I've read through the forum and have not seen too many threads focused on wireless music playback. I have, however, read enough negative reviews on all the wireless media players available that I have no idea if any of them are worth buying.

I have been researching the dlink, roku, and netgear players and each seems to have its drawbacks. The most important features to me are strength of wireless functionality (wired isn't an option right now), and support for different media server apps (WMP 11 is fine) and a decent UI, which can be the TV, i.e. a display on the unit is not important and given what can actually be displayed on a unit may be another drawback, I don't know.

I don't see video playback as something I will use but photos would be nice, though it is definitely secondary to music playback. Are there other options to these players available (and not $900 ones like olive's)? Has anyone had positive experiences with any of these players for music playback? I'm not worried about audiophile quality, I'll still play the CDs for that, this is about ease of use, support for playlists, and wireless connectivity, etc.

I have a Roku Soundbridge M1001 which is absolutely great, and especially for the price. It has digital output (in addition to standard RCA), WiFi, looks clean, and the remote is easy to use (once you know how to use it, as it's not 100% intuitive.)

On WiFi:
For the most part it runs perfectly, sometimes when I'm playing FLAC files (which are transcoded to raw Wave) there are buffering problems, but not normally.

I've seen the Squeezebox and that seems more or less the same. I went with the Soundbridge because it was cheaper and I could pick it up at Best Buy.

I hadn't known about the Sonos at the time. However, when I hook up my parents house, I'll definitely go with the Sonos. The cost of it is relatively cheap (for what you're getting) and that remote is sexy as hell. I've heard the remote software is extremely easy to use and the customer service is top notch. My only wish is that the Sonos would have an interface similar to the Olive products that would mesh perfectly in a rack system.

Regarding the Musica, the price is absolutely ridiculous for what it offers, although it is by far one of the best looking products out there.

If you are concerned about having a nice user interface i would suggest you look into getting a modded xbox with XBMC. I couldn't be happier with mine and there has been a lot of feedback on this forum that the inteface beats anything elso out there hands down. I am using it currently for music and photos. I actually have mine plugged into my linksys router directly (although the PC I am streaming from is wireless to the router), but I believe you can get a wireless adapter for the xbox itself. If you are not interested in doing the mod yourself, you can often find premodded systems out there with XBMC already loaded. I posted a message here saying I was looking for one and got a couple of PMs from people looking to sell me one. You might also try craig's list or ebay.

There are quite a few options out there and some of it depends on how you want to do it.

People like the Squeezebox and the Roku but they are limited by the small display and neither of them (I think) allow you to connect to an LCD or TV to browse your collection. This is important if you want to find a specific song, but doesn't really matter if all you want to do is hit shuffle or play a particular artist. Both allow you to stream internet radio and you can use subcription services like rhapsody or free internet radio including pandora.

Both the Roku and the Squeezebox require server software to work as they can not get the music themself but need to have it served to them. This means you will either have to have your computer on all the time or need a network attached storage device (NAS) that has built in server software (both infrant and the buffallo terastation as well as several others will support this).

I have used a netgear MP101 in the past and found it very hit or miss. The wireless worked OK, but the main drawback was the four line display which made wading through my collection a trial. You need 15-20 lines of text and a rapid search engine if you have more than a couple thousand songs.

I currently use a modded xbox ($125). I have a small LCD screen attached to it ($50 ebay). It has a very nice GUI which is very organized (you will need to clean up your ID3 tags) so i can easily manage my music. It also supports smart playlists and can acess most internet radio stations. I am using a wireless bridge to connect it to the network which works flawlessly. I use two belkin routers ($20 each on sale to do the bridging but you can also just buy the gaming adapter which is a wireless bridge. That will run you $90 although I've seen them on sale for less than $50).

I have a single NAS which holds all my music, videos and pictures. The xbox is nice because it doesn't require a computer to serve the media; it can grab it on its own. So I don't have to have my computer on just my NAS which uses way less power (30-60W). I have several xboxes(all wired into a home LAN except one) and can stream anything to anywhere including internet radio. Wirelessly i can steam audio without breaking sweat as well as pictures. Streaming DVD .iso files is too much load for my wireless network although I have heard of people doing it. I can stream .avi files without any problem as well. Wireles streaming has a lot of variable but most people can manage audio since its not two intense.

