Streaming home audio stereo...

[f13ldy]

Being of the digital age all my music is housed on my Mac.

However, this leaves a big quandry when I'm downstairs as I can't access my music (well I can via the xbox but its way too much hard work).

Ideally I'd want a stereo that can stream music from the Mac (or Macs) and play it downstairs.

Is such technology available in this day and age?

 

[Mr_Sukebe]

Go read up on the Slimdevices Squeezebox.
Can be connected using RF and can stream AAC from your Mac to your PC.

 

[Ceejayav]

What he said.

Plus, have a look at http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=488504 which lists a few of the alternatives and one or two views about them.

HTH.

 

[Blue_Max]

I already have a DAC and a Monarchy DIP 48/96 Upsampler. Together they do an excellent job receiving data from digital sources, process, convert and feed the amp with analogue signal.

My PC is not in the same room as hi-fi. Wiring up for Ethernet LAN is not practicable. But I have a laptop and 802.11g wireless router.

What I am trying to do is:
1. Use a PC to load some 500 CDs, uncompressed, into a hard drive; either internal or in an external caddy.
2. To keep track of them all, use a Gracenote based program and create a database/catalogue of the CDs with tracklist/artist/conductor/composer information. May be even pictures.
3. Use the laptop (nice large screen unlike the Squeezebox) in the listening room to view and select tracks from the database and play them on a hi-fi system.

Any wireless devices out there that will help me?
Thanks

 

[andrew1810]

I already have a DAC and a Monarchy DIP 48/96 Upsampler. Together they do an excellent job receiving data from digital sources, process, convert and feed the amp with analogue signal.

My PC is not in the same room as hi-fi. Wiring up for Ethernet LAN is not practicable. But I have a laptop and 802.11g wireless router.

What I am trying to do is:
1. Use a PC to load some 500 CDs, uncompressed, into a hard drive; either internal or in an external caddy.
2. To keep track of them all, use a Gracenote based program and create a database/catalogue of the CDs with tracklist/artist/conductor/composer information. May be even pictures.
3. Use the laptop (nice large screen unlike the Squeezebox) in the listening room to view and select tracks from the database and play them on a hi-fi system.

Any wireless devices out there that will help me?
Thanks

You could still use a Squeezebox, but using the web interface to select the tracks

 

[Blue_Max]

Thanks Andrew.
Also found some info of real value at your website http://www.audiofi.co.uk

 

[lazymatt]

1. Use a PC to load some 500 CDs, uncompressed, into a hard drive; either internal or in an external caddy.
2. To keep track of them all, use a Gracenote based program and create a database/catalogue of the CDs with tracklist/artist/conductor/composer information. May be even pictures.

You would probably be better off using a lossless compression, such as FLAC, as this supports tags and album art.

WAV (uncompressed) can be bit of a nightmare to use as it doesn't support tags. Probably wouldn't be too much of a problem as you intend using your PC, but if you do try and use the SB and remote (rather than the PC) you will have greater flexibility with FLAC.

 

[Blue_Max]

You would probably be better of using a lossless compression, such as FLAC, as this supports tags and album art.

WAV (uncompressed) can be bit of a nightmare to use as it doesn't support tags. Probably wouldn't be too much of a problem as you intend using your PC, but if you do try and use the SB and remote (rather than the PC) you will have greater flexibility with FLAC.

Only know about FLAC from Andrew's website. Any programs out there that I can download and use for copying and processing CDs to HD ?
I am planning to use an external HD so that I can load it up, disconnect from the PC and take it to the listening room. Are there any HD devices that will pug into the back of SB or the router so that the PC need not be on?

Thanks 'ceejayav', 'Mr_Sukebe' (Thorsten ?) and others. Huge support for SBox here! But is it really of genuine hi-fi quality? Cos Slim Devices also make the Transporter. At £1300 too expensive for me though.

Will my 802.11g router (SpeedTouch 780WL) good enough? 54mbps max goes down to 38mbps in the listening room.

 

[lazymatt]

Only know about FLAC from Andrew's website. Any programs out there that I can download and use for copying and processing CDs to HD ?
I am planning to use an external HD so that I can load it up, disconnect from the PC and take it to the listening room. Are there any HD devices that will pug into the back of SB or the router so that the PC need not be on?

