Question Stream hifi setup: Sonos or Simple Audio + Q Acoustics?

lacordeiro

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After several years of not investing in my CD collection, I decided that I wanted to simplify the way I listen to music, and I am looking for a simple stream setup for my living room (for now).

I want a real hifi stereo experience, although on a budget. For me, lossless is important, and I really want to take advantage of the "Elite" streaming service from Deezer, and that led me to the Sonos offer. After checking the Deezer site (Devices), the Simple Audio Roomplayer also caught my attention (although I would not be able to access the Deezer Elite (flac) service, from what I understand).

A multiroom experience is not relevant for now, but maybe it will be in the future.

So, apart from the software and streaming services availability, which of these setups is better, sound quality wise?

- Sonos Play 1 stereo (2x);
- Simple Audio Roomplayer+ with Amp + Q Acoustics bookshelf speakers (2010i, 2020i, or other)?

I can get them for roughly the same price. Is there another alternative you recommend?

Thank you.

Lourenço
 
One other option would be a Sonos Connect (or Sonos Connect Amp), which could be coupled with an amp and speakers or just powered speakers depending on what you fancy and your budget. This would give you full Sonos functionality, Deezer Elite and good sound (assuming you get decent speakers).

I have Sonos Play 5 units but would not buy the Play 1. I also have a separate amp and speakers which allows me to compare.

How much do you actually want to spend?
 
I take it the op is on a budget of £300 cost of 2 x play1s.
I disagree, 2 x play1s in stereo is a good place to start if you sit in the stereo sweet spot. I sat them ontop on my monitor audio BXs, and thought they sounded near enough as good.
Plus you can always move the play1s to different rooms later on, and buy play5s for the main room.
If you buy them from sonos directly online you get 100 days free return if you don't like them.
You could look at an a/v receiver , 2 floorstanders and chromecast audio, then later build into 5.1 if you are into movies.
 
I didnt say that there was anything wrong with the Play1, just that I have Play5 units and would not want to go below that. The OP is clearly keen on getting good sound quality and I was trying to come up with a fairly future-proof and upgradeable way of achieving that.

It seems to me that the OP wants to get Deezer Elite which, as far as I know, is currently only available on Sonos (this may change in the future). So this currently rules out everything that isnt Sonos. But getting just one Sonos Connect would allow him to have this function and also provide future compatibility with a networked amp (or Chromecast or similar solutions) if he gets one or, of course, any extra Sonos devices. A lot of what you pay for with Sonos is the software and functionality, but if you buy the right Sonos device you can make do with just one of them.

I have three Sonos Play 5 units, a new model Yamaha amp (with MusicCast) and some Boston Acoustic speakers. I bought these in stages over the last few years, since when the price of the (new) Play 5 has become quite a lot more than I paid for mine. If I was looking to re-equip today I would be more inclined to get the one Sonos connect, the same Yamaha amp and some extra speakers (which might be wireless) as I think this would give me better value for money and more flexibility.

But it still all boils down to knowing the OP's budget and future intentions.
 
In theory, I would prefer the Connect:AMP + speakers of my choice over the Play:1s pair, but that means doubling the budget (from 450€ to around 800€). As my living room is not big and I always have kids running around, I wonder how many chances will I get to really appreciate the quality improvement.
 
In theory, I would prefer the Connect:AMP + speakers of my choice over the Play:1s pair, but that means doubling the budget (from 450€ to around 800€). As my living room is not big and I always have kids running around, I wonder how many chances will I get to really appreciate the quality improvement.

In that case your only other question is how important Deezer Elite is to you. If you want it you have to have Sonos (at least at the moment as far as I can see).
 
It is very important: I intend to make it my primary source of music, so I don't want to be limited do 320kbbs mp3. The only alternative to Deezer is Tidal, but the Deezer Elite offer (10€/month with a yearly subscription) is more interesting.
 
You are correct, Deezer elite only on sonos, so maybe start with a single play5. The line-in might be useful as well.
 
Simple Audio is a dead duck (& was a pretty lame one before it died) so forget that.
 
I think I may be in a similarish situation... Not sure - but I have an amp and loudspeakers and just want a convenient way to get digital content into it. I think I'm happy with Spotify Pro.

It seems that there are a few other options to consider. The 2 I've looked at so far:
- Roberts RS1 (this has some autonomy so can stream Spotify internally, not relying on Wifi/Bluetooth)
- Creative Soundblaster E5 (I get the impression that this might have superior audio circuitry)

And probably others.
 
I think I may be in a similarish situation... Not sure - but I have an amp and loudspeakers and just want a convenient way to get digital content into it. I think I'm happy with Spotify Pro.

It seems that there are a few other options to consider. The 2 I've looked at so far:
- Roberts RS1 (this has some autonomy so can stream Spotify internally, not relying on Wifi/Bluetooth)
- Creative Soundblaster E5 (I get the impression that this might have superior audio circuitry)

And probably others.

