Do I 'Need' a Network/Streaming System?
Posted by: J.N. on 24 February 2011
Maybe this should be in the SA section, but it's a general Hi-Fi question.
I've been into Hi-Fi for forty years, and for the first time I'm a bit nonplussed by the evolving state of high-quality music replay in the home. I gotta say I'm having trouble with a whole new vocabulary:-
'Twonky' is a recent curiosity to hit me. A new innovation/term seems to pop up almost daily. 'Apple Airplay' is today's new discovery for me. Then there's the myriad of file types available to rip in. Which one should I use? Do I wait for iTunes to make Hi-Res files available as the norm? A NAS device can't go in my listening room because it's fan-noisy - so I would need wiring from another room where my iMac and router are located.
I have some friends with big houses, and they simply have a good quality Hi-Fi system in their lounge/listening room. Me too. My Geneva iPod Dock does me just fine and dandy in the kitchen.
I can of course see the appeal and convenience of computer-audio. I have an office system sourced from my iMac and a good quality DAC. I love my iPod too, so I am most definitely not anti-new-technology. Several friends with good Hi-Fi systems source them from a MacMini or MacBook feeding a good quality DAC. Everything in one place. Simples.
Network/streaming systems are a great marketing opportunity for us to keep up with the latest technology, but do most of us actually need it? And after you've paid to download everything again in Hi-Res downloads (another great marketing opportunity!), I reckon we will eventually access all our media (music and films) from 'The Cloud' or 'The Big Jukebox in the Sky', so one will not actually need to own any music, but simply pay £20 a month or whatever to have instant access to anything and everything, in any resolution desired via a high-speed internet connection.
This will take some time of course, because being cranky humans, many of us still enjoy having our music in a tangible form. I guess that will change as our young folk grow-up with their music in downloaded form.
I've been well and truly put off by the complexity of the current evolving technology, and am happily sticking with CD and vinyl for my serious listening for the time being.
I think the technology is currently in a transitional computer/Hi-Fi hinterland, and will in time, become a lot simpler. That's why I'm holding off.
This post infers no criticism of Naim whatsoever. As a company, they must evolve or die.
Interesting times, and it's a privilege to live through them.
John.
I've been into Hi-Fi for forty years, and for the first time I'm a bit nonplussed by the evolving state of high-quality music replay in the home. I gotta say I'm having trouble with a whole new vocabulary:-
'Twonky' is a recent curiosity to hit me. A new innovation/term seems to pop up almost daily. 'Apple Airplay' is today's new discovery for me. Then there's the myriad of file types available to rip in. Which one should I use? Do I wait for iTunes to make Hi-Res files available as the norm? A NAS device can't go in my listening room because it's fan-noisy - so I would need wiring from another room where my iMac and router are located.
I have some friends with big houses, and they simply have a good quality Hi-Fi system in their lounge/listening room. Me too. My Geneva iPod Dock does me just fine and dandy in the kitchen.
I can of course see the appeal and convenience of computer-audio. I have an office system sourced from my iMac and a good quality DAC. I love my iPod too, so I am most definitely not anti-new-technology. Several friends with good Hi-Fi systems source them from a MacMini or MacBook feeding a good quality DAC. Everything in one place. Simples.
Network/streaming systems are a great marketing opportunity for us to keep up with the latest technology, but do most of us actually need it? And after you've paid to download everything again in Hi-Res downloads (another great marketing opportunity!), I reckon we will eventually access all our media (music and films) from 'The Cloud' or 'The Big Jukebox in the Sky', so one will not actually need to own any music, but simply pay £20 a month or whatever to have instant access to anything and everything, in any resolution desired via a high-speed internet connection.
This will take some time of course, because being cranky humans, many of us still enjoy having our music in a tangible form. I guess that will change as our young folk grow-up with their music in downloaded form.
I've been well and truly put off by the complexity of the current evolving technology, and am happily sticking with CD and vinyl for my serious listening for the time being.
I think the technology is currently in a transitional computer/Hi-Fi hinterland, and will in time, become a lot simpler. That's why I'm holding off.
This post infers no criticism of Naim whatsoever. As a company, they must evolve or die.
Interesting times, and it's a privilege to live through them.
John.