Squeezebox2

Posted by: andy

Squeezebox2 - 09/03/2005 10:52

http://www.slimdevices.com/index.html

The new Squeezebox2 looks interesting; the screen looks like it might actually be readable across the room, decoding is done in software on the player, supports FLAC (also decoded on the player), 54G WiFi and can act as a wireless bridge.

Apart from the 54G part it is exactly what the Rio Receiver Mk2 could have been.

It might be time to dump my Rio Receivers and get something I'm actually more likely to use.
Posted by: Cybjorg

Re: Squeezebox2 - 09/03/2005 10:54

"Mamma's got a squeezebox. Daddy can't sleep at night."
Posted by: tahir

Re: Squeezebox2 - 09/03/2005 11:14

I'm still on slimp3's, excellent devices from an excellent company.
Posted by: DWallach

Re: Squeezebox2 - 09/03/2005 12:28

I've got the wireless (802.11b, I believe) Squeezebox, and it pretty much works as advertised. The only issue I've had is that the Squeezebox doesn't recover well if I put my computer to sleep and wake it back up again. I usually have to power-cycle the Squeezebox. Likewise, I'd like to see wake-on-LAN support, so I could use the Squeezebox to remotely kick my computer. Otherwise, I'm very happy.
Posted by: julf

Re: Squeezebox2 - 09/03/2005 13:23

Quote:
I've got the wireless (802.11b, I believe) Squeezebox, and it pretty much works as advertised. The only issue I've had is that the Squeezebox doesn't recover well if I put my computer to sleep and wake it back up again. I usually have to power-cycle the Squeezebox. Likewise, I'd like to see wake-on-LAN support, so I could use the Squeezebox to remotely kick my computer. Otherwise, I'm very happy.

Second that. Just wish I could use the same server for bith the squeezebox and the Rio Receivers. The slimserver is a huge blob of perl...
Posted by: tahir

Re: Squeezebox2 - 09/03/2005 15:00

Quote:
The slimserver is a huge blob of perl...


Uses very few resources though
Posted by: time

Re: Squeezebox2 - 09/03/2005 15:41

I'm pretty sure you can use the same server if you're using xPLRioNet as your server AND if you're running Windows as the server.

There are a host of other great features there too, including web based control of the remote devices.
    Check it out:
  • Support for Rio, ExStreamer, SliMP3, MVP and WinAmp.
  • xPLRioNet uses the Riot 0.1.6 client of tRio (written by Paul Noffke).
  • Multi Unit MVP support.
  • Built-in customisable web interface.
  • Support for MP3, WMA, WAV, FLAC and OGG.
  • Support for synchronising multiple Rios
  • Shoutcast support (including support for DabBar/Wavefinder MP2 streams)
  • RioCast server(s) for local Shoutcasting
  • Text-to-speech announcements (via xPL messages)
  • On-screen messages (via xPL messages) e.g. for caller ID etc.
  • Generates Pronto/Pronto Pro csf files (for quick album/artist/playlist selection)
  • Generates Voice Recognition files (for use with xPLRioNetTTS and xPL_Voice)
  • Uses any ODBC-compliant database (ships with a Microsoft Access database)
  • Can be fully controlled and monitored using xPL messages
  • Installs as a Windows service using Microsoft .NET technologies

And it is under active development. There are even efforts to integrate TiVO control through xPL as well. Great stuff. You can plug in via the Yahoo message board which has you directly connected to those in development. It kind of reminds me of the early days of this forum...
Posted by: Cris

Re: Squeezebox2 - 09/03/2005 15:54

Wow! I almost ordered a couple of the older model the other day !!! Good job I waited !!!

Anyone in the US willing to ship one to me so I can avoid customs ??? Maybe 2 depending on what the dollar is doing at the time of purchase.

Cheers

Cris.
Posted by: andym

Re: Squeezebox2 - 09/03/2005 16:41

My god, you must listen to a heck of a lot of music to justify spending 300 quid on that.
Posted by: tman

Re: Squeezebox2 - 09/03/2005 16:51

I use a Squeezebox1 as a bedside clock if that counts?

They're quite nice and the server software is easy to use. Squeezebox 2 fixes a lot of the flaws with Squeezebox 1.
Posted by: Cris

Re: Squeezebox2 - 09/03/2005 17:18

Quote:
My god, you must listen to a heck of a lot of music to justify spending 300 quid on that.


If I get one imported it should only cost me £150ish, not bad compared to a seperates CD Player. And I need one for the kitchen, one for the living room and then the bedroom (but I use the software emulator on the Mac mini for the time being).

I don't think they are expensive, I can control them from my PDA, which goes just about everywhere with me while I am in the house. It does music (SlimServer), CCTV (Geovision), DVD (DVDLobby) and maybe in the future a bit of home automation and X10/remote control when I can be bothered to set it up.

