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IP Based Audio Systems?
pbrinich asks: "I am in the process of designing a new audio system for a house under construction. I have been looking for a purely IP-based audio system. Has anyone heard of a good, open, IP-based, multi-zone audio system that is ready for consumer use? I have read a bit on a company called netstreams and their DigiLinx line. Any thoughts?"
I take it you don't know how to use WWW.GOOGLE.COM
Slow news day, huh.
RealNetworks StreamServer. Then you could simply write a webpage on a central server for doing such things as choosing from a centralized MP3 library, or setting another audio source through server side scripting and an IR blaster. At that point, any computer in the house with a web browser becomes an interface point for your sound server- and the local computer soundcard and speakers become the output.
A very interesting idea- and maybe evenutally when I have a 400GB hard drive on my home server, I'll do something similar.
SJW: a person who perceives an injustice, and while correcting it, commits a greater injustice.
Others will say it, and so will I.
Real?
Come on!
Anyone in their right mind would prefer Windows Media Player -- and that's saying something!
What's wrong with Shoutcast or Icecast?
Don't thank God, thank a doctor!
SlimDevices has a great wireless solution, no built in amp but both digital and analog outputs. The server side is open source that runs most anywhere perl does.
Enjoy your iTunes music library in virtually any room of your house. Share a single broadband Internet connection and USB printer without inconvenient and obtrusive cables. Create an instant wireless network on the go. Extend the range of your current wireless network. How many devices do you need to do all this? Just one.
Presenting AirPort Express.
Speed 54 Mbps
Featuring AirTunes for playing your iTunes music wirelessly on your home stereo or powered speakers, AirPort Express brings not only the Internet but your music to wherever in your home you like to enjoy them most -- whether you use a Mac or Windows PC. Unmatched in its ease of use, it delivers data rates up to 54 megabits per second, fits in the palm of your hand so you can take it wherever you go -- and it costs just $129.
Driving the Wi-Fi Revolution
In 1999, Apple sparked the wireless revolution with the introduction of AirPort, the first affordable and easy-to-use solution for accessing the Internet without restrictive cables. In 2003, AirPort Extreme took your unwired connection to the next level by harnessing the superfast 802.11g wireless standard for data rates nearly five times those of the 802.11b standard that the original AirPort used and many current wireless networking devices still use. With AirPort Express, Apple continues to advance wireless, delivering the first device to pack wireless networking, audio, printing and bridging capabilities into a single affordable, portable unit.
AirTunes Unleashes Your Music
AirTunes
AirPort Express with AirTunes brings your iTunes music in your Mac or PC into your living room -- or wherever in your home you have a stereo or a set of powered speakers.(1) All you have to do is connect your sound system to the audio port on the AirPort Express Base Station using an audio cable (included in the optional AirPort Express Stereo Connection Kit) and AirTunes lets you play your iTunes music through your stereo or powered speakers -- wirelessly. iTunes automatically detects the connection of your remote speakers, so you just have to select them in the popup list that appears at the bottom of the iTunes window and click play.(2)
Enjoy your playlists, set iTunes to shuffle through your entire library or repeat your favorite songs over and over again -- however you like to enjoy your music on iTunes, you can now enjoy it that way through your stereo speakers, wherever they're located in your house.
Buy more than one AirPort Express Base Station and connect one to every stereo or set of powered speakers in your house -- one to your stereo in your living room and another to a pair of powered speakers in your kitchen, for example. Its small size and affordability make it perfect for having more than one. Imagine being able to play your iTunes music on whichever speakers in your house you prefer.
AirTunes
Because AirPort Express is so compact, you can also easily take it along with your laptop to a friend's house and share your unique musical taste on your friend's stereo.
Add Music to Your Current Wireless Network
If you already have a wireless network in place, you can use AirPort Express to add music to its capabilities. Let's say, for example, you have AirPort Extreme set up in your den. There's no need to scrap this setup and create a whole new one with an AirPort Express Base Station, your DSL or cable modem, printer and stereo all in one place. Simply connect AirPort Express to your stereo in your favorite music room and plug it into an electrical outlet -- it wirelessly links to your existing network, letting you play your music in your room of choice without moving anything or connecting anything else.
