Archived from groups: rec.audio.high-end (More info?)

Apple announced the new Airport Express today:

[Moderator's Note: It was actually announced a week ago. RD]

http://www.apple.com/airportexpress/

This lets you play music, from a computer running iTunes, on any stereo
equipment connected to the Airport Express plugged into an AC outlet. It
is a standard 802.11g device, and you have a wireless LAN connection
simultaneously. Priced at $129. Without audio cables.

Now you can play your iTunes library on your stereo in a different part
of the house from the computer. Or, you can use an untethered laptop
with wireless LAN capability to select music from all the computers in
your house to play on your stereo, while you are listening. Amazing
possibilities. It has optical output, too, fo those who prefer to use
their own DAC's. Wonder how good the DAC's in this thing are. If they
are as good as the ones on the iPod, then this is a steal at $129.

Archived from groups: rec.audio.high-end (More info?)

chung <chunglau@covad.net> wrote:
> Apple announced the new Airport Express today:

> [Moderator's Note: It was actually announced a week ago. RD]

> http://www.apple.com/airportexpress/

> This lets you play music, from a computer running iTunes, on any stereo
> equipment connected to the Airport Express plugged into an AC outlet. It
> is a standard 802.11g device, and you have a wireless LAN connection
> simultaneously. Priced at $129. Without audio cables.

> Now you can play your iTunes library on your stereo in a different part
> of the house from the computer. Or, you can use an untethered laptop
> with wireless LAN capability to select music from all the computers in
> your house to play on your stereo, while you are listening. Amazing
> possibilities. It has optical output, too, fo those who prefer to use
> their own DAC's. Wonder how good the DAC's in this thing are. If they
> are as good as the ones on the iPod, then this is a steal at $129.


It's one of several brands that stream music and video wirelessly from
computer to a home theater/stereo. Netgear has had one on the market
for some time snow (no optical output on that one, though).
I've been waiting for this one to actually appear in stores for
about a month now:

http://www.d-link.com/products/?pid=318

Whenever I call D-link I'm told it's coming out 'next week'.


--

-S.
Why don't you just admit that you hate music and leave people alone. --
spiffy <thatsright@excite.co>

Archived from groups: rec.audio.high-end (More info?)

[Airport express overview snipped]

I'm trying to design a multi-room audio system right now, so this came in
perfect timing.

What I had in mind is a PC, a combination of Airport Express + Amp + Speakers
for each room, coupled with an IPAQ running VNC over 802.11 to control the PC.

As far as I can see, all other alternatives just don't offer smart enough
control features for my taste (... The small display / dumb control on the
squeezebox).

Any better ideas from the combined wisdom of the group ? Alternative designs ?
What about running SP/DIF directly from the PC ? I can't see any potential
difference, but I might be missing something.

-- Ors

Archived from groups: rec.audio.high-end (More info?)

In article <cald3a0198s@news2.newsguy.com>,
Steven Sullivan <ssully@panix.com> wrote:

> I've been waiting for this one to actually appear in stores for
> about a month now:
>
> http://www.d-link.com/products/?pid=318

Not bad, though it leaves us Mac iTunes users out because it doesn't
handle AAC encoding (nu?). I did notice this in the linked text,
though:

"Better yet, it¹s easy to access all your media files through the TV
Interface using the remote control included with the DSM-320."

So does that mean that, if one wants to hop around ones music library,
the TV has to be on?

sd

Archived from groups: rec.audio.high-end (More info?)

sd <sd55117@yahoo.com> wrote:
> In article <cald3a0198s@news2.newsguy.com>,
> Steven Sullivan <ssully@panix.com> wrote:

> > I've been waiting for this one to actually appear in stores for
> > about a month now:
> >
> > http://www.d-link.com/products/?pid=318

> Not bad, though it leaves us Mac iTunes users out because it doesn't
> handle AAC encoding (nu?). I did notice this in the linked text,
> though:

> "Better yet, it??s easy to access all your media files through the TV
> Interface using the remote control included with the DSM-320."

> So does that mean that, if one wants to hop around ones music library,
> the TV has to be on?

If you want to use the product's interface, yes. I imagine one
could also use one's computer interface instead.





--

-S.
Why don't you just admit that you hate music and leave people alone. --
spiffy <thatsright@excite.co>

Archived from groups: rec.audio.high-end (More info?)

In article <JoDzc.44321$0y.26288@attbi_s03>, <ors@evilors.net> wrote:

>What I had in mind is a PC, a combination of Airport Express + Amp + Speakers
>for each room, coupled with an IPAQ running VNC over 802.11 to control the PC.
>
>As far as I can see, all other alternatives just don't offer smart enough
>control features for my taste (... The small display / dumb control on the
>squeezebox).

The Squeezebox's device/remote-control UI is actually very good. That
said, if you want to use a wireless iPaq to control things, the
Squeezebox is possibly better for you: The PC interface to it is via
the Web, and the server comes with a handheld skin to that interface,
designed to be easily usable from an iPaq.

--
Mike Kozlowski
http://www.klio.org/mlk/