Sooloos Control 15.....worth the money? CONCLUSION

[dhyantyke]

[/color][/color]I am looking to add digital storage/playback to my system using the DAC in my cdplayer. Being barely able to drive a computer I am tempted by the user friendly (apparently) sooloos, but it comes at a cost!! Would I be better off buying a laptop and bribing the kids to help me out?! Any thoughts welcome. Ta

Thanks to everybody for the feedback. Obviously NOBODY said 'yeah, go for it!!' . So I'm currently looking into other options (cheaper) and possibly better sounding than the sooloos. (I plan on test driving the jkenny components as part of the research.) I will post fyi when I get to the end of the exploration and hopefully get something up and running. DT

[dhyantyke]

Just realised I left out the ALL IMPORTANT question mark on the title of my post!!!!!!!

[Diapason]

I think it depends on how much money you have to spare! It's a lovely interface, no doubt about that, my wife was greatly taken with it and thinks all hifi should be like this now, it's really is an attractive package. However, it's not worth *my* money. I really think that the small learning curve involved in getting to grips with alternatives is time well-spent and money well-not-spent.

Of course, I've never lived with it, and my computer audio knowledge is nil since I stick to the trusty CD, so you wouldn't want to listen to me!

[dhyantyke]

I think it depends on how much money you have to spare! It's a lovely interface, no doubt about that, my wife was greatly taken with it and thinks all hifi should be like this now, it's really is an attractive package. However, it's not worth *my* money. I really think that the small learning curve involved in getting to grips with alternatives is time well-spent and money well-not-spent.

Of course, I've never lived with it, and my computer audio knowledge is nil since I stick to the trusty CD, so you wouldn't want to listen to me!

Diapason,
I like the 'trusty cd' too and am primitive enough to enjoy having the physical object in my hand/on the shelf .....but..building the collection looks likely to be less expensive going the computer audio route? or am I missing something!
Groaning inwardly at your synopsis of the sooloos option as I'm afraid I'm getting to that conclusion but just DON'T LIKE the computer!!

[dhyantyke]

I think it depends on how much money you have to spare! It's a lovely interface, no doubt about that, my wife was greatly taken with it and thinks all hifi should be like this now, it's really is an attractive package. However, it's not worth *my* money. I really think that the small learning curve involved in getting to grips with alternatives is time well-spent and money well-not-spent.

Of course, I've never lived with it, and my computer audio knowledge is nil since I stick to the trusty CD, so you wouldn't want to listen to me!

** Can anyboby reccommend a service provider to put an alternative package together?

[Fran]

This comes down to a fairly simple question:

Do you want the best sound possible, with a little work from you required, or do you want absolute ease and convenience with less emphasis on sound quality?


Convenience route: squeezebox/touch/sooloos/sonos is the route to go. Advantages and disadvantages to each system, but in general, the squeezebox option is cheaper and the pricing goes up from there. The big multiples (eg power city etc) all have the squeezebox, other systems available from Cloney & Kronos I think.

High SQ route: jkeny DAC running from a laptop using jplay or pureplayer software. Some other alternatives, but hard to get as good SQ. You need to rip your own CDs, have a big external HDD and a PC or laptop..... other than that its easy though. There are options to display album art etc, but not as comprehensively as say the squeezebox or sooloos. Contact jkeny on this forum if you are interested....


Fran

[dhyantyke]

This comes down to a fairly simple question:

Do you want the best sound possible, with a little work from you required, or do you want absolute ease and convenience with less emphasis on sound quality?


Convenience route: squeezebox/touch/sooloos/sonos is the route to go. Advantages and disadvantages to each system, but in general, the squeezebox option is cheaper and the pricing goes up from there. The big multiples (eg power city etc) all have the squeezebox, other systems available from Cloney & Kronos I think.

High SQ route: jkeny DAC running from a laptop using jplay or pureplayer software. Some other alternatives, but hard to get as good SQ. You need to rip your own CDs, have a big external HDD and a PC or laptop..... other than that its easy though. There are options to display album art etc, but not as comprehensively as say the squeezebox or sooloos. Contact jkeny on this forum if you are interested....


Fran

Hi Fran ,thanks for that summary of the options which is a helpful clarifier to where I'm at. Just became aware of jkenny recently from reading various on this forum and had a squint at his website yesterday sub. to following the thread here on the Cloney show. Will follow up in that direction as sound quality is an essential part of the project.

[Rocker]

Do you want the best sound possible, with a little work from you required, or do you want absolute ease and convenience with less emphasis on sound quality?


Convenience route: squeezebox/touch/sooloos/sonos is the route to go. Advantages and disadvantages to each system, but in general, the squeezebox option is cheaper and the pricing goes up from there. The big multiples (eg power city etc) all have the squeezebox, other systems available from Cloney & Kronos I think.

Fran

If you have a DAC or a CD Player with a digital input you can take the digital output from the Squeezebox and you have the sound quality that you have at present with the flexibility and options of the Squeezebox.

[DaveF]

For me, there is something about computer based audio that still doesnt appeal to me. Yes I'm sure really good if not exceptional sound quality can be achieved but a good deal of the appeal for me when listening to music is having a physical library of CD or vinyl and the ritual of selecting something from the shelf, cueing it up or pressing play and then sitting back to enjoy it.

Browsing in a shop and coming across unexpected or rare vinyl or CD is a huge appeal for me too.

[Fran]

Its always the thing...... and even more relevant to vinyl I think than CDs.... just an integral part of the enjoyment I think is watching the thing go round!!

Having said that computer audio has progressed hugely in the last 2 years..... for example when we compared Johns dac to Brianos wadia we couldn't tell the difference.... and this is a serious CDP.

But... and the big but, is that you need to have a laptop/PC, then rip your music and organise it etc etc... and then keep backups. No big deal, but it does require a bit of thought. Not so bad in the popular world, but more difficult when you move into classical, but of course still doable.

On the other side, your entire library is there at your fingertips, no more searching for that CD, no more scratched CDs etc etc....


Fran