New wireless options for iPods

25/09/08 12:00
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THE idea of wirelessly streaming the music collection on the computer to the stereo system usually comes after one (or both) of these realizations: “Gee, this album I just downloaded would really sound much better coming through my impressively large and expensive speakers in the living room,” or “This apartment is too small for huge piles of cracked CD jewel boxes.”

Large or small, there are plenty of options for broadcasting that Green Day playlist or Internet radio feed around the house. So many, in fact, that it can get confusing as to what you actually need. But the good news is new, cheaper products make it easier and more affordable to live the stream dream. The systems listed here are all less than $500 and with some, you don’t even need a Wi-Fi network, just some music you want to play loudly.

Have Wi-Fi and Stereo?

Adding a device called a media bridge or media receiver to your existing Wi-Fi network is one of the oldest and most common methods of bringing your stereo system online so your computer can use it. No matter which one you buy, the same principle is at work: two small devices (one connected to your computer, one connected to an input on your stereo) work together to send music from your PC’s soundcard to your existing amplifier and speakers.

Using a wireless bridge or router has its pros and cons. On the positive side, it is a relatively inexpensive solution — $100 or less. On the negative side, it involves fiddling to get the device on a password-protected wireless network or creating a network from scratch.

For people with a significant investment in music from the iTunes Store, Apple’s AirPort Express mobile base station ($99) is a common solution. The Airport Express can join an existing wireless network or even serve as a wireless router itself. It works with Windows and Mac OS X systems and has an audio-out jack on the bottom. Once connected to your audio system (or a set of powered speakers), the AirPort Express streams the computer’s iTunes library from computer to stereo.

You do have to return to the computer to change the playlist — not the most convenient thing to do when hosting a party. But with an iPhone or iPod Touch and Apple’s free Remote program from the iTunes App Store, you can control playback from anywhere in the house with a tap of the touchscreen.

Windows users have an even lower-budget option. The Linksys WMB54G Wireless-G Music Bridge can be found for as little as $34 at Amazon. The Music Bridge, like the AirPort Express, connects to the stereo with standard AV cables. It jacks into the home network wirelessly, or with an Ethernet cable. Unlike the Airport Express, however, it will not serve as a wireless router.

Another way Linksys is not like Apple is that the company is not known for clear, concise technical documentation. Many owners have complained about the confusing set-up process. Still, if time and patience are in greater supply than money, the Music Bridge is an inexpensive way to play any audio file on the PC through the stereo system, including copy-protected files from online music stores.

No Network or Stereo?

If setting up a network or messing with it doesn’t appeal, consider a Wi-Fi-free option. A digital receiver system like Creative’s $100 Xmod Wireless works with Windows and uses its own, direct wireless connection to stream audio between the Xmod transmitter (connected to the U.S.B. port on your PC) and the X-Fi receiver (connected to an audio-input connection on your stereo system). The Xmod Wireless, which includes technology to help enhance the sound of streamed music, comes with a pair of remotes to control the operation at either end.

If you’d rather play music off your iPod instead of your PC — not only taking a Wi-Fi network out of the equation, but also a computer — Creative has another version called the Xdock Wireless ($200). That system uses an iPod instead of the computer as the music source, which is handy for people who have multiple computers but keep the definitive music collection on the iPod.

Creative’s products assume that you have a stereo to connect to. But say you don’t. Sony has also jumped into the streaming business with its S-Air Play Music System. This $400 package eliminates the need for an existing wireless network, a computer (its source is the iPod) and even an audio system. It will stream music to up to 10 self-powered stereo speakers (you still have to plug them in, but no amplifier is required).

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In addition to sharing an iPod’s music around the house, the S-Air Play system plays AM and FM radio. The remote speakers act independently, which means that the one in the kitchen can be broadcasting the basketball game on AM radio, while the unit in the bedroom is playing the latest Jonas Brothers track. The system ships with a base unit that docks the iPod and transmits the audio signal, three remote controls and two S-Air speakers. Extra speakers cost about $130 each.

For Wi-Fi Radio Fans

Sometimes you want someone else to drive. That’s the promise of Internet radio: something more than another rehash of the same music files you’ve had for years. It used to be that listening to Internet radio made you a slave to a desktop or laptop computer if you wanted to change channels or adjust the volume. Now, fortunately, there are devices that look and feel like stereo components, but wirelessly connect to your home network to pull these stations and music services (like Rhapsody, Pandora, etc.) into your living room.

The Squeezebox Boom from Logitech ($300) is one of the latest products to fall into this category. The Boom looks like a smallish bookshelf stereo system — it has two onboard speakers, a control panel and a display. Since the Boom is linked to your computer, you use your PC to set up and configure the device, but day-to-day operation happens via the Boom’s control panel. All your online music sources are grouped together on a Web site called the SqueezeNetwork that you need to set up a free account to use.

Once enabled, it’s easy to add new Internet radio discoveries and podcast feeds to the content mix. With the included SqueezeCenter desktop software, the Squeezebox Boom can also broadcast tracks from the computer’s music library — except for copy-protected files.

Network setup can be fairly straightforward unless you have a password in plain English. The Boom only uses hexadecimal keys — long strings of numbers and letters — for encryption, so you might need to do a quick Web search for a site that can convert your English password into hexadecimal code. It’s easy enough, though it trips up the instant-gratification momentum. But this principle is at work in all of these systems: a little effort at the beginning results in better organized, more easily searchable music. And more bookshelf space to boo
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