2. pc-audio
  3. 1205110498

It's 2008. Why aren't there better options ?

Apple TV: Great interface, lousy DAC, requires TV to be on.

Transporter: Tiny interface, decent DAC, no TV option.

Airport Express: No interface, requires computer to be on/in same room.

Squeezebox Duet: Nice remote, requires computer.

Sonos: Again with the always-on computer? Nice remote though.

Olive: I can get my own music off my CDs, thanks. Hey I Just saved $3000!

PC/Mac/NAS rigged with wires/routers/DACs/Pace Cars. Seriously?

So where is it? The all in one 2008 wonder machine? In the era of tech convergence, why is it still so tricky to get high quality digital music piped through your speakers?

I don't want to leave my computer and router on. I don't want to turn my TV on every time I want to hear a song...sometimes maybe, but not always. Shouldn't I be able to choose? I don't need a CD player built in. I don't want a big ugly NAS with 6 drive bays.

What I do want is a quality built in DAC with reclocking, a swappable hard drive bay or 2, an on-board monochrome display AND a nice color LCD remote AND the option to navigate via TV. I also want wifi, for PC streaming if needed, internet radio/podcasts, and the ability to buy lossless music some day. Video would be nice too.

All in all, the ulitmate machine will have the iTunes integration and hard drive of Apple TV, the build quality (or better) and wifi of the Transporter, the remote of the Sonos or Duet, in a unit that looks and sounds good, and doesn't rely solely on a TV, a router, or a computer, but can interface with all of them at will.

It can be done, and it can be done for $1000 or less. Whoever does it first will own the market.

Discuss!

Rob
rkny
regalma1
72 posts
 
Not true about partial albums and FLAC. I do it all the time. I set up EAC to do it. I just pick and choose what I want to rip.

The thing that blows me away about most servers is their ridiculous price and tiny HDDs. How can anyone sell a $10K server with 200 GB of storage and a tiny display. There is a serious lack of imagination here.

Personally I have a laptop, a SqueezeBox, an external DAC and external HDD. It works great. I am planning on getting the remote control from the Duet so I can control it from anywhere I want. The best thing about the laptop is that I have it setup next to my listening position. I can control my music without turning on a TV, or squinting at a tiny screen across the room. While I listen to music I can set up any sort of playlist to listen to next. With a 15" display I have to do very little scrolling. I can see the next 15 or so songs in the playlist at a glance. I can see all the information at once. I couldn't imagine why anyone would settle for less.
frederick21's avatar
frederick21
49 posts
 
I think the reason you aren't seeing that piece of high-end audio you want because it's too specialized. Not to you, but to the next guy and the next guy. What is high-end audio? It's a bunch of separates put together to form a system. High-end audio isn't going to trash that concept and give you one box that does it all.

Homes are going to have networks, period. They are going to have modems, routers and storage (more than likely). Put the big ugly NAS box in a ventilated closet. Mine is on a third floor where we rarely go. I have most of what you crave. I walk in the room, queue up music on the Sonos controller and hit play. No power buttons no two, three or universal remote. It's heaven.

It's a new world out there. Grab the piece you want, don't go asking for the whole pie (just yet)!
rives
953 posts
 
Just a clarification--I was speaking of the Solos and it's ability to ONLY do full albums, not necessarily FLAC in general.
rdc2000
27 posts
 
Rives- What is Solos?
rives
953 posts
 
Mostly bad spelling on my part:
SOOLOOS
Now I've spellled it right--sorry for the confusion.
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