IP addressable speakers

[Brandon B]

Wacky! You can now stream audio directly to spealers with TCP/IP over ethernet:

http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/products/hidden/ip/lc265i-ip/

Forget second zone on your receiver.

BB

[David Meek]

I like that idea. I just wonder about the quality of the output.... :scratchhead:

I mean think about it. You are converting the signal again, transmitting it, re-converting it, then outputting it. Hmmmm, well the proof will be in the hearing.

[ktaillon]

I thought that the file was staying in it's digital form all the way to the speaker before being converted to analog.

[PewterTA]

Looks like it depends on the source you are using. If you are having it stream from the Internet, then it's digital all the way to the speaker.

Which means that one, you're dependent upon the quality of the incoming stream (which is never that good) and two you are depending on their DACs...which just a hunch...aren't the absolute greatest.

There's definitely possibility in the application of the speakers...but I don't know if they've figured it all out yet.

[Snap]

Kind of like 2 other products that I have seen. Crown has had there IP addressable amps for a while now. And Grey Fox this year put out there distributed audio VIA CAT5E. With the A/D converters being at the volume controls. Then 16/4 out of the volume control to the speakers.

It will definatly be worth hearing that is for sure. I wonder how people are going to work those speakers into a home. Very interesting speakers for sure.

[junior77blue]

Brilliant!!!!

[audioqueso]

How come my post was erased?

[Snap]

computer glitch maybe. What did you say audio?

[audioqueso]

Something stupid... probably why it got erased.

"For the people that use cat5 as speaker wire :roll: "

[Snap]

:laughat: You were a bad boy...:nono:

[David Meek]

Nothing got deleted. Must have been a 'puter issue.

That WAS funny BTW. :B

[Shane Martin]

I wonder if silver cat 5 will make my internet speed faster.

The big negative to these things: Cost. They are pricy son of a guns.

[gianni]

While the concept has potential, especially with onboard amplification, the last thing I want is to make a PC a part of a nice music system. OK for distribution but that is about it for me.

I will for as long as possible resist integrating a PC with high end audio/HT. I get enough of PC's as it is. Tivo is where I draw the line. Don't need my entertainment crashing and all the other drawbacks that come with PC's.

Just the thought of an HT PC is enough to make me leave the hobby for good and return to the movie theater. YUK!

[Brandon B]

the last thing I want is to make a PC a part of a nice music system.

Well, they are in-walls. :P

BB

[PiDD]

hhmm so is it true ip traffic? Can i plug the feed into the uplink of a hub and wire a few spots all over the house. Then just plug the speaker in one of the available cat5's!?

This would be cool for a speaker out on the deck or patio.

[Brandon B]

Believe so. Only snag I can see in that plan is if the speakers generate return IP traffic, and you can only send a signal to one IP address on the network, then it would be hard to get the same program to two sources as they could not have the same IP address without problems. But both of those circunstances being true seems unlikely.

BB

[gianni]

Well, they are in-walls. :P

BB

Yes, you have a point there.

[wildfire99]

I can only see one thing: "ERROR - No route to tweeter."

I'm actually curious, does ANYONE use the 'network addressable' parts of any of their components? My HT1000 projector has a webserver on it... that is, if somehow I lost the remote, bought a few grand worth of hardware, had a computer running, and wanted to play with the settings via wireless. Wait... that's just a remote control, albeit heavier and using about 1,000 AA batteries.

[MarcoV]

I would tend to believe that this would work best in-house networks. If you send over the internet and the connection is lost, so is your source.

Like the "cat5 for speaker wire" comment...