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The buzz is becoming louder. Google's coming out with some sort of consumer electronics that may challenge Sonos and/or other systems in the home.
Here's what Forbes has to say, Google Could Be Cooking Up Major Hardware Launch.
I'm personally not as excited as I might be if I weren't in the Apple platform camp as opposed to Android.
If you have a question or if I may be of service email me at radiohannibal@gmail.com
John Hannibal
Word is that Google is making some sort of audio system. It's supposed to undercut that of Sonos which, though fabulous, is pricey.
Here's the scoop from IGN, Is Google Building a Home Theater System?.
It sounds very plausible and makes sense in that its a niche that Apple hasn't really dabbled in. The fact that Apple has kind of left Sonos alone has been good news for Sonos. This may have them shaking in their boots a bit.
If you have a question or if I may be of service email me at radiohannibal@gmail.com
John Hannibal
I enjoy "how to's". I also enjoy CNET's Steve Guttenberg and his column Audiophiliac.
Here he has some good advice to know before you buy that home theater system, How to buy a home theater audio system. Better yet, if you're in the Cleveland area, read this then contact me because it's certainly not everything you need to know to do it right.
If you have a question or if I may be of service email me at radiohannibal@gmail.com
John Hannibal
We've come to the final reason you should upgrade your distributed audio system. I've discussed how technology has changed the way we listen to music but it's also made controlling the system a dream.
Part 5, Control
I talked yesterday about Sonos. Probably the most exciting audio product introduced in the past ten years. One of the reasons it's so loved is its control. Be it with their own hand held controller or downloading the free app for your smart phone or tablet.
From the control you can adjust volumes and choose sources. Tired of the jazz music you've been playing while preparing dinner? Access your own library or that of Spotify right there in the kitchen.
You don't even need Sonos to enjoy the beauty of control. iTunes and Spotify both have downloadable smart phone apps that allow you to control those programs over your wi-fi. The iTunes app, simply called Remote, is free and made by Apple. As for Spotify, I use an inexpensive app from a third party called Remoteless.
There's something very gratifying about sitting on your deck or, in my case, gazebo and having complete control of your distributed audio system in the palm of your hand.
If you have a question or if I may be of service email me at radiohannibal@gmail.com
John Hannibal
Over the past couple of days I've talked about music sources that can make your distributed audio system better. There's one device that incorporates iTunes, Spotify and other streaming sources and takes your audio system to a different level.
Part 4, Sonos
Think of Sonos as a magical box that takes all the music available to you through your computer and sends it to your distributed audio system elegantly. It gives you easy access to your iTunes library, Spotify, Pandora and thousands of radio stations.
Sonos is actually a self-contained distributed audio system but works beautifully even if you already have all the amps and speakers in place. Just interface a couple of Sonos pieces between your internet router and your distributed audio pre-amp and your done.
The bonus is that Sonos allows you to add more rooms of sound. Maybe you've been wishing you had speakers in the master bathroom and are kicking yourself for not doing it when the system was installed years ago. Because Sonos can be set up wirelessly adding rooms is easy.
Sonos is moderately expensive but I have yet to have a complaint from a customer. In fact, my customers become advocates of Sonos, showing it off to their friends.
The other beauty of Sonos is the control. That's the final reason why you need to upgrade your distributed audio system.
If you have a question or if I may be of service email me at radiohannibal@gmail.com
John Hannibal
Yesterday I began to discuss sources other than the CD for your distributed audio system. Yet even iTunes seems a bit dated when I think about streaming music.
Part 3, Streaming
We've had streaming music in the US for quite awhile now. Streaming means having music play over the internet from some source to your computer. The first big player was Rhapsody but they never caught on in a big way. They were a little too far out in front of the curve. Then came Pandora which has a big drawback in that you can't choose a specific song.
Finally Spotify launched in the United States in July of 2011 after great success in Europe over the past couple of years. There's competing companies like MOG and Grooveshark but I'm a fan of Spotify so I'll stick with them.
Your CD collection may be big. Heck mine's in the thousands. Your iTunes library may be even bigger. By adding Spotify your library has millions of songs which you can listen to any time you desire. It's almost too good to be true but, trust me, it's true and it's legal.
You can sign up for the free service but that means having your music interrupted periodically by commercials. It also puts a limit on how much streaming you can do in a month. Spring for the $5 a month membership to rid yourself of ads and have unlimited streaming. Better yet $10 will allow you to listen on your smart phone, but that's another story.
