Ask Engadget: Best wireless PMP for audio streaming?
By Darren Murph 
posted Oct 1st 2009 9:12PM
posted Oct 1st 2009 9:12PM
"For a very long time I have been searching for a portable device where I can store all of my CDs in MP3 format and then stream the songs wirelessly to my HiFi system. The portable device must I've tried FM transmitters, they all suck. I don't want a docking station. Any help? Thanks!" have a display so that I easily can scroll through the playlists (I don't want to use a TV or monitor). I suppose that there must also be a second device that is connected to the HiFi system that would receive the wireless streams from the portable device.Our first thought is to get a Bluetooth-enabled PMP and a BT-equipped stereo. Of course, our first thought could be awful. For any of you with experience in this field, why not throw this fellow a bone in comments below? He'll be eternally grateful, we're sure.
You guys wanna fix the wording of the question there?
"For a very long time I have been searching for a portable device where I can store all of my CDs in MP3 format and then stream the songs wirelessly to my HiFi system. The portable device must have a display so that I easily can scroll through the playlists (I don't want to use a TV or monitor). I've tried FM transmitters, they all suck. I don't want a docking station. Any help? Thanks!" I suppose that there must also be a second device that is connected to the HiFi system that would receive the wireless streams from the portable device.
There... I fixed it for you :)
I use my Zune 30GB. That's right, I inserted my first gen Zune into a remote controlled dock to play music through my receiver and view it through my TV entertainment setup. I even hear the FM radio through it. You can create a similar setup with just about anything that has a remote controlled dock attachment for it.(ipod, zune, archos, psp, etc.) I understand you don't want to use a dock or a monitor but it is very simple and affordable solution.
Another solution I have seen(also involves a dock) includes a main ipod dock that wirelessly streams to other speakers throughout the house.
If your interested just leave a comment and I'll look it up for you.
Except for that part where you ignored his request to deliver the stuff wirelessly this would be fine. Of course then you could use just about anything.
@fanfoot: the zune does allow computerless streaming, the search in the older generations sucked though, but it was nice to just dock it, go to new releases and play away without ever having the pc on. Of course you need zune pass though.
@fieldcar: Sure. You can do that with an iPod Touch too though. What this guy seems to want however is to HOLD THE ZUNE IN HIS HAND and leave the dock hooked up to the TV and control what the Zune is playing by looking at the screen of the Zune IN HIS HAND, yet hear the music coming from his HiFi. So, there needs to be a way to wirelessly stream the music from the portable player to the "dock".
So... what are the options for such streaming? You could clearly use Wifi, but there would have to be a two-part device or a standard for streaming music over Wifi, and I'm not aware of such things.
You can definitely use stereo bluetooth for this, and that might be the ONLY obvious choice, but as others have said this won't get you great quality. Scosche claims "CD quality" for their Bluelife iPod Touch product. I don't know enough about it to judge. Or something like the X10 iParty. Again, no idea about the music quality.
I'm not sure what other options there are if any.
Is there a way for example to stream music from an iPod Touch to an Airport Express? I don't think so, but I'm not an Airport user. Might be possible.
If you have something WiFi (like an HTPC) connected to your HiFi, you can use an Archos 605 or an Archos 5 as the media player. It supports file hosting, wifi, and has a huge screen and hard drive.
I second that,
and also suggest cowon S9 combined with a 3.5mm bluetooth adapter (I use jaybird)
or swap cowon for iPod Touch
if you want to listen to lossless, go with archos +wifi (like apple airport express)
I use sony bluetooth speaker system ( CMX series) connected to 2nd gen iPod touch and it works great.
+1 Archos make excellent PMPs
Count one more for Archos
Has anyone tried the 605 with Dish? Is it any good?
Streaming music over WiFi seems like a battery hog.
Yeah I too am confused on what the question is...
The Archos players use Wifi and can host files
So can my iPod touch. Just slap Apache on it and create your own GUI or interface of whatever type. There are also a variety of streaming apps available. I believe i saw one once for icecast or something...I could be wrong though. This of course assumes that you have it jailbroken...
