Musics on my server, what's the best solution for family members to listen to music?

chipperhead · 20 Nov 2012 at 12:46

Sorry for the confusing title, I wasn't sure how to word it.

I currently have all my albums on my server, if I want to listen I play it through my pc. I also have a sansa clip for when I want to listen on the move.

The problem is we're looking at getting some kind of stereo for our young daughter but am not sure the best solution. I could just get her a cd player and burn discs but that can't be the best solution and doesn't help if she want to listen while she's out.

My sansa clip is great when I'm in the gym but it's not the nicest solution to team that up with a 3.5mm lead to an amp and speakers. So I'm thinking do I need an iPod and a docking station?
I've never had anything Apple before and to be honest I'm not a fan, I don't have itunes and have never bought anything through the Apple store.

I take it I can just copy albums from my server on to an ipod? Could an ipod or docking station connect to my server and stream music direct?

Jano · 20 Nov 2012 at 14:25

What you want is a streamer, which will allow her to play music directly from the server. Some mini hifi systems do have this functionality included, but it'll depend on what your wanting to spend.

Frosty81 · 20 Nov 2012 at 15:12

My friend just invested in a sonos for a similar reason,he says its soo simple to use and can't understand why he didn't do it before.

I think they might be costly though?

Jano · 20 Nov 2012 at 15:20

For Sonos you would need a bridge and probably a Play 3 (speaker thing) which comes to about £250, I think. The Bridge connects to the server and the Play 3 would stream from there.

Could also go with a Logitech Squeezebox, I think a Squeezebox Radio would do what you want as a one box solution, and would also allow her to play internet radio as well - which is apparently around £115.

iamtheoneneo · 20 Nov 2012 at 15:30

if you got the gear already perhaps airport express(s) around the home to stream to? though you would need some sort of controller (iphone, ipad, ipod) so might bump the cost up quite a bit.

the logitech stuff might be the better stuff otherwise.

picnic · 20 Nov 2012 at 15:58

Jano said:
For Sonos you would need a bridge and probably a Play 3 (speaker thing)

You only need the bridge if you can't connect one of the Sonos items to a wired network. That one item can then act as a bridge for the rest to run wirelessly.

chipperhead · 20 Nov 2012 at 16:09

I think sonos etc is a bit too much for what I need and also she'd still need a separate mp3 player for when she's out.

Can you get docks for other mp3 players or just ipods?

cheers

Jano · 20 Nov 2012 at 16:30

Not sure if there is a Ipod Dock/Speaker solution that also streams, at least at a lower price point that the Sonos gear, so you'd still have the manual job of copying over music (plus they'd be rubbish).

Hank_Marvin · 20 Nov 2012 at 17:02

Could just get her a mp3 player and a set of active stereo speakers, Logitech t40's perhaps, then just run 3.5mm from mp3 to speakers, basically a dock. You can actually get an ipod dock for those if you wanted to get her an ipod or as I say just use a cable to any mp3 player.

You could add a squeezebox touch later on to also connect to the speakers to play your server music and internet radio/spotif/lastfm etc.

chipperhead · 20 Nov 2012 at 17:32

Hank_Marvin said:
Could just get her a mp3 player and a set of active stereo speakers, Logitech t40's perhaps, then just run 3.5mm from mp3 to speakers, basically a dock. You can actually get an ipod dock for those if you wanted to get her an ipod or as I say just use a cable to any mp3 player.

You could add a squeezebox touch later on to also connect to the speakers to play your server music and internet radio/spotif/lastfm etc.

I like this idea, but would probably get her something with a nicer and bigger display than my sansa for a better UI.

Hank_Marvin · 20 Nov 2012 at 17:41

Yeah I have a sansa clip also and really for fitness is it's limit, sound isn't great compared to my proper mp3 player but for the money and purpose its great.

tom_nieto · 20 Nov 2012 at 18:19

Can an iPod touch stream music on it's own from a server? It would be good if the portable device could also act as a streaming device and make the choice of speakers much simpler.

Martynt74 · 20 Nov 2012 at 21:27

tom_nieto said:
Can an iPod touch stream music on it's own from a server? It would be good if the portable device could also act as a streaming device and make the choice of speakers much simpler.

I'm sure it could over airplay. Otherwise if you install Squeezebox Server on your server you could use iPeng which can play music through an addon

tom_nieto · 20 Nov 2012 at 22:10

The main problem with using an iPod is avoiding apple software!

bertles86 · 20 Nov 2012 at 22:39

Easy solution is Google Play Music.

Free with a Google account. Upload up to 20,000 of your tracks to the cloud.

Then there is a desktop client (mac/pc/linux) or you can stream them through any Android phone or tab or browser.

Et voila, solved with a cost of £0.00.

iamtheoneneo · 21 Nov 2012 at 11:24

tom_nieto said:
Can an iPod touch stream music on it's own from a server? It would be good if the portable device could also act as a streaming device and make the choice of speakers much simpler.

yes it can. To be fair its easy to get lost in Apple this Apple that, If you have Android you can achieve the same stuff with winamp and avoid the nasty apple software.