I’ve been asked lately what kind of multi-room entertainment scenario I have set up in my own home, so I’ll describe it here. The approach I use is actually pretty simple and low-cost, which got me wondering, is my set-up actually the lowest cost multi-room entertainment approach? Read my requirements and set-up, and tell me if you have a different / better approach that meets my requirements, for less money.
First, let’s define “multi-room entertainment”. My requirements were:
- Audio only (I’ll discuss multi-room video separately – this is an emerging topic and the solutions here are changing rapidly)
- Play music and other audio content which is stored on a computer in my house, and also stream online audio content. Extra credit if it can play back my protected iTunes content (further discussed below).
- Access and play back song playlists that I make on my computer (because I think it is easiest to actually make the playlists on a computer, vs. on a playback device).
- Remote control: be able to walk around the house, select and control the content, and which zones are playing it, as well as control the volume. Extra credit if the remote is actually good (meaning small, attractively designed, intuitive controls, actually works as you walk around the house).
- Not overly complicated or unique, meaning I’m not the only one in the world who can easily use the system as configured.
- Play back two different pieces of content in two different zones.
Although, I’ll admit, I have subsequently nixed this last requirement. Our home’s public space (living, kitchen, family, and outdoor areas) really isn’t big enough for two separate audio streams from the central entertainment system. To me, different content in different zones turns out to be called “NOISE”. And just to be clear, the kids bedrooms aren’t part of the central system. They have their own local-only media going on in their rooms, and everyone likes it that way. More commentary on kids’ media, parental controls, etc. some other time.
So, with all of these requirements in mind, I looked at a number of approaches. One that came to mind right away was Sonos. First, let me just say that there is something special about Sonos, because everyone I know who uses it has an intense loyalty to it. I know the investors behind Sonos at Frazier Capital, who are very smart, and I’m also very impressed with Sonos CEO John McFarlane, who I have spoken to on a couple of occasions. Sonos meets all of the requirements. Three issues swayed me away in my final decision.
First, Sonos turned out to be pretty expensive. Although they market themselves as a low-cost alternative to the more sophisticated and complex custom systems, they didn’t anticipate the level of “cheap” that I apparently represent. A two-zone Sonos system, complete with a remote, an amplified zone, and a non-amplified zone (hook the second one to an existing stereo or amplified speakers) -- will run you about $950. Not bad, but I thought I could do better.
Second, they wouldn’t play my protected iTunes, or my iTunes playlists. The DRM issue turns out, after the fact, to be a decreasing problem, and I predict the end of DRM music will be a good thing for Sonos.
Sonos does allow you to make playlists, but I’d have to start over. I already have a bunch of perfectly good playlists that I made in iTunes, and it actually took me some time and thought to compile them.
Third, while I really like the Sonos remote, it is SO five-years-ago. By that, I mean it has a scroll-wheel circa iPod 2004, and a big-brick-like design that would prevent me from carrying it around my own cocktail party. It’s just too big. To be fair, Sonos recently released an iPod/iPhone remote control, which significantly enhances the appeal of the system in my view. The remote app is getting good reviews.
So, while it was close, Sonos didn’t win my business, yet.
Next I looked at the various remote-playback products that from Roku, Logitech, and other players. Each approach was less elegant than Sonos, but had the same drawbacks as Sonos. So they were discarded. It turned out this would be a two-horse race.
Finally, I looked at Apple’s Airport Express, which turned out to be the right solution us.
I purchased two Apple Airport Express WiFi access points (for $99 each), which also double as music servers using a feature Apple calls “Airtunes”, and added them to my home network. Each of the Airport Express units is attached to a second-hand stereo, which in turn powers the music in a couple of rooms or outdoors. Our stereos are pretty simple affairs. Any receiver that pumps out good quality analog sound and with sufficient power to drive the speakers in your rooms, will be adequate. Our speakers are varied in size and shape, depending on the room. Some bookshelf speakers, some in-wall and in-ceiling speakers, and some outdoor speakers. All are wired back to two stereos hooked to two Airport Express units, which in turn are joined to our home computing network. These stereos each have only one input that is being used (set to the Airport Express), and only one volume setting that is ever used (fairly loud, because this sets the max volume that your remote can access, discussed below) -- so the only thing you ever have to do with the stereos is power them on and off.
Our primary home computer houses our iTunes library, and we leave the iTunes application running on that computer. That computer’s library becomes the music and audio content source for the whole house, because it can be accessed remotely from the Airtunes-enabled Airport Express’s. This computer can be placed anywhere on the WiFi or Ethernet network. It does not have to be near one of the music zones.
For remote control, we use an iPod touch, and an iPhone. We happen to already own these items, which was a bonus when comparing costs of different approaches. Apple offers an application for iPhone and iPod touch called “Remote” ($4.99) which allows you to very easily remote-control your iTunes content, and play everything back on stereos connected to Airport Express’s. The application is beautifully designed, almost identical to the familiar built-in iPod interface, and allows me to select content all the usual ways: by song, album, artist, genre, and yes, playlist. All of my iTunes playlists show up automatically. I can control which zone gets the content, and even control the volume, all from my iPhone. This is actually a decent demo at parties.
OK, let’s tally up the costs. Two Airport Express’s at $99 each. Two second-hand stereos with at least one input and decent quality sound (the ones we are using actually have exceptional sound). No remote controls needed, no other fancy features. Just the kind that wind up on eBay and other second-hand sources for $50 each or less. And one iPod touch, for $229. Total of $527 to meet all of my requirements above, assuming you don’t already have iPod touch and a couple of second-hand stereos (I did). With Sonos, you are in for about $1000, for the Sonos two-zone system plus one second-hand stereo.
I’m assuming you already have a computer and home WiFi network. And for all of the approaches, I’m assuming you already have speakers placed and speaker-wire run. If you don’t, the cost of doing this will be roughly the same, regardless of the approach you choose (Sonos or iTunes with Airport Express).
Sonos does give you some things that Airport Express doesn’t easily do. One is Internet radio. I’m a big fan of Pandora, for example, and it doesn’t play easily through Airport, and can’t be run from Apple’s remote app on the iPod. If you aren’t wedded to iTunes, you might like the subscription music services like Rhapsody that Sonos offers. And, Sonos is a pretty elegant solution that gets good marks from its customers.
So here’s what it boils down to in my opinion. If you value the idea of one music database, one set of playlists for your home entertainment and iPods, and one relationship with iTunes, then Apple’s Airport Express and iPod remote is the way to go. You’ll give up the ability to run subscription music and easy, built-in Internet radio, but you’ll get superior iTunes integration. And you’ll save about half of what you would have invested in Sonos.
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