Wireless home audio system

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carraig king

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I will be moving into a new house in the coming months and wish to install a wireless multi-room audio/video system. The main one I have come across is the Philips Streamium model. Has anyone used this product, or can anyone advise me of other suitable products etc.
 
carraig king said:
I will be moving into a new house in the coming months and wish to install a wireless multi-room audio/video system. The main one I have come across is the Philips Streamium model. Has anyone used this product, or can anyone advise me of other suitable products etc.
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I haven't heard it in the flesh. It gets some generally positive reviews on the Net.

Check out the [broken link removed] as an alternative - only streams at 802.11b but is a very polished solution. Note that neither solution supports songs downloaded from Apple's iTunes Music Store.
 
Sonos, is he way to go in my opinion. I have had a wired system for the last four years, and about 2 months ago, replaced it with the Sonos Wireless system. I also looked at the streamium, but it was too limited (only 4 zones I think). Take a look at www.sonos.com

Wexfordman
 
A bit ignorant about all this wireless stuff to be fair......!!
Can you tell me a few things?
Does all the music have to be stored digitally on a PC?
Does that then mean the PC has to be powered up to operate the audio system?
Can you link radio into it??
 
Daithi,

From the point of view of the Sonos system which I have.

1) You can connect ordinary line in sources to it
2) You can connect a cd player to it etc if you want, but it would be a bit pointless
3) In order to use a music system to its fullest extent, you need to be able to pick and select your tracks for each source without having to be in front of the source if you know what I mean. Its pointless having to go back to your CD player to pick and select your tracks.
4) Following on from point three, you need a place to store all you music, like in mp3 formate or something else. There are two choices, a) a pc, which would need to be turned on, in order for you to play the music stored on it, b) a NAS, which is basically a networked hard drive for storing all your music on. Option B is best for a number of reasons.
4) The SONOS can also stream live internet radio (today fm etc) in WMA format, so no need for a standard tuner.

CD players are outdated and cumbersome. My old multiroom system used to work of different audio sources, SAT box, CD jukebox, radio tuner and DVD player, all of which I could play in any room. However, due to the face that I had no way of selecting tracks, wihtout knowing what cd number and track number they were on on my cd jukebox, the idea of multiroom was kind of killed. Having upgraded to the sonos system, all this is fixed, and I have what I would call a true multiroom system with full control and access to all my music. Have you looked at teh SONOS website ?

Wexfordman
 
Sorry,

Sonos does not do video by the way!!! However, my solution for video is going to be windows media centre, which I think is here to stay and improve. Not sure how long life streamium will be in this regards.

Wexfordman
 
Thanks for that Wexfordman - I had a brief look at the website but I will have a better look again.
Will I find details about the NAS that you mentioned above?
 
Hello WexfordMan from a fellow wexford man !

I love the look of SONOS and am moving house in a few months so i might go mad and but it. I have a few questions for you ;

1. I have my CDs on my PC in an iPod/iTunes configuration. Can Sonos be hooked up to iTunes so I get the playlists, podcasts, etc. ?

2.Can I use the speakers from my old stereos for Sonos ?

3. Where did you buy the system from ?

4. can you use speakers outside on a deck ?

thanks.
 
BTW, Can Media centre be easily connect with Sky + and other terestrial TV stations ?

Thanks,

J
 
Johnnie,

Bought the system locally in Cork (I'm and ex pat!!!), O'Callaghans on Oliver Plunket st. You can buy over the net also, but no advantage, and I like the idea of having someone to go back to if something goes wrong.

As far as I know, Sonos can work off of Itunes, but I think there will be an issue with playing music you purchased through I-tunes due to copyright stuff.

You can use your old speakers no problem as long as they are the correct impedence and you are talking about the ZP100 sonso player (there is a newer cheaper ZP80 out which requres an external amp, but I dont see the point of it to be honest).

You can use speakers outside, as long as they are outdoor speakers, or else you take them in when its wet!!!. Speakers are really your own call, or you can buy the speakers sonos sells. You can get outdoor speakers that look like rocks, or how about these [broken link removed]?

Regards,
Wexfordman
 
Johnnie,

You can get it online from or via dealers at www.sonos.com You could also get it locally if they have a dealer in wexford I am not sure. I bought mine in Cork from a shop, and got a few quid off it (I bought 6 zones and 2 controllers). I do like the idea of getting it locally rather than online as yo get to see it before you buy, and if something goes wrong you havve someone to smack!!!

