Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

iPod I want music in my kitchen!

I'm sure space wouldn't allow this option, but I've never recommended any of the overpriced bull$&%# ipod dock options, I always recommend a $3 3.5mm-RCA adapter, a nice cheap stereo amplifier or receiver (Kenwood KR-7600 for instance, none of the modern black box junk) and some good used speakers. I have a KR-7600 with Boston Acoustics A60s and a Acoustic Research sub in the computer room and a Pioneer SX1250 in the living room with AR-3 speakers that I rebuilt with driver surrounds and a new crossover.

The entire system upstairs was had for about $125, speakers from a yard sale, receiver from ebay (shipping cost more than the unit itself, they didn't make 'em light back then). Had to use some contact cleaner on the pots on the receiver, but otherwise I put in no work, and it sounds ENORMOUSLY better than ANY little dinky plastic box with a few 3.5" drivers. The SX1250 downstairs is more expensive (and weighs like 80lbs), as are the AR3s, but they make a fantastic home theater system (I'm old school, I dislike surround sound). My audiophile father who helped me put these systems together is even impressed with the setup, even though he hates ANY compressed recordings. I can use an ipod at either location, and an also watch video on the tv downstairs with a $7 adapter.

My girlfriend still thinks i'm crazy (she also had to make diagrams to show which switches to throw to get different components to work (DVD player, TV, Ipod, Ipod with video), but she at least appreciates the great sound and convenience.

I guess i'll also note that if you use a linux or windows box as a server for your itunes you can just use firefly media to share your music to itunes, it's very convenient.
 
notjustjay said:
... and elsewhere in the house, too.

Suppose I have a server or NAS where my iTunes library will reside (still to be built, but anyhow). I want access to my iTunes to, say, provide music in the kitchen, or living room, etc.

Here are the options I am aware of:

* Put a Mac in the kitchen.
* AppleTV (but this would require an HDTV of some sort)
* AirPort Express (but this would still require a Mac elsewhere to control it)
* Stream over a PSP using various iTunes-RSS or iTunes-web tools
* Roku Soundbridge
* Logitech / Slim Devices Squeezebox
* SONOS or equivalent music server system

Most of these are expensive solutions. What system do you like, and what would be the best for someone on a budget?
Click to expand...

You could try to buy a refurbished 30GB or 60GB iPod for (relatively) cheap. Or possibly a different MP3 player. Alternatively, a portable DVD player; most can play MP3 DVDs so you can put around 1000 songs on a DVD and play them.
 
volvoben said:
I'm sure space wouldn't allow this option, but I've never recommended any of the overpriced bull$&%# ipod dock options, I always recommend a $3 3.5mm-RCA adapter, a nice cheap stereo amplifier or receiver (Kenwood KR-7600 for instance, none of the modern black box junk) and some good used speakers.
Click to expand...

I've seen this sort of thing at garage sales, etc. It's a neat idea, but I doubt it would be practical in a kitchen environment for a variety of reasons, some of which you've already acknowledged. They would certainly take up a lot of space, and you probably wouldn't be able to get any kind of ideal placement. You'd also have to deal with all kinds of reflections from the many hard, rectilinear surfaces in a kitchen (counters, cabinets, tile floor, appliances) and finally, it would probably be way overkill to focus on high quality sound in an environment with such a high noise floor (cooking, running water, pots and pans, stove, hood fans, microwave, etc)!
 
notjustjay said:
I've seen this sort of thing at garage sales, etc. It's a neat idea, but I doubt it would be practical in a kitchen environment for a variety of reasons, some of which you've already acknowledged. They would certainly take up a lot of space, and you probably wouldn't be able to get any kind of ideal placement. You'd also have to deal with all kinds of reflections from the many hard, rectilinear surfaces in a kitchen (counters, cabinets, tile floor, appliances) and finally, it would probably be way overkill to focus on high quality sound in an environment with such a high noise floor (cooking, running water, pots and pans, stove, hood fans, microwave, etc)!
Click to expand...

All good points, although it all depends on the kitchen itself. Mine is so small it's pretty much in my living room, so i can just use my main stereo, but if it was separate and still as small as it is it would be impossible.

I should note that my mother has a tivoli in the kitchen (she hates trying to mess with my father's 18 different stereos just to listen to npr) and it has very nice sound for a small room/kitchen. I'm pretty sure it has an aux input, and would make a great sounding alternative to the plastic ipod accessory toys. The model 1 is mono, but you probably wouldn't notice a difference in a kitchen, and it's $110 or something. the model 2 is stereo and is about $200, both very compact and beautiful.

EDIT: link for tivoli http://www.tivoliaudio.com/home.php?cat=262
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back