And the Archos 5 can have up to a 250GB hard drive. For $250.
try hooking up a ipod touch and a small media pc with itunes. then just use the itunes remote (free in the app store)
thats actually a pretty good solution. i wasn't even aware of that remote app until recently, but its really well done.
Get an Airport Express - has a 3.5mm output to hook up to your HiFi.
Any iTunes connected to this WiFi base station can stream music to the HiFi connected.
You can then use iPod Touch/iPhone and use the Remote app to control your iTunes and play music to you HiFi.
This way you have your entire music collection on a PC/Mac running iTunes & use your iPod/iPhone to control your iTunes wirelessly - and it won't drain your phone/ipod battery - the devices act as a remote, the processing is done by the PC/mac.
Hopefully soon we'll be able to use the iPod/iPhone to stream directly to the Airport Express (Airtunes).
whichever one is the most expensive.
ZUNE HD even though i've never used it
Zune HD isn't THAT expensive....
ha I know, my first comment I was being sarcastic because I didn't even know what a PMP was.. but then I thought about it for a second and was like oh yeaa a "personal media player".. then the Zune HD crossed my mind because it appears to be the best one out right now and it was just released which is a bonus
RTFP/sarcasm/tech vocabulary/MS fanboyism... fail.
I'm not sure I quite understand the question, but I use a Mac running iTunes to several AirPort units connected to my various Hi-Fi systems.
I use an iPod Touch running Remote to control iTunes wirelessly. It works a treat, scrolling through my library is easy (I have a large library, but the iPod Touch never hangs or has trouble navigating the lists). I can select any or all Hi-Fi systems and the Remote app works anywhere in my house or garden.
It's not quite the wireless player I think you are looking for, but this set-up pretty much does what you are describing.
Cheapest > Second hand iPaq/PDA off ebay running at least Winmo 2003.
My clients love the sonos with the new CR200 wireless controller
Sonos--isn't that the "Monster Cable" of wireless streaming gear?
Let's make it Sonos + iPod Touch + Rhapsody subscription (optional) + PC or NAS
Since the CR200 is just a controller, you could not consider it a PMP, and out of your home is useless. I don't really love the iPod, but it does the things the guy required...
Wow really? Zune HD. Come on. Zunepass and an audio dock, get off the high horse and just realize this: Zune does music. Don't think apps, don't think names, but the unit does streaming audio very, very well.
And hey, if the HD isn't your thing, get the 4gb flash based Zune, it'll stream just as well with much less pang in your pocket.
Some receivers have a specific implementation for a Bluetooth receiver like Yamaha and Onkyo, but if you don't have one of those, the Sony universal one seems to be highly rated. You can get any Bluetooth enabled mp3 player, such as the new Archos 5 internet tablet(Android), or you can get one of many Bluetooth adapters, most are iPod, but there are some 3.5mm ones.
The way the question is asked. you are looking for a PMP to stream music to your HiFi?
so it depends completely on what imputs your HiFi has available.
Any PMP with bluetooth would work fine if your HiFi has a luetooth reciever. If BT is not availale, use a seperate BT reciever with a 3.5mm jack.
The Archos 5 is my suggestion.
Darren Murph, shame on you for posting this poorly worded and unclear question
Any of the Squeezebox devices:
http://www.logitechsqueezebox.com/products/overview.html
I agree with the slimplayer suggestion. Also, iPeng for iPod Touch or iPhone makes a great remote. $149 for the player and $9 for iPeng provided you already have the iPhone.
Streaming WiFi from a handheld will drain the battery quite fast. In my opinion it is a much better idea to stream from a desktop computer/NAS/internet source (such as Rhapsody/Slacker/Pandora/internet radio).
I've had 4 Squeezeboxes for several years, and I still use them everyday. It requires a computer running the server software somewhere on the network, but sound quality is great, and you can get a Squeezebox Duet or iPeng running on an iPod Touch as the control interface.
I have to say that I don't think the basic idea here -- that is, to actually stream the music from the portable PMP itself while it is not docked in order to use it as a control interface -- is not a great idea, primarily because it will just run the battery down. Spinning a hard drive while also sending out constant wifi data on just the unit's battery would kill the battery life in not much time.
I just said basically the same thing as oliver. Damn you, oliver.
