Tech Question

Does anyone use Airport Express to wirelessly connect their itunes library to their home stereo?  If so, does it work well?  If not, does anyone have any other tips/suggestions for a setup/device that will allow me to play my itunes through my home stereo?

Sonos.

/thread

Yada wrote:
Sonos.

/thread

I'm imagining GGW's home stereo setup is of higher quality than SONOS.

Where is your iTunes library currently stored?  On a desk/laptop or in the cloud?

itunes is on my laptop.

Your imagination is correct.  I have a (moderately) high quality home audio system including built-in speakers in some rooms.  I don't want additional speakers through which to stream music.  I just want to use my itunes as another input component to my existing stereo.  But do so wirelessly so I can manage the tunes from the kitchen or living room (or wherever I am with the laptop) and not have to go to the library (where the stereo lives).

vansmack wrote:

Yada wrote:
Sonos.

/thread

I'm imagining GGW's home stereo setup is of higher quality than SONOS.

Where is your iTunes library currently stored?  On a desk/laptop or in the cloud?

I'm confused. I have a high end sound system that uses SONOS but not SONOS speakers.

I finally quit using Airport Express because it kept cutting out.  I was told by a techie Airport Express has many problems due to software updates and that you need to be a routing guru to keep up with the updates.  Switched to Sonos, much happier…sounds awesome.

ggw wrote:
itunes is on my laptop.

Your imagination is correct.  I have a (moderately) high quality home audio system including built-in speakers in some rooms.  I don't want additional speakers through which to stream music.  I just want to use my itunes as another input component to my existing stereo.  But do so wirelessly so I can manage the tunes from the kitchen or living room (or wherever I am with the laptop) and not have to go to the library (where the stereo lives).

I'll say it again.

SONOS

/thread

Yada is referencing SONOS Connect.  In GGW's scenario where he wants to carry his laptop around with him, or play from where ever his laptop is, that should work.

I was imaging a scenario where GGW would like to keep his library stationary, and then use a phone to choose the songs to play.  That's going to take a little more time to figure out, and probably require a cloud based solution for his music.

Another alternative to SONOS is a Chromecast Audio, but that won't play well with iTunes.  Which was my next question - why are you still using iTunes? 

I know it's not directly relevant to GGWs question, but as someone who cannot run wires where he is, SONOS is the best~$3500 vansmack ever convinced me to spend.

Julian, wrote:
I know it's not directly relevant to GGWs question, but as someone who cannot run wires where he is, SONOS is the best~$3500 vansmack ever convinced me to spend.

The only thing Smackie is better at than spending his own money, is spending other peoples money….

jeffml wrote:
I finally quit using Airport Express because it kept cutting out.  I was told by a techie Airport Express has many problems due to software updates and that you need to be a routing guru to keep up with the updates.  Switched to Sonos, much happier…sounds awesome.

Exactly the type of feedback I was looking for.

vansmack wrote:
Yada is referencing SONOS Connect.  In GGW's scenario where he wants to carry his laptop around with him, or play from where ever his laptop is, that should work.

I was imaging a scenario where GGW would like to keep his library stationary, and then use a phone to choose the songs to play.  That's going to take a little more time to figure out, and probably require a cloud based solution for his music.

Another alternative to SONOS is a Chromecast Audio, but that won't play well with iTunes.  Which was my next question - why are you still using iTunes?   

I'm just an analog man in a digital world.

Really - I am the world's slowest adapter.  My phone is a BlackBerry Classic.  I doubt I can control anything with it.  Terms like "cloud based solution" frighten me.  I'm sure there's something better than iTunes, but I'm comfortable with it and it fits my limited needs.

Thanks for the tips.  I'll follow your (and yada's and jeffml's) advice and check out sonos.

Amazon Echo Dot with Amazon Music unlimited ($3.99 a month) is pretty cool too.  Connect via blu tooth or 3.5 cable.

ggw wrote:

vansmack wrote:
Yada is referencing SONOS Connect.  In GGW's scenario where he wants to carry his laptop around with him, or play from where ever his laptop is, that should work.

