Wifi audio streaming - low cost solution needed

andysdad

andysdad

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I want to add wifi input onto my older hifi; not via Bluetooth as the distance will be too great from the source.

Apparently Apple Airport Express has an audio output; it also has Ethernet and USB out so I could network a printer off it too.

Has anyone got another good low-cost (£20-30) solution that they can suggest?

I don't want to invest in Sonos/multi-room etc. just stream music from the PC to the hifi.

Thanks in advance.

A
 
Why not Sonos? Its the best by far !
Just £159 now, and makes everything so easy.

Your wife will love you for it , the house gets filled with music. Everyone will be happy !
 

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you could get a s/h airport express? must be loads on ebay, but be aware that if you get the unit that plugs straight into the socket, only the later versions of that model have ethernet out. earlier ones have a socket, but it's input only. i have one of each and i'm still not sure how to tell them apart.

also, i think they will only stream from apple devices. otherwise, they work well. it's what i use here :)
 
Crikey , That Jongo A2 looks good ! Maybe sonos isn't the only game in town , I was mistaken!
 
stuartw said:
Crikey , That Jongo A2 looks good ! Maybe sonos isn't the only game in town , I was mistaken!
Click to expand...

having been into hifi for a long time i have seen a lot of formats come and go, and researched a lot, a wifi sender would not be my first choice as a medium to use. however i do understand peoples need for the ease and convenience of this kind of device, i have seen and heard the sonos stuff in use and its very good but imho its overpriced, and as always if you are prepared to do a bit of research (google is your friend) there is nearly always an alternative, it maybe better and then again it may not, its not for me to say, its up to the person who is spending his or her hard earned to make that call.
 
Chromecast audio. 30 quid and will work with your existing amp and speakers. Upload your library to google music for free (20,000) tunes and cast to your chromecast at 320kbs. Or cast Alac or flac directly from a NAS using bubble upnp if you have an android device. Can cast directly from your computer as well. I've got a couple of these and you can use them for multi room as well. Sonos must be craping themselves! :)
 
Ps sound quality is ok as well especially if you are casting through a DAC........and if you already have a decent stereo it will sound much better than a Sonos.
 
Mzokk said:
Chromecast audio. 30 quid and will work with your existing amp and speakers. Upload your library to google music for free (20,000) tunes and cast to your chromecast at 320kbs. Or cast Alac or flac directly from a NAS using bubble upnp if you have an android device. Can cast directly from your computer as well. I've got a couple of these and you can use them for multi room as well. Sonos must be craping themselves! :)
Click to expand...

This maybe a better solution due to to the extra codec support (flac) higher bitrate losless codec. As i said above there is nearly always alternatives.
 
I use airport express, and it would work well, for what your after. I got that instead of Sonos, because i didnt like the App interface for using Spotify. I have a small amp / speakers + airport express above a kitchen cabinet and use it for audio off the phone or iPad (spotify or planet rock apps normally) I also have an Apple TV in the lounge, with a separate amp running ceiling speakers in the lounge / dining & upstairs bathroom. Again you just stream audio off your iPad or phone (airplay) directly to it. You cant do multi-room on airplay, but you can do multi-room audio using some 3rd party software. To do a 'party mode' so i have kitchen, dining, lounge and bathroom all on together, i have a program called Airfoil on my Mac. You literally just choose the mac to stream to on the iPhone, and the mac streams to all airport devices set up on your network
 
Siting here listening to Bowie on the ipad, on spotify...so for a thickie, can I just get a bluetooth or wifi speaker to play spotify stuff from the ipad? Is there a stereo option....not bothered about multi room, just where I am would do :rob
 
Update

Better with wifi rather than Bluetooth as wifi bandwidth is better so potentially the sound will be better ........depending what you are streaming too! :)
 
Thanks everyone - lots of info, very interesting.

ANDRES - many thanks for that - I hadn't spotted that one in my endless trawling and it does both WiFi AND Bluetooth.

Ordered a white refurb one for £22.95 delivered. Could have black for £19.99 but have white hifi!

Thanks again.
 
Sorry - just found the black one for 5p less :rolleyes:

The Amazon link above gives some useful tech info on setting it up plus it tells me (in customer's questions/answers) that the phono leads are included (Pure website not too clear there) so a few £ saved.

HTH

PS Andres - if you can't get the black one to work I'll buy it off you for £5....
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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