You can get a toslink out so I believe you can use an outboard DAC to decode the signal if you want more audiophile quality (not sure about that though). If you are using your TV the visualizations are kinda nice when you want to veg out.

The main drwback to the xbox are
1) Somewhat hard to find or mod yourself
2) Fan noise
3) They are a bit ugly as far as audio devices go
4) Do not support subcription services like Rhapsody or the free pandora

Logitech Wireless DJ is outstanding product. The only drawback is it's Bluetooth, so you have to have PC running, which may or may not be an issue for you.

Thanks for all the replies. I will continue to research and may ultimately end up experimenting (don't we always!).

Having a PC on or even a dedicated PC is not an issue. The biggest thing for me at the moment is reliable wireless connectivity (I have read too many negatives on this regarding the d-link products) and a good UI. I like the presentation and ease of use of WMP 11 for navigating my music collection so something similar or use of WMP11 (is that even possible?) through one of these players would be nice.

Right now my digital collection is about 300 discs/4000 songs but I probably have another 500-700 discs to go so ease of navigation is critical to me. It looks like both d-link and netgear use their own software so that could be a drawback; I'd like more flexibility.

Lastly this solution will likely be a throwaway or temporary one only. At some point I think the technology will offer better options and I can see a time where I'll want to serve everything from a dedicated server to multiple rooms - something more like the Sonos for example. I'm also planning on moving next year so don't want to invest in a setup in my current house.

It looks like both d-link and netgear use their own software so that could be a drawback; I'd like more flexibility.
Not correct: both are UPnP compliant, you can use WMP11, TVersity,...

Hi,

I am using Soundbridge, controled by Visual MR (freeware) software in my iPaq. The Visual MR is fantastic. You can browse artist, albums.... all wireless, and even display the art work. You can do anything wireless with your iPaq.
It is not a Sonos, but it is $400 cheaper, and you can use the iPaq for othr things.

Antonio

THat sounds like an ionteresting option using the IPaq, but I don't really want or need an iPaq nor do I want the addition of another wireless device to worry about.

So as the DSM-520 is UPnP compatible, does that mean if I choose WMP 11, that becomes the UI on the 520 as well? I'm not sure I quite understand how that works.

VisualMR is available to run on Windows systems, so you wouldn't need to buy an iPaq.

I can't post a link to it even though I'm a paid member which is retarded, but if you search Google for VisualMR (no spaces) it's the first link.

Logitech Wireless DJ is outstanding product. The only drawback is it's Bluetooth, so you have to have PC running, which may or may not be an issue for you.

I just hooked up the Wireless DJ from Logitech. My desktop PC does NOT have native Bluetooth - this is provided by the with the remote.

So Far...This blows away all of the other junky devices I've tried, including:

Linksys Media Center Extenter
Ruko HD1000 ?
D-Link Media Streamer
And the one that stated it all that was so long ago no I spaced the name, but it came from Crutchfield.


Try the Logitiech DJ Remote - it works great and you can keep sports on the TV and change the music without changing the input on the TV awasy from the game.

I will just add that a modded xbox is not to be overlooked. Yes it sounds hack and cheesy (i.e. some "modded game console") but it is shocking and in my mind nothing else touches it for supported media types, streaming, organization, perfect gui, etc... I have a number of non-gamer media centered friends who after seeing it in action, were so shocked as to immediately start making plans and pricing it out.

There is nothing I've seen that comes even remotely close, it's just not a plug and play learning curve and obviously won't work with DRM subscription services. Even for pictures it thumbnails everything automatically, takes my 5mp image, makes it into a perfect 1080i on screen image. The only thing it won't due is handle native HD video (720p or 1080i source) although it will take anything from 540p down and upscale to either HD resolution.

For wireless, set up a bridge and be done with it.

I have 200+ gigs of music on my server mostly mp3, a few wma, and for certain albums flac and it handles and streams everything perfectly as well as navigates my folder organization (I don't use tags much but you can if you want).

I'm not so much trying to push you that way but merely making sure you don't dismiss it as something sub-par without first checking it out.