Cost, they are not cheap, but for what you get, and comparing it to any other similar product around the place (I have done a lot of research on it, and this is my second multiroom system after my first got fizzled in a lighning strike), you will not get better, either in the product or for the value it is.

Its about 1500 yoyo for two zones and one controller as a package, and you can get mix and match deals too. Have a look at www.sonos.com

The great thing about the system is its expandable, you can start off with one or two rooms and work your way up. My last system was a wired one with six zones, six sources, and wall mounted keypads. The main unit got fried with lighting, effectively knocking the whole this out. If this happened with sonos, because they are modular, you wont lose the whole system.. Thanks to the insurance co, they covered the cost of my sonos system. If you want details of where I got it in Cork, let me know.

Regards,
Wexfordman
 
Thanks for the info WexfordMan. I live in Dublin now (ex-pat aswell) and rang a few of the dealers from the sonos website today to enquire about prices but not much luck. they all said they dont do it or they'll ring me back with prices. I think I want a 4 zone setup (maybe start with 2) which I guess will set me back around 3K. Its a lot of money , but I've started to justify it to my wife by saying 'well, compared to the price of the new house, its not much, yet it will change a bog standard house into a cool state of the art house'.
 
JohnnieKippe said:
Thanks for the info WexfordMan. I live in Dublin now (ex-pat aswell) and rang a few of the dealers from the sonos website today to enquire about prices but not much luck. they all said they dont do it or they'll ring me back with prices. I think I want a 4 zone setup (maybe start with 2) which I guess will set me back around 3K. Its a lot of money , but I've started to justify it to my wife by saying 'well, compared to the price of the new house, its not much, yet it will change a bog standard house into a cool state of the art house'.
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The [broken link removed] might be a cheaper solution than Sonos, although without the album art. It likewise does not stream video.

Update: Oops - I see that this already been suggested in this thread... by me!

However, I see that Sonos now support Apple Lossless Encoding, which provides better sound quality at the expense of requiring larger file sizes. I personally am not mad on streaming 128kbps files around - they sound great on an iPod but not so good on big speakers on a serious hi-fi unit. So called "detail expansion" systems to resurrect lost data sounds like a poor alternative to me.

Roku [broken link removed] lossless codecs this unless you have a separate server e.g. the Slimserver. Mind you, if you're going that route, you should also consider the Squeezebox coupled with the Slimserver, since they are from the same people. Note that the Roku Soundbridge only supports 802.11b which is slower. (Good hi-fi orientated review of Roku here.)

However, overall, the Roku or Squeezebox approach strikes me as a cheaper and easier way to get into the whole audio streaming idea, to see if it works for you in your environment, suits your lifestyle etc., rather then sinking lots of money into a Sonos system which requires a separate device to fit into your hi-fi.

The Philips Streamium has the same all-or-nothing approach which I don't like. I like the idea of a modular solution.

(I see that Sonos have a forthcoming product - the - which is cheaper and designed to integrate into an existing hi-fi. This might be interesting to listen to when it comes out. Good review of the Sonos kit here.)

I am sure that Roku upgrades to 802.11g or even n will come in the future, and who knows, maybe even a software upgrade to allow protected AAC files (i.e. files downloaded from the iTunes Music Store) to be played!

If only there was a decent LCD remote for the Apple Airport system, then it would be a good choice too, for building a system in a modular fashion.
 
First off, opologies if I sound over protective about my little sonos. Sonos is one of the only products I can honestly say, I will defend to the death!!

The difference as far as I can see with Sonos and Roku etc are, first and foremost, the user interface, which is exceptional. It does to the multiroom systems what Ipod did to mp3 players, and you will see the obvious similarities.

The second difference, and this is an exclusive as far as I know, is the ability of sonus to synchronise zones, which rokus does not do. That is you can play one track in all zones, and it will be synchronised. This is a very important feature when looking at multiroom systems, as otherwhise all you may as well put in a seperate cd player/tuner in all your rooms.

Not sure what you mean by sonos requiring a seperate device to plug into your hifi Bond ? Can you explain ? The only thing Sonos needs with the ZP100 is a set of speakers ? Both systems do require a centralised source (in the case of Sonos, this can be a pc or NAS,), but Sonos, will also, as an additional feature accept a seperate external source and pipe it to any of the other rooms with a zp in it. Think of it this way, if you have a ZP in one room with a sattelite receiver, all you have to do is plug in audio left and right into the external input source of teh ZP100, and then its availalbe anywhere else in your house!!!

Sonus is a modular system, you build it up one room at a time, so not sure what if any comparison there is to Rokus here.

