Whole house audio - Nuvo or ChannelPlus?

I like the Squeezebox devices,

can do everything a zoned system can do and more. Wireless WiFi options too.

All the local AM/FM radio stations?

All the local TV stations audio?

Play records/cassettes/8tracks in real time?

Whole house mute/volume up/volume down/change source/off?

Whole house announcements/caller ID/doorphone?

I am sure I can think of more but the bottom line is traditional zoned systems can be less expensive, easier to operate and more flexible than networked digital players. I like digital players and have a MP115 connected to my zoned system but the requirement to digitize content will keep them out of the hands of the computer illiterate for now.

Check out the Sonos System... just Audio, just right.

Graham

snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote:

Many radio stations now have internet broadcasts, I can listen by adding the url to the squeezbox playlist.

Nope, none yet. But I can live rebroadcast / stream an audio source via my linux server / gateway. (Shoutcast)

I don't even own those formats anymore, I listen to CDs and rip them perfectly with EAC. I can play any of my CDs on any or all of my squeezeboxes in seconds. I can even browse by coverart.

It's not zoned, I cannot choose a source remotely. But I can control volume on all units from either a web interface or the squezzebox itself.

Doorbell $20, networked webcam $110

As for price, the ChannelPlus MDS-6A is about $1250 and the Nuvo Essentia is around $1999

A squeezbox3 is around $250 wired and $300 wireless, a linux server to play can be had for as little as $450, I can also load UPnP software

and watch videos, audio & photos on devices like a DSM-320 $188 CDn.

I've set up linux gateways with web servers, email servers, NAS, UPnP & slimdevices software all running very reliably on a small Duron motherboard with 512M & 250G HD and linux with web access

the works for $500CDn

My system can give the best networked players a run for their money, ReQuest is pretty much the same stuff only they build the players and costs $8000+

Plus the Squeeboxes use 24bit BB DACs (although I use the SPDIF and it sounds excatly like the original CD) I generally rip to FLAC. All my audio stays in the digital domain up until the amplifier. The older zoned systems

Add a wifi access point for $108 (although the DSM-320 is hardwired as it hiccups on wifi) and for the kids I've used an Netgear MP101 $88 CDn

I can even control the squeezboxes with a wireless Ipaq.

Both systems have advantages / disadvantages, price isn't one of them.

I used to sell networked media servers

Sonos is pretty good looking. I like the controller, but it would be nice if there were in-wall versions of it. Reminds me of the Barix system, but more "Apple" looking. A little pricey- for a 6 zone system I'd be looking at $3200+ I guess. Ouch. Plus I'm stuck with one controller.

Squeeze box looks nice too, but no analog inputs. Also not a dealbreaker, but I would like to be able to listen to AM/FM radio at times. Definitely cheaper than the sonos, but no built in amp? Easy enough to get a volume knob/amp I suppose, but seems like it could be a hassle.

With either the Nuvo or ChannelPlus zoned systems I mentioned above I can control mp3 play lists, internet radio, etc from a wireless PDA and have a pretty good approximation of Sonos/Squeezebox capabilities. Sure, I'm limited to 6 sources, but for me even that may be overkill. The main thing I lose is local analog inputs.

Thanks for the suggestions though, keep em coming!

Eric

The squeezbox can control its volume, just need an amp.

That was my point. Your statement that the Squeezebox "can do everything a zoned system can do and more." is simply not true. They both have their strengths and weaknesses. For most people the strengths of simplicity, less wiring in each room and ease of operation favor a zoned system especially in new construction.

There is NO WAY the OP can put together a 6 Squeezebox system complete with with amps, speakers, storage and rip for the approx $2k that the systems he is looking at cost.

If you are going to have fewer zones, be able to recycle existing amps/speakers and already have the ability to digitize source material then the price becomes more competitive. However it still does not have the deal killer of traditional AM/FM reception.

Ok a zoned system can do things a networked system cannot. I made too general a statement.

If you want to do a networked system on the cheap, then hows this for cheap, you still need amps though, even computer speaker systems with amp will work fine...

