Why hasn't Apple introduced a Squeezebox "killer"?

[The Monkey]

I think it's kind of strange that Apple hasn't introduced a Squeezebox or Sonus-like device. It would seem like a natural and logical step for Apple.

 

[Graphicism]

Oh please don't temp them... I am sure they will in time.

Apple has to wait until the message of wifi streaming gets more popular, and then they will release theres which is the same thing, only it appears different to everyone else!

 

[grawk]

For the general market, I'd say the apple tv IS a squeezebox killer. $300, streams music and video.

 

[The Monkey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by grawk /img/forum/go_quote.gif For the general market, I'd say the apple tv IS a squeezebox killer. $300, streams music and video.

I think Apple probably thinks that, too. The problem, of course, is that you then must have a display in whatever room you are using the Apple TV. I would think a small, networked audio-only device with a display would sell well. Of course, that might cut into macbook sales.

 

[smeggy]

Apples marketing department is probably still trying to find a convincing way of telling everyone how they invented the concept like they do with all their other products. Once that little piece is in place I'm sure Apple will indeed introduce a revolutionary new invention that will once again change forever how we all access our music... in a way no-one ever thought of before.

 

[ken36]

Apple will do it when the time is right. Agonizing isn't it?

 

[grawk]

Not sure how it would cut into macbook sales. I think the market for people looking for an audio only device that isn't served by either the appletv or the airport express is pretty slim. One device or the other covers the vast majority, I'd think. Apple isn't a "we'll make a separate device for everyone" kind of company. They stick to fewer numbers of products that will meet the demands of the majority of their customers. That's why they make so few variants of their computers compared to other builders. And why they're so profitable compared to others.

 

[Some geek]

The answer is never.

Steve Jobs has made his living making stunning technology available to the masses.

There where other computers before the Mac and most of them where an absolute mess.

There where other MP3 players before the iPod and most of them where an absolute mess.

There where other smart phones before the iPhone and most of them where an absolute mess.

What people (like the detractor above) don't understand is that Apple has always been about bringing usable technology to the user. Consider the list of the first that is so often quote that the Mac has before an PC (like a 3.5" floppy for example)

Apple has never aimed to be a niche marketer. Back when PCs where $3000 and Macs where $5000 they became one.

Jobs isn't about making money or selling product as much as he is changing the world. (which inarguably he has done) Simply put, a better squeezebox won't change the world. A squeezebox with video and all the infrastructure (think iTMS) behind it will. So he did that instead.

If you are looking for "audiophile" products from Apple, look for an "iPod AQ" (audiophile quality) or some extension of an existing line. Another thing I've been suspecting is Apple making an iBook with a serious DAC inside.

But a niche toy like a squeeze box? Ask yourself this, "Will thousands of people leave Macworld drooling over it if he announces it?"

The answer is NO.

 

[iamoneagain]

The Airport Express kind of works like the Squeezebox but needs a display. But if they allow the iPhone and whatever real widescreen ipod they come out with to control the Airport Express, you have to perfect solution. The iPhone will have wifi, so it would be easy to use the sharing feature already built into iTunes. The iPhone would then display your complete iTunes library and stream it Airport Express.

I believe Griffin is even releasing a device to let you remotely control your iTunes library. The problem is that it looks like is has a poor interface compared what you would be able to do with an ipod controlling it.

The other option is Apple TV but that is not practical since you need a widescreen tv setup to use it.

Edit: Regarding audio quality, feeding the Airport Express into a DAC solves that. If you're really insane and need the best, someone makes a $1200 modded airport express that solves jitter by adding a superclock, coaxial cable, and better power supply.

 

[Downrange]

Quote:

Originally Posted by iamoneagain /img/forum/go_quote.gif But if they allow the iPhone and whatever real widescreen ipod they come out with to control the Airport Express, you have to perfect solution. The iPhone will have wifi, so it would be easy to use the sharing feature already built into iTunes. The iPhone would then display your complete iTunes library and stream it Airport Express. .

