Zp 24/96

Squeezebox has unreliable syncing when downrezzing/decoding at the server, whether it be 24/96 or ALAC, which isn't directly supported on all players. Specifically, audio quality is compromised in order to maintain sync, not something an Audiophile 24/96 aficionado wishes to hear. :rolleyes: In addition, Squeezebox syncing, even when perfect, is on the order of 10 times the acceptable delay of Sonos, in addition to dropping quality on internet radio and server processed formats. The new Simple Audio system does not sync zones at all, although they claim it is in the works for a future release. If history is an indicator, any system which does not include sync from the get go is always going to be playing catchup to Sonos.

This is a bit misleading then isn't it on Simple Audio's overview page...

A music system just for you
The Simple Audio system will find and play all your digital music wherever it's stored. All you need is a Roomplayer, a broadband connection, a pair of speakers and the free desktop controller. This controller will help you to find all your music and set up your playlists just the way you want them. Your digital music will then be ready to play through one or more Roomplayers, wherever they are located in your home.

Here's the link...
http://simpleaudio.co.uk/overview/multi-room-setup

So this will only be in a software release that is after the initial release? There are some people from Simple Audio on AVF so i'll also query this with them because this could potentially annoy a lot of people.

This is a bit misleading then isn't it on Simple Audio's overview page...

A music system just for you
The Simple Audio system will find and play all your digital music wherever it's stored. All you need is a Roomplayer, a broadband connection, a pair of speakers and the free desktop controller. This controller will help you to find all your music and set up your playlists just the way you want them. Your digital music will then be ready to play through one or more Roomplayers, wherever they are located in your home.

That doesn't actually say it'll play them in sync, just that any of your roomplayers can play you music. Which is the very least you'd expect really...

The wording on their page is carefully constructed to NOT mention any sync capabilities, while not actually stating it's not there. However, if you look in the Simple Audio thread on this forum, someone has already inquired about sync, and feedback from Simple Audio confirmed no sync at this time:

And on that note, I understand from feedback from Simple Audio that synchronised zones are not currently supported but are certainly planned as a software update in future, as well as additional music services.

http://forums.sonos.com/showpost.php?p=140543&postcount=7

"Able to play all music on the Earth"


You've interpreted this as "any format on earth" which I think is a misinterpretation.

I can take any music and play it on Sonos. I may have to convert it to a different file format to do so, but I can play any music on earth.

Cheers,

Keith

You've interpreted this as "any format on earth" which I think is a misinterpretation.

I can take any music and play it on Sonos. I may have to convert it to a different file format to do so, but I can play any music on earth.


Come on, really?

I read in some article how they wanted to add this or that - in an effort to play all music on Earth.

If I can already play all the music - then they wouldn't need to add it. Additionally, doesn't that destroy their whole "it simply works" concept... not "it simply works when you transcode it to lower bitrates".

Plus, that completely discounts the "Wireless HiFi" ... the notion there is high fidelity. It isn't high fidelity in today's world if it cannot play high resolution.

The wording on their page is carefully constructed to NOT mention any sync capabilities, while not actually stating it's not there. However, if you look in the Simple Audio thread on this forum, someone has already inquired about sync, and feedback from Simple Audio confirmed no sync at this time:



http://forums.sonos.com/showpost.php?p=140543&postcount=7

Very interesting. I'm just checking one minor point with a (future) SA dealer. He said specifically in his last post that the demo version for dealers doesn't sync, but syncing will be released in the future. I'm checking this minor point to see if this software release will happen before general release. Probably not, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

Syncing was one of the larger draws to Sonos for me. It is a bit of a shock for me that multiroom and sync are not synonymous.

Very interesting. I'm just checking one minor point with a (future) SA dealer. He said specifically in his last post that the demo version for dealers doesn't sync, but syncing will be released in the future. I'm checking this minor point to see if this software release will happen before general release. Probably not, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

Syncing was one of the larger draws to Sonos for me. It is a bit of a shock for me that multiroom and sync are not synonymous.

Not a shock at all. Squeeze "accomplishes" it's "sync" by continuously resyncing multiple streams at the server, a blunt instrument methodology which requires CPU horsepower (and can lead to a loss of quality as bits are dropped in order to maintain sync). Which is why NAS based Squeezeserver installs are unreliable at best and missing features at worst.

It seems Simple Audio, like Sonos, does not require a server. Therefore, there is is no high horsepower central processor to handle sync. So the syncing must take place in the boxes, a much more sophisticated and difficult design (not to mention more accurate) and in Simple Audio's case, they are obviously not up to the task yet (and in the case of 24/96, it may never happen, just like Sonos). There are no free lunches in Computer Science.

Come on, really?

Yes, it doesn't play Vinyl records, cassettes, or CDs either. All of these need to be digitised, reformatted, or transcoded to work with Sonos.

I read in some article how they wanted to add this or that - in an effort to play all music on Earth.

In this context, clearly it's an aim. A journey, if you will, rather than a destination. In reality is it *really* possible for any system to be directly compatible with every format and every service? I know for a fact there are people with formats like Wavpack and Monkey's audio which currently don't work on Sonos and probably never will. there will always be a percentage of formats or sources Sonos cannot play. Presumably it is Sonos's aim to reduce this percentage over time, but I can't see they will ever truly reach 100%. At the moment hires is an extremely tiny percentage of that.

And in this context, if you enable a new music service, you address the needs of a far greater proportion of the population than you could by supporting hires (especially in regions outside the US). So surely that makes enabling new music services more important than addressing the needs of a tiny subset of users.

Plus, that completely discounts the "Wireless HiFi" ... the notion there is high fidelity. It isn't high fidelity in today's world if it cannot play high resolution.

I think that statement needs to be prefaced with "In my opinion". There's hifi dealers and customers (not to mention scientists) across the world who would disagree with you.

I have never seen any definition of "hifi" which links it with these new hires formats.

Cheers,

Keith

Syncing was one of the larger draws to Sonos for me. It is a bit of a shock for me that multiroom and sync are not synonymous.

I agree, they should be and in conventional (non streamed) multiroom systems they were. It generally wasn't even considered as the nature of those systems meant that multiroom sync was part of the deal.

Sonos designed their system to provide these same benefits in a streaming system. This was part of the DNA of the product. Adding sync as an afterthought is not easy: just ask Logitech who after years of trying still don't have sync as good as Sonos's was when they launched several years ago.

Cheers,

Keith

Considering my mother still calls her 78 RPM All-In-One mono-only woodgrain and tweed monstrosity with the turntable under a flip top a "HiFi", I agree with Majik. 😃