The Slim devices offer a very neat solution to my music problems, I don't like having PC's cluttering up the living areas, they are all hidden in "ground zero" under the stairs. 2 of them will finish off the masterplan and also look very nice too.

When it is all finished I will invite you and the misses around to have a play with all the gadgets

Cheers

Cris.
Posted by: wfaulk

Re: Squeezebox2 - 09/03/2005 17:24

Quote:
When it is all finished I will invite ... the misses around to have a play with all the gadgets

My God, man! How many do you have? And I've never heard them called "gadgets" before.
Posted by: ninti

Re: Squeezebox2 - 09/03/2005 17:43

> I use a Squeezebox1 as a bedside clock if that counts?

If only it had a snooze button. I would pay a lot of money for an alarm clock with a snooze button that played mp3s.
Posted by: andym

Re: Squeezebox2 - 09/03/2005 17:44

Quote:
I don't like having PC's cluttering up the living areas


Me neither, the shuttle lives under the TV and everything else is in the study. I suppose I just don't get it. I had a Rio Receiver but never used it. I'm either in the living room with the hifi, in the study in front of the PC or in the kitchen with the radio.
Posted by: JBjorgen

Re: Squeezebox2 - 09/03/2005 17:46

I haven't messed with the server too much, but is there a way to get multiple clients to play the same music synchronized, so that as you move from room to room, the sound is continuous?
Posted by: tman

Re: Squeezebox2 - 09/03/2005 17:54

It's not built in but you could add a button via the Geek Connector and then write an alarm clock plugin...
Posted by: wfaulk

Re: Squeezebox2 - 09/03/2005 17:55

According to their FAQ, yes.
Posted by: tman

Re: Squeezebox2 - 09/03/2005 17:56

Quote:
I haven't messed with the server too much, but is there a way to get multiple clients to play the same music synchronized, so that as you move from room to room, the sound is continuous?

Yep. You can sync all 3 types.
Posted by: hybrid8

Re: Squeezebox2 - 09/03/2005 19:46

You need a music distribution system that doesn't involve having multiple decoders all over the place. But all things considered, the overkill of multiple Slim devices may still be cheaper than some multi-room distribution system controllers. Oh, what to do....

The problem multiple Slim devices doesn't solve is that you still need a set of pre and power amplifiers as well as speakers at each Slim-equipped location. With a proper distributed solution you'd only have speakers, perhaps a power amp (if the speakers weren't wired back to a central amplifier that supported multiple zones) and an IR sensor with an optional display unit (that could show your song information, etc...). Whether or not you could listen to different music at each location at the same time (as opposed to only controlling it) would depend on the distribution system installed (brand/model, etc..)

But then there's that wireless appeal (not having to run anything back to the main system location)...

Bruno
Posted by: andym

Re: Squeezebox2 - 09/03/2005 19:51

Yes, If you've got to factor an amp and speakers into each position your costs will quickly rise. One of the good things about the Rio Receiver was the built in amp. What would you use? Decent self powered speakers aren't cheap, and if you're looking at buying a micro-system to plug it into then you might as just use that. A multi-zone system sounds far more cost effective.
Posted by: andym

Re: Squeezebox2 - 09/03/2005 19:53

Quote:
But then there's that wireless appeal (not having to run anything back to the main system location)...


You're replying to the man who's flood wired his house with Cat5, I doubt the wireless capabilities will be high on his list of requirements.
Posted by: Cris

Re: Squeezebox2 - 09/03/2005 20:13

Quote:
Yes, If you've got to factor an amp and speakers into each position your costs will quickly rise. One of the good things about the Rio Receiver was the built in amp. What would you use? Decent self powered speakers aren't cheap, and if you're looking at buying a micro-system to plug it into then you might as just use that. A multi-zone system sounds far more cost effective.


Bedroom - Mac mini running through an old Kenwood Amp, with the B postsrunning speakers (soon to be) built into the walls in the ensuite. This is a compromise as I can't control audio from the ensuite, or at least I haven't found a cheap solution yet (PDA isn't water proof )

Living Room - Will run via spare digital input on my surround amp, cable already run from TV location back to amp to take the audio.

Kitchen - Use a until now disused set of PC speakers, with a sub. Sounds better than any kitchen radio I have ever heard!

Tenants Rooms - Up to them, there is a Cat5 running to their room for internet, and they can stream my music collection if they wish. As well as a spare for voice if they want to pay for their own line putting in there is no need to run cables.

