Streaming Music Equipment Setup - Is this correct?

[andrewp]

Hello guys, first post from me after lurking around for a while doing lots of reading! Apologies if this has been asked before but a search didn't really turn up much.

 

Essentially I want to start steaming lossless audio from ripped CDs stored on our main PC to our living room. The PC is upstairs in the home office, runs Windows 7 and is hard wired via ethernet to a Linksys Wireless Router. My laptop (which sits in another upstairs room) is the only wireless device that currently connects to it.

 

I'd like to stream music downstairs to our main living room to be played through our 7.1 surround sound amp (Sony STRDH800) which has it's own DAC. Whilst this isn't the most audiophile solution for lossless, I want to future proof myself with the intention of being able to upgrade this part at a later date.

 

So....the thing that seems to fit the bill is the Logitech Sqeezebox Touch. The problem is that the input touch screen is not exactly portable so is there any other way of doing the same thing but using say a small tablet PC or an itouch that can be left on the coffee table? I realise this is more expensive but I would rather spend more on the solution and be happy with it!

 

I did look at the Apple Airport Express but it doesn't support FLAC and I'm not an Apple expert by any means. Any other solutions that I should be looking at?

 

[bikemig]

You can use logitech squeezebox server program which runs in your browser to control the music. It is a good interface. Since it runs in your browser, I imagine it should work with an ipod touch but I have no personal experience with that. Miguel

 

[coolsax]

I believe you can also use your Ipod touch or Iphone if you have one.. you use the ipeng app and it will allow you to have a color touchscreen control for your squeezebox touch.

 

[Ned Kelly]

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ipeng/id296941576?mt=8

 

Hopefully, it works a little more seamlessly than Apple Remote does from my 8GB Touch - the wireless connection seems to reset itself after a period of inactivity when you are, for example, *listening to music* and not actually using the app .... probably configurable, but its something I would research first.

 

[bikemig]

You can buy the logitech squeezebox wi-fi internet radio remote controller available for about $170 on Amazon, Logitech Squeezebox Wi-Fi Internet Radio Remote Controller. The logitech tech people told me that it would work with a squeezebox touch but you would want to check first. I know it works with some other squeezebox devices I own (but I don't own the touch). The reviews on Amazon are mixed but my experience with the controller is quite positive.

 

[iamimdoc]

One solution is to use MediaMonkey, an Apple Airport Express and Remote Speakers Output Plug

(http://emilles.dyndns.org/software/out_apx.html)

 

This setup lets you play anything MediaMonkey can play (including FLAC). The Airport Express can play FLAC and I have done it for several years. (To be fair, the AE system converts any format given it to an Apple format and decompresses at the other end)

 

You can plug the Airport Express into your DAC to improve the sound quality.

 

Use your laptop as remote control using Windows Remotedesktop to control the PC upstairs.

 

Or use some version of VNC (there are many free versions) to control the PC upstairs.

 

Or use Logmein to do the same. While Logmein was really not designed to do this according to some, I have found it works well.

 

AirFoil is supposed to do the same as the Remotespeaker output (actually hijacks any PC sound) but I had trouble getting it to work reliably. I am using old PC and that might be issue.

 

One can have multiple Airport Expressii and stream to any or all.

 

Limitations are sound quality of Airport Express (denigrated by many), CD resolution only. Sound is better with a DAC.

 

Benefits are low cost ($100.00 each), ease of use and setup and reliability. I have found the Apple works just peachy with non Apple routers and PC's and have setup 3 different systems for folks. Remote speaker is about $25.00 or so as I remember.

 

Another more expensive but elegant solution would be Sonos allowing streaming with useful remote control

 

One limitation any of these systems will have is structures between router and Airport Express - too far or too many objects (walls, stoves, etc) may cause dropouts. I have 3 devices and all work flawlessly. My max distance of router to AE is about 30'.

 

[andrewp]

Thanks for all the replies. I've been reading all weekend and almost pulled the trigger on a Sonos system! But that's heart ruling the head and after a period of reflection I cannot justify the cost right now for what is essentially a simple requirement.

 

iamimdoc, thanks. I have held off from Apple products for a few years now (I have had 3 iPods, all of which failed completely just outside of warranty. It left me feeling very anti-apple) but I will look at the Airport Express system again.

 

My head says just go for the Squeezebox Touch, but we'll see!