Connect Wirelessly
AirPort Express uses the 802.11g wireless standard to deliver blazing data rates -- up to 54 Mbps.(3) It supports both Macs equipped with an AirPort Extreme Card and Wi-Fi-compliant 802.11g Windows PCs, as well as Macs with the older AirPort Card and 802.11b Windows PCs. Everyone in your family can surf the w
One that looked interesting was Barix @ http://www.barix.com
Id rather have wireless, which they seem to have. But I understand if you have a house wired with cat5 or better, its tempting to use it. Would be interesting for home surround systems, you dont have to run cables for your rear speakers, and not have to buy a wireless setup.
BTW, Barix popped up as a google sponsered link.
Ever wonder why the dialog doesn't sync with the actors' lips when you watch a DVD on your computer? Even if you have [dedicated] hardware-accelerated MP3?
And that's just local to one system. Try pushing an audio stream across two different TCP/IP stacks - heck, "ping" [which lives in ICMP, somewhere down beneath even UDP] is lucky if it can make 1ms or 2ms over CAT5.
Oh, and yes: YOUR EARS ARE VERY, VERY SENSITIVE - THEY CAN AND WILL HEAR THIS STUFF.
Just 3 hours ago I was talking to someone who was trying this out. He said that when he has watching a DVD on his computer downstairs, by going upstairs the system should make the movie go upstairs too.
It does security, telecom, home automation, media, entertainment and computing. Seems to run on Linux too, and uses your modern mobile phone as a remote control / tracker.
plutohome.com
They cracked this nut years ago. Tried and proven technology. Too much $$$? Sonus systems offers a system. Also check out Polk, they now have in-wall speakers that take an IP input.
If you can't figure out my address, just drop me an e-mail and I will explain.
Slim Devices' Squeezebox2 is very, very good. It's about the size of a VHS tape, has a truly beautiful, professional-grade display, and talks to a central server. It outputs both digital and analog, either passing data via coax and optical, or using the high-quality onboard DACs.
On my fairly forgiving (rather warm/laid back) main speaker system, I wasn't able to hear any difference at all when switching back and forth between the DACs on the Onkyo 901 and the SB2. I don't have golden ears or anything, but they're reasonably good, and digital and analog mode sounded identical to me. The 901 retailed at $1500 (though you could buy them at around $950), so the SB2 matching that means it's doing a pretty good job. If you happen to have gear that's better than mine, and you think you can hear a difference.... well, that's what the coax and optical outs are for.
The unit also has a headphone jack, which sounds good. It does not, however, seem to have a huge amount of onboard power, so you'd probably want a separate headphone amp for high-impedance cans like the Sennheiser HD580s or 600s. (They still sound good without one, but have much more authority with more power driving them.)
The higher-end models come with built-in 802.11g wireless, which is more than fast enough to support several streams (ie, several players), though if you got seriously into the networked music thing, with lots of stations, you'd probably want to do it with wires. The wireless model will also bridge to Ethernet via the single RJ45 jack. If you add a hub, you can bridge a whole stack of stuff to your WiFi.
You can control the boxes from either the included remote, using a very easy interface, or via web browser. If you have several SB2s, you can coordinate them all to play at the same time, so that you have synced music in several rooms or the whole house. (I believe it will do subgroups as well, but I have only the one and can't test that.) I'm not sure if units will sync from the remote or only from the web interface. I'm fairly sure you have to CREATE the sync via web browser, but I suspect it will probably just work from then on. I believe you'd hit play on any unit in a group, and they would all start playing.
Of course, if that DOESN'T work, you can add the feature yourself. The server software is Perl and very open-source. I believe the boxes themselves run Linux and can be hacked on, but honestly, the software is just so good that I can't really imagine wanting to. Maybe if I had a second one... that display really is neat, and it'd be fun to play with it for other stuff. I'd just hate to break my only one.