Again, you'll need to tie in your PC sound to the distributed audio system. You don't even have to do it with a wire. There's plenty of third party wireless devices. The best of which I'll discuss tomorrow.
If you have a question or if I may be of service email me at radiohannibal@gmail.com
John Hannibal
Yesterday I talked about the slow decline of the CD and how inconvenient they are in your distributed audio system. The question is what do you listen to instead of it.
Part 2, iTunes
iTunes has been around longer than five years but it was rare for it to be integrated into a distributed audio system back then. What people did instead was use their iPod as the music source.
You could either just plug it into your distributed audio receiver or pre-amp or have some fancy dock. In those early iPod days companies even made docks that were installed into the wall. I never sold one. I knew that the design of the iPod would change and the docks would become obsolete, leaving a big hole in your wall.
Some customers still use this old method of plugging in their iPod. Why bother when you can plug your computer sound directly into the distributed audio system and have access to your entire iTunes library, not just what's on your PC. Add to it that you have better control of iTunes on the computer screen than by manipulating the iPod itself.
iTunes even allows you to add internet stations to your iTunes which can also be distributed to your home speakers. It's simply a matter of creating a playlist of those stations for easy access.
It's near impossible to get a wire from your PC to the distributed audio system you say? Apple's airport can do that wirelessly.
As I write this I find myself thinking how primitive this audio source is compared to the ones I'll speak about next. Stay tuned tomorrow for part 3.
If you have a question or if I may be of service email me at radiohannibal@gmail.com
John Hannibal
If your distributed audio system, meaning you have speakers in different rooms of your home all emanating from a central location, is over five years old it's time you give some serious thought about an upgrade. I'm not talking about replacing the speakers or even the amplifier. It's mostly about the sources that generate that music.
Reason 1: CDs are so last century.
Most distributed audio systems that are over five years old use CDs as the main source for music. There's the radio tuner and older systems may still be using cassettes, but let's stick with the CD.
Although a superior sound than an MP3, the CD is nearing its expiration date. Trust me, it's painful for me to say it. I have over 8,000 of them. I cherish them to this day but need to force myself to wade into the library to find something to listen to.
It's the convenience issue. An older distributed audio system usually has a five disc CD changer. Maybe you even have a mega changer that can hold 100 discs. Talk about a pain. When was the last time you changed out those CDs for something new? And even at 100 CDs, they can get old pretty quick if you're playing the system with any regularity. Then there's the storage issue. All of those jewel cases, some with broken hinges, precariously stacked here and there around the amp(s) and CD changer.
There's the whole mechanical issue as well. If your CD changer starts skipping or has some sort of other mechanical problem don't bother getting it repaired. It's just not worth it.
Ok, so you've decided that the CD is less than appealing. So what to replace it, or better yet, add as a source. Join me tomorrow for part 2.
If you have a question or if I may be of service email me at radiohannibal@gmail.com
John Hannibal
A couple of days ago I said that the consumer electronics industry was in a lull. I added a caveat, saying that Apple (and Android) were the only things really exciting that were moving things forward.
It looks like the iPad 3 may be announced on March 7. Last year I was darn sure I'd jump on the bandwagon and buy the iPad 2. I didn't pull the trigger. This year I'm springing for the 3. The screen is rumored to be double the resolution which should be downright dazzling.
There's also a rumor going about that there's something in store for the Apple TV. That's not to be confused with the Apple iTV, or whatever they'll end up calling it, the physical television which should be out in 2013. This has to do with the Apple TV device and a huge upgrade.
Word is spreading that many more deals have been struck with content providers and that it will somehow tie-in with the iPad 3. As usual, it's all speculation and, true to form, Apple is keeping a tight wrap on things leaking. It could be anything but dull in the consumer electronics business next month.
If you have a question or if I may be of service email me at radiohannibal@gmail.com
John Hannibal
I love this type of thinking outside the box. An integrator is designing an A/V distribution system for a customer's home and notices all the guitars scattered throughout the house. He also notices that the customer has to lug his amps throughout the house to play in which ever room he feels like at the time.
So right there you know the home owner is a creative type. Why limit yourself to playing music in one room. Anyway, the integrator has a flash of mad genius. Why not design some sort of distributed guitar system. Here's the story from CE Pro, including a design diagram on how it's accomplished, How to: Building a Whole-House Guitar Distribution System.
I'd love to the opportunity to design one of these for a customer of my own here in Cleveland. Interested? Let me know.
If you have a question or if I may be of service email me at radiohannibal@gmail.com
John Hannibal
