Author Archives: Thomas Nielsen

Sonos Going Multi [in a small way]

One criticism that Sonos has had to dodge from the beginning is support for multiple users. While there are no signs that this is to arrive any time soon, they are now showing a little love for those households with more than one person in them. This family pattern is in fact not wildly uncommon.

Streaming services in Sonos works really well as it is but with a new software update, you will now be able to set up these services with multiple accounts. If this can be regarded as a step towards multiple Sonos accounts remains to be seen but a step in the right direction, it certainly is.

Sonos Sonos

Sonos Goes Simple

sonosboost One of Sonos’ strength is its proprietary grid network where at least one component is wired to the network and the remaining units form a wireless grid around the wired ones. The grid is stable but also contributes to radio wave pollution in the home. Now Sonos have updated their software to allow components to connect to an existing wireless network without the leash. The obvious advantage of this new update is that the Bridge in many cases will be obsolete. Should you wish to, however, you can still wire as many components as you wish and thus increase stability. In fact the Bridge will still be available in the future.

It may sound strange then, that they will be releasing a new bridge in October. The Sonos Boost. This will be a more powerful version of the Bridge and should be a welcome addition to setups where wifi quality is hampered by large distances or thick walls.

Sonos Sonos

Denon Heos

denonheos5

Hifi ubiquity Denon has entered the multiroom streaming scene that Logitech so abruptly left last year. While not the only Sonos alternative around, the Heos is certainly the most affordable and Denon sufficiently household to actually pose a serious competitor of Sonos.

The Heos system consists of a three self-contained speakers not unlike the Play components from Sonos. At the moment there are no reception-only units á la Sonos Connect but given Denon’s serious line-up of hifi-equipment, it would be surprising if they didn’t add a receiver to the system. There is a Heos Amp that can feed a self supplied set of speakers with 2x100w akin to the Sonos Connect:Amp. Everything is controlled by an app for Android or iOS. None for Windows Phone, alas. The Heos system operates on traditional wifi and/or ethernet connections and does not require a bridge, thus also does not ruggedise its streaming by way of a grid such as Sonos.

Supported file formats ranges the usual except high resolution audio and certain levels of DRM. Files can be fetched from network sources or from directly attached media such as USB sticks and optical or analogue inputs and from there shared across the Heos system.

Already announced, according to Recordere.dk, are extra speakers, a subwoofer and a soundbar.

Denon Denon
Recordere.dk Recordere.dk

Sonos Breaking Backwards Compatibility

If you use older Apple units to control your Sonos, you probably noticed that the latest controller update doesn’t install. That often suggests a future break in compatibility and sure enough, today Sonos announced that they will stop supporting iOS 4 and iOS 5 units, such as older iPods and 1st generation iPads. While it is perfectly understandable that they want to minimise their development efforts and focus on operating systems actually supported by their vendors, it is also a bit of a blow, since many old iPods have found their way to nooks and crannies of households all over the world, functioning as nice little music controllers. These time proven devices have now lost their last function.

There is no date set for the next Sonos update but it is likely imminent and given the announcement, likely to introduce some core communication changes.

Sonos Sonos

Foobar2000 Makes the Proverbial Small Step for Mankind

Foobar2000 has been the benchmark for exceptional audio quality in software media players for years and any step forward is a step towards heaven. Now the team is getting ready for a jump of extraordinary proportions, the jump to mobile. Not just any mobile, but the lot. They go for iOS, Andriod and Windows Phone, and a jolly hurra for that. One of the new team members, is Steve Elkins of dbPoweramp; talk about audiophile name dropping!

There is fundraiser going to support the project. There are several phases depending on the amount of money being raised, the final one being a complete cloud solution.

foobar2000 Fundraiser foobar2000 Fundraiser

Norwegian Bits Are Just Purer

ECM-2-header2

Norwegian high-end dominatrices Electrocompaniet, have entered the stage and now offer digital purity for the discriminating audiophile. The ECM2 is a no-frills streamer that plays from a multitude of sources, from low-fi internet services to hi-res digital masters on your network. What stands this device apart in the world of inch-thick aluminium fronts, is the EMC2’s ability to stream video in HD. And not just that; it does it in 24bit/192KHz! Take a bite at that!