I was imaging a scenario where GGW would like to keep his library stationary, and then use a phone to choose the songs to play.  That's going to take a little more time to figure out, and probably require a cloud based solution for his music.

Another alternative to SONOS is a Chromecast Audio, but that won't play well with iTunes.  Which was my next question - why are you still using iTunes?   

I'm just an analog man in a digital world.

Really - I am the world's slowest adapter.  My phone is a BlackBerry Classic.  I doubt I can control anything with it.  Terms like "cloud based solution" frighten me.  I'm sure there's something better than iTunes, but I'm comfortable with it and it fits my limited needs.

Thanks for the tips.  I'll follow your (and yada's and jeffml's) advice and check out sonos.

Will set up AV systems for food (and droogz and booze).

ggw wrote:

vansmack wrote:
Yada is referencing SONOS Connect.  In GGW's scenario where he wants to carry his laptop around with him, or play from where ever his laptop is, that should work.

I was imaging a scenario where GGW would like to keep his library stationary, and then use a phone to choose the songs to play.  That's going to take a little more time to figure out, and probably require a cloud based solution for his music.

Another alternative to SONOS is a Chromecast Audio, but that won't play well with iTunes.  Which was my next question - why are you still using iTunes? 

I'm just an analog man in a digital world.

Really - I am the world's slowest adapter.  My phone is a BlackBerry Classic.  I doubt I can control anything with it.  Terms like "cloud based solution" frighten me.  I'm sure there's something better than iTunes, but I'm comfortable with it and it fits my limited needs.

Thanks for the tips.  I'll follow your (and yada's and jeffml's) advice and check out sonos.

I love that GGW was using a BlackBerry Classic in 2017 :)

Anyone looked at Marshal for doing multi room speakers and looking like a hepcat instead of a nerd dad
https://www.marshallheadphones.com/us/en/acton-multi-room.html

They are hard to find to do any sound tests with.  I have found the Marshall bluetooth speaker in a store, and it was nice, but BT speakers pale in comparison to WiFi speakers.

They are certainly more classic looking for the old souls on this board (The Brand would probably never go for them) and they are more versatile in that most are WiFi (Chromecast, Spotify Connect and AirPlay compatible), BT and have a 3.5mm jack, and some are even portable, but until I hear them, I won't have a full opinion.   

There are plusses and minuses to Chromecast, Spotify Connect and AirPlay compatibility compared to how SONOS does it though.  The Marshall way offers more flexibility but can be more confusing, as opposed to the simplicity of the SONOS services model, but that model depends on SONOS offering the music services you want.

Julian, wrote:
I know it's not directly relevant to GGWs question, but as someone who cannot run wires where he is, SONOS is the best~$3500 vansmack ever convinced me to spend.

time for an upgrade…offering decent discounts for trade-ins
https://www.theverge.com/2020/11/11/21559967/sonos-upgrade-program-30-15-percent-discount-play1-play3-play5-recycle-mode-controversy

Richie wrote:

Julian, wrote:
I know it's not directly relevant to GGWs question, but as someone who cannot run wires where he is, SONOS is the best~$3500 vansmack ever convinced me to spend.

time for an upgrade…offering decent discounts for trade-ins
https://www.theverge.com/2020/11/11/21559967/sonos-upgrade-program-30-15-percent-discount-play1-play3-play5-recycle-mode-controversy

Everything I own is newer than that. I do need to trade my playbar in and get an Arc though.

I have an opportunity to be given something called a "Bowers and Wilkins" CM9 speaker.  The thing is freaking huge!  Is this something I can hook up directly to my new 70 inch television . . . or do I have to have some other kind of equipment for that to work?  Or it that something dumb to hook up to a television.  As you can see, I know nothing about this stuff.

at a quick glance looks like you'll need a decent amplifier to power those.  So your tv would go into the Amp and the speakers would connect to that
those are big speakers and I think over 2K msrp