The future of home audio? (Sooloos)

[jelanier]

I ran across this product the other day and I thought this may actually catch on. I am a design engineer and I do a lot of full scale integrations in the corporate world with A/V, Control Systems, Media Retrieval etc.

This product is along those lines but may prove to be the shape of things to come in the home.

http://www.sooloos.com/www/home.html

Check it out!

Jim

 

[MDS]

It's cool looking and a touch-screen LCD is convenient but $12,000 for a computer with media software just isn't going to sell to the mainstream music lover. $1200 - maybe.

 

[jaxvon]

Hmm, she has nice clea...I mean that looks kinda cool, but definitely too expensive for the average consumer.

 

[Alex2507]

Hmm, she has nice clea...I mean that looks kinda cool, but definitely too expensive for the average consumer.

All I can think of is "clean feet". What am I suppose to do with clean feet?

 

[Joe Schmoe]

I would probably pay $12K for her if I had it. By the way, what is that thing she is pressing buttons on?

 

[stratman]

Is $12K the entry system? Seems you can opt for the smaller control and processor. Cool, but if entry is $12K it will be relgated to high-end consumers only.

 

[rushwj]

looks pretty sleek, but i do enjoy my Sonos. very functional, easy to use, good sound quality. not cheap, but compared to 12K, it sure looks like a good price!

 

[Seth=L]

Hmm, she has nice clea...

...n feet?

 

[jelanier]

Pricey yes

Is $12K the entry system? Seems you can opt for the smaller control and processor. Cool, but if entry is $12K it will be relgated to high-end consumers only.

Yes, it is pricey for the average guy, but I believe this is the direction of home audio. I ran across this as I was considering building an audio media retrieval system for my home. Large drives on a server with multiple endpoints (SBC and DACs) in the home. I would put high quality DACs in hifi rooms (I only have 2), and cheap DACs in other zones. Although I do have a 15" touchpanel and control processor, the processor can also serve up web pages that mirror the touchpanel interface. You could then serve up music in any zone with your laptop.

Hard drive space is cheap these days, and new no-loss compression is out there. I think Sooloos uses FLAC. (Free Lossless Audio Codec)

Later,

Jim

 

[Warpdrv]

Im already using my Pronto 9600 for this same application...
Not as big, but I can use it wirelessly over my G network walk anywhere in the house or yard, and serve up Sat. radio, or music from my 2 terabyte server it just fine... Or even movies.... or picture slide shows...

Doesn't seem to me that Its really anything new, except for the fanless part..

Oh and at about 1/10 the price...

 

[fmw]

I think I'll stick with the Squeezboxes at $300 per unit. I have to find music titles with text rather than pictures but, since I have thousands of albums, it wouldn't be a lot easier with pictures.

I rent movies because I don't have an interest in seeing them more than once. So, unlike music, I don't buy them and I wouldn't archive them to hard drive if I did.

I think sometimes we lose site of the content as we pursue ever more complex systems to deliver it. Perhaps it is the future of audio for some people but probably not for me.

 

[jelanier]

Im already using my Pronto 9600 for this same application...
Not as big, but I can use it wirelessly over my G network walk anywhere in the house or yard, and serve up Sat. radio, or music from my 2 terabyte server it just fine... Or even movies.... or picture slide shows...

Doesn't seem to me that Its really anything new, except for the fanless part..

Oh and at about 1/10 the price...

I agree it isn't a new concept, but it is a fully integrated package to deliver high quality audio to multiple zones. I am an engineer with a company that does integrations in the corporate/edu/broadcast world and we have been doing media retrieval systems for many years. I think you would agree that media retrieval for audio will be commonplace in the future.

Oh, the price...you get what you pay for. The Sooloos system is high quality
audio with the needed massive storage and storage mirroring. It also has a nice user interface for the control system. Consider this, my 15" touchpanel retails for $8000. My control processor is about $3500. (And that is just part of the control system) High quality DACs as endpoints aren't cheap either. You can't do a system like theirs for 1/10th the price.

Jim

 

[Nestor]

I think I'll stick with the Squeezboxes at $300 per unit. I have to find music titles with text rather than pictures but, since I have thousands of albums, it wouldn't be a lot easier with pictures.

I rent movies because I don't have an interest in seeing them more than once. So, unlike music, I don't buy them and I wouldn't archive them to hard drive if I did.

I think sometimes we lose site of the content as we pursue ever more complex systems to deliver it. Perhaps it is the future of audio for some people but probably not for me.

Tel Canto sells pda software that lets you browse your collection with pictures.

When I'm listening to music, I can relax on my sofa with my HP Ipaq, view my entire music collection stored on my pc, and send back commands via wi-fi to control the Squeezebox.

If you are of the Robb Report set, then I think the Soolos is for you. My squeezebox is just as high quality and will never be limited by a proprietary storage medium. (Think Yamaha)

 

[sparky77]

I have an old dedicated P3 700 that is connected to my reciever using coaxial digital, and an output to the tv. Using a wireless remote system I am able to control all the functions I use most often from the comfort of my couch, for a grand total of about $200, and no need for a touch screen.