Have your say & ask the experts!

Airport Express vs Squeezebox Duet

7 replies [Last post]
heystak
heystak's picture
Offline
Joined: 21 Oct 2007
Posts: 479

I'm looking to hook my computer music library up to my hifi using either Airport Express or Squeezebox Duet.


Aside of price could anyone summarise the pros / cons - advantages / disadvantages of both systems?


Also would there be an improvement in sound quality by adding a DAC to the Squeezebox?

John Duncan
John Duncan's picture
Offline
Joined: 8 Jan 2008
Posts: 20423
Re: Airport Express vs Squeezebox Duet


Airport express has no display or remote control (unless you add an iPhone or iPd Touch or one of these, and will only stream content from iTunes (unless you add Airfoil for $25). The audio output is ok, but nothing special, but beats my CD player when added to a DACMagic.

The Duet has a nice remote and a much better audio out, so I think you could get away without a DAC initially. On the down side, it requires squeezeserver software on your PC (or Mac or NAS) to work, of which I have no experience.

__________________

CA StreamMagic 6  |  CA 751BD  |  CA 651A  |  PMC DB1i

Moderator. mail: john.duncan.whf at the mail of g dot com

fast eddie
fast eddie's picture
Offline
Joined: 20 Aug 2007
Posts: 1809
Re: Airport Express vs Squeezebox Duet
JohnDuncan:
Airport express has no display or remote control (unless you add an iPhone or iPd Touch or one of these, and will only stream content from iTunes (unless you add Airfoil for $25). The audio output is ok, but nothing special, but beats my CD player when added to a DACMagic.

can you point your ipod touch etc at your nas box and control it or does the computer have to be on too?
John Duncan
John Duncan's picture
Offline
Joined: 8 Jan 2008
Posts: 20423
Re: Airport Express vs Squeezebox Duet


Well my nas's only work like network drives, not proper nas's with a server running, so I wouldn't swear on it, but I think that my iPod is controlling iTunes on my Mac and that it doesn't work with 'iTunes servers' which run on some NAS boxes.

If that makes sense.

__________________

CA StreamMagic 6  |  CA 751BD  |  CA 651A  |  PMC DB1i

Moderator. mail: john.duncan.whf at the mail of g dot com

Messiah
Messiah's picture
Offline
Joined: 13 Jan 2008
Posts: 2747
Re: Airport Express vs Squeezebox Duet

Airport Express....grrrrrr

__________________

System Photos | Netbook (iTunes) | Onkyo ND-S1 | AVI ADM 9.1 | Yamaha Sub | Epoz Aktimate Mini

 

John Duncan
John Duncan's picture
Offline
Joined: 8 Jan 2008
Posts: 20423
Re: Airport Express vs Squeezebox Duet


Hey, it's working now isn't it?

Spilt milk and all that.....Wink

__________________

CA StreamMagic 6  |  CA 751BD  |  CA 651A  |  PMC DB1i

Moderator. mail: john.duncan.whf at the mail of g dot com

Messiah
Messiah's picture
Offline
Joined: 13 Jan 2008
Posts: 2747
Re: Airport Express vs Squeezebox Duet

LOL,

Yeah it's working!

__________________

System Photos | Netbook (iTunes) | Onkyo ND-S1 | AVI ADM 9.1 | Yamaha Sub | Epoz Aktimate Mini

 

Twiglet
Twiglet's picture
Offline
Joined: 8 Feb 2009
Posts: 1
Re: Airport Express vs Squeezebox Duet

The Squeezebox Duet's internal DAC is pretty good, so I doubt you'd see much improvement with a dedicated DAC. I quite like the Squeezeserver/Squeezecentre software, it's fairly intuitive, although I have heard of people who had a bit of trouble with the initial install.