LinuxMCE Forums

General => Users => Topic started by: davegravy on September 13, 2011, 05:25:19 AM

Title: Inexpensive and Compact Audio Streaming Device
Post by: davegravy on September 13, 2011, 05:25:19 AM
Logitech killed the Squeezebox Receiver
Roku killed the Soundbridge

I want to buy something that's going to be supported by the manufacturer, and obviously by LinuxMCE.

What are my options?
Title: Re: Inexpensive and Compact Audio Streaming Device
Post by: totallymaxed on September 13, 2011, 02:48:00 PM
Quote from: davegravy on September 13, 2011, 05:25:19 AM
Logitech killed the Squeezebox Receiver
Roku killed the Soundbridge

I want to buy something that's going to be supported by the manufacturer, and obviously by LinuxMCE.

What are my options?

You can still use all the other Squeeze products of course.

But if your adverse to that then a Soundcard + Squeezeslave is one option that works really well.

In Dianemo we support Sonos too but they don't suit everyone.

So soundcards + squeezeslaves is really a very good solution indeed.

All the best


Andrew
Title: Re: Inexpensive and Compact Audio Streaming Device
Post by: davegravy on September 13, 2011, 04:50:54 PM
Thanks Andrew.

I don't really want to buy another touch interface (that's what my orbiters are for) and I want to use my own speakers so the Logitech SB products that are still offered don't appeal.

I'm looking at putting squeezeslave on a plugcomputer (dreamplug) (http://www.globalscaletechnologies.com/t-dreamplugdetails.aspx#hw_block (http://www.globalscaletechnologies.com/t-dreamplugdetails.aspx#hw_block)). By chance do you have any experience with this?
Title: Re: Inexpensive and Compact Audio Streaming Device
Post by: totallymaxed on September 13, 2011, 07:24:38 PM
Quote from: davegravy on September 13, 2011, 04:50:54 PM
Thanks Andrew.

I don't really want to buy another touch interface (that's what my orbiters are for) and I want to use my own speakers so the Logitech SB products that are still offered don't appeal.

I'm looking at putting squeezeslave on a plugcomputer (dreamplug) (http://www.globalscaletechnologies.com/t-dreamplugdetails.aspx#hw_block (http://www.globalscaletechnologies.com/t-dreamplugdetails.aspx#hw_block)). By chance do you have any experience with this?

We have never looked in detail at any of the 'plug' PC's because they all seem to suffer significant cooling/reliability issues.... but we are looking at an custom ARM based board that would achieve the same ends ie a low power/low cost 'node' that could be used for audio or video. To help us get our production volumes up we will probably sell a version of this board 'bare' with a Ubuntu build in Flash to the community... pricing is by no means worked through yet but we'd hope to get it into peoples hands for around $75. We will also build the same board into a number of Dianemo 'nodes' and this version will have custom Dianemo firmware image supplied with it and packaged in a custom engineered enclosure. Pricing on the Dianemo 'nodes' has not been finalised yet.

Anyway I think you are going in the right direction for sure with Squeezeslave + hardware.

All the best

Andrew
Title: Re: Inexpensive and Compact Audio Streaming Device
Post by: dextaslab on September 13, 2011, 11:59:36 PM
Quote from: davegravy on September 13, 2011, 04:50:54 PM
Thanks Andrew.

I don't really want to buy another touch interface (that's what my orbiters are for) and I want to use my own speakers so the Logitech SB products that are still offered don't appeal.

I'm looking at putting squeezeslave on a plugcomputer (dreamplug) (http://www.globalscaletechnologies.com/t-dreamplugdetails.aspx#hw_block (http://www.globalscaletechnologies.com/t-dreamplugdetails.aspx#hw_block)). By chance do you have any experience with this?

This was rushed but works consistently: http://www.modlog.net/?p=171 (http://www.modlog.net/?p=171), total cost was about $35, thin clients are bigger than what you were looking for, but not nearly as big as a PC.
Title: Re: Inexpensive and Compact Audio Streaming Device
Post by: davegravy on September 14, 2011, 03:55:22 PM
Quote from: totallymaxed on September 13, 2011, 07:24:38 PM
We have never looked in detail at any of the 'plug' PC's because they all seem to suffer significant cooling/reliability issues.... but we are looking at an custom ARM based board that would achieve the same ends ie a low power/low cost 'node' that could be used for audio or video. To help us get our production volumes up we will probably sell a version of this board 'bare' with a Ubuntu build in Flash to the community... pricing is by no means worked through yet but we'd hope to get it into peoples hands for around $75. We will also build the same board into a number of Dianemo 'nodes' and this version will have custom Dianemo firmware image supplied with it and packaged in a custom engineered enclosure. Pricing on the Dianemo 'nodes' has not been finalised yet.

Anyway I think you are going in the right direction for sure with Squeezeslave + hardware.

All the best

Andrew

From my research the dreamplug model is quite a bit more stable than previous models, but way more expensive than what you quoted (double!).  I'll also check out that T5000 dextaslab.
Title: Re: Inexpensive and Compact Audio Streaming Device
Post by: RayBe on September 14, 2011, 10:32:37 PM
Andrew,
Could you tell us a bit more about your ARM-based-board project?
Maybe in a new thread, sounds very interesting.

Br,
Raymond
Title: Re: Inexpensive and Compact Audio Streaming Device
Post by: totallymaxed on September 14, 2011, 11:41:11 PM
Quote from: RayBe on September 14, 2011, 10:32:37 PM
Andrew,
Could you tell us a bit more about your ARM-based-board project?
Maybe in a new thread, sounds very interesting.

Br,
Raymond

Well I've said about all I can say about it at the moment. But as soon as we have more details you can be sure I will post them here in the Forum.

All the best


Andrew
Title: Re: Inexpensive and Compact Audio Streaming Device
Post by: tkmedia on September 15, 2011, 09:07:21 PM
To get better sound I am using http://lmcecompatible.com/#ecwid:category=1598377&mode=product&product=6633130
connected to http://lmcecompatible.com/#ecwid:category=285320&mode=product&product=867437
Using squeezeslave.


I am very happy with this combination.  I actually daisy chain three amps together for various outdoor audio zones.
a project for this winter will entail using the B outputs on the amps for various indoor audio zones.
I am also experimenting with MPD and squeezeplay to get bitperfect audio from LinuxMCE

not the cheapest, but a very inexpensive way to have high quality lmce controlled audio.

Tim