So if I go with something like the DSM-520 and use WMP 11, does the 520's UI get replaced with the WMP? I must confess I really don't understand how these players work with UPnP.

Also, with regards to the xbox, why does it have to be modded? Microsoft touts its abilities to do this out of the box if I read correctly.

So if I go with something like the DSM-520 and use WMP 11, does the 520's UI get replaced with the WMP? I must confess I really don't understand how these players work with UPnP.

Also, with regards to the xbox, why does it have to be modded? Microsoft touts its abilities to do this out of the box if I read correctly.

Xbox Media Center (XBMC) is homebrew software and a native xbox will not let you run unsigned code. The mod bypasses this (and several other) restrictions. Just to be clear this is for a XBOX 1 not the XBOX 360

K

I use the Squeezebox and absolutely love it. My main reason was to maintain audio quality during the streaming process. Most, although not all, of the reasonably priced units do NOT support lossless streaming. The Dlink and Wireless DJ, for example, do not. Therefore, if you are compressing the music into MP3, WMA or AAC format you are inherently losing sound quality. Whether or not you can hear the difference depends on you and your system. I tried streaming compressed 320 kps MP3 and could hear a drop in sound quality compared to the CD original. With the Squeezebox, I have ripped all of my CD collection in lossless FLAC format (although I could have used WMA lossless or Apple lossless) and stream this to the Squeezebox and into my receiver via Coax digital.

I cannot tell the difference between the streaming music in FLAC lossless and the original CD. I think if music QUALITY is the primary concern, you need to find a device that streams lossless formats.

I also find that the display on the Squeezebox is very usable from accross the room and it makes accessing music fast and easy. My wife also likes using it and, to me, that was the REAL test.

I use the Squeezebox and absolutely love it. My main reason was to maintain audio quality during the streaming process. Most, although not all, of the reasonably priced units do NOT support lossless streaming. The Dlink and Wireless DJ, for example, do not.

Not true: Wireless DJ can play anything your computer can play, at least, WMA lossless or Apple lossless you refer to.

Sorry if my info was incorrect... I spoke to someone at Logitech when I was investigating the various options and that is what he told me.

However, the other reason was I was also told there was no digital output on the Wireless DJ (assuming he wasn't wrong about that too!!). So the digital to analog conversion would have occurred in the DJ and my concern was that it would not do as good of a job as my Pioneer receiver. Typically the DACs in these devices are no where near as good as those in high end receivers or outboard type units. The Squeezebox actually uses Burr-Brown DACs which, I have been told, are very good quality if you choose not to keep the stream digital into the receiver and convert it to analog in the Squeezebox.

If the Logitech guy was wrong about the ability to stream lossless formats and lack of digital output, Logitech needs to hire better staff because I would have given the Wireless DJ much more consideration.

However, the other reason was I was also told there was no digital output on the Wireless DJ (assuming he wasn't wrong about that too!!)
He wasn't wrong in this respect - analog stereo only.

Another advantage the squeezebox provides is bit-perfect playback. The Roku resamples to 48k (similar to kmixer when using a PC.) If you're listening to lower-quality compressed material, this probably isn't an issue. But if you go to the effort of storing uncompressed music, you will want to avoid this resampling.

The Logitech Wireless DJ can be configured to output the sound via the computer's soundcard instead of via the USB wireless analog route. Therefore, if your soundcard has a digital out that is connected to your stereo receiver, you get the music via that connection. Setting it up this way does not change the way the remote operates. Having my music collection available via a remote control is the major selling point of this product, IMO. I'm not even using the wireless music streaming feature since it's analog and subject to wireless interference. Of course, I'd already run a 50 foot coax cable to connect my soundcard to my stereo receiver before I even had this product. Now I don't have to go to the computer room to pick songs, however.

