Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Streaming Anyone moved from Sonus to Sooloos

BTW, how does it get it wrong?
+1

Sorry Chums,
I just don't get this Sooloos device.
Many thousands of pounds to buy (from Russ Andrews no less)
And all it does can be accomplished with an IMAC and a Apogee Duet.
ITunes more than competent at lossless and hi rez(I import 88.2khz/24b) and Front Row for remote.
All for about �1.2k...
What am I missing?

In the hands of most, a Ferrari can do the same as a Mini. Why do people buy the Ferrari?

I wish they would bring out a touch screen imac, or for someone to release a touch screen overlay for an imac, get it to boot into Front Row and you have a fantastic system for peanuts.

A quick google and it seems one is coming this year and http://www.trolltouch.com/page4/page1/imac.html have one out already.

Probably you know that iTunes can't play hires files in native resolution unless you change the sample rate from the CD one, otherwise it will downsample. So if you play 44 and 88 files, you have to keep changing the resolution settings. That may be OK for you, but for many people it is too clunky to be considered.

And iTunes will not do zones in any useful way, in compared to Sooloos, SB, Sonos. So if you want that iTunes is out.

And Apple digital outputs are famously crappy - bad enough that they don't always lock, and with poor jitter performance.

All of those may be OK for you, but for me and many others, iTunes is simply not an option for what we need - but of course fine for casual use.

Nic
Just to confirm a few iTunes related issues

A) You can purchase Pure Music ($129) or Amarra for ($295) which in sits on top of iTunes and plays the Music in its native format, 16/44 or 24/96. All Track Managment is by iTunes and Playing is by PM or Amarra. See Stereophile August 2010 for a Very positive review by John Atkinson

B) You can use iTunes and Airport Express to achieve Multi Zone playback

C) Whenever the Optical Outs on Mac and Airport Express have been measured by the various publications, they have been found to be no better, but significantly no worse than the Sonos and SB3 Devices

D) The new HDMI Output on the Mac Mini (as well Audio out over Mini Displayport) would allow users to DIRECTLY connect to the HD621 to avail of Jitter Reduction and Apodizing

There a quite a number of users here who are more than happy using their Apple Devices for Server Based Music Replay

Apple can be a serious option versus the Sonos and SB devices

The main differentiator IMHO would be when you can use an ID40 Card to integrate directly into a Meridian system

Sooloos has its advantages. But as has been covered here already, it's got some serious disadvantages too, some of which haven't even been covered in this thread

Someone said there is an add on that will change the sample rate with the source file. Kludge but it may work fine.

I've seen high jitter for Airport Express but I have never seen any data on a Mac Mini.

I am aware of all that (in fact I was the first to report point D here). But the OP said of Sooloos:

...which is patently untrue and bears no relation to the more sophisticated and complicated setups you are talking about.

With multiple zones outputting different music from one database and being individually controlled? I'd be interested to know how.

I use iTunes daily too. It's great. But a purpose built system such as SB, Sooloos etc is a lot closer to my needs. YMMV.

Nic
Your question about iTunes and Mutli Zone potentially involves a long and boring answer, so I'll just mention the "headlines" here. Loads of Online Resources available as well as some handy add-ons which can add real value

A) iTunes Server and Home Server Options allow One ITunes Library to be set up linked and shared across Multiple Mac / PC's around the house. Each one can play a different track from the One Library

B) Most NAS's come with an iTunes Server option built in, so that the above can be achieved without any PC's / Macs being powered on

C) iTunes and Airtunes works together to allow Multiple Zones using Airport Expresses.

D) The Apple Remote Program can then be used on iTouch, iPhone and iPad devices. This can control which Zone the Music is played to and at what volume etc.

More details at
AirTunes

Long story short, iTunes and Multi Zone is coming along all the time and is a viable option for many

Sonos still does a number of things better, and Sooloos we know about, but ITunes isn't easy to dismiss either

Roger, for many of us illuminati on this forum, you have a point; but reading the entire thread - with it's discussions regarding sampling frequencies and the like - much of the Sooloos propositon surrounds a *simple* end-to-end (ripping to playing) solution for the non-technical.

The iTunes server built into most NAS boxes are iTune share servers and simply appear as a shared library in iTunes. They still need a proper iTunes running on a Mac/PC to server the music such as over AirPort Express.