Help this noob find a server for CD's only

[Alex2507]

So far the options seem pretty costly so I'm going to have to make this laptop pay off by making better use of it. We should be clear of ginormo photo and I can only hope nobody quotes it.

This has been a public service ... not a thread flood ... (takes bow).

 

[jostenmeat]

Whoops! Sorry about that giant image!!! Google Chrome auto zoom strikes again.

It's all digital audio, so the wireless is as good as the local, since it just streams it through its own WiFi network (which has a higher transfer rate than needed for lossless FLAC) and then plays it locally. It's just a stereo output, so nothing multichannel. I would say its very good, but, I hardly have golden ears.... to me they are limited to the file itself.

You don't need a computer, you just need a broadband connection. The sound quality of the Internet radio stuff varies though. Some of it is okay, some of it is bad. It's a database of internet radio stations, so, there is a huge mix. For background music it is great.

Yeah, I have a unamplified zone player and remote in my garage. I use an external amplifier. I've actually never heard their speakers, so, I don't really know..

I have setup an amplified zone player for a friend though, and the amplifier was fine for his bookshelf speakers. It's actually a pretty nice unit... push-down terminals and stuff.

Yeah, your stuck any way you go pretty much. It's nice having a regular digital copy though. I back all my music up to drives. It's a pain but it has come in handy.

No problem!

It is pretty slick. I actually heard about it when it first came out, and kind of shrugged it off. I finally came around. Sonus and AppleTV are my favorite little gadgets now.

I think you can also use your iPhone as a remote, but I'm a Blackberry user so I never tried that. No hacks required, it is just an app.

Really, thanks so much Midnight. Tomorrow, I will research Apple. After I get a bit of an idea, I may ask you questions about that unit. At some point, when the whole concept settles in better (which I guess it has), I might give Sonos a call to assuage any concerns.

After throwing this idea at some friends/family, my brother says with that kind of dough, I should get a plasma and an xbox, lol. I'm not really a gamer, but he's trying hard to make me become one.

I may post here again in the near future, if only to think out loud. I figure someone could benefit at that point. Well maybe not, because this is already past Alex's price point. Alex, I will pass along the link's adk sent me, but they might be expiring today? Reeeallly good prices. Most likely well within your budget.

Ok, guests are already arriving for Beethoven Piano Concertos, which finally arrived today. I'm going to vote for No.4, but it's possible someone in particular might root for No.5. I'll probably win.

 

[Alex2507]

I didn't like that eBay seller a bunch.
Some neg, some neutral and maybe some withdrawn stuff coupled with a used unit that I don't know how to use.

I appreciate it but I gotta pass and try to learn to use the stuff that I already have.

That whole too good to be true thing ...

 

[MidnightSensi]

I use AppleTV as a source semi-frequently. I also download movies from it when I have none. They offer HD content, mostly 5.1 .. good enough for the convenience

A note about sound quality though, your limited to red book sound with AppleTV. Even though iTunes will transmit 128 and 256 Kbps AAC, and 16- and 24-bit LPCM, in their native resolutions, over the network, when they reach AppleTV they all get upconverted or downconverted to 16-bit CD audio.

So far the options seem pretty costly so I'm going to have to make this laptop pay off by making better use of it. We should be clear of ginormo photo and I can only hope nobody quotes it.

This has been a public service ... not a thread flood ... (takes bow).

That is a public service, it still haunts us in the reply though. That photo is evil, evil, evil. It tricked me.

 

[adwilk]

...I can only hope nobody quotes it.

Alex, you know its killing me to not quote that photo... Killing me..

 

[jostenmeat]

I use AppleTV as a source semi-frequently. I also download movies from it when I have none. They offer HD content, mostly 5.1 .. good enough for the convenience

A note about sound quality though, your limited to red book sound with AppleTV. Even though iTunes will transmit 128 and 256 Kbps AAC, and 16- and 24-bit LPCM, in their native resolutions, over the network, when they reach AppleTV they all get upconverted or downconverted to 16-bit CD audio.

Thank you. I swear I've tried to rep you for the last few days, but the system says I give you too much love. It still keeps giving me that message even after maxing out rep a couple/few days in a row. Hmrz.

I think, for the moment, I'm not going to get a server. Oh, it WOULD be nice. But, it is indeed pricey, and man will it be a pain to load so much music. Shoot. I'm sure it's worth it in the end . . . Iono . . .