Technical Question for WiFi Hi-Fi Setup

[lotus]

Dear All,

it seems, that I will have some $$ after Christmas to improve my setup of my home stereo network. The hardware of speakers, amps etc is very good, so I am not asking for some advise on that. I do not like the way how the "data" arrive to the amp.

Here is my existing setup (Everything is M$ Windows based):

• On all PC's the music streaming software is Foobar (recommendation from RogorMortis, excellent choice as the coding of CD's to AAC can also be done at 400 kbs). All PC's are connected via W-LAN to WWW and to each other.
• "Main" PC is in my office. On that HD is the music library. This PC has iTunes on it only used to synchronize with iPod. This PC is connected to a office stereo via a M-Audio Audiophile 2496 card, used also to digitalize Vynil, (recommendation from Vax a couple of years ago, excellent result!) to local stereo. No need of improvement to that.
• Work Laptop, in office, no need to connect anywhere else
• Living Room Laptop, connected to HiFi via an external USB Soundblaster Sound card and cable to stereo. So streaming music from the moon or from main library of "Main" PC without problem. At the same time faffing on the Moon and/or surfing in the net is no problem.

As the existing living room laptop is 8 years old, it just can be run with power cable as the batteries are done, there is a cable from the desk to the amp etc. I would like to have this setup in the living room small and cable free, but having similar comfort that I have now (I do not want to faff over a smart phone etc). And I do want to have a max quality at the entrance of the amp.

So my question to you is if you have experience/Knowledge how to make the setup better here in my living room without connecting all the times power and analog music cables etc?

Thank you for your feedback.

[OverHillandDale(Admin)]

Lotus, I use a streaming device called the Squeezebox. It is a Logitech product now. It comes in various sizes and models that can act as standalone products (plays like a radio but streams from the server) as they have their own speaker. there are also strictly streaming receivers that can be attached to a audio system. It is wireless and uses stereo rca cables to connect to audio system.

There are several brands (ie Roku) that market similar devices. The newer ones will also stream video/tv/movie content as well. So you can connect to TV and Audio from those.

Another option is a a/v server - pc's designed to primarily just perform those types of tasks. That goes out of my experiences but it is an option. That too can hook to TV and you would use that as your monitor with wireless keyboard. But that could hamper free pc use if someone is watching something at the time.

That would be why I would recommend a streaming device and a new laptop. The laptop can be to what ever specifications you like and you would not have to have a special soundcard. The streaming units typically have web-based controls for playlists and reaching the server.

I hope this helps. Feel free to ask more questions.

dale

[deSousa]

Hi lotus, this is probably not the answer you want, but to hear AM at the living room I'd use a good pair of headphones. The 128 kbit you get from AM is nowhere close to the quality you should feed to an HiFi. In my experience, anything other than copper or silver is not really worth plugging in, even to an entry level system like mine.

[lotus]

Originally Posted by OverHillandDale

Lotus, I use a streaming device called the Squeezebox. It is a Logitech product now. It comes in various sizes and models that can act as standalone products (plays like a radio but streams from the server) as they have their own speaker. there are also strictly streaming receivers that can be attached to a audio system. It is wireless and uses stereo rca cables to connect to audio system.

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I hope this helps. Feel free to ask more questions.

dale

Thank you for this information, Dale. Looking for the information about the squeezebox it seems to be exactly that what I want at a reasonable price. I will try it out and give you a feedback!

Originally Posted by deSousa

Hi lotus, this is probably not the answer you want, but to hear AM at the living room I'd use a good pair of headphones. The 128 kbit you get from AM is nowhere close to the quality you should feed to an HiFi. In my experience, anything other than copper or silver is not really worth plugging in, even to an entry level system like mine.

Thank you for the answer, deSousa. I agree with you, that the streaming quality of 128 kbs is not the quality as if you have a lossless audio source (or even better an analog good Vinyl player). But IMHO even a 24 kbs streams sounds better out of good quality speakers that out of any laptop speakers. In my experience quality of the source of the music is by far not so important than the quality of the last technical device before the music reaches you ear..

