Alternative to Gramofon?

[VEX]

AIrplay2 will let you do mulit - room.

But it looks like it may have just been pulled on ios devices as HomePod isnt ready for multi-room or stereo yet! Doh, Apple seem to have got HomePod wrong from day1!

V.

[B17NNS]

Cheers, having a play with Roon. Looks like you can group Airplay zones that side.

As an aside any idea if the Oppo UDP-203 is getting discounted soon? Seems stuck at £649.

[VEX]

unlikely, it is so upgradable it will be upgraded rather than discounted.

The previous versions held thier prices to the bitter end as well.

[GravelBen]

VEX said:

I have been playing with costings today.

I now have Sonos Smashing Pricing for 4 / 6 and 8 Zone systems, Using Yamaha MusicCast, a Quality Amp, Monitor Audio Ceiling-Speaker and Fire/Accoustic hoods.

Thanks for all your help and ideas

V.

You could combine two components into one by using Yamaha amps with MusicCast built in? Whether it would work out cheaper than a MusicCast adaptor with another amp depends on the amp I suppose.

I have a pair of MusicCast powered bookshelf speakers (NX-N500) which are excellent, MusicCast just seems to work. Makes me quite inclined to go with Yamaha when I upgrade my AV receiver in future.

Edited by GravelBen on Wednesday 21st February 09:53

[dhutch]

VEX said:

They will be specialist AV ones, 8, 12 or 16 channel to give me the 4, 6 or 8 multi room capability at about half the price of Sonos.

So you have a single amp, and cables to each room? Run from multiple sources? But with the benefit of wireless control? Just trying to get my head round it as isn't half the point of Sonos type systems that you don't have to run wires room to room?

Currently I have a pair of Chromecast Audio's, one in each room, networking my conventional amps so they can both play the same thing (wirelessly, controlled by my phone) without running cables to each room.

Dad has a big 2channel power amp in the living room and speaker cables to each room, each room can be isolated using a simple switch, but he got it in there before the plasterer which isn't and option for me.

Daniel

[B17NNS]

dhutch said:

So you have a single amp, and cables to each room? Run from multiple sources? But with the benefit of wireless control? Just trying to get my head round it as isn't half the point of Sonos type systems that you don't have to run wires room to room?

He's using ceiling speakers for presumably a very discreet/bespoke install. Assume this is more suited to refurbishment/new build. If you have to opportunity it's always better to go wired LAN over wireless.

VEX said:

unlikely, it is so upgradable it will be upgraded rather than discounted.

The previous versions held thier prices to the bitter end as well.

Bugger.

[VEX]

GravelBen said:

You could combine two components into one by using Yamaha amps with MusicCast built in? Whether it would work out cheaper than a MusicCast adaptor with another amp depends on the amp I suppose.

Edited by GravelBen on Wednesday 21st February 09:53

Even going with the MusicCast Amp, out version is about £125 per zone cheaper.

It really depends on how you set Sonos up, we tend to centralise everything so it is all in a rack together, nice and neat.

Yes Sonos and Yamaha can be decentralised, but equalliy we could mix and match with our kit to reduces cable runs and complications.

V.

[VEX]

dhutch said:

So you have a single amp, and cables to each room? Run from multiple sources? But with the benefit of wireless control? Just trying to get my head round it as isn't half the point of Sonos type systems that you don't have to run wires room to room?

Daniel

So all the speaker cables in each room come back to a central location and wire into a csingle, centalised box that has 8, 12 or 16 descrete amps in it.

These are individually fed with the left of right from 4, 6 or 8 MusicCast Streamers to be able to play different things in different rooms at differing volumes at the same time all from within the Yamaha App. Or within the Yamamha / MusicCast App, you can group rooms together and they will play the same thing in different rooms.

Does that make sense.

[Driller]

Sounds brilliant Vex and as an end user, a Yamaha streamer gives a real sense of quality and reassurance and all that at a much more justifiable price.