I was in a similar position a year or so back. But as well as a good amp and speakers I also had an old NAS, and to start with I simply wanted to get all my cds on to the NAS so I could stream them to the amp rather than have to play them on my (quite decent) cd player. I was on the point of buying a Sonos connect, since we already have an early Sonos Play + bridge in an outlying room, but I'm so glad now that I didn't. First, while convenient, Sonos are not particularly highly specced given their price. Second, they've modified their proprietary network software to make it stretch further in terms of compatibility and range, but it can be argued at the cost of quality and reliability. Third, once you start down the Sonos route you're more likely to be tied into it and lose flexibility. Instead I invested in a Raspberry Pi (about £35) and a Hifiberry sound card for it (another £35). I installed Volumio on the Pi and have Minimserver (which I can't recommend highly enough) on my NAS and Bubbleupnp on my Android phone & tablet to control it. I was amazed at the increased quality of the sound compared to both playing cds on the cd player and listening to them streamed through the Sonos. In both cases it's due to the superior quality of the DAC in the Hifiberry card, compared to those in my cd player and the Sonos. And the Sonos Play combo of amp and loudspeaker simply is no match for half decent separates. I'm still in the process of ripping all my cds and enjoying them all anew, but I intend to subscribe to a streaming service at some point in the future and don't anticipate any problems doing so with my current setup, which is so convenient and configurable (provided you're not a technophobe).
 
I think I may be in a similarish situation... Not sure - but I have an amp and loudspeakers and just want a convenient way to get digital content into it. I think I'm happy with Spotify Pro.

It seems that there are a few other options to consider. The 2 I've looked at so far:
- Roberts RS1 (this has some autonomy so can stream Spotify internally, not relying on Wifi/Bluetooth)
- Creative Soundblaster E5 (I get the impression that this might have superior audio circuitry)

And probably others.
Look into google chromecast audio for £15 delivered from currys at the mo.
 
Google Chromecast is interesting, but...
Is it really "HiFi quality"? (I believe it is)
Can it work OK with Apple Music? (no)
Does Chromecast (non Audio) also deliver the same quality of audio? (stupid question, having just Googled it!)
But for £15, I'm going to get one!
 
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Google Chromecast is interesting, but...
Is it really "HiFi quality"? (I believe it is)
Can it work OK with Apple Music? (no)
Does Chromecast (non Audio) also deliver the same quality of audio? (stupid question, having just Googled it!)
But for £15, I'm going to get one!

I got one of each (audio and regular) last week for £40, just to play around with. I also ordered a Troncast mini Windows 10 PC box, and I will be getting a Raspberry Pi 3. All for the same reason. At least one of them should make for a good music server!

Yes, the Chromecast is "hi-fi", at least it is if you use the digital outputs. I would not want to do multiple conversions to/from analogue/digital.

As far as I know the sound output via HDMI on the regular Chromecast is the same as that of the Chromecast Audio via the optical output. In fact in nearly all respects they are identical, apart from the Audio version having a digital optical output instead of HDMI. If you are plugging your device into an AV amp (as I do) then both should be suitable.
The other big difference is the firmware: the regular Chromecast does not support room grouping, as far as I know (not a feature I want to use anyway).

Apple? I dont use Apple products and probably never will. Given how friendly Google and Apple (and Amazon) are with each other I would not look too hard for any compatibility!
 
iphones work well as a controller for other apps, like bbc iplayer radio/podcasts or GPM. But I think you need something like plex or allcast app to cast iTunes. Or just upload 50,000 tracks to GPM for free ;O)
Groups can only be created/edited from chromecast app on Ios or android, not a pc.
 
Well, I've got it now. Just been listening through headphones (B&O H6). Am I going mad, or is the sound quality significantly better than just plugging the phones into the iPhone directly? Jeff Buckley's Grace seems noticeably clearer and punchier through the Chromecast.
 
The other big difference is the firmware: the regular Chromecast does not support room grouping, as far as I know (not a feature I want to use anyway).
Chromecast supports multi room grouping now - and it works!
 
Well, I've got it now. Just been listening through headphones (B&O H6). Am I going mad, or is the sound quality significantly better than just plugging the phones into the iPhone directly? Jeff Buckley's Grace seems noticeably clearer and punchier through the Chromecast.
Make sure you set the audio quality to the better setting in cromecast device setting as well. It doesn't seem to remember this when switched off.
 
Chromecast supports multi room grouping now - and it works!
It certainly does, and you can set as many groups as you like, which is far more flexible than sonos grouping which you have to set on the fly each time.
 
Make sure you set the audio quality to the better setting in cromecast device setting as well. It doesn't seem to remember this when switched off.
Just tested this on my Bathroom Chromecast which runs off a battery so gets switched off regularly and it maintains the High Dynamic Range setting when switched on. Have you tried a factory reset?
 
I thought i read somewhere, it only remembered the High Dynamic setting if optical output was being used. How would it know? I am using a new solid 3.5mm to phono lead, not a hollow Toslink. I will have to re-check...
 
I am using an analogue connection in that location. If you are connecting via optical it only uses Full Dynamic Range, even if you set it to off - according to Googles Help page. It must be able to detect what type of plug has been inserted.
 

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