Spikey Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 I work at the kitchen table, and unless The Lady Wife's also in the kitchen, I like to listen to a bit of music while I work. We have a DAB wireless on which I can play MP3s via a USB stick, but it's a bit of a bore finding particular tracks. It's also a pain having to have the wireless on the table so I can change stations/volume/tracks without forever getting up to do so. We'd like to get more organised regarding our music and the playing thereof, but we're pretty much clueless about the options nowadays. Given the following requirements, would anybody care to suggest what we ought to be considering? 1. This is for one room only 2. All our music is MP3 files 3. We don't need any great volume, but decent sound quality we do need 4. Available space for the box of tricks is limited to an area no more than 18" x 12" on top of a cupboard 5. Remote control would be good, as would a display showing track playing. I can't see it being feasible, but the ability to play Spotify (or something similar?) would be nice too. Any ideas please chaps? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WolstonFlyer Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 How about an Apple iPod with a speaker dock? This is exactly what they are designed for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spikey Posted December 6, 2013 Author Share Posted December 6, 2013 Posted by WolstonFlyer on 06/12/2013 18:19:10: How about an Apple iPod with a speaker dock? This is exactly what they are designed for. That's one possibility that hadn't occurred to me, but I wouldn't be able to skip tracks or change volume from across the room, would I? Can you load mp3 files straight into an iPod from a PC? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Molineux Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 A Bluetooth speaker with your music on a mobile phone or tablet would let you have your control/display next to you. Spotify or any number of similar apps would then be available too. Dave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WolstonFlyer Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 You use Apple iTunes software to load the songs onto the iPod. You can make custom playlists of your favourite songs etc and the iPod syncs to the PC when you plug it in. Many of the speaker docks come with a remote control with the usual volume, next track, next album etc options. That is also a good idea David! Edited By WolstonFlyer on 06/12/2013 18:32:18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Skilbeck Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 I've got a Sony bluetooth speaker, it plays music very well from my mobile phone (Blackberry Q10) and playbook and android tablet and PC etc etc, any bluetooth phone should work. You can then select tracks and skip tracks on your mobile to your hearts content. Works really well and I can also use it to listen to online music if I like. A word of warning about I Tunes i) If any of your songs are WMAs then I tunes will make a MP3 copy, sometimes this is very poorly done and the sound quality is rubbish. If they are MP3's you are OK ii) If you use I Tunes and an I Pod it ttires to manage the tracks so that only one device can be linked to I Tunes at anyone time, can be very frustrating if you have multiple devices. It's not like Windows media player where you just drop and drag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bearair Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 Hi Spikey, Not sure what your budget is but this I can recommend, a friend has one in his work shop and I think it has a really nice warm sound, almost analog in presentation. With the correct app you can control everything from your smart phone. Dennon Ceol Picalo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim A Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 Hi Spikey, We have what you need it's a Sony ipod/iphone N50 Dream Machine. Clock radio with an ipod/iphone dock and remote remote control. Measures about 12 inches by 5 inches and 8 inches high. 2 reasonable size speakers, good sound. Cost here in NZ about NZ $110.00. Must be something the same or similar in the UK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spikey Posted December 6, 2013 Author Share Posted December 6, 2013 Thanks chaps. Much to look into there. I'm so not up to speed with all this stuff nowadays it's lamentable! As a side issue, this last fm thing seems rather jolly ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Hargreaves - Moderator Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 There is an app on Google play called music manager....you upload all your mp3s & then you can access them via any web connected device. The app will allow you to create playlists & play any track you like.... All my music now lives on line & I can access it from anywhere in the world....to listen to music in the house I fire up the tablet....plug it into my amp..start up the app & off we go......if the amp was a bit newer I could do away with the jackplug & use a bluetooth connection.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bearair Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 Steve, not sure if your aware but there are lots of Bluetooth Audio Recievers you can plug into your amp. They start at about £20 on Amazon. Roger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve McIntosh Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 I have all my tunes on my phone(Iphone 5) and listen via a wireless Jambox. Works great Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mowerman Posted December 7, 2013 Share Posted December 7, 2013 Of course you could save your money and learn to whistle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Chambers Posted December 7, 2013 Share Posted December 7, 2013 Something that runs Spotify - I.e laptop, iDevice or android and a decent pair of speakers/dock. You can then play pretty much most stuff without having to own it (legally)! Si. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josip Vrandecic -Mes Posted December 7, 2013 Share Posted December 7, 2013 DIVORCE Edited By Josip Vrandecic -Mes on 07/12/2013 09:53:17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Hargreaves - Moderator Posted December 7, 2013 Share Posted December 7, 2013 Spotify is certainly good but you can only play tracks a number of times (I think its 5) unless you subscribe which is £10 a month I think.