Home Audio

[Dave]

I posted a question the other day that seemed to baffle several people and didn't get an answer - too complex by all accounts lol

Anyway, I spoke to Peter today and he told me what I posted might as well have been written in a different language, or words to that effect []

So now I've resolved the initial problem and here for bragging rights is my Home (and away) Audio set up

- All CD's ripped onto a 1TB Seagate USB Drive (just short of 7000 tracks)
- Home PC which is the base for our home network loaded with 'Serviio Pro' to create a Music Server
- Pioneer Network Receiver cable linked to the home network also coupled to a pair of Monitor Audio speakers
- Samsung Smart TV cable linked to the home network with sound bar and subwoofer
- Mobile phones linked to the home network via Wifi and BOSE box
- Two monitors linked to the main PC which provides access to the Servio console
- Network receiver linked to one of the monitors via a 2 port switch

The end result is we can select and play music anywhere in the house from our CD collection and wife's iTunes via the Serviio music server along with countless internet radio stations via Shoutcast and it sounds good

A bonus as well with Serviio Pro is that I have also set up the mobile phones and router so that we can get remote access to play any of our collection outside of the home.
Earlier I had my phone Bluetoothing music via the internet from our media server to my Hilux audio system whilst driving across Leeds and back [^]


So for bragging rights, what have you got for home audio ?

[8D]

 

[JohnC]

I used to have a `nice` Dynatron Music Centre!!

 

[BrianEmb]

Sonos with speakers in all rooms.

 

[Neil ofthe nene]

I have a digital radio.

Sometimes I play tracks on my PC.

 

[tonerain]

Dansette record player

 

[Sam Vimes]

Full RAID NAS with over 15000 tracks from a multitude of artists. That figure is down a bit on the full complement as I'm in the throws of re-ripping to FLAC. This can feed laptop, tablet, phone or AV set up. The laptop (or tablet/phone) feeds separate hi-fi stereo set up which consists of small format Bluetooth RX, DAC and Amp. If I feel the need, I can hard wire direct from the laptop to DAC. This in turn feeds Proac loudspeakers.

 

[kenpix]

I've an old JVC music centre from the early eighties. Plays vinyl (of which I still have a number of LPs), tapes or CDs and the tone is superb. Won't be changing until it expires (or I do).

 

[CJROSCOW]

Just get spotify and some wireless speakers

 

[bluemack]

I have 2 Bang & Olufsen systems,1 in the house and 1 in the conservatory
good enough for me. [:T]

 

[DFL]

Originally posted by tonerain

Dansette record player

We were dead posh with a Grundig radiogram.

 

[dezzatheblue]

Does it really matter?
As long as you are happy with it,
I have sonos and denon system which is great

 

[Newlease]

I have a B&O Beocentre from the early 80s, plays my Vinyl, and tapes. Then a V1 tv and 2 Beosound 2s all wirelessly connected using iPad or iPhone. A very good sound so the neighbours keep telling me []

 

[rubberducky]

Sonos with Nas drive and amazon music.
The playlist options are great....

When, if, we move house, im looking at an outdoor speaker setup also.
In the car, im soon to upgrade to a harddrive which will basically have the same uploaded playlist as the nas and dab for radio4 - for when ive had enough of the banging tunes....[]

rd...

 

[rubberducky]

Originally posted by Dave

I posted a question the other day that seemed to baffle several people and didn't get an answer - too complex by all accounts lol

Anyway, I spoke to Peter today and he told me what I posted might as well have been written in a different language, or words to that effect []

So now I've resolved the initial problem and here for bragging rights is my Home (and away) Audio set up

- All CD's ripped onto a 1TB Seagate USB Drive (just short of 7000 tracks)
- Home PC which is the base for our home network loaded with 'Serviio Pro' to create a Music Server
- Pioneer Network Receiver cable linked to the home network also coupled to a pair of Monitor Audio speakers
- Samsung Smart TV cable linked to the home network with sound bar and subwoofer
- Mobile phones linked to the home network via Wifi and BOSE box
- Two monitors linked to the main PC which provides access to the Servio console
- Network receiver linked to one of the monitors via a 2 port switch

The end result is we can select and play music anywhere in the house from our CD collection and wife's iTunes via the Serviio music server along with countless internet radio stations via Shoutcast and it sounds good

A bonus as well with Serviio Pro is that I have also set up the mobile phones and router so that we can get remote access to play any of our collection outside of the home.
Earlier I had my phone Bluetoothing music via the internet from our media server to my Hilux audio system whilst driving across Leeds and back [^]


So for bragging rights, what have you got for home audio ?

[8D]

What format did you rip yer cds to Dave and why?

I chose mp3 256 kbps. just for a balance of quality and file size.

I use windows media player to rip and it seems adequate.
takes a bloody age to rip hundreds of cds though don't it....[xx(]

rd...

 

[Dave]

I used WMP as well set to automatically rip to WAV (lossless) which makes it easy to some degree as all I need to do is stick a CD in the drawer, close it and it rips to my I drive before ejecting

7000 odd tracks used less than 200GB of the drive which is good enough for me and still maintains good quality playback.


@dazzatheblue - quote "does it really matter?"
Corse it does, or weren't you ever allowed to win at conkers and marbles []


Oh, and I forgot to mention I have a Steepletone turntable linked up to the Network Player to spin a few vinyls if and when I feel a nostalgic session coming on []

 

[GeoffW]

All my CDs on portable hard drive played through Logitech "Squeezebox" which also has international digital radio.
Played through Bose speakers and Arcam Amp- I listen to a lot of music.

 

[T.I]

I just turn on the TV and switch over to a radio channel, job done []

 

[pauln]

A NAS

 

[Anglingman]

I still have one DFL and it sounds superb but the amplifier on the turntable has failed[:C]

 

[Simon R]

Since there's only the two of us in the house (until next month, when one of the prodigal sons returns) and considering that my good lady is not one to sit and listen to music the ability to be able to play it anywhere in the house would be somewhat wasted.

There's a couple of DAB radios scattered around the house but most of my music comes via the hi-fi separates system I started buying in the 1980s and which is now contained in my den (the box bedroom [])

JVC AX-Z911 amp - which is late 80s vintage, weighs a ton, 100W output and optical inputs - Sony dual cassette deck and Sony CD player (both mid 90s purchases) and a Denon tuner.
Speakers are Aural Envelope EX300 which are relatively recent (2005ish?) and replaced some elderly Goodmans Maxims which got damaged in a house move.

The amp and speakers are way too big for the room they're currently sat in - even what I would call a 'moderate' volume will see things bouncing off shelves[]

Finally two turntables:
Firstly a Dual CS505-2 (1983)with an Ortofon Concorde stylus - it's had some hammer over the years but other than the obvious stylus changes the only other problem was a new drive-belt and that only cost a couple of quid.
Secondly I've got a Silvercrest turntable which has the ability to copy vinyl direct to a memory stick - or I can play the contents of a memory stick back through my hifi system - although since I'll have already copied some other format onto the memory stick in the first place that always seems a bit of a waste of time[]

I've got about 50 hours of music on a couple of memory sticks purely to use in the car and I just add and remove stuff to freshen up the selection every couple of months.


Simon