HiFi advice, and spend my money - The Bear and Badger

cockbeard

Hey guys, I've a shiny new house that I want to be very media friendly. So to that end I'd like some advice. I've a nice space under the stairs in which a server will live. Will likely run that as a PC rather than a standalone system, so torrents etc can be managed remotely. The downstairs rooms will be fine as there enough consoles floating around to access UPnP. Issue is upstairs, I'd like a box that can access my server and play music through my amp. Would also need to be remote controllable from an Android device. Could do it as a PC but not sure whether sound cards are really good enough. Is there a HiFi solution? Sound quality matters to me

Mod74

This might be worth looking at for your server

http://www.freenas.org/

http://lifehacker.com/5822590/turn-an-old-computer-into-a-networked-backup-streaming-or-torrenting-machine-with-freenas

cockbeard

Cheers Mod, was gonna use Win Server, but will look into that. The Sonos systems don't seem as expensive as I thought, anyone here used them, any good or fiddly shite?

Mod74

Never used them. Do seem a rather expensive way of achieving what you could using AirPlay (if you're willing to munch Apple cock)

M0stly harm13ss

Ive got a Sonos systems cocko, top stuff.

You can buy either a zone player, that connects to your amp, or separate speaker systems that stand alone. Just plug them into the mains, quick setup to allow access through the router (and point them to wherever your music libraries are) then they can be controlled through free apps available for android or iOS.

Very very simple. Just ask if you want any specific advice.

Edit: Just to add, one sonos box needs to be wired to the router to act as a bridge to the others. If your router isn't near your amp or conveniently situated to connect a Play 5 or Play 3, then you'll need a Zonebridge as well as a ZP90 (the unpowered zone player that connects to an amp). You don't need the sonos controller, as the app is fantastic.

cockbeard

Think that may be the way to go, a decent DAC will cost the same, and the interface appears to be a lot better than the competition. The Cambridge Audio NP30 still tempts though

M0stly harm13ss

I've never had a problem apart from some early network conflicts (router and Sonos need to be on separate channels). No experience of the Cambridge stuff, but an advantage Sonos has over that is that it's modular and expandable. If you want extra units, they just integrate seamlessly with the existing setup when you plug them in.

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