Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems Worthwhile trading-in 808.2 for 808.3?

Ronnie,
Control:10 vs ID40
At some point in the Sooloos chain the files stored on the TwinStore have to be converted to a PCM audio stream to be fed into the speaker DACS or 808
Although the Control:10 can do this very well, the ID40 card can do it much better with improved clocks etc, and once this conversion has been done it is fed immediately onto the backplahe of the 808, rather than being run down speakerlink cable from the Control:10.
It really doesn't matter if the Control:10 is next to your speakers/808 or in the next room, it still connects to the TwinStore via network and still has to do this file storage to PCM conversion. and the ID40 can do it much better.
I agree that if you could 'upgrade' the Control:10 with the ID40 card then this may well offer most of the improvement, but its not its location its the fact that it is much better at doing the conversion.

Control:10 vs iPad.
No contest!
All that a third party control device can access from the Sooloos is the same as the Sooloos 'explore' feature (without the search bit)
I have extensive practical knowledge of this as we have developed an AMX module to integrate AMX and Sooloos, allowing AMX touchpanels to acceess the Sooloos music. Simple swim functionality is availble, like swim in a decade.
The limitation is not with the third party device, so an iPad will be no better than an iPhone in its searching ability. The Sooloos would have to be dramatically changed to allow the full Control:10 experience on a third party device and I don't think it ever will.
Incendentally our AMX module works very quickly, as does Conrtrol PC, so I think the problems you had with iPhone sluggishness was due to data being throttled elsewhere in your network or wi-fi maybe?

If you don't buy a Control:10 with your Sooloos system at first you'll end up buying one eventually!