want to stream music to several rooms and control it

utajoker

utajoker

utajoker

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thought i would get a better answer here than in the sound section.


we are getting a new house in a few months and i would like to be able to stream and control music in several rooms.

mainly:

living room
bedroom
bathroom
kitchen

my music is currently on a NAS.

i would like to be able to control the music in each room and if possible play different music in each.

and it would be good if it was controllable from iphone/ipad.


any suggestions?


thanks.
 
Squeezebox
Sonos
Apple airplay (a distant third choice)

I've no experience of sonos, but a squeezebox system can be served either from a PC, or from certain NAS drives, so your existing NAS may be able to serve it with some custom firmware.
 
If you want different music in each room it has to be Sonos, but it wont be cheap! I also advise that if you are about to shell out a few grand on Sonos kit have a listen to it, especially if you are interested in the Play 3 or 5. I love Sonos gear but detest these Chad Valley music boxes (I can't call them hifi or stereo because IMHO they are neither).
 
Disco Boy said:
Not true, squeezebox can also do this.
Click to expand...

OK but

Maybe it can but out of the 3 Sonos stands head and shoulders above the other 2 and it is very debatable whether, for the cost, Squeezebox provides that much more than Airplay.

I have both an airplay network and a Squeezebox radio at home and I have to say that Squeezebox radio sounds nice, but it is very flakey. Squeezebox were brilliant products until Logitec got their hands on them, now they are so so.

For the OP - I am not sure what kit you intend to run these with, but for a rough costing:

living room - Presuming you have an AV Amp / Hifi
Bridge - £39 Connects Sonos to your network + Connect £279

bedroom
Single Play 5 - £349

bathroom
Connect Amp £399 (installed in ceiling above the bathroom) + Waterproof / Bathroom Speakers £100

kitchen
Single Play 3 - £259

iPad to control everything £400 (to get the full experience you do need either an ipad or Sonos Control, which is £279)

Total Cost (not including installation / cabling ) £1825 (nearly 2 grand)

This set-up only gives you a single controller, so you would ideally want a second controller (iPhone / Ipod touch / android device ) or you will need to carry your primary controller around. Sonos is not a cheap solution for music, it is a premium product. The beauty with sonos is that no only can it send different music to each player, it can send it from different sources too, such as any sources connected to your AV amp.
 
Well not realy premium.(Sonos).....
If you want that look at the Linn DS range, but will be very much over budget, but will be great sound, rather than a life style convience product, worth looking at for the main listening room.
 
I think Logitech really need to update the SB Boom. They need a device with an interface of the newer systems (Radio/Touch) and the better sound quality of the boom.

That said i'm a big fan of their products, especially the Touch which can be had nowadays for around £140.
Therefore i'd be tempted to buy 3 SB Touch's and connect them to some decent active speakers (or a little T-Amp and some bookshelf speakers). Then an SB Receiver connected to active ceiling speakers for the bathroom.

All depends on what sound quality you want though really.
 
Logitec (SB) has gone down one road, Sonos down another. As a reseller and installer I looked very closely at both solutions when the products launched initially. As much as possible I have also kept abreast of product developments in both camps.

SB's insistence on having to run a PC with media server software 24/7 was a huge stumbling. It set the company back at least 3 years IMO.

For single-user systems this was less of an issue. But anyone looking for a family-based whole house solution would gravitate towards a NAS and so Logitec had ruled themselves out before the quote stage. It's interesting that they have now backtracked to some degree, but NAS support is still limited to specific models. That's just not a consideration with Sonos. They thought about it upfront and came to market with a product that works out of the box. It also highlights an important issue about costs. Sonos is more expensive, but there are no hidden costs to get things running.

The only thing I think Sonos should have done by now is release black versions of the Connect players.

I have installed quite a bit of Sonos. My customers have never been anything less than delighted with the products. It's fun seeing their reactions when they discover new features and how easy it is to do quite complex things. To me and them that's worth every single penny of the difference between Sonos and cheaper alternatives.
 
Yup Sonos all the way for me. I would also say that an iPod Touch, iPhone or Android phone will be more than adequate to control the system. I use an iPod Touch and my HTC Evo 3D. No specific need for an iPad or Sonos controller.
 
Linn - well I am not going there, Linn fanboys are more dogmatic than Apple fanbois by a factor of 100.

I think for the WAF an iPad is important. A single controller is fine if it is a system just for daddy to use. But if it is truly family audio system then a second controller is essential.

I don't know if the OP is a bachelor, married, at home with parents and all of these things will determine the setup. If I was staritng again I'd go down the Sonos route, but I have invested in Apple and for me and my family it works very well. Personally I wouldn't be surprised if Apple decided to go after the Sonos market, especially as iTunes is well overdue for a massive overhaul. There are enough third parties that have invested in the licensing of AirPlay. That said Sonos is truly a Ronseal product with generally very high WAF. If you invest, you will not be disappointed.
 
SimonR said:
Linn - well I am not going there, Linn fanboys are more dogmatic than Apple fanbois by a factor of 100.
Click to expand...

LOL.... Not sure it's possible to out do Apple Fanboy's...... ;)

All a matter of priorities and budget, they all have their place in the market, which fits best should be done by having a demo at a dealer. Understand the pros and cons of each brand and what it's about and offering.
 
-BA- said:
Sorry not familiar with the acronym WAF. So not sure what you mean when you say an iPad is important.
Click to expand...

WAF = Wife Acceptance Factor

Basically, it's got to be very easy to use/look good so that your wife/partner/kids will be able to use it without bugging you every 5 minutes for putting in "this complicated system" :)
 
Confused said:
WAF = Wife Acceptance Factor

Basically, it's got to be very easy to use/look good so that your wife/partner/kids will be able to use it without bugging you every 5 minutes for putting in "this complicated system" :)
Click to expand...

Thanks for doing that for me ;)
 
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