I'd definitely go for one especially with the added reassurance of an installer like yourself who clearly knows what he's doing.

Lets be clear, for a bigger system with more zones, wifi just doesn't cut it, wired is the way to go.

[B17NNS]

DO NOT buy a Cobblestone.

Managed to get Airplay to connect twice. Signal dropped out within seconds both times. Often not visible.

Visible as a DNLA device (I tried wifi and ethernet). Wouldn't play even low bit rate MP3.

Please keep us updated with how you get on with the Yamaha VEX.

[Driller]

B17NNS said:

DO NOT buy a Cobblestone.

Managed to get Airplay to connect twice. Signal dropped out within seconds both times. Often not visible.

Visible as a DNLA device (I tried wifi and ethernet). Wouldn't play even low bit rate MP3.

All that and it’s the wrong shape

[B17NNS]

[GravelBen]

VEX said:

So all the speaker cables in each room come back to a central location and wire into a csingle, centalised box that has 8, 12 or 16 descrete amps in it.

These are individually fed with the left of right from 4, 6 or 8 MusicCast Streamers to be able to play different things in different rooms at differing volumes at the same time all from within the Yamaha App. Or within the Yamamha / MusicCast App, you can group rooms together and they will play the same thing in different rooms.

Does that make sense.

Ah, I understand your system better now - my previous suggestion was thinking you were putting separate amps in each room.

[survivalist]

Apologies if this has already been mentioned. I’ve got a couple of these used mainly for Spotify Connect, although the Qualcomm AllPlay App will also allow you to stream for a network share. Have been flawless for me and have Ethernet as well as analog and optical output. They also have a standard usb power socket, so if you had loads of them in a AV rack you could use a power supplt with multiple USB connectors to avoid having loads of individual power adapters plugged in.

Looking at the specifications, it wouldn’t surprise me if this was the same hardware as Gramaofon (well, same qualcomm chip anayway)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Goodmans-Module-Adaptor-S...

Cheap as chips as well. I’ve been using them for ceiling speakers as even though I’ve got multiple Sonos sound bars, we found we were using Spotify 99% of the time. Compared to a Sonos connect amp this (combined with a couple of old hifi spererates I had anyway) was massively cheaper.

[Driller]

survivalist said:

Apologies if this has already been mentioned. I’ve got a couple of these used mainly for Spotify Connect, although the Qualcomm AllPlay App will also allow you to stream for a network share. Have been flawless for me and have Ethernet as well as analog and optical output. They also have a standard usb power socket, so if you had loads of them in a AV rack you could use a power supplt with multiple USB connectors to avoid having loads of individual power adapters plugged in.

Looking at the specifications, it wouldn’t surprise me if this was the same hardware as Gramaofon (well, same qualcomm chip anayway)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Goodmans-Module-Adaptor-S...

Cheap as chips as well. I’ve been using them for ceiling speakers as even though I’ve got multiple Sonos sound bars, we found we were using Spotify 99% of the time. Compared to a Sonos connect amp this (combined with a couple of old hifi spererates I had anyway) was massively cheaper.

Bleedin’ heck, if those things are stable/sufficiently long lived, you win the thread with that!

Ethernet at £14.99!

ETA Where’s the Ethernet socket, can’t see it in the photos?

No mention of Ethernet in the spec:

Specification

WiFi Audio Adaptor
Fully Integrated To Spotify Connect
Qualcomm Allplay Compatible
Smartphone & Tablet Control
Hi-res Audio Streaming
Multi-room & Multi-zone
Dual Band WiFi 2.4GHz / 5 GHz 802.11a/b/g/n
Formats Supported: MP3, AAC, AAC+, FLAC, WAV, ALAC, PCM
Up to 192 kHz, 32 bit Bitrate
3.5mm Line Out
Optical SPDIF

Edited by Driller on Thursday 22 February 10:03

[survivalist]

Driller said:

survivalist said:

Apologies if this has already been mentioned. I’ve got a couple of these used mainly for Spotify Connect, although the Qualcomm AllPlay App will also allow you to stream for a network share. Have been flawless for me and have Ethernet as well as analog and optical output. They also have a standard usb power socket, so if you had loads of them in a AV rack you could use a power supplt with multiple USB connectors to avoid having loads of individual power adapters plugged in.