Thank you to you both, Dale and deSousa for taking you time to answer!

[deSousa]

Originally Posted by lotus

But IMHO even a 24 kbs streams sounds better out of good quality speakers that out of any laptop speakers. In my experience quality of the source of the music is by far not so important than the quality of the last technical device before the music reaches you ear..

Hi again lotus, indeed laptop inbuilt speakers have a very narrow band of reproduction, there simply isn't space in the chassis to accomodate the required hardware; appart from that the speakers are too close to each other and usually facing up, it'd be better if hardware makers simply didn't include them. I didn't understood this as your issue. That being the case I'd opt for copper, that's how I do it. This way I can also use the laptop as a CD/DVD/MP3 player.

[lotus]

Originally Posted by deSousa

Hi again lotus, indeed laptop inbuilt speakers have a very narrow band of reproduction, there simply isn't space in the chassis to accomodate the required hardware; appart from that the speakers are too close to each other and usually facing up, it'd be better if hardware makers simply didn't include them. I didn't understood this as your issue. That being the case I'd opt for copper, that's how I do it. This way I can also use the laptop as a CD/DVD/MP3 player.

I had copper/cables and I wanted to get rid of them. On main PC in the office the M-Audio card is still connected via cables to the amp etc.

So now a preliminary feedback of what I installed now in the living room to the HiFi:

New Netbook Packard Bell http://www.packardbell.co.uk/pb/en/G...l/NU.BXSEK.002

USB Bluetooth adapter

Logitech Squeezebox http://www.amazon.de/Logitech-schnur.../dp/B004ZH0RSY

Installation of the new hardware into the family network: No problem
Installation of the Squeezebox : "0" problems (Foobar erecognizes the device as a speaker)
Sound: at a first "hear" as good as over copper"

Resuming: Happy (and more important: Doris happy) as no cables any more in the living room

Again thank you Dale and deSousa for your input.

[gr8sho92]

Hi Lotus.

Very interesting thread. This topic rolls around in my head every now and again, but unfortunately for me, the idea of listening to music in the family room through a traditional Hi-Fi stereo system just isn't there anymore. Sad really.

However, I can achieve this quite easily using some things here that are now obsolete and others may have these too. Perhaps an old iPhone or iPod Touch. And maybe you bought a dock for it that has an audio out connection. Now you can simply use a patch cable and feed it into the Aux input of the receiver and use the interface of the iDevice to stream AM over WiFi using your favorite internet radio app of choice. There are many more ways to skin this cat, this one just came up because I have the parts laying around the house and could easily be put to the task.

BTW, I am actually using my original iPhone 3G now only in wifi mode to stream music in the master bath using a Logitech dock. So these devices do still serve a noble purpose if you don't sell them for other reasons.

[OverHillandDale(Admin)]

Originally Posted by lotus

Resuming: Happy (and more important: Doris happy) as no cables any more in the living room

Again thank you Dale and deSousa for your input.

I'm glad to hear it was successful for you. I look forward to the One Month Later review. Ah, the things we do for your beloved wives.

[lotus]

Originally Posted by OverHillandDale

I'm glad to hear it was successful for you. I look forward to the One Month Later review. Ah, the things we do for your beloved wives.

The month later review:

I finally found out, how the BT transmission works. The MP3/AAC is decoded in the puter, then compressed again according a BT standard and sent to the Audio adapter, where it is decompressed and sent analog to the amp.

I made some hearing test with a wired connection with an USB Soundblaster audio card and the BT Logitech solution. With my 56 year old ears, which have passed even PT gigs w/o ear plugs, I could only imagine a difference, but not really notice. (I compared ripped tunes from CD with 400 kbs AAC). I did not compare it with original CD's directly wired with gold plugs to the amp, as this was not what I was searching for.

Conclusion:
For € 30 I found an excellent solution which I can only recommend!