Tag Archives: spotify connect

Spotify speakers from Philips

SW750M speaker

If you just want to play Spotify on your speakers and nothing else. Then Philips has two new speakers for you. You remote the speakers from Spotifys own app with their Spotify Connect technology.

You can also group up to four speakers and play the same music on them all. Usually called party mode. I read a customer complaint about not being able to play music on the individual speakers when they have been grouped in SpeakerSet. So switching from party mode to individual requires a small configuration task.

Named SpeakerSet is for configuring the speakes and exists for both iOS and Android.

The sound quality is specified at CD-quality 320 kbps.

The SW750M has four drivers that deliver 20-W and two bass ports for expanded low-frequency bass. Price £150.

The SW700M has two drivers that deliver 4-W and two bass ports for expanded low-frequency bass. Price £100.

Spotify connect has an advantage over Bluetooth and AirPlay in that the smartphone remote app only tells the speaker what to play, which the speaker then streams directly from Spotifys server. So the smartphone does not stream the music to the speaker, which would take a toll on the phones (or tablets) battery.

Given its limited support for music sources, it is rather far fetched to compare it with Sonos, that supports so many more sources. But if we look at only Spotify in a multi-room setting, then there are pros and cons with both platforms.

  • Philips has the better app for playing Spotify, which is Spotifys own.
  • Sonos can play different Spotify songs in different zones at the same time, which is somewhat of a killer feature.
  • Both can play in party mode.
  • Philips has a lower price.
  • Sonos has a broader offering with both stand alone speakers and integrated with existing HiFi.

It probably comes down to if you are really sure that you do not need support for other sources than Spotify now or in the future.

LG let’s the Music Flow

Music_Flow_system

Yet another electronics dragon enters the multi-room market, LG, with the Music Flow system. Targeting Sonos of course and bringing both usual and unusual functionality to the fight.

Music Flow supports 24 bit, 192kHz quality audio across its devices, offering HD music playback. Which Sonos does not.

Music Flow is controlled by the Music Flow Player app on iOS or Android, which streams music sources and services such as Spotify (integrated with Spotify Connect), Deezer, Napster, Internet radio, or sources connected to your Wi-Fi. The devices connect with mesh network technology and dual-band Wi-Fi. They pair with a single tap via NFC (which iPhone does not have). The system has a party mode for playing the same music in all zones and a cinema mode for watching movies.

The Music Flow Player app can also be used for listen to music when you’re on the move.The app works as a standard music player on your phone when it isn’t connected to the speaker setup, so the music can continue to play in it when you leave the house.

You can also interact with the system through instant messages with an IM app. That’s called HomeChat and lets you ask the system for musical recommendations when you are away from home and more. Why is the first question that comes to mind but maybe it has a good answer?

The R1 network bridge (£49.99),  the 40W H5 speaker (£229.99) and 70W H7 speaker (£328.99) will hit the shops first, arriving within a month. The 30W H3 speaker (£149.99) and the HS6 320W Sound bar (£499.99) will follow soon after, according to LG.

Summary

The LG Music Flow system is unusually mature at launch. It meets the core requirements for a multi-room system well and also supports HD audio which not even Sonos does. The competition for the number two spot, behind Sonos, has gotten tighter.

HEOS by Denon challenges Sonos

heos product family

Read about Denon upgraded HEOS line with hi-res and Bluetooth.

HEOS is a new multi-room music system by Denon that wants and has to compete with the market leader Sonos.

HEOS is made up of three stand alone speakers, the HEOS 3, 5 and 7. And two players without speakers, the HEOS Amp and HEOS Link pre-amp. Then there is the wi-fi extender HEOS Extend. The system is controlled with an iOS and an Android app.

HEOS has support for Spotify Connect which means that you play Spotify from Spotify’s own smartphone app. Other streaming services available are TuneIn Radio, Pandora, Deezer, Napster and Rhapsody. HEOS also plays music from a NAS or PC,  attached hard drives and local music on iOS and Android devices. The system supports FLAC lossless audio, MP3, WAV, AAC, WMA, ASF and MP4.

HEOS 3 has dual custom full-range drivers and a two-channel digital amp. You can pair it with another HEOS 3 for stereo.

HEOS 5 has a carrying handle. It has four class D amplifiers, two tweeters, two mid-range drivers and a passive radiator.

HEOS 7 has a subwoofer, two full-range drivers, two tweeters and two passive radiators.

HEOS Amp drives external speakers.

HEOS Link pre-amp turns your existing Hi-Fi or AV receiver into a HEOS zone.

Connectivity

HEOS 3, 5 and 7 has the same inputs on the back. A USB in, a aux in and an ethernet port. The HEOS 7 also has a 3.5mm connector on the side side for headphones. Both Amp and Link has a digital out, a digital in and a USB in.

If you attach a music source through USB, it is playable by all devices in the system.

The HEOS system uses your existing Wi-Fi network to get connected, with support for dual-band 5GHz 802.11n.

Summary

So, does all this sounds familiar? Well, yes, everything from names to functions to designs has Sonos written all over it. But less trimmed and missing features here and there because of less time in the market. Spotify Connect is a welcome addition but at the same time goes outside of the usual way of controlling the system, thus making the user experience less stringent.

Denon is a welcome player in the multi-room market and the HEOS system is well thought through. But it needs to support more services and techniques (Google Music, Wimp, Rdio, AirPlay, Bluetooth) to stand out.

Samsung Shape gets Spotify Connect

Samsung Shape gets Spotify Connect

Samsung Shape continues its big push into the wireless audio market and becomes the first multi-room system to support Spotify Connect.

Shape users will be able to use the native Spotify app, rather than the Shape app, to queue up and play songs.

The update applies to all Samsung Shape speakers. The Shape M7, Shape M5 and other audio components like Shape-compatible sound bars and Blu-ray players.

The addition strengthens both the Shape platform and Spotify, that needs adoption in the market for Spotify Connect.

24-bit audio streaming with Bluesound

Bluesound is a new streaming system that has something Sonos doesn’t, 24-bit audio steaming. Pair it with the new Wimp HiFi service and you have a system with millions of 24-bit tracks to fill your home with.

The Bluesound product family consists of the following products:

PULSE is a standalone speaker with a 35-bit/844kHz DAC and Bi-amplified Direct-Digital Amplifier by NAD Electronics.

pulse

POWERNODE is player with a built in Direct-Digital Amplifier by NAD Electronics with 80 watts total into 4 ohms. It has outputs to speakers and subwoofer. It also has a USB port for memory.

powernode

NODE is a player without amplifier. It has USB, Analog RCA stereo jack, TOSLINK digital optical output and trigger output.

node

VAULT is a player and a NAS in one unit. It has 1TB storage and a CD reader for ripping music in lossless formats or mp3 to the drive.

vault

All units support TuneIn Radio, WiMP and rdio. Formats MP3, AAC, WMA, OGG, WMA-L, FLAC, ALAC, WAV and AIFF. Native Sampling Rates 32, 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192 kHz. Bit Depths 16, 24.

The system is controlled by iOS and Android apps. You can play different songs and sources in different rooms at the same time.

Many of the people behind Bluesound has previously worked for NAD and has long experience of high end music systems.

It is nice to see a new multi-room audio system that can handle a comparison with Sonos well. Supporting 24-bit audio makes Bluesound more interesting than Sonos for hardcore music enthusiasts. The support for Wimps new HiFi 24-bit service makes a perfect combination. VAULT ripps and stores your existing CDs in lossless. Bluesound is a great option for music enthusiasts to consider.

Update: Support for Spotify Connect is added. Read more.