[illkemist]

Greetings all,

I'm moving to Japan (after a short stay in Taiwan) later this year and plan on taking a minimum of gear with me. My source is my MacBook Pro. 90% of my time is spent listening to music, with only a bit of time dedicated to movies or television. However, I expect this proportion to change once I land overseas. Most of my files are ALAC. The remainder are assorted MP3s and AACs. I am also taking my DAC1 Pre, to be used as a DAC and preamp, connected to a power amplifier and speakers. I'm also taking my D2000s, but I may end up shopping for some additional cans once I arrive.

Right now, I am not sure how I want to store my music for playback. I don't want to have my MBP on to listen to music. I have considered 2 options so far. No matter the hardware solution, I would like to store my files for playback on any number of sources in my house/apartment. So far these are my options:

1. Mac Mini and Monitor - I like this solution because it gives me an additional computer and some level of interactivity. Front Row is a decent media player, but I have found it to be unreliable at times. I can watch DVDs and downloaded content. However, the convenience comes at a price and I'd always have to have the monitor on during playback. I figure this option costs about $1000.

2. NAS and Squeezebox - This is a much more streamlined approach, with the NAS providing content to the SB. It lacks the visual display of the first setup, but still gets the job done. This would probably cost me around $600.

So what do you think? Go whole hog for the mini? I don't really need an additional computer. On the other hand, the no frills NAS/SB setup saves me cash (and Japan's not cheap) while still getting the job done. Has anyone else had to make a similar choice?

 

[breakfastchef]

I am a big fan of the Squeezebox solution. It can be moved to wherever you want to use it. Add a decent DAC between the SB and your amp and you have a very complete, compact and versatile listening system.

 

[blessingx]

I think the Squeezebox is an underrated DAC, but just be aware most NAS wouldn't easily run SqueezeCenter directly (though a few that will) and that a computer will still me necessary in most cases. Not a problem for me though I did initially think it was going to be unnecessary.

 

[illkemist]

Quote:

Originally Posted by breakfastchef /img/forum/go_quote.gif I am a big fan of the Squeezebox solution. It can be moved to wherever you want to use it. Add a decent DAC between the SB and your amp and you have a very complete, compact and versatile listening system.

Thanks for the response. I'm really interested in the squeezebox. I like the fact that it is supremely portable. And so far, I am really quite pleased with the DAC1. I may think about adding an external headphone amp at some point, but so far I really like the analytical sound of the DAC1 paired with the color of the D2000.

Quote:

Originally Posted by blessingx /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think the Squeezebox is an underrated DAC, but just be aware most NAS wouldn't easily run SqueezeCenter directly (though a few that will) and that a computer will still me necessary in most cases. Not a problem for me though I did initially think it was going to be unnecessary.

You know, I hadn't thought about the fact that I'd have to run the Squeezecenter software from the NAS. Does the computer need to be on in order for the software to work? Or does it just need to be set up once and left alone?

 

[illkemist]

Just did a bit of reading. It appears that the Netgear ReadyNAS comes with the Squeezecenter software built-in. If that's the case, it is very good news indeed. Not only can I use it for serving music, but almost anything else that's going to be shared in the house.

 

[Uncle Erik]

I think you could also use the Apple TV or network boxes to serve music files. If I remember, they both have optical out and you can control them with your laptop.

 

[illkemist]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think you could also use the Apple TV or network boxes to serve music files. If I remember, they both have optical out and you can control them with your laptop.

Thanks for the suggestion. I have an AppleTV and considered it as an option, but I don't like the fact that it is a closed platform. It doesn't support divx or xvid. If it did, that would be a slam dunk for me.

 

[majid]

Quote:

Originally Posted by illkemist /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks for the suggestion. I have an AppleTV and considered it as an option, but I don't like the fact that it is a closed platform. It doesn't support divx or xvid. If it did, that would be a slam dunk for me.

Erik is suggesting using the AppleTV as a music player, period, not for video. The 160GB AppleTV is much cheaper than a Mac Mini. If your music collection fits in 160GB, it's the cheapest and most plug-and-play solution. You would need to have your TV on to navigate through your music, however.

The ReadyNAS is the only NAS certified to work with the Squeezebox, in fact Slim Devices used to sell bundles. Otherwise, if you're not afraid to much around with Linux, a Shuttle KPC4500 upgraded to a 1TB drive should cover all your needs in a relatively compact package. I run Squeezecenter 7.0.1 on my Solaris home server, it's a great combo.

Another option is to run MT-DAAPD, there are a few devices like Roku's that can handle it, but the user interface is not as nice as the Squezebox. The D-Link DNS-323 is a very affordable NAS box with built-in MT-DAAPD, I use it at work through my Mac, with dual 1TB drives (I back up to it over the network, having it be a music server is just a bonus).

 

[illkemist]

Quote:

Originally Posted by majid /img/forum/go_quote.gif Erik is suggesting using the AppleTV as a music player, period, not for video. The 160GB AppleTV is much cheaper than a Mac Mini. If your music collection fits in 160GB, it's the cheapest and most plug-and-play solution. You would need to have your TV on to navigate through your music, however.

Oh, yeah. I understood that bit. But in my mind, I figure that if I'm going to go with something with a display, I might as well got the extra mile and get the Mini. The more I think about it, the more sense the AppleTV makes. Most importantly, it alleviates the need for the MBP to be on and running. All that said, I'm going to continue to keep my options open.