Bluesound or something else?

Hi! Just finished a trial of Roon and while I liked the system overall its too expensive for the amount I would use it. Now I am looking for something to provide multi room music from Tidal (on trial) and/or Apple Music along with FLAC files from my Synology NAS share. I know Sonos is the only one that supports Apple Music completely. At most there are 2 rooms besides my computer room that really its easier to use my headphones and DAC.

I would like a streamer that has a video output to the TV for album art etc but I think the Bluesound Node does not offer that ability. Be nice if my kids could run the system when I am not home.

Lastly I currently have a 1st generation Sonos connect (no amp) in the basement hooked to a Yamaha A-S501, Should I just continue in the Sonos ecosystem? If so how do I utilize the connect on my upstairs Yamaha RX-A830 Receiver? Its network ability to stream FLAC form my NAS is horrible! Also does the Sonos leave the FLAC stream alone when streaming from a NAS?

Sorry for the long post as I have been using Plex for many years but thought I might try something else. Not really interested in a Pi solution at this point.
Thanks

 

If the Sonos in the basement does everything that you need, you can get another S1 off eBay for the upstairs system. You might be tempted instead to get the newer Sonos Port, but be aware of this:
https://support.sonos.com/s/article/4845

How is your current Sonos connected to your network? If wireless, you might try a different wireless channel or temporarily connecting it via ethernet (yes, you may need a long cable) to see if any better. If so, get a better wireless router* or use HomePlug adapters.

If you want to start fresh, Bluesound is a fine alternative though it may suffer from the same wireless connectivity issues depending on your router.
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*I doubt, however, that the Sonos S1 hardware supports modern wireless protocols, e.g. WIFI 6 or even 5 GHz. Another option is to buy a discontinued Sonos Bridge (very inexpensive on eBay) and wire it to your router. The Bridge will create a separate "SonosNet" mesh network for your Sonos devices which may have better stability than your current wireless configuration.

 

Thanks so much for the info! My Sonos is hard wired and seems to works well network wise. Reading the S1 and S2 stuff seems like it might be an issue and more trouble than its worth. The thought of 2 systems is turning me off so maybe I should retire the S1 system and move to something current. That would require 2 streamers or 2 nodes or endpoints I suppose. I do wish Roon wasn't so pricey even though I wasn't 100% sold on it anyways.

I could build 2 pi units and use one in the living room and the other in the basement but not sure that type of system would handle Apple Music or Tidal. FLAC im sure form a NAS would be no problem.

 

I've had a Bluesound Vault-2 and Node-2 with Tidal for about five years, not one complaint.

No video output but thats something I wouldn't want to incorporate into a quality audio system.

 

I own both Bluesound and Sonos products (S2) and they’re great for what I use them for. The primary question for the OP is whether Hi-Res or its MQA offshoot are important to you for your main rig. If so I’d go for the Bluesound product because it handles up to 24/192 (plus MQA for Tidal), while Sonos caps out at 24/48 with Qobuz.

With regard to your Sonos Connect, when was it manufactured? I purchased one in 2017 that is S2 compatible and is still in use today.

If you’re in the Apple ecosystem, the newer products from both companies are AirPlay compatible. Good luck.

 

I use Extollo 1500 powerline adapters with my three BS products. Work great and BluOS is easy to use.

 

Thanks. It mostly for my kids to have the ability to play their mixes and not have to use an iPad or Phone. I understand why many manufacturers don't do it and it looks like I may need to take that off the want/need list.

 

For the main rig I would like to test the waters out on Hi-Res and then decide if I am going to keep the more expensive tier sub. Not sure if my system is really going to allow me to tell the difference though. I would need a VPN in Canada to sign up for Qobuz unfortunately.

My connect is at least 5-6 years old so I will need to research if its S2 compatible. The problem lies in that the connect doesn't help with multiple full rigs unless I am missing something? It only connects to one system and I am at a loss at what to get for the second system. Hopefully that makes sense.

Thanks for the advice and info!

 

OK, so why did you say "Its network ability to stream FLAC form my NAS is horrible!"?

 

Sorry I was referring to my Yamaha Receiver and its ability to browse my NAS FLAC files. The interface is horrible.

"If so how do I utilize the connect on my upstairs Yamaha RX-A830 Receiver? Its network ability to stream FLAC form my NAS is horrible!

 

TV/Audio
HiFi Rose RS250 audio & video streaming D/A preamplifier | Stereophile.com

 

I didn't catch the fact that you're in Canada, so you're correct about Qobuz. I have both it and Tidal and, while Qobuz sounds slightly better, Tidal is much more user friendly IMO. As to Sonos, their web site will tell you whether the Connect is S2 compatible.