See, I have it all planned out, Slim's devices are just what I need as I don't need to buy anything else apart from the units themselves

Andy is right, I do have wireless, but I fitted 24 Cat5e sockets around the house (most can't be seen!) all wired back to my own mini comms room, although this may seem a little overkill, I don't trust wireless lans. I am not sure of the average US house size, but mine is 90m2 (ish) I think that will be small compared to the US, so 24 covers most areas of the house.

I don't see the point in multi room dist systems, they are expensive, and are no where near as flexible as having them run off an open source server, I mean isn't that what all empeggers would see as an ideal platform?

I notice they are not shipping until the eand of March, so I guess I will have to wait a while.

Cheers

Cris.
Posted by: Cris

Re: Squeezebox2 - 09/03/2005 20:17

Quote:
You're replying to the man who's flood wired his house with Cat5, I doubt the wireless capabilities will be high on his list of requirements.


I two spares in the loft, just in case, no idea waht I would use them for, maybe future mesh networking ???

Cheers

Cris.
Posted by: andym

Re: Squeezebox2 - 09/03/2005 20:19

We've got a Roberts radio in the kitchen and I think it sounds really good. I suppose most kitchen radios are cheap bits of crap so I can see where you're coming from there.

Stick the PDA in a ziplock sandwich bag, that should make it waterproof!
Posted by: tahir

Re: Squeezebox2 - 10/03/2005 08:59

Quote:
I haven't messed with the server too much, but is there a way to get multiple clients to play the same music synchronized, so that as you move from room to room, the sound is continuous?


That was the killer feature for me when i originally bought my slimp3s, it was a bit flaky at the start but works fine now.
Posted by: JBjorgen

Re: Squeezebox2 - 10/03/2005 11:57

Quote:
90m2


According to google, about 969 sq. ft. for all the USians.
Posted by: julf

Re: Squeezebox2 - 10/03/2005 13:15

Quote:
I'm pretty sure you can use the same server if you're using xPLRioNet as your server AND if you're running Windows as the server.


Ahh. Duhh. Windows on a workstation, yes, if I have to, but on a server? Nuuuu waaaay.
Posted by: boxer

Re: Squeezebox2 - 10/03/2005 15:13

Quote:


I two spares in the loft, just in case, no idea waht I would use them for, maybe future mesh networking ???

Cat5's on special offer in Maplins, you could always run some out to a socket here!
Speaking of which, if a digital model railway system can potentially address 128 locos and accessories, couldn't I use it to run sound and vision round the house through the track instead of Cat5?......only joking!
Posted by: Cris

Re: Squeezebox2 - 10/03/2005 17:56

Quote:
Cat5's on special offer in Maplins


I know of a place where it is on an extra specail offer, my work van I found several full reels lying around in "skips" at work amazing what some people throw away!

Cheers

Cris.
Posted by: andym

Re: Squeezebox2 - 10/03/2005 20:28

When the BBC was flood wiring all it's buildings 7 or 8 years ago you could would quite often get a 500ft reel with 450ft still on it in the skip. Suppose it makes sense, they don't want to spend hours pulling cable through only to find its a meter too short. A lot of the runs were right at the limit of a single run of cable.
Posted by: Cris

Re: Squeezebox2 - 16/03/2005 08:46

So, I have set up my old PC speakers in the kitchen, plugged in the Karma, sounds great !!!

All was fine until I unloaded the Dishwasher! There is very annoying resonance coming from the glass cupboard! The sub has to go on top of the units, near the ceiling, and this is making the bass a little boomy. Where else could I put a Sub in a kitchen, I tried ontop of the fridge and it sounded weird, there isn't anywhere else for it to fit. Dammit !!!

Cheers

Cris.
Posted by: tonyc

Re: Squeezebox2 - 16/03/2005 12:55

Yeah, who'd'a thunk putting a subwoofer in the kitchen would be problematic?
Posted by: julf

Re: Squeezebox2 - 16/03/2005 12:57

Quote:
Where else could I put a Sub in a kitchen

Under the sink? If it's a true sub, it doesn't need to be radiating directly. In fact, you might be able to turn your undersink cabinet into a reflex box...
Posted by: andym

Re: Squeezebox2 - 16/03/2005 15:41

Just stick it at the back of a cupboard. As Julf said, positioning shouldn't make a difference if the sub is any good. You could even put it under/behind a load of crap as long the vent (if there is one) isn't obscured, otherwise you'll get port turbulence.
Posted by: Cris

Re: Squeezebox2 - 16/03/2005 17:26

Mmmm, tried that, sounds very boomy when under the sink/in a cupboard

It's only a cheapo Labtec PC 2.1 speaker set, so I shouldn't expect too much, but it sounded great on my desk. Maybe I need to mount the speakers at head height, but that it going to start looking pretty nasty, I was hoping for a nice hidden install.

Cheers

Cris.