For use of you that use Macs, why have you chosen Squeezebox in preference to the native Apple solution?
What are the advantages over iTunes and Airport express?
What are the advantages over iTunes and Airport express?
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Brian
In UK: rPi4 running LMS, Chromecast Audio Dongle and Chromecast Video Dongle attached to TV - Beresford DAC - Quad 77 Integrated Amp - AVI Neutron 4 Speakers - Sennheiser HD25 Headphones. Boom in Bedroom.
In Nicosia: LMS running on a small form factor Windows PC, Beresford DAC into Quad 405-2 and MB Quart 980s -
The way I see it (I'm not a mac user tho)
* The Controller is great, but similar to the iPod Touch/iPhone function
* Audio quality, the SqueezeBoxes are far better than the airport express
* Flexability, lots of non apple blessed formats are supported
* No need for a computer from time to time (SqueezeNetwork)
* Non-music playing functions, lots of plugins for other stuff
* Really good multi-room sync playback
* Many other streaming music sources like Pandora, Rhapsody, Lastfm, Slacker, etc.
Overall it's just more flexible than Apple-only stuff. -
.....and to break the Apple shackles of proprietary encoding and hardware!
Be careful as you investigate any third party solution for streaming your Apple/iTunes music as Apple's DRM is not supported on most non-Apple hardware. SD/Logitech has asked numerous times to license from Apple the rights to utilize Apple DRM music, but Apple won't allow them to do so.
You can still use iTunes to get music, as long as it is not DRM'd.
If you are DRM free then you are truly free to investigate most any third party solution.
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Brian
In UK: rPi4 running LMS, Chromecast Audio Dongle and Chromecast Video Dongle attached to TV - Beresford DAC - Quad 77 Integrated Amp - AVI Neutron 4 Speakers - Sennheiser HD25 Headphones. Boom in Bedroom.
In Nicosia: LMS running on a small form factor Windows PC, Beresford DAC into Quad 405-2 and MB Quart 980sComment
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Brian
In UK: rPi4 running LMS, Chromecast Audio Dongle and Chromecast Video Dongle attached to TV - Beresford DAC - Quad 77 Integrated Amp - AVI Neutron 4 Speakers - Sennheiser HD25 Headphones. Boom in Bedroom.
In Nicosia: LMS running on a small form factor Windows PC, Beresford DAC into Quad 405-2 and MB Quart 980sComment
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A Touch + Cambridge DAC Magic has replaced my venerable SB3. May it rest in peace.
http://www.last.fm/user/androidtoppComment
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Also doesn't iTunes/Airport Express require you to change tracks and playlists through iTunes, i.e. at the computer? In essence isn't this like a Really Long Audio Cable(tm)?
The SB allows you to do all this remotely, from the device itself, and doesn't require you to do anything on the computer for playback.Boom (PQP3 - late beta, PQP1 - early beta), Squeezebox Radio (PB1 - early beta)Comment
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iTunes -> no NAS
I am a mac user, and a big fan of AppleTV on top of that (AppleTV does AirTunes). I do not own DRMed media. My opinion:
- iTunes does not work on a server or NAS. The music distribution options are crude.
- With SB you interact with a *device*. Stay focused on music, no driver/setup problem of any sort.
- SC builds on years of users experience and it's open. You can integrate it to your home much better. (home automation for example)
In case you have 1 computer and 1 or 2 amplifiers and simply wish to play the same music on all, then you can go with iTunes and AirTunes, simple and easy.
If you're willing to network your music and let people enjoy it a will in your home, then go with SC/SBs.2 SB 3 • 1 PCP 7 • Libratone Loop, Zipp, Zipp Mini • iPeng (iPhone + iPad) • LMS 8.1 (docker) with plugins: CD Player, WaveInput by bpa • Material Skin by Craig Drummond • IRBlaster by Gwendesign (Felix) • Smart Mix, Music Walk With Me, What Was That Tune? by Michael Herger • PowerSave by Jason Holtzapple • Song Info, Song Lyrics by Erland Isaksson • BBC Sounds by Stuart McLean • AirPlay Bridge by philippe_44 • Auto Dim Display, SaverSwitcher, ContextMenu by Peter Watkins.Comment
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There is a controller comparison here, with pictures
On looking at it from the outside the Apple Touch seems to have the better interface, though it may not do as much.
I am minded to go with SB, stay open source, and use a Netbook as a controller. A bigger screen I see as an advantage when hunting a large classical library, and I quite like the idea of the netbook for armchair email access and surfing.Brian
In UK: rPi4 running LMS, Chromecast Audio Dongle and Chromecast Video Dongle attached to TV - Beresford DAC - Quad 77 Integrated Amp - AVI Neutron 4 Speakers - Sennheiser HD25 Headphones. Boom in Bedroom.
In Nicosia: LMS running on a small form factor Windows PC, Beresford DAC into Quad 405-2 and MB Quart 980sComment
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Only if you like the iPod/iTunes approach to music playing, I personally far prefer the Squeezebox Controller approach. Silly things like having to know you might want to build up and on-the-go playlist when you start playing an album drives me mad, compared to the SBC "play" for playing immediately and "plus" for adding to the on-the-go playlist. And if I pick a single track from an album to play I DO NOT want the rest of the album to play after it !
I love my iPhone, the iPod software on it winds me up and as for iTunes, well that is just a detestable bit of software. It is a good job the rest of the iPhone experience is so good...Comment
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