Home Audio Streaming Solution, Hardware and Software?

Skeeter

Skeeter

Skeeter

Caporegime
Joined
8 Mar 2007
Posts
37,146
Location
Surrey
I'm in the process of buying a house and so I'm eyeing up what I can do with home audio (if I have any money left!).

All my music is streamed, Spotify has basically removed the need for stored media so everything we listen to is usually streamed from our phones. So no need for a central server based solution (although I do have a Windows PC on all the time that could be used for something).

Hardware wise, I'd like the following:
A speaker for the kitchen/dining room
A speaker for the lounge that ideally also is connected to the TV. Either a soundbar style or 5.1, but the rooms not massive so a single speaker bar would be fine.
A portable speaker that can be moved between the office, bathroom, bedroom and garden.

From a software perspective I want a single solution, ideally Spotify based, that's seem less and simple

Sonos offers a lot, but there reluctance to put batteries in their devices makes having an easily portable speaker a pain. Plus they are also eye wateringly expensive, especially when you get to the living room TV/sound bar and sub devices. I'm not in the position to spend 4 figures on a few speakers.

So has anyone got any suggestions for what would be good? Currently we have a Bluetooth speaker we cart around the house, but I'd like multiple room simultaneous Streaming, and enhancements for the TV/movies.

Cheers.
 
I believe Sonos costs what it does because nobody can compete with them in terms of quality/reliability/ease of use.
 
LukieBoy007 said:
This.
Whilst it may cost a fair bit, it's worth it.
Click to expand...

I've not heard great things about the PlayBar/Sub combo considering its combined £1,200 price tag!

FerretBoy said:
Maybe the new chromecast can help you. Won't give you the simultaneous playback. But does make it easy to send spotify to a lot of devices.
Click to expand...

Yeah I just found this out, plus it looks like the first generation Chromecast I have will be updated to support Spotify too.

I'm thinking I might be better off geting a dedicated sound system for the TV and then just using a Chromecast or Chromecast Audio to play music through it (if needed, some have Bluetooth anyway), and then get some Bluetooth or castable speakers for the other rooms.
 
Have a Play 1 in the kitchen and PlayBar in the living room, no need for a sub imo.

Still best part of 700 quid for both and no portability really. Though I do sometimes take the Play 1 upstairs I will get another at some point.

Brother has a Bose soundlink mini, portable bluetooth speaker, sound is really impressive for its size, again not cheap though.
 
Check out Sony's attempt. The songpal app works very well along with spotify and anything that can google cast. The smaller speaker is truly portable with batteries as well 10hr)
 
Having looked around I think I've decided that I will separate the TV and Music requirement. I'll get a sound system for the TV, be it 5.1 or 2.1 or a sound bar or something, and then use a Chromecast or any built in functionality for that. And then I will look separately for battery powered mobile Bluetooth or casting speakers for the rest of the house, and get a couple (one for the kitchen, one to be mobile around the rest of the house, but based in the office).

There just isn't a single solution that does TV audio, steaming music and portability :(.
 
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