Easiest way to have multiple rooms playing own music?
- Thread starter ghurty
- Start date
potts.mike
Active Member
Have you looked at squeezeboxes
I have CQC and I've been looking for something similar. Squeezebox looks good except for the fact that the hardware is no longer supported and even as it is, Sonos is better (software and hardware). I have a few Sonos pieces and as much as I'd like something cheaper and will keep looking, Sonos is a very elegant solution that simply works. If Sonos had a distributed audio solution, it would be perfect.
iostream212
Active Member
What is your speaker setup? In wall/in ceiling? Or you looking for a networked audio device with a speaker built in? Do you want the players wired or wireless?
While it is true that you can't buy new Squeezebox Radios, you can use just about anything as a Squeezebox. I have a $20 pogoplug running as my Squeezebox server and you can also use them as a player.dgage said:
http://vortexbox.org/content/150-Building-the-VAMP
This thread below is on a wandboard based player project.
http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?97881-Community-Funded-Squeezebox-Replacement-Would-you-be-interested
I have not had any issues with my Squeezebox players other than a duet controller with a loose charging stand, the charging base is an easy fix with a wmall patch of the soft side of velcro. My radios don't act up and my pogoplug server has been running great. I used to use a Vortexbox as my Sqeezebox server and you can have multiple software players on a Vortexbox. Control is easy with most H/A programs or apps on tablets or phones. I have IOS devices and both iPeng and Squeezepad are nice and you can use a iPad, iPod or iPhone as a Squeezebox player. I would imagine there are good options for Android devices also but I don't own any.
potts.mike
Active Member
A raspberry pi can be setup as a server and radio as well.
Are you an Ipod or iphone user....Air port express...$100 per zone.
Personally, I have sonos units. They are more expensive but totally worth it. They have worked flawlessly since day one.
I am sure there are ways to get control from your other systems but it may require hacks or "programming" if it is possible at all.
Personally, I have sonos units. They are more expensive but totally worth it. They have worked flawlessly since day one.
I am sure there are ways to get control from your other systems but it may require hacks or "programming" if it is possible at all.
Another vote here for Squeezeboxes.
The best thing about squeezeboxes is that you can try it all right now for free. If you have a few computers handy install Logitech Media Server (LMS):
http://www.mysqueezebox.com/download
And then run a few copies of SqueezePlay:
http://downloads.slimdevices.com/nightly/index.php?ver=7.8
I have quite a few Pogoplugs set up as squeezeplayers. The community support has actually improved quite a bit since Logitech discontinued the line. I strongly recommend this player if you go the homemade arm device route:
http://code.google.com/p/squeezelite/
You may find older guides recommended SqueezeSlave but it is hard coded to only support 16bit / 44.1kHz sampling. SqueezeLite is a newer player without that limitation. I would also shy away from downloading one of the canned images that you find floating around for Pogoplugs (VAMP, SqueezePlug) if you are at all comfortable with playing around with Linux. If you are going to have a Pogoplug lying around you might as well have it do other things as well (webcam server, lirc, etc). There are plenty of spare CPU cycles even during music playback. Instead, just follow the install directions on http://archlinuxarm.org/. That way you also get community support from the people that develop the system. I would pick a sound card that is recommended in their forums as well, so that way you can just used a canned Alsa config file. After that, getting squeezelite running as a service with systemd is pretty easy.
EDIT: Vortexbox (as mentioned by Waynedb) is a great way to go if you have an extra machine for it OR you can run it as a virtual machine under esxi, etc.
The best thing about squeezeboxes is that you can try it all right now for free. If you have a few computers handy install Logitech Media Server (LMS):
http://www.mysqueezebox.com/download
And then run a few copies of SqueezePlay:
http://downloads.slimdevices.com/nightly/index.php?ver=7.8
I have quite a few Pogoplugs set up as squeezeplayers. The community support has actually improved quite a bit since Logitech discontinued the line. I strongly recommend this player if you go the homemade arm device route:
http://code.google.com/p/squeezelite/
You may find older guides recommended SqueezeSlave but it is hard coded to only support 16bit / 44.1kHz sampling. SqueezeLite is a newer player without that limitation. I would also shy away from downloading one of the canned images that you find floating around for Pogoplugs (VAMP, SqueezePlug) if you are at all comfortable with playing around with Linux. If you are going to have a Pogoplug lying around you might as well have it do other things as well (webcam server, lirc, etc). There are plenty of spare CPU cycles even during music playback. Instead, just follow the install directions on http://archlinuxarm.org/. That way you also get community support from the people that develop the system. I would pick a sound card that is recommended in their forums as well, so that way you can just used a canned Alsa config file. After that, getting squeezelite running as a service with systemd is pretty easy.