Thanks 'ceejayav', 'Mr_Sukebe' (Thorsten ?) and others. Huge support for SBox here! But is it really of genuine hi-fi quality? Cos Slim Devices also make the Transporter. At £1300 too expensive for me though.

Will my 802.11g router (SpeedTouch 780WL) good enough? 54mbps max goes down to 38mbps in the listening room.

There's been a lot of discussion on the MP3 forum about HDD based devices that plug into an amp....there's not many good ones. You could have a look at the Pixel Magic HD box, but that, like most requires a screen to navigate.

There's the HiFidelio and Cambridge devices as well.

The SB3 is a very good device, very good sound quality (using FLAC or lossless files), and upgradable to use an off board DAC to get even better sound quality.

If you use a NAS box with Slimserver installed, you can plug it into your router and access it witout the PC being on.

You can download Slimserver and a software based SB3 so you can see the interface over on the Slimdevices website

www.slimdevices.com

EAC with the FLAC plug-in is the general recommendation for ripping. There's a guide here to setting up (pinched the link from Triggaaar on the MP3 forums - http://users.pandora.be/satcp/eac-qs-en.htm). MAke sure you rip to your local (internal) HDD first and then transfer the files to the external HDD.

 

[andrew1810]

I have just updated the copy of CDex on the site which is pre-configured to rip to FLAC (If you select FLAC on setup)

I have also made one copy for people with a QNAP/external hard disk which will map the drive and configure CDex appropriately

The QNAP version also has a script to shut down the QNAP without accessing the web interface

If anyone wants this copy, drop me an email and I'll send it through


Andrew

 

[Mr_Sukebe]

As per the recommendations here, I use CDex to cut to FLAC and stream via wireless to my SB.

I'm told by owners of the standard SB3 that they're pretty good into a DAC, but aren't capable of competing with a dedicated transport into the same DAC.
Note that there are upgrades available for the SB, including uprated PSUs, which will close the difference. I've recently replaced my modded Meridian 500 transport with an SB+, which is a professionally modded SB3 on steroids, and IMO sounds just as good as the old CD transport. Not cheap though.

 

[lazymatt]

I've recently replaced my modded Meridian 500 transport with an SB+, which is a professionally modded SB3 on steroids

Isn't it based around the SB2, not 3?

 

[Mr_Sukebe]

Isn't it based around the SB2, not 3?

The newer versions of the SB+ are based on the SB3.

 

[lazymatt]

The newer versions of the SB+ are based on the SB3.

Ah, nice. I've not seen the newer ones.

 

[Blue_Max]

this page compares various SqueezeBox models
http://wiki.slimdevices.com/index.cgi?HardwareComparison

Apart from styling changes SB 2 & 3 apprear to be technically similar.
Doesn't say if SB2 has remote control

 

[Ceejayav]

this page compares various SqueezeBox models
http://wiki.slimdevices.com/index.cgi?HardwareComparison

Apart from styling changes SB 2 & 3 apprear to be technically similar.
Doesn't say if SB2 has remote control

Yes, they are almost identical technically. The SB2 does have a remote. They are sometimes to be found on ebay.

Huge support for SBox here! But is it really of genuine hi-fi quality?

Define "genuine" !! An unmodded Squeezebox is probably a fair match for a CD player costing £200-£400, say. I used a stock SB2 for a couple of years and was quite happy with it (before upgrade-itis set in, of course).

HTH

 

[iabbott75]

For a different approach to the question, something like this might do the trick:
http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=502621&highlight=thomson

Doesn't look like it will run on a mac though.

 

[Blue_Max]

For a different approach to the question, something like this might do the trick:
http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=502621&highlight=thomson

Doesn't look like it will run on a mac though.

Looks like a micro-system that play lossy formats such as MP3 and WMA files. It has a market, I guess, to stream music into the kitchen, garden shed, etc.

Whether or not there is a definition of what genuine hi-fi is, THOMSON Wifi Micro System CS706, is not it. But only £159 compared to £1300 for a SlimDevices Transporter.