[magnate]

Hi All,

Is it just because I'm new, or does this ng have a pretty low SNR? I
mean, I love a good argument about copyright as much as the next man,
but death threats?

Anyway, here's hoping for some assistance making my next purchase. For
years I've enjoyed playing my MP3s through my stereo via a direct
phono connection from the PC to the amp. Now the wife has banished all
PCs upstairs to the study, but still wants to listen to the MP3
collection in the living room. I've tried arguing the advantages of
having a dedicated media PC (MythTV etc.) but it's no-go. So it has to
be one of those digital streaming jobbies.

Years ago when I first looked into this, the big thing was the
AudioTron from Turtle Beach, which was basically a miniPC with its own
hard disk and an ethernet port. Seems they've stopped making them, and
the current owners must be very happy because there aren't any on
eBay.

Everything else seems to require a host PC to run some sort of
streaming media server. There are supposedly some that can just
connect to a samba share and find the MP3s for themselves, but none of
the ones below seem to do that. Two of the server apps, gMediaServer
and SlimServer, are both open source though, so that's good.

My (our) requirements are pretty simple: must play MP3s from our Linux
server (no Windoze here, and no niche formats to worry about), through
the amp (a Yamaha RXV-1500), preferably with a wireless connection to
the network (though this is not critical). The important features are
playlist manipulation/searching (of ~11000 MP3s - and yes, I still
have the original CDs) - the quicker we can find the tracks we want,
the better. Digital output nice but not essential (since our MP3s are
not high quality anyway - most are only at 128k).

My research indicates the following options, in ascending order of
price:

1. Netgear MP101 - a few years old, no digital outputs, but seems to
do the job. Wireless network connectivity and "in-room" remote (ie.
infra-red, where you pretty much need LOS to the unit). Works with
gMediaServer, available on eBay for around £50.

2. Philips SLA5520 - also an older model, no digital outputs (not even
phono, bizarrely - just a 3.5mm jack). Also wireless and supposedly
works with gMediaServer. Available on eBay for around £60.

3. Roku/Pinnacle SoundBridge - the current M1001 model seems to have
all the bells & whistles, wireless connectivity, digital output,
"custom" remote (whatever that means). Apparently works with either
SlimServer or gMediaStreamer. Available on eBay for £65-70 new.

4. Slim Devices Squeezebox - seems to be the "audiophile's choice" (in
so far as anybody playing MP3s can be considered an audiophile). Seems
very similar to the Soundbridge but with slightly higher specs, but is
*not* a uPnP device (i.e. does not work with gMediaStreamer). Works
with (indeed is designed for) SlimServer. Available on eBay for ~
£80-90 used, but retails new for quite a bit more (~£150).

5. (Newer devices from Netgear, Philips et al., all of which do video
streaming as well, which isn't necessary.)

6. The Sonos system - the ultimate luxury. Way beyond my price range
(£250 for the ZP-80 and the same again for the controller!) but
included for completeness. The big draw with this is not the "mesh
network" gobbledigook, but the fact that the remote is a true
"anywhere" remote, not a standard IR one. Can't afford £400 extra just
for that though, much as the wife would like it.

Grateful for any opinions, especially if I've got something wrong, or
have overlooked another contender. At the moment I'm torn between the
MP101 (minimal outlay), the Squeezebox (affordable quality) and the
SoundBridge (half and half). Grateful for any comments from users of
any of these with large MP3 collections.

Thanks in advance,

CC

[Clyde Slick]

On 8 Oct, 16:04, magnate wrote:
Hi All,

Is it just because I'm new, or does this ng have a pretty low SNR? I
mean, I love a good argument about copyright as much as the next man,
but death threats?

Anyway, here's hoping for some assistance making my next purchase. For
years I've enjoyed playing my MP3s through my stereo via a direct
phono connection from the PC to the amp. Now the wife has banished all
PCs upstairs to the study, but still wants to listen to the MP3
collection in the living room. I've tried arguing the advantages of
having a dedicated media PC (MythTV etc.) but it's no-go. So it has to
be one of those digital streaming jobbies.



I suggest you try one of these replacement models:
http://www.mailorderbrides.com/