The Logitech Wireless DJ can be configured to output the sound via the computer's soundcard instead of via the USB wireless analog route. Therefore, if your soundcard has a digital out that is connected to your stereo receiver, you get the music via that connection. Setting it up this way does not change the way the remote operates. Having my music collection available via a remote control is the major selling point of this product, IMO. I'm not even using the wireless music streaming feature since it's analog and subject to wireless interference. Of course, I'd already run a 50 foot coax cable to connect my soundcard to my stereo receiver before I even had this product. Now I don't have to go to the computer room to pick songs, however.
I should concede that's very creative, albeit unintended use of DJ. After all, it's marketed as wireless music adapter with a twist being a remote control.
I also agree anybody using wireless connections to transmit an audio, or a video for that matter, can talk about quality with a straight face. :D

I should concede that's very creative, albeit unintended use of DJ. After all, it's marketed as wireless music adapter with a twist being a remote control.
I also agree anybody using wireless connections to transmit an audio, or a video for that matter, can talk about quality with a straight face. :D

on Wireless

I can listen to music for an hour over wireless on my xbox using a wifi bridge and it will seldomly drop even a single packet... Just depends on well robust your wireless network is... I can watch DVD's without any dropped packets either.. Clearly wired is better but WiFi can be reliable with proper network design and some luck from the RF gods...

thats at my house...

at my girl friends apartment with steel walls, forget about it...

Sean

I agree Sean. If you have a strong wireless signal that isn't losing packets, it is still bit perfect. I have not had any audible drops or interference streaming lossless FLAC files wirelessly to the Squeezebox. If it became a problem, I could always run an ethernet cable to the unit but, for me, it isn't an issue. Like I said before, I can't tell the original CD from the wireless FLAC transmission to the Squeezebox.

i to am interested in the wireless dj for the remote control purpose.

i was visiting a friend who had the sonos & i was quite impressed as he has mp3's, xm & rhapsody all available and viewable with his nifty sonos remote.

i began looking into less expensive solutions and came across the SqueezeBox and thought its remote was also nice.

here's my setup, please help me decide which route to go.

htpc - basically a mp3 & rhapsody server as its flex-itx
panasonic 32 hd tube tv
receiver - hk avr 5
yamaha 50 watt sub
zone1 speakers indoor - polk r30
zone2 speakers outdoor - polk ?
zone3 speakers tbd

just modded 2 xbox's to xbmc
unraid server for the xbox's

so my question is what are the remote control options for me?

i would like to not have to go to the tv and use the mouse to change playlists or change from mp3 playlist to internet radio or rhapsody.

1) does the harmony 880/one show what music track is playing?
2) would the logitech music dj @ $80 be good as just a remote control (not use the wifi)
3) squeezebox remote is $299 (ouch)
4) ????? Your idea ??????

also, i use media monkey now for music, should i use one of the xbmc's or squeezecenter instead?

thanks in advance for your courageous thoughts.

hi moderator:
maybe my post/reply would be better off in the remote section, can you decide & move it if you feel its appropriate please?

thanks!

a little help, please?

last call.......:confused:

i to am interested in the wireless dj for the remote control purpose.

i was visiting a friend who had the sonos & i was quite impressed as he has mp3's, xm & rhapsody all available and viewable with his nifty sonos remote.

i began looking into less expensive solutions and came across the SqueezeBox and thought its remote was also nice.

here's my setup, please help me decide which route to go.

htpc - basically a mp3 & rhapsody server as its flex-itx
panasonic 32 hd tube tv
receiver - hk avr 5
yamaha 50 watt sub
zone1 speakers indoor - polk r30
zone2 speakers outdoor - polk ?
zone3 speakers tbd

just modded 2 xbox's to xbmc
unraid server for the xbox's

so my question is what are the remote control options for me?

i would like to not have to go to the tv and use the mouse to change playlists or change from mp3 playlist to internet radio or rhapsody.

1) does the harmony 880/one show what music track is playing?
2) would the logitech music dj @ $80 be good as just a remote control (not use the wifi)
3) squeezebox remote is $299 (ouch)
4) ????? Your idea ??????

also, i use media monkey now for music, should i use one of the xbmc's or squeezecenter instead?

thanks in advance for your courageous thoughts.

1. No
2. No

With XBMC you can use any web enabled device as a remote. There are special web plugins for Nokia internet tablet and for the iTouch/iPhone

There are also displays for the xbox but I never like those....

If you want real multizone synced music just bite the bullet and buy the sonos....

Sean