays songs and iTunes playlists off of that extremely reliably.

Sonos gets even stronger if implementing multi-zone or whole-house audio. Synching is perfect - more than can be said about SB.

The ONLY thing the SB has on Sonos is that Sonos can't do hig-rez music as of now.  I used Airport Express for a year before, but that too suffered several dropouts and needs iTunes to run. And you can't do different songs on more than 1 unit if you wanted to (unless you had them linked to different libraries running on different computers). Also love the access Sonos gives to Rhapsody, Napster and other thousands of internet radio stations out there, including all my local ones too).

Whoever told you the SB drops out is incorrect.  One model had that issue(Duet).  Also, there are apps for both the ipod/ipad/iphone and android that control any SB in the house same as a Sonos.  The only difference I found with Sonos and SB is price and hi-rez music.

[ctviggen]

In an earlier part of the talk, Steve Jobs said that the existing "AirTunes" was being renamed to "AirPlay". So it sounds like anyone with a regular Airport Express will be able to do this kind of streaming too. (i.e. Audiophiles won't have to pick up an Apple TV.) Should be nice. There are plenty of Airport Express devices floating around cheaply on the used market, and it is known to be a bit-perfect transport for Redbook audio, albeit with moderate jitter levels.

As a patent attorney, one of my areas of expertise is wireless communications.  I guarantee that Airport Express is not "bit perfect".  No wireless system is, and many wired systems are not.  They may have low rates of bit errors, but they're not "bit perfect". 

[ctviggen]

Various formats are supported, including lossless:

HE-AAC (V1), AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), protected AAC (from iTunes Store), MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, and 4), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV;

The problem is that if you have a reasonably large music collection and lossless, you won't be able to get all your music on your iPod/touch.  To me, that's a significant detriment.  I have all my music ripped to one large drive in my "server" computer, and I can access all of it at any time.  I also have an iPod, but use highly compressed music on it, so that I have my entire collection on there.  I listen to it in the car and for non-critical listening.

[JohnR]

The problem is that if you have a reasonably large music collection and lossless, you won't be able to get all your music on your iPod/touch.  To me, that's a significant detriment.  I have all my music ripped to one large drive in my "server" computer, and I can access all of it at any time.

Um... you don't have to use an iPod/etc, the ability to do is just an extra feature.

[jsalk]

I've been using SB's for quite a few years now.  I just got an SB Touch so I could play hi-rez music.  I do not use the analog outs and run the digital outs to an outboard AVA DAC.

One comment I would have is that in order to put music in an iPod (I use a iPod Touch to listen to podcasts while on the go), I sync to iTunes on my computer.  I just picked up a small 2.5" USB hard drive (less than a pound) that is only slightly larger than my iPod Touch.  I rip music and and transfer it to the hard drive as well.  Not much different in terms of effort.  I can then plug the hard drive into the touch and don't need a dedicated music server (although I still use one). 

I don't normally have any problem with drop-outs.  But with the hard drive, there are no drop-outs.  If I didn't already have a dedicated music server, I think I would probably just use a USB hard drive and be done with it.  It doesn't get much more simple.

I can also use iPeng on my iPad Touch to control all the SB's in the house remotely.  And I just installed a similar app on my new Android phone to do the same (although I have not tested that app yet).

The whole system works pretty good for me. 

Just one person's approach...

- Jim