Cheap stereo needed for Man-Cave...ideas please!
Discussion
I’m looking for some kind of mini stereo system for my almost completed double garage Man-Cave and was wondering if anyone knows of anything suitable.
The ideal wish list would be:
DAB radio
Bluetooth or AUX in for iPod
Compact, if it could be flush mounted on the wall that would be perfect
Separate speaker outputs, I’ll be flush mounting speakers in the ceiling
Cheap cheap cheap…it’s only a garage at the end of the day
Remote control would be nice but certainly not essential
Anyone know of something suitable? Seems easy to tick lots of the boxes apart from compatibility with separate speakers!
Thanks
The ideal wish list would be:
DAB radio
Bluetooth or AUX in for iPod
Compact, if it could be flush mounted on the wall that would be perfect
Separate speaker outputs, I’ll be flush mounting speakers in the ceiling
Cheap cheap cheap…it’s only a garage at the end of the day
Remote control would be nice but certainly not essential
Anyone know of something suitable? Seems easy to tick lots of the boxes apart from compatibility with separate speakers!
Thanks
But I wouldn't say a Play:1 is cheap cheap cheap
Hard-drive, I have an old Sonos Play 5 you can have if you want it. You will need to buy a bridge (or whatever they are called these days) if you want it. It is a bit melted from when it was put next to the bbq, but it still works.
Let me know
Hard-drive, I have an old Sonos Play 5 you can have if you want it. You will need to buy a bridge (or whatever they are called these days) if you want it. It is a bit melted from when it was put next to the bbq, but it still works.
Let me know
True, I guess it depends on how cheap he wants to go.
By the way, if he's not interested in the play 5 I could give it a good home as I would like some music in my garage so a cosmetically damaged sonos would be ideal! Happy to chuck some money your way (or donate something to charity?)
By the way, if he's not interested in the play 5 I could give it a good home as I would like some music in my garage so a cosmetically damaged sonos would be ideal! Happy to chuck some money your way (or donate something to charity?)
what about one of those tiny amps (Topping, Dayton , SMSL, or Muse T-amp) - then plug the ipod into it for music or digital radio (tunein).
like this.......
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Black-SMSL-SA-36A-Texas-...
like this.......
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Black-SMSL-SA-36A-Texas-...
Edited by campionissimo on Tuesday 8th December 21:59
I'm all for cheap, cheap, cheap... I put together a sonos-like multiroom system for buttons based on the logitech squeezebox platform.
If you have all your music stored on a nas or computer somewhere on your network you just need to install LMS (logitech music server) on it. Most nas drive systems have a plugin that will do it so it's dead simple. You then login to it via a web interface and tell it to scan your music. It also plays internet radio too.
When logitech were still marketing this you used to be able to buy radio like devices (e.g. their duet or touch) that you could place around the house in each zone. Now logitech have dropped it and it's gone open source so you can turn just about any device into a squeeze player free or for the price of an app. Cheapest option for me was to use an old android smart phone with a smashed screen, but I have also used an ipad, ipod touch, raspberry pi, a windows pc, a linux pc (my htpc in the lounge) so I can have multiple zones. Nothing to stop you finding something you could mount on the wall.
You can control the system from the device itself, but I prefer to use them headless, hide them away and control it from an app on my tablet or phone. There are loads of apps available for this so you can pick one you like, then you can choose to play any of your music, internet radio etc and play whatever you want, set the volume etc. anywhere simultaneously around the house, plus link the zones at will. Great for parties to have a lengthy playlist playing in sync on all the zones.
Then you just need amp and speakers. Sounds like you have the speakers covered, so one of the t-class/d-class amps like campionissimo mentioned would be perfect. They are tiny, so nothing to stop you wall mounting it or hiding it away. Our bathroom zone has the amp in the loft working with ceiling mounted marine speakers.