Looking at the specifications, it wouldn’t surprise me if this was the same hardware as Gramaofon (well, same qualcomm chip anayway)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Goodmans-Module-Adaptor-S...

Cheap as chips as well. I’ve been using them for ceiling speakers as even though I’ve got multiple Sonos sound bars, we found we were using Spotify 99% of the time. Compared to a Sonos connect amp this (combined with a couple of old hifi spererates I had anyway) was massively cheaper.

Bleedin’ heck, if those things are stable/sufficiently long lived, you win the thread with that!

Ethernet at £14.99!

ETA Where’s the Ethernet socket, can’t see it in the photos?

No mention of Ethernet in the spec:

Specification

WiFi Audio Adaptor
Fully Integrated To Spotify Connect
Qualcomm Allplay Compatible
Smartphone & Tablet Control
Hi-res Audio Streaming
Multi-room & Multi-zone
Dual Band WiFi 2.4GHz / 5 GHz 802.11a/b/g/n
Formats Supported: MP3, AAC, AAC+, FLAC, WAV, ALAC, PCM
Up to 192 kHz, 32 bit Bitrate
3.5mm Line Out
Optical SPDIF

Edited by Driller on Thursday 22 February 10:03

Sorry, didn’t look at the description before I sent the link. This seems to be a different model from the ones I have, looks almost identical. At work at the moment but will have a look tonight.

[VEX]

survivalist said:

Apologies if this has already been mentioned. I’ve got a couple of these used mainly for Spotify Connect, although the Qualcomm AllPlay App will also allow you to stream for a network share. Have been flawless for me and have Ethernet as well as analog and optical output. They also have a standard usb power socket, so if you had loads of them in a AV rack you could use a power supplt with multiple USB connectors to avoid having loads of individual power adapters plugged in.

Looking at the specifications, it wouldn’t surprise me if this was the same hardware as Gramaofon (well, same qualcomm chip anayway)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Goodmans-Module-Adaptor-S...

Cheap as chips as well. I’ve been using them for ceiling speakers as even though I’ve got multiple Sonos sound bars, we found we were using Spotify 99% of the time. Compared to a Sonos connect amp this (combined with a couple of old hifi spererates I had anyway) was massively cheaper.

That, Sir, Is a billy bob bargin.

As long as it stays around then a valuable option. You are looking at over £100 cheaper again than my Yamaha Music Cast option. Oh 6 Zones that is £660 saved! On top of the £1200 or so against Sonos.

V.

[J8 SVG]

I've got a denon set up at the moment - HEOS enabled amp in the living room and HEOS 1 in the kitchen (More to come soon hopefully) both have ethernet and work really well

[dmsims]

VEX said:

That, Sir, Is a billy bob bargin.

As long as it stays around then a valuable option. You are looking at over £100 cheaper again than my Yamaha Music Cast option. Oh 6 Zones that is £660 saved! On top of the £1200 or so against Sonos.

V.

No ethernet

and you cannoy buy it on Goodmans site -
"Oops, this page isn't here

The URL may be misspelled or the page you're looking for is no longer available."

[scovette]

If you want the Goodmans with an ethernet port it's called the Dstream Primo-hd. And it's available under a few other names too. Just make sure wherever you purchase from has a good return policy.

Edit: dug my old Panny network players as they're the same tech - there's a bit of latency, but that might be fixed by now? And having to have a phone/table running constantly as a source is just silly these days.

Edited by scovette on Thursday 22 February 12:31