The box natively speaks MP3, FLAC, and WAV. The server software can translate from many other music formats, and will sync with iTunes if you have that. (I don't think it can play Apple's DRM, so you'd have to crack that first.) It understands CUE/BIN images, which is GREAT, because that's how I have all my music archived. It actually supports CUE/FLAC too, so I compressed all my music to save some space. I have verified that I get bit-perfect output... playing a DTS-encoded WAV file through the SB2 (at full volume, of course) gives me music on a DTS-enabled receiver, not just noise. If the bitstream is damaged in any way, DTS doesn't work. It just comes out as a hiss. So a DTS file is a great test of bit-perfect transfer... if you hear music, you're delivering a truly lossless stream.
If you archive your CDs losslessly, then you'll probably get better results from this unit than you'd get from most 'real' CD players. You can't scratch a CUE file, or get it dusty. I have no way to test it, but I'd guess that eliminating the vagaries of the optical pickup would probably diminish jitter a great deal. I've never learned how to hear digital clock jitter myself, but some people are very focused on the issue. I don't know if it REALLY matters, but if it does, my guess is that the SB2 should do a better job than most real CD transports would.
Overall, it has mo
Just buy a tube stereo amp and a pair of quality speakers and a turntable. There's some hope you'll be able to enjoy your system for several decades, without having to worry about future format incompatibilities or DRM. Just don't forget to stock some spare tubes.
People these days. Voice over IP, music over WiFi, love over HTTP... and your life's over. Not over anything, just over.
Perhaps my EDN Magazine cover story 'CAT5 Tracks: Audio Goes the Distance, Reliably and On Time' from earlier this year would provide some useful information. You can find it at www.edn.com/article/CA621641.html.
Darwin Streaming Server from Apple. Works great in Linux, I assume the same for OS X, don't know about Windows.
Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos
Polk Audio: LC265i-IP "The Ultimate In-wall Loudspeaker"
Sonos makes some nice stuff. I worked with the founder at his previous company, and he's an Engineer who does things right.
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http://linuxdevices.com/articles/AT7647366603.htm
Awesome furniture, accessories and cabinetry in Santa Rosa, CA: http://humanity-home.com/
On a related note, I'd love to be able to redirect the sound over wireless networking from my iBook (and its tiny little speakers) when I watch movies or TV shows with mplayer to my Linux server with a nice speaker setup hooked to it. Suggestions?
Have a look at the Sonos System at http://www.sonos.com/
firstly, latency sucks but can simply be ignored. for instance, if all devices on a network have a reatime clock, they can sync this clock with a central machine and calculate scew from latency to be very very precise. now the player can be told to play this stream starting at this second. now every device will cache a small amount of data and play the file based on realtime instead of play-as-streamed. now if a song should be playing @ 12:35pm(@23.638 seconds) it will be on all devices and latency will not be an issue.
next, wired devices can of course be used as wireless devices with a cheap access point in client mode(think WRT54g). this way you can link your x-box/ps2/network media player on the same client mode router!
Xbox running XBMC can do it all. It will play any audio/video format that mplayer can handle. A used one can be found for cheaper then most of solutiosn mentioned here.
I've installed several Digilinx IP-based multi-room systems in several homes (I'm a custom installer), and all of my customers are pleased. What I really like about it is that customers can do the following: 1). listen to multiple streams of music from a hdd based media server 2). view the feed from any Panasonic IP camera on any in-wall touchpanel, their PC, web tablet or PDA. 3). control the entire system from their PC (I have one installation that is set up for that). 4). and now control their lighting and heating/cooling system from the same interface. But the best thing I like is that all of the firmware is upgradable so I can add features to a customer's home. By the way, sound quality is excellent because I've placed those little amplifiers / room controllers at the speaker location, so I'm not sending analog audio over 100 feet of 16 AWG speaker cable. I'd recommend the system to anyone looking to install a high quality, completely IP based multi-room audio and control system.
you may wanna check these WIFI Digital Audio Systems out:
Phillips WACS700 (coming soon in the US at www.streamium.com)
Musica or Symphony from www.olive.us
Sonos from www.sonos.com
It's a wee bit expensive, but in my opinion Sonos is the best complete system out there. Check it out - http://sonos.com/
the sucky thing about this is that a) you need a mac and b) you will get a single stream repeated to a single set of speakers. all this saves is a cable between your laptop and your hifi - it DOESN'T QUALIFY as a decent IP audio solution. wanna listen to different things in different rooms? tough...