Discussion
inkiboo said:
Squeezebox is nowhere near Sonos but is half the cost.
In what terms?The duet remote is largely equivalent to the Sonos item and if you're talking sound quality the Transporter walks all over anything Sonos have to offer and everything in the SQB line is broadly equivalent to the Sonos range.
With the new SQB Touch and the Boom the Sonos offering is starting to look somewhat dated.
As for the best in multiroom, neither offer that, that's best achieved with wires, unquestionably.
Plotloss said:
Duet does all that.
Plays off a NAS or any Windows share and integrates with iTunes. One remote allows selection of 1 or many players (of any type in the SQB line from Classic to Transporter) and allows you to synchronise playback.
No issues, no tinkering, it just works.
Duet is brilliant.. thanks Matt Plays off a NAS or any Windows share and integrates with iTunes. One remote allows selection of 1 or many players (of any type in the SQB line from Classic to Transporter) and allows you to synchronise playback.
No issues, no tinkering, it just works.
Call me btw
I've had a Sonos system for a few years now and the system itself has been faultless. When I did have an issue I was able to speak to tech support in the States (got straight through, no queueing) who diagnosed a firmware upgrade for my 3rd party NAS (nothing to do with the Sonos), which cured the problem.
Downside, as has been mentioned though, is the cost. It costs a minimum of around £350 to add a room to the system and Sonos pricing hasn't moved much in the time that I've had mine, if at all.
I've not used a Squeezebox, but it does sound as though the functionality is catching up with that of Sonos, and if I was going to start from scratch I'd definately be looking at the Squeezebox system from a cost perspective. No idea how stable it is long term though.
Downside, as has been mentioned though, is the cost. It costs a minimum of around £350 to add a room to the system and Sonos pricing hasn't moved much in the time that I've had mine, if at all.
I've not used a Squeezebox, but it does sound as though the functionality is catching up with that of Sonos, and if I was going to start from scratch I'd definately be looking at the Squeezebox system from a cost perspective. No idea how stable it is long term though.
Plotloss said:
Duet does all that.
Plays off a NAS or any Windows share and integrates with iTunes. One remote allows selection of 1 or many players (of any type in the SQB line from Classic to Transporter) and allows you to synchronise playback.
No issues, no tinkering, it just works.
Ok, just read through the Duet documentation as, although I have Sonos, my mum wants something similar in her place but the cost of the Sonos system is a little prohibitive. I'd be setting her up with a NAS server too. But I can't see any reference in the docs about playing form a NAS device.Plays off a NAS or any Windows share and integrates with iTunes. One remote allows selection of 1 or many players (of any type in the SQB line from Classic to Transporter) and allows you to synchronise playback.
No issues, no tinkering, it just works.
If you're talking about playing via the Windows software with a share mapped to a NAS device, thats not what I'm (or probably the poster above) was after. I don't want to leave a laptop/PC on 24/7. The Sonos setup can connect directly to the NAS and make it's own share mappings, which is what I'd want the Squeezebox to do. Do you know if it can?
When it comes to this topic, you could quite easily blank out the posters names and yet you'd still be able to guess who they were.
OP - you wont find much discounting on the Sonos product set. And yet it still seems to be selling in volume - and at a much higher price point to its main competitors.
Make of that what you will.
Plotloss said:
Duet does all that.
Plays off a NAS or any Windows share and integrates with iTunes. One remote allows selection of 1 or many players (of any type in the SQB line from Classic to Transporter) and allows you to synchronise playback.
No issues, no tinkering, it just works.
just Plays off a NAS or any Windows share and integrates with iTunes. One remote allows selection of 1 or many players (of any type in the SQB line from Classic to Transporter) and allows you to synchronise playback.
No issues, no tinkering, it just works.
I notice they finally bought a fix out to try to fix the connectivity drops that have plagued Duet owners since the product first shipped... http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10268804-1.htm...
although it appears that it hasn't quite done the job:
by tskjaerpe October 20, 2009 11:38 AM PDT
For the first week or so everything went well after upgrading. Then hell broke loose again and I have a lot of problems with lost connection, stopping in the middle of a song, rebuffering. The next upgade, v. 7.4 seems to come with its own problems. It is probably time for me now to switch to Sonos (despite the price)
Like this Reply to this comment .by rinro01 October 24, 2009 8:04 AM PDT
More problems than ever with 7.4 Now the >Now Playing< does not work at all, whenever I hit the volume-down button it mutes automatically and the controller still loses connection with the box after a while. NOT HAPPY! I have the box for two years and it is hit or miss with whether it works or not. Too bad it was a gift so I can not throw it out the window because god knows I want to. I want to downgrade the firmware to 7.3 as that one was at least more stable as the experimental 7.4 This sucks big time. Customer support is also bad - they make you reset to factory default (because I never would have thought about that on my own) and make you install squeeze software on your PC which I am not using... idiots. Rather fed up after two years
(this was my favourite and (i think) kind of sums the product up: http://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/showthread.php?...