I have a "sure" amp http://store3.sure-electronics.com/aa-as32157 in my main listening room and it's honestly every bit as good to my ears as my old marantz separates amp. The smsl 36a campionissimo mentioned is on my Christmas list to use in my man-cave/home office under the stairs. Have a look at some reviews for class-t amps, they really are remarkable and I think bound to catch-on.
Some of these amps even have bluetooth connectivity if you want to run the music from your phone like that (see http://store3.sure-electronics.com/bluetooth-audio...
For cheapnesses sake I've bought a couple of old denon mini-systems from gumtree to use as amps in some rooms.
If you have all your music stored on a nas or computer somewhere on your network you just need to install LMS (logitech music server) on it. Most nas drive systems have a plugin that will do it so it's dead simple. You then login to it via a web interface and tell it to scan your music. It also plays internet radio too.
When logitech were still marketing this you used to be able to buy radio like devices (e.g. their duet or touch) that you could place around the house in each zone. Now logitech have dropped it and it's gone open source so you can turn just about any device into a squeeze player free or for the price of an app. Cheapest option for me was to use an old android smart phone with a smashed screen, but I have also used an ipad, ipod touch, raspberry pi, a windows pc, a linux pc (my htpc in the lounge) so I can have multiple zones. Nothing to stop you finding something you could mount on the wall.
You can control the system from the device itself, but I prefer to use them headless, hide them away and control it from an app on my tablet or phone. There are loads of apps available for this so you can pick one you like, then you can choose to play any of your music, internet radio etc and play whatever you want, set the volume etc. anywhere simultaneously around the house, plus link the zones at will. Great for parties to have a lengthy playlist playing in sync on all the zones.
Then you just need amp and speakers. Sounds like you have the speakers covered, so one of the t-class/d-class amps like campionissimo mentioned would be perfect. They are tiny, so nothing to stop you wall mounting it or hiding it away. Our bathroom zone has the amp in the loft working with ceiling mounted marine speakers.
I have a "sure" amp http://store3.sure-electronics.com/aa-as32157 in my main listening room and it's honestly every bit as good to my ears as my old marantz separates amp. The smsl 36a campionissimo mentioned is on my Christmas list to use in my man-cave/home office under the stairs. Have a look at some reviews for class-t amps, they really are remarkable and I think bound to catch-on.
Some of these amps even have bluetooth connectivity if you want to run the music from your phone like that (see http://store3.sure-electronics.com/bluetooth-audio...
For cheapnesses sake I've bought a couple of old denon mini-systems from gumtree to use as amps in some rooms.
For cheap you want to go on eBay and get a £20 Lepai amplifier and some cheap speakers. Then hook up either a Chromecast Audio or the Apple equivalent depending on what phone you have and just use your phone or tablet to control everything. If you have anything that can work as a server for MP3s then use Plex for that.
Alternatively get on Gumtree and you'll get some decent kit for buttons.
Alternatively get on Gumtree and you'll get some decent kit for buttons.
+1 for T-Amps. I have a Dayton Audio DTA-1 T-Amp. Sound quality into a pair of B&W DM303 is remarkable (albeit a little too harsh on the treble for my liking, but I think that is just an unfortunate combo of amp/speaker), nevertheless a distinct improvement on the old Technics amp it replaced, with no background noise.
For cheap as chips I would be looking at the cheapest amp and decent set of speakers I could find, and then connecting something like a Chromecast Audio to it. The sqeueezebox idea using an old phone or tablet definitely appeals too.
For cheap as chips I would be looking at the cheapest amp and decent set of speakers I could find, and then connecting something like a Chromecast Audio to it. The sqeueezebox idea using an old phone or tablet definitely appeals too.
Composite Guru said:
I have two UE Boom's in the corners of my room. They are the size of the average 500ml bear can and can be sat on small shelves out of the way.
Good idea. I have the Spaced360. Great for the garage, and portable so you can take it out into the garden, to the beach, picnics - whatever! 
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