Yes, sonos is more expensive, but looking at the feature list, for obvious reasons.

Again, I am not putting any product down or anything, but as I said, Sonos is the one and only product I have ever come accross where I will honestly say I would defend to the death :) Thats the most positive statement I can make about it really, and you wont find me ever again saying anything like this about anything else.

Wexfordman

Wexfordman
 
Wexfordman said:
The difference as far as I can see with Sonos and Roku etc are, first and foremost, the user interface, which is exceptional. It does to the multiroom systems what Ipod did to mp3 players, and you will see the obvious similarities.
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Certainly, the LCD remote is very nice.

Wexfordman said:
The second difference, and this is an exclusive as far as I know, is the ability of sonus to synchronise zones, which rokus does not do. That is you can play one track in all zones, and it will be synchronised. This is a very important feature when looking at multiroom systems, as otherwhise all you may as well put in a seperate cd player/tuner in all your rooms.
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Not sure if the Roku does this, but the Squeezebox does according to this review.

Wexfordman said:
Not sure what you mean by sonos requiring a seperate device to plug into your hifi Bond ? Can you explain ? The only thing Sonos needs with the ZP100 is a set of speakers ? Both systems do require a centralised source (in the case of Sonos, this can be a pc or NAS,), but Sonos, will also, as an additional feature accept a seperate external source and pipe it to any of the other rooms with a zp in it. Think of it this way, if you have a ZP in one room with a sattelite receiver, all you have to do is plug in audio left and right into the external input source of teh ZP100, and then its availalbe anywhere else in your house!!!
Click to expand...

The ZP100 includes an amplifier. You plug speakers into it - either the Sonos ones or better still, buy some better speakers from someone else.

If you already have a hi-fi amp, you may not want to plug the speakers into the Sonos unit, as they will already be connected to your amp. This is where the ZP80 comes in - it integrates with your existing hi-fi amp.

Wexfordman said:
Sonus is a modular system, you build it up one room at a time, so not sure what if any comparison there is to Rokus here.

Yes, sonos is more expensive, but looking at the feature list, for obvious reasons.

Again, I am not putting any product down or anything, but as I said, Sonos is the one and only product I have ever come accross where I will honestly say I would defend to the death :) Thats the most positive statement I can make about it really, and you wont find me ever again saying anything like this about anything else.
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Not disagreeing. Just stating that the Roku has a cheaper cost of entry and requires few pieces of equipment.

I personally am going to wait for something which streams video as well before I invest.

Anyway, enjoy your Sonos, Wexfordman.

Please do post to say where you bought it and if it lives up to your expectations!
 
Wexfordman,

I was looking at the Sonos site and in the set up guide it said that at least one of the ZP100's needs to be directly connected to the wireless network. Is this correct ? Is this a similar requirement for all wireless audio systems ?

Also initially want to listen to the Sonos through my home cinema / stereo system - what audio outs does the sonos have?
 
Do you need speakers in every room.

I mean properly integrated into walls / ceilings?

Or do you use proprietry hifi ones?

B
 
Mr Bond (cant spell french me!!)

"Not disagreeing. Just stating that the Roku has a cheaper cost of entry and requires few pieces of equipment."

Yep, the Roku is cheaper, but they are different products pretty much. Does the Roku require an amp by the way, I'm not sure!!!. Also, how does the Roku require fewer pieces of equipment, all sonos needs is a source and a set of speakers when you look at it. I will give you one thing, it would be nice if Sonos was cheaper, but when you compare the two products, or Sonos agains any other multiroom quipment (wired or wireless), you will see why the price difference.

Brian,

You need speakers in whichever room you want music in, which is whichever room you will have a zoneplayer in. They dont have to be integrated or ceiling mounted etc, you can use normal stereo speakers or whatever you want. Just make sure they are the correct impedence.

EFM,

The frist zp has to be pyhsically connected (via ethernet/lan cable) to your source. This could mean that it is plugged directly into your router, directly into your pc or NAS or whatever. Think of it as an amp, in order to hear music, it has to be connected to a source (cd player etc). Once the first zone is wired, then all the rest can be wireless (assuming no range probelms etc).

Listening to sonos through your cinema system is a doddle. The ZP100 has both standard speaker outputs, but it also has audio left/right ouputs that can be connected to an amp. It also has audio left/right inputs, so you can connect your home cinema system to it, and listed to movies/tv or radio (if your cd player has one) etc in stereo anywhere else in the house.

Once you have BB, you an also listen to any internet radio station in the world, in any room (except realplayer stations).