Squeezebox + iPeng = audio awesomeness..
Not really that portable though, but they're a lot cheaper than the Sonos equivalent so you can just get several boxes and distibute them where needed.
For streamed music on the move I find the Simplify Music app on iPhone to be pretty good.
Engadget post fail?
I really think the Sonos is great, its got a good user interface and adds the online streaming services (Rhapsody in particular that i like a lot). But for the price, the logitech squeezebox is a great bet. I researched quiet a bit and ended up with the squeezebox. Great audio quality. The newer ones can stream upto 96Khz/24 which is awesome. Works flawlessly with itunes.
Highly recommended.
If you want a cheap way, go airport express. Its pretty cheap. But be confined to itunes. If you have a PS3 or Xbox then DLNA comes to the rescue.
Eh, bluetooth is never the answer for streaming to a true high fidelity system. It's not all that terribly great for headphones either, but at least it is a convenience. Stereo Bluetooth hasn't reached a high enough bitrate to equal a wired setup.
I don't have an answer for this gentleman's original question, if I understand it correctly. He doesn't want a dock, so the awesome Zune HD is out of the question for him. What he wants is a niche on the market - I'm not sure why he wants that specific device so badly... but so be it. I don't think anything yet recommended fits his wishes.
This Ask Engadget appears to be made for fanboys everywhere to open their mouths.
Zune HD, or any zune combined with a dock and zune pass. This is so terribly easy its not even funny. Best device for the job. Bar none.
what about the ipod touch 2nd gen? it's wifi compatible, and with the 'remote' app (free) you can control your itunes remotely from the touch. with the airport express wifi transmitter from apple you can plug a jack into it from you stereo and your itune will be streamed from your comp to your stereo. all wirelessly.
Does the airport express stream music from an iPhone or iPod touch? It doesn't have to be streamed from a computer running iTunes?
The notion that "FM sucks" only applies to the crappy gear that is typically available. I've used low-power FM gear (self-designed) that considerably exceeds broadcast specs for wireless audio distribution around the house. The Ramsey FM25B would do a reasonable job, especially if tweaked.
The airport express route is a great way to go. I have a central music server that I control via. iPhone or iPod Touch using the Remote App (free). I can select which receiver I want to stream to and they are all synced up and lag free for that throughout house music feel. I particularly like using it on my outdoor speakers as it allows me to change the song and volume of the outside stereo from the comfort of my phone which I have carry around anyway. The Airport Express can also act as a wireless extender using wds. It also works perfectly streaming apple lossless audio, which is a huge plus.
Windows Home Server + xbox 360 + smart phone.
Store all your mp3s on the home server, then stream the music to any device you want, including smart phones. On the fly video/audio conversions for iPhone or windows mobile phone, so you can listen to your mp3s or watch movies while away from home. The xbox will allow you to stream your ripped CD's or DVDs (or netflix) to your hifi/home theater.
It's a pretty slick setup, plus you'll have some data redundancy to ensure you don't lose your collection and have the added benefit of automated PC backups while you sleep.
There are even some apps for winmo or iPhone that allow you to control your streaming audio to 3rd party devices.
Thanks to the people who actually replied to his post.
I, personally, created a setup where I didn't have to buy any new equipment. Of course I don''t know if he has equipment similar to mine bu this is what I did.
I bought a Logitech MusicAnywhere bluetooth system years ago (thanks Woot!) to stream music from my computer to my stereo. Yes, the FM transmitters I had sucked royally. Worked great, set your playlist and let it play. Years later, I got a Samsung Q1. (Thanks again Woot!) I was hosting my first 4th of July party and wanted to be able to play music from the upstairs computer on the stereo in the basement. So, of course I used the Logitech setup. But I also wanted to be able to DJ while hosting. So I made a VNC connection between the Q1 and the upstairs computer and was able to control all the music no matter where I was in the house. Sure a simpler solution would have been to have the Logitech connected to the Q1 but there's only so much space on that 40 gig drive.
I'm pretty happy with my Squeezebox. The price is right, and it supports Pandora, Slacker and last.fm too. And their phone tech support is excellent, one of the best in the business.
And Rhapsody among others.
I have 2 Squeezeboxes, and I love them to death.