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Privett Posted December 7, 2013 Share Posted December 7, 2013 I've gone off Spotify recently. For a start there's all the adverts - I say "all" the adverts, there are only a very small number of different ads, so you keep hearing the same ones over and over again and they are somewhat intrusive suddenly popping-up between tracks in what you're listening to. Then they limited the number of times you could listen to a particular track - as mentioned by Steve. But most recently they seem to have dropped that limitiation and now limit you to the number of hours a week (or month?) you listen. Of course I could pay them some money - which is clearly what they're trying to get people to do... I now use Google Music to listen to stuff that I "own" - you upload all your MP3s and they match them against their database and let you listen online from anywhere to what you already have. Of course for stuff I don't own then I'd need to go back to Spotify. Edited By John Privett on 07/12/2013 11:17:44 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Chambers Posted December 7, 2013 Share Posted December 7, 2013 Posted by Steve Hargreaves - Moderator on 07/12/2013 10:06:07: Spotify is certainly good but you can only play tracks a number of times (I think its 5) unless you subscribe which is £10 a month I think.... Its £5 for laptop/desktop use and £10 a month for laptop/desktop/tablet/phone/etc use. If you're on one of the 4G plans on Vodafone you get it included too. £10 a month is like the cost of an album a month. £5 a month is not far off the cost of a monthly issue of RCM&E from the newsagents... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Chambers Posted December 7, 2013 Share Posted December 7, 2013 Posted by John Privett on 07/12/2013 11:16:55: I've gone off Spotify recently. For a start there's all the adverts - I say "all" the adverts, there are only a very small number of different ads, so you keep hearing the same ones over and over again and they are somewhat intrusive suddenly popping-up between tracks in what you're listening to. Then they limited the number of times you could listen to a particular track - as mentioned by Steve. But most recently they seem to have dropped that limitiation and now limit you to the number of hours a week (or month?) you listen. Of course I could pay them some money - which is clearly what they're trying to get people to do... I now use Google Music to listen to stuff that I "own" - you upload all your MP3s and they match them against their database and let you listen online from anywhere to what you already have. Of course for stuff I don't own then I'd need to go back to Spotify. Edited By John Privett on 07/12/2013 11:17:44 That time limit has been there for a couple of years now. You tend to only get the warning when you get near the end. Its annoying, especially with the ads - however it is free! For a long time Spotify was making a loss (and I think still is), so they had to be more aggressive to try and turn a profit. The other alternative is that you can often find tracks free on Youtube... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spikey Posted December 12, 2013 Author Share Posted December 12, 2013 Well ... we ended up with an iPod Classic and a Bose SoundDock, with which we're generally well pleased. I just need to get to grips with Playlists ('cos they seem to be the key to having tailor-made music-while-you-work) and also check out this here Genius thingy. Hi-fi it obviously isn't, but we're very happy with the quality/convenience trade-off, so thanks once again for your help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Laughton Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 Spikey Along with the idea of an IPod or iPad instead of a dicing station you can purchase Apple Airport Express which is a module that will allow you to play your music stored on a device such as an IPod or iPad through a music centre of docking station....you can connect wirelessly which means that you can select your songs/playlists etc from wherever the IPOd or iPad is. Alternatively buy an Apple TV module connect it to your TV and do the same thing through your TV... if this doesn't make sense go along to your local Apple store and they will be able to help you. We use this system to play all our music which is stored on an IPad mini through a B&O music centre and its great! Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Depron Daz Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 I have a Bose Sound System, which I can plug the Iphone into. It has brilliant sound, but then at £600 for a stereo system, it should do! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spikey Posted December 12, 2013 Author Share Posted December 12, 2013 Posted by Jon Laughton on 12/12/2013 16:02:30: Alternatively buy an Apple TV module connect it to your TV and do the same thing through your TV... if this doesn't make sense go along to your local Apple store and they will be able to help you Gosh, Jon, we haven't had a television set since 1981, and as for going along to our local Apple store, that's a 15 minute walk then a 50 minute bus ride away. Besides, do they actually let pensioners in Apple stores? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Privett Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 Posted by Simon Chambers on 07/12/2013 20:49:00: Posted by John Privett on 07/12/2013 11:16:55: I've gone off Spotify recently. <snip> Then they limited the number of times you could listen to a particular track - as mentioned by Steve. But most recently they seem to have dropped that limitiation and now limit you to the number of hours a week (or month?) you listen. Of course I could pay them some money - which is clearly what they're trying to get people to do... That time limit has been there for a couple of years now. You tend to only get the warning when you get near the end. Well it seems, according to this report at least, that the 10-hour limit is being removed. Also the free product will become accessible from mobile devices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.