The ZP80 is a cheaper version of the ZP100, in that the ZP80 does not have an amp, so you must use an external amp (your home cinema system for example) to listen to music. Might be a cheaper option for one of your zones. Personally, I would go for the ZP100's all the time though

Another feature with each ZP, you get 4 ethernet ports as well. So for example, my ZP in the living room is behind my telly, and next to my XBOX. the ZP connects wireless back to the first ZP, but because it has 4 ethernet ports on it, I simply hook up my xbox to it, and I am live, without having to run cable for it, or buy expensive adaptors for the xbox.

Can Roku do that mr Bond :)

Think I might be getting a little obsessive now!!

I bought my system in O'Callaghans electrical, Oliver Plunket st cork. There is a guy there that deals specifically with multirrom systems that I would advise anyone ask speak to him. I could give his name, but not sure if its wise to on this public forum (would his first name be okay).

Otherwise, if anyone PM's me I will provide his contact details etc

Wexfordman
 
Wexfordman said:
Mr Bond (cant spell french me!!)

"Not disagreeing. Just stating that the Roku has a cheaper cost of entry and requires few pieces of equipment."

Yep, the Roku is cheaper, but they are different products pretty much. Does the Roku require an amp by the way, I'm not sure!!!. Also, how does the Roku require fewer pieces of equipment, all sonos needs is a source and a set of speakers when you look at it. I will give you one thing, it would be nice if Sonos was cheaper, but when you compare the two products, or Sonos agains any other multiroom quipment (wired or wireless), you will see why the price difference.
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The Roku connects over Wi-FI (802.11b unfortunately, not g) to your music share and connects via optical or coaxial connection for optimum sound quality. Does not require an amp.

Sonos streams at the higher 802.11g speed, is more expensive but more impressive design wise - particularly the LCD handheld remote. Requires its own amplifer at present until the Z80 option comes out, which turns me off, as I don't wish to invest in a second amp. Does not have optical or coax connections unfortunately.

Neither system is perfect - neither play protected AAC files (songs downloaded from iTunes Music Store). However the Roku does play Microsoft's Plays-For-Sure protected WMA files which I believe the Sonos currently does not.

Wexfordman said:
EFM,

The frist zp has to be pyhsically connected (via ethernet/lan cable) to your source. This could mean that it is plugged directly into your router, directly into your pc or NAS or whatever. Think of it as an amp, in order to hear music, it has to be connected to a source (cd player etc). Once the first zone is wired, then all the rest can be wireless (assuming no range probelms etc).
Click to expand...
This restriction does not apply to the Roku Soundbridge or the Squeezebox, afaik.

Wexfordman said:
The ZP80 is a cheaper version of the ZP100, in that the ZP80 does not have an amp, so you must use an external amp (your home cinema system for example) to listen to music. Might be a cheaper option for one of your zones. Personally, I would go for the ZP100's all the time though
Click to expand...
Not just cheaper, but a response to a customer need - many customers prefer to use their existing amp and not to buy a second one. This is why the ZP80 will be introduced.

Wexfordman said:
Another feature with each ZP, you get 4 ethernet ports as well. So for example, my ZP in the living room is behind my telly, and next to my XBOX. the ZP connects wireless back to the first ZP, but because it has 4 ethernet ports on it, I simply hook up my xbox to it, and I am live, without having to run cable for it, or buy expensive adaptors for the xbox.

Can Roku do that mr Bond :)
Click to expand...
I think that wireless router functionality is best left to a wireless router.
However, if you don't have one already, the ethernet ports on the Sonos are indeed useful.

There are other differences between the two systemsm and neither is perfect - Roku has inferior security at present for example (WEP but not WPA). You can't remove the rechargeable battery in the Sonos remote, for example.

Bottom line:

Given the actual bandwidth you will get on current wi-fi technology, none of the solutions mentioned is really suited to high bitrate streaming e.g. lossless encoding. None are suitable for streaming video.

However, if you want a wireless audio system now, and can afford it, I would also go for the Sonos. (Although I would wait for the Z80 non-amp option to come out if you have a decent hi-fi or home cinema amp already. No point in paying for two big boxes to sit in your hi-fi rack!)

If you can't afford Sonos, Roku or Squeezebox are good options. Or for that matter, the Apple Airport system, if you can live without the remote. (It's certainly very cheap.)

Otherwise, wait for a MIMO or 802.11n option to come out next year.

...Final thought - you could wait for Apple to launch a Sonos-killer, or else to buy Sonos as has been rumoured on the Net!
 
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