This sound very logical, and I bet it will happen. I've read the AEX doesn't have a big problem with jitter, btw. I'm pretty impressed with Apple's approach, overall.

 

[The Monkey]

Good point, iamoneagain. The iphone/AEX idea is intriguing and I see no reason why it couldn't be done. I would still like a standalone device. Contrary to several posters in this thread, I think there would be a significant market for such a device. There is a market for the Squeezebox, correct? Some of those are Mac users, correct? A significant portion of them probably would prefer to buy an Apple-branded device that would play Apple's drm tunes.

 

[iamoneagain]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Downrange /img/forum/go_quote.gif This sound very logical, and I bet it will happen. I've read the AEX doesn't have a big problem with jitter, btw. I'm pretty impressed with Apple's approach, overall.

Yeah, I don't worry about jitter myself. I just noted that option for the true hardcore audiophiles. I currently use the Airport Express with my pc sharing off my iMac library or directly with my iMac using Front Row.

The other neat feature if they allowed the iPhone and widescreen ipod to share the iTunes library, is you can also listen directly from the device so even though the iPhone only holds 8gb max, you could still access your complete iTunes library when you're at home. Just like when my friend brought her Macbook over with very little music on it, plugged in headphones directly and then used my shared library of over 500gb of lossless music.

 

[john_ops]

I'm mostly just not sure that the category of "home audio" is big enough for Apple to play in, full stop. Even if they "out squeezeboxed the Squeezebox" or beat the Sonos (which IMHO is a much better comparison), they'd still be in a market niche. They don't need to please audiophiles, they need to be the king of the big box store. And we all know that BB and CC (and even Tweeter) don't sell the stuff that we all buy. Hate to say it, but the market is somewhere else. When the finally do come to play in this sandbox, we're not going to be the ones buying what they come out with - it'll be the same folks who are buying Sony receivers today (e.g., almost everybody).

This last bit is just a guess, but I don't think that true hi-fi has been taking unit share from mid-fi or big-box-fi over the past ten years. It may have been taking dollar share as the super wealthy have started trading up from their old Bang & Olufsen kit to $50K or $100K rigs and $500K home theaters. What I don't think is true is that there are proportionately more people listening to high quality audio reproduction than there were a decade or two ago. I'd be happy to be proven wrong on this one if someone has the data.

Apple's specialty (as with any real high end mass hardware manufacturer) is creating a market niche and then building out units and dropping price points so they can drive their unit costs down. That's kinda antithetical to being at the cutting edge of audio quality.

Now, if you tell me that they're just going to make a transport (e.g., the iTV or whatever it's called), and that that transport is going to deliver bits just as well as a Sonos ZP80, then I can see that maybe they'll build a better GUI / controller. I have already been totally won over by the Sonos Zone Controller / ZP80 for 95%+ of my listening - purely because of convenience. And if you read the Stereophile review which says that it's difficult to tell the difference between an Ayre transport feeding a Mark Levinson DAC and a Sonos feeding the same DAC, and an Apple product meets that criteria then maybe we might be getting somewhere...

Hell, I should stop this rant - I gave up prognosticating about the direction of the computer hardware game a long time ago and just started enjoying better and better products. This is the same game - Sonos feeding a good DAC is plenty good enough for me; I'll be excited when and if a better product comes out.

J

 

[iamoneagain]

Has there been any comparison of the Airport Express feeding these same DACs?

There was one writeup about how it actually has very low jitter using the optical out:

Here's the link: http://stereophile.com/digitalprocessors/505apple/

 

[jrussell6]

i just have to share my oppinion that the itv is a joke, it's a glorified aex, unless it can stream dvd player, NOT itunes video, i mean, i guess people buy video through itunes, but if it's got any type of drm, i don't want anything to do with it. i've got 2 terabytes of video_ts files, they play great through dvdplayer, even dts works. can't play any of em through an itv.

also, it's local storage, why do i have to have my itunes library repeated in 4 different locations, it should just access your main computer's itunes library.