Squeezelite player / Qobuz / Squeezebox server

[neiltingley]

Non-technical: if don't want to shell out for a squeezebox and have a spare computer, even a raspberry pi would work, then you can use a virtual squeezebox client like squeezeslave or the new squeezelite. The software emulates a squeezebox and can play music into the computer's audio device or in my case a USB DAC. You can use android or ipad/phone apps to control / search / play music. Although a squeezebox looks cool, it's only a small computer with different outputs, a WLAN / LAN interface and a shiny screen. You can easily use something like an Acer RIVO to achieve the same results.

I've written about Qobuz before on this forum. Now there's a squeezebox server plugin that allows you to search and play albums, and of course play your playlists - all streaming over the internet in a similar manner to spotify but with CD quality sound an option. I think Qobuz is in another league especially for classical music.


Warning: this is for techies!

New player for the squeezebox server / logitech "media server" : supports hires files! If you used squeezeslave, then you are limited to 44.1/16 CD quality. The limit is hardcoded in the code and according to the maintainers, a big job to refactor! So squeezelite was born:

http://code.google.com/p/squeezelite/

Its a very lightweight player written in C. I am not sure if the author (the amazing Triode who wrote the BBC iPLayer plugin) has compiled it up for windoze yet. But it builds fine on ubuntu 12.04.

The Qobuz plugin for squeezeserver works really well - still under development, but I can stream almost anything now. Its magic.

Installation instructions are here: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showth...l=1#post724680

[Stunsworth]

It's a pity Logitech decided to discontinue the Sqeezebox. It was an excellent way off getting into the streaming way of doing things - and far cheaper than boxes from Linn, Naim etc. with similar functionality.

[neiltingley]

Yes. But its not hard to do it with a cheap mini pc. Or something like this: http://www.richersounds.com/product/.../camb-np30-blk - is under 300 quid.

I am sure the gap will be filled.

[neiltingley]

You can dump your squeezebox and use a Rasberry Pi. I've got one plugged into a hifi at the moment running squeezelite. Works really well. The only downside is you need some linux skills to set it all up. Nodoubt someone will be working on a distribution...