EDIT: Vortexbox (as mentioned by Waynedb) is a great way to go if you have an extra machine for it OR you can run it as a virtual machine under esxi, etc.
iostream212
Active Member
Is there an api for squeezebox or Logitech media server? Links please if yes.
pete_c
Guru
Lately here I have been running the Squeezebox server on the same Ubuntu MythTV box. Runs well. Primarily my distributed sound is wired to a patch panel of sorts in the comm room to the Russound amps. I am testing and goofing a bit with SP on embedded little Linux capacitance touch screens connected wired and wireless. These also run Android or Wintel OS's so I have been flipping around between the various OS's. I also do this a bit with XBMC and have one box set up with an XBMC OS on the internal 2 Gb flash drive. Works well. I have tested video TV streaming at SD and 720 and it does OK. (IE: the master bathroom touchscreen). Most current player is running a squeezebox OS on 1Gb of internal flash. Its a tabletop capacitance tablet using a multiprocessor Atom based CPU. It does include an Intel HD video chip on it.
There is also a Homeseer plugin for the Squeezebox to remote control the players such that you can build your own touchscreen SP interface with HSTouch. Personally here I do not utilize HS to manage the music but rather more to manage the hardware.
I found some applets here:
http://wiki.slimdevices.com/index.php/SqueezePlay_Applets
Attached is a picture of the OF2 boxes I am using as SP boxes. I like these as the speakers are in the front. Very thing and unobtrusive. I have a current HSTouchscreen a bit like a clock bedside radio set up with automation options on it (weather lights et al). Still trying to get the DECT phone to work with it. (It does also have a WLAN/Bluetooth card inside along with a Zigbee chip). What is nice though is I can switch from Android to Linux to XP (also W8) easily.
There is also a Homeseer plugin for the Squeezebox to remote control the players such that you can build your own touchscreen SP interface with HSTouch. Personally here I do not utilize HS to manage the music but rather more to manage the hardware.
I found some applets here:
http://wiki.slimdevices.com/index.php/SqueezePlay_Applets
Attached is a picture of the OF2 boxes I am using as SP boxes. I like these as the speakers are in the front. Very thing and unobtrusive. I have a current HSTouchscreen a bit like a clock bedside radio set up with automation options on it (weather lights et al). Still trying to get the DECT phone to work with it. (It does also have a WLAN/Bluetooth card inside along with a Zigbee chip). What is nice though is I can switch from Android to Linux to XP (also W8) easily.
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iostream212
Active Member
Perfection. Thank you very much.radengr said:
Just wanted to throw this out there if streaming music is in your plans. Pandora and some others stream lower quality when played from Sonos, Squeezebox, Airplay, receiver, etc as compared to from a computer so you might want to pay attention to that. Also, very few streaming services have parental controls (no explicit music), which is important to me.
With the previous mentioned, I would really like something that I could use that would be computer based to ensure higher streaming quality. I've looked into Raspberry Pi, multiple apps, etc but didn't find anything. One option that I might try is running several WinXP or Win7 VMs using VirtualBox with Expansion Pack (direct USB access from VMs) and then sharing the apps using the utilities below. I would then use USB DACs to drive the amps. I would then need some sort of matrix audio controller to switch source between rooms and I've been looking at this (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Autopatch-AMX-Precis-8x8-DSP-Audio-Switcher-w-RCA-/140795973521?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20c8180f91), which is controllable via RS-232 for Homeseer, CQC, etc.
https://sites.google.com/site/kimknight/remoteapptool (Utility to setup Windows Remote Apps)
http://www.jumitech.com/index.php?page=tap (iOS, Android)
Now that I think of it, seems pretty complex and after buying the matrix switch and USB DACs, I wouldn't save THAT much, especially once I include the time it would take me to get it working and I hate getting that call from the wife saying XXXXX doesn't work.
Squeezebox sounds good, hope it meets your needs and you are able to get it working satisfactorily.
David
With the previous mentioned, I would really like something that I could use that would be computer based to ensure higher streaming quality. I've looked into Raspberry Pi, multiple apps, etc but didn't find anything. One option that I might try is running several WinXP or Win7 VMs using VirtualBox with Expansion Pack (direct USB access from VMs) and then sharing the apps using the utilities below. I would then use USB DACs to drive the amps. I would then need some sort of matrix audio controller to switch source between rooms and I've been looking at this (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Autopatch-AMX-Precis-8x8-DSP-Audio-Switcher-w-RCA-/140795973521?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20c8180f91), which is controllable via RS-232 for Homeseer, CQC, etc.
https://sites.google.com/site/kimknight/remoteapptool (Utility to setup Windows Remote Apps)
http://www.jumitech.com/index.php?page=tap (iOS, Android)
Now that I think of it, seems pretty complex and after buying the matrix switch and USB DACs, I wouldn't save THAT much, especially once I include the time it would take me to get it working and I hate getting that call from the wife saying XXXXX doesn't work.
Squeezebox sounds good, hope it meets your needs and you are able to get it working satisfactorily.
David
iostream212
Active Member
Anyone have a good single zone amp that they can recommend when doing a standalone single zone room? Something not too expensive, able to handle 2 speakers, and good volume output. Added bonus would be if it could turn itself on or off if it senses input and maybe remote volume control.
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