Digital attenuation allows you to stick it straight into the power amp and lets you sit in the couch and do you business straight from a phone of your choice [if it runs iOS or Android, that is] or from a DLNA controller.

Electrocompaniet Electrocompaniet

Sonos Play:Cool

play1Not entirely unanticipated, Sonos released a cool little addition to their Play family of products. When the Play:1 turned up in the FCC last month, speculations as to what exactly it would be started to spread. Ending at a family lunch when someone leisurely suggested surround sound satellites. Bingo.

Considering that the Play:3 and Play:5 don’t exactly make you go frolicking with audiophiliacity, this even smaller form factor is certainly not intended for the discerning listener. It is, however, a neat little cousin that will play nicely with most living rooms in exactly the home theatre configuration mentioned.

With the Play:1 Sonos have introduced a new feature; an on-device skip/pause button. Via  software update this functionality will come to the rest of the Sonos family shortly.

Sonos Sonos

Danish Newspaper Explains Sound Degradation

Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, today explains how the work flow from recording over mastering to distribution ands actual play-back, through poor choices and historical left-overs, introduces artifacts and degrades sound quality. For once it is someone who have actually done their homework and produced a tremendously readable article.

“One thing is notes that are missing, another thing entirely is unwanted notes sneaking in, not in harmony with the others.”

This is a cardinal statement in the article, showing that the author, Norwegian rocker Geir Gråbein Nordby, has heard the light, so to speak.

The article brought today, is in fact a month old article from Norwegian magazine Lyd og Bilde, but bringing this kind of article in a Hifi magazine is one thing, bringing it in a national newspaper is something else altogether. The original article does stand out a bit, though, including spectrograms of sound in different formats and resolutions.

Jyllands-Posten Jyllands-Posten
Lyd og Bilde Lyd og Bilde

Bob Brozman Has Died

Bob BrozmanAt only 59, Bob Brozman was found dead on April 23, 2013. If that isn’t sad enough, it appears he took his own life. Bob Brozman was a sharp critic and preached dedication when performing. Physically he was a short man but he could easily fill an auditorium with a larger than life attitude and shear force of his playing. A lifetime of dedication to performance and the proliferation of roots music doing his self-coined ethnomusicology has been abruptly ended.

One of Bob Brozman’s initiatives is the Global Music Aid, attempting to collect instruments and musical equipment, large and small, in aid of those who can’t afford to buy it themselves. So if you feel like following in the footsteps of a truly philantropic man of the world, do go and donate equipment if you have it or point those who do to this wonderful foundation.

Bob Brozman Bob Brozman

Bluesound

01Canadian newcomers (and to some extent, former NAD dudes) Bluesound are going abroad with their jazzy looking 24-bit audio streaming system. A few weeks ago they appeared in Hifiklubben in Sweden and now they are available in Denmark as well. The system includes an optional server, ever so aptly named Vault, which can rip CDs in numerous formats, store them and stream them to the Bluesound players as well as act as a player itself. The satellite players come in three flavors: Node, Powernode and Pulse. The Node is a streaming client with analogue and digital outputs, natively supporting up to 192KHz sampling rates. The Powernode is akin to the Node adding a 90W class D amplifier to free it from a hifi system. The Pulse is a completely self contained system with 80W amp and speakers. In other words, a system not unlike the Sonos family; except in 24-bit resolution.

Control is done from a desktop computer or from the now ubiquitous smartphone or tablet. Presently only iOS and Android is supported.

Unlike Sonos, the Bluesound devices can access files from USB devices. It is unclear if each device can stream these auxiliary inputs autonomously, though.

Bluesound Bluesound

Barebone device Barebone device
Cheap good featured Cheap good featured
Actual hi-fi device Actual hi-fi device
High end hi-fi High end hi-fi
Out of this world Out of this world
CD CD drive
Wifi Wifi
Flac Flac audio
Digital IO Digital IO
Ogg-Vorbis Ogg-Vorbis
uPnP support uPnP support
Video Video

Please note that the ratings are not objective in any way nor are they a measure for quality. They are a measure for what I think the target group for the device was intended to be; my expectations if you will.

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