Pete the Feet
Quote:
Originally Posted by simeon
Well its 7.3 that f***ed my system over. No probs with 7.4
I think the Squeeze software is crap with so many people having problems. If it works for some and and not others [Loads of others] then there must be a serious problem.
You need to be a real geek to solve some of the problems with it even following their instructions.
Good bit of kit when working though.
So imho No issues. No tinkering. It just works... is just b
ks. Just a quick look on the slimdevices forum confirms that.As for the Sonos system beginning to look old... that deserves another
This
or this
Good design doesn't go bad.
I'd take that every time over a chunk of cheap looking black plastic. And if the missus didnt like the look of the boxes (which is rare for the Sonos design), they don't need to be on display.
sixspeed said:
Plotloss said:
Duet does all that.
Plays off a NAS or any Windows share and integrates with iTunes. One remote allows selection of 1 or many players (of any type in the SQB line from Classic to Transporter) and allows you to synchronise playback.
No issues, no tinkering, it just works.
Ok, just read through the Duet documentation as, although I have Sonos, my mum wants something similar in her place but the cost of the Sonos system is a little prohibitive. I'd be setting her up with a NAS server too. But I can't see any reference in the docs about playing form a NAS device.Plays off a NAS or any Windows share and integrates with iTunes. One remote allows selection of 1 or many players (of any type in the SQB line from Classic to Transporter) and allows you to synchronise playback.
No issues, no tinkering, it just works.
If you're talking about playing via the Windows software with a share mapped to a NAS device, thats not what I'm (or probably the poster above) was after. I don't want to leave a laptop/PC on 24/7. The Sonos setup can connect directly to the NAS and make it's own share mappings, which is what I'd want the Squeezebox to do. Do you know if it can?
- it can* ...BUT...
have a browse on the links column to see the easy install options for each solution (which are all 3rd party)
obviously the Sonos doesn't need any of this, you just point it to the share, wherever that share may be. no client/server concept.
The sonos is the far easier solution to get up and going for the average person (read: not an IT-centric person). It really just is. But don't take my word for it - go read the forums on both of the manufacturers sites.
ukwill said:
This
or this
That Logitech controller has clearly been designed by someone with a normal human sized hand with some idea of ergonomics. I'd like to see someone with normal hands use the Sonos one single handed, obviously designed for style over function.or this
Edited by Mr2Mike on Monday 16th November 23:38
Mr2Mike said:
inkiboo said:
Oh yeah, just like the iPhone can't be used single handed and that is an utter failure of design.
The iPhone is pretty poor I will agree, the only way I can use mine single handed is with a rubber cover on it as they are so bloody slippery.Quality thread this.
hi,
I had a Squeeze box set up replaced got burgled and replaced it with a Sonos set up and have had a good play with the duo. So I have real world experience of both.
They are both good systems and will get you listening to both a wider variety and more. Sound quality there may be a difference between the two systems but I could not tell any difference. obviosly file format is the igest thing hear. if you still want improvements an external DAC is probably in order.
Geek factor there is all ways something to fiddle with with the Squeeze box and in my experince fiddeling was required where as the sonos as worked flawlessly from day one.
The sonos system costs a good bit more than a Squeeze box setup however if you have more than one zone Sonos comes in to its own and the many small differences add up to a much better overall experience \ system in my opinion. Its very hard to put you finger on the exact reasons (I could list lots but its the total system that needs to be experinced) that Sonos is better but if you go and have an extended play with both systems you will see witch you like best.
Witch ever system you son goes for tell him to have a zone in the bath room its great.
Also check out http://www.richersounds.com/ or ebay for prices as I find them competitive and if you are buying a number of bits I have found good scope for a deal.
I had a Squeeze box set up replaced got burgled and replaced it with a Sonos set up and have had a good play with the duo. So I have real world experience of both.
They are both good systems and will get you listening to both a wider variety and more. Sound quality there may be a difference between the two systems but I could not tell any difference. obviosly file format is the igest thing hear. if you still want improvements an external DAC is probably in order.
Geek factor there is all ways something to fiddle with with the Squeeze box and in my experince fiddeling was required where as the sonos as worked flawlessly from day one.
The sonos system costs a good bit more than a Squeeze box setup however if you have more than one zone Sonos comes in to its own and the many small differences add up to a much better overall experience \ system in my opinion. Its very hard to put you finger on the exact reasons (I could list lots but its the total system that needs to be experinced) that Sonos is better but if you go and have an extended play with both systems you will see witch you like best.
Witch ever system you son goes for tell him to have a zone in the bath room its great.
Also check out http://www.richersounds.com/ or ebay for prices as I find them competitive and if you are buying a number of bits I have found good scope for a deal.
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