*Not including cat5 cable or hubs + installation (zoned systems need this too)

Server Linksys NSLU2 $90 software twonkymedia audio only free

a 300G USB2 HD with enclosure $180

Clients

the cheap a Netgear MP101 $90 (something awesome but $$$$, a Denon AVR-4806 has a built in UPnP client)

Amp & Speaker Logitech Z4 2.1 system with speakers $49

So for a 6 zone budget system $90+180+$90*6+$49*6 = $1104

Now with the MP101 they work great with a wired system and are near garbage with wireless.

Can you expand a zoned system beyond it's 6 hardwired zones? Is there a wireless option?

As for ripping your CDs EAC is free, and if you rip to FLAC it's lossless. again free and excellent. All your CD collection can be searched and played back in seconds.

If you don't want to rip it yourself there are plenty of ripping services out there

is an example.

PS

has thousands of free streams, and so do many AM/FM stations.

Bill

Btw, Sonos can support upto 32 Zones and 32 Controllers Up2L8, so you're not stuck with once controller. (of course they aren't free, so you need to factor that into your TCO, but it does include the amps)... and it also lets you input and distribute any analog source from any Zone to any Zone, or every Zone.

graham

Without the rebates (usually limited to one per address) and refurbs I come up with $90+$200+$115*6+$70*6=$1400 Still a nice price, certainly not as nice a system as with the Squeezeboxes($2210).

The user still needs a PC to rip with and the knowledge and patience to do so.

Most can easily be expanded 2x with the use of simple Y cables on the inputs. So a 6 zone becomes a 12 zone adding another 6 zone "box", speakers and controls. Sources can be shared with the Y cables or some inputs can be only available on 1/2 of the outputs. Sometimes a handy "feature".

No. Unless you really want to run the cost up by using using some custom RF "modification".

I have not seen any as easy to use as car radio which is how many zoned systems work. Channel up, channel down and presets. Local news and sports. Synchronous TV audio in the kitchen, bathroom and everywhere else on game day. People LOVE it.

Until realtime analog inputs are worked out (at a reasonable price) it will be difficult to convince most non computer oriented people to go with networked digital players. I was very excited about building a AV distribution system based one MP115 per zone. The cost savings over a traditional matrix switch based system is HUGE. When I showed it to potential users their FIRST question was "how do I watch live TV?". Since I usually watch stored video that was not a concern for me but most people still watch some their crappy "reality" TV in realtime with the ads. Go figure...

The MDS-6A sells for $1007.

Take a look at Russound's CAV6.6. We put one in a while ago and it's been great.

-Bill Kearney

It's 1,101.88 at

I think that includes some remote keypads as well)

1,250.00 at and at (with remote keypads)

As low as $816.00 at

$999.00 at You gotta be darn careful to read all the "foin" print... :-)

Frank Olson

The controllers are very nice and if I was a) not able to pre-wire and b) able to spend ~$3000-$4000 I would probably get this.

Nice system, I love the video switching and ! What kind of cabling do you do for such a beast? About double what I was hoping to spend, but the video switching would be worth it.

I have been looking at the network-based systems for awhile and there have been some great suggestions here. I'll definitely have to take a hard look at my usage model and see if any of them are viable for me (at a reasonable cost =)). It is tough to beat the simplicity and ease-of-use of a wall-mounted contol system with IR repeaters though.

As for analog inputs, really my main source would be AM football games.. which I think I could get streamed over the internet. Other considerations would be CD/DVD Audio that friends bring over, Ipods, etc. Fairly infrequent stuff, but having the option is nice.

Thanks again for all your input!

Eric

Bear in mind that it includes the amplification for each zone. Everything in that one box.

You wire it using CAT5 to the wall controller, speaker wire to the speakers (often through the wall controller junction box) and then coax to wherever you want the TV. You can get baluns from them to use CAT5 instead of coax if you prefer. It's "only" composite video, not s-video or component. But it's more than adequate for regular TVs. In the home theatre we run composite directly from the source devices.

Take a look at J.River's Media Center program for windows. We use it to provide mp3 and streamed audio. Video we get from regular AV devices (DVD, DirecTV Tivo) because PC streamed video really isn't all that good. Yes, it can be done, but in reality it's been more trouble (and expense) than it's worth.

Heh, take a look at Sonance's iPort in-wall iPod mounting boxes. I haven't installed our yet.

-Bill Kearney