Well there you go….. I thought it streamed through my phone!

I still prefer the compactness of the Sonos to our (admittedly old and clunky) hifi though (plus the fact that they’ll work as an alarm clock too 🙂

Noty read the whole thread but if its ” kitcen diner to be” then can you not hardwire if you are redoing the kitchen?

I did my flat before in the days before streaming devices. Its hard wired for 5 pairs of speakers via a switching box. This allows me to use basic hi fi speakers giving a decent sound. Gale mini monitors and Missions of various sorts.

I can have the speakers on in the living room/ dining room, kitchen and bathroom in any combination. cost a bit over a hundred quid in cabling all hiden in the walls. sometimes the simplest solutions are the best?

That’s ace, and might be the clincher in moving back to Spotify from Apple Music, which doesn’t support casting.

So my current multi-room solution is Apple TVs (or other Airplay compatible stuff) connected to Amp/speakers. Music source is iTunes on my iMac controlled using Apple Remote from a phone. Can stream simultaneously to multiple locations. The only restriction seems to be that you can’t search in Apple Music on the remote – it only works for music that you’ve ‘added to your collection’.

Cheap alternative to Sonos, to connect to existing hifis, and allowing multiple outputs looks like
https://gramofon.com/

Buy some and let us know what they’re like

Of course, much cheaper and better audio quality option would be your mobile and a decent pair of headphones…

doctorgnashoidz – Member

But as has already been said; is also a feature of chromecast audio.

Except much cheaper especially if you have audio equipment lying around that takes at least one of these

Yes, I know that. But the poster I was specifically responding to had asked if it was possible to have the same speakers playing the same songs in different rooms WITH SONOS, because that is what HE HAS JUST BOUGHT…..

There’s loads of ways of doing this & many manufacturers are now getting in on the act. But he was specifically asking about SONOS……

@simons_nicolai-uk I have an Apple TV and a Airport Express so familiar with Airplay, but in that context they are basically dumb devices in that you use a source such as iPhone, iPad, Mac etc. Granted the Apple TV now has Apple Music built in and also works with home sharing via iTunes, but from what I’m reading above, there are neater and more flexible solutions. I didn’t think you could Airplay the same source to multiple receivers at the same time, or use one device to Airplay different output to different devices, but I’d very happily be educated on that.

It begs the question why you need a family subscription to Spotify if Chromecast and Sonos let you stream different music to different devices in your household…?

there are neater and more flexible [and more expensive] solutions

For some reason a mac can stream the same source via Airplay to multiple receivers but an iPad/iPhone can’t. You can use Apple remote to control the mac (which is pretty much the same as controlling your own music library from a computer using Sonos). The one thing you *can’t* do is Spotify to multiple Airplay receivers (though theres meant to be some sort of workaround with Airfoil).

Gramofon looks like the cheap alternative to Sonos Connect

Thanks Simon. I not used Apple Remote for a long time, but it looks like it will achieve some of what I want to achieve without me spending any more money. Result 🙂

Noty read the whole thread but if its ” kitcen diner to be” then can you not hardwire if you are redoing the kitchen?

Thought about hard wiring but it’s yet another complication in an already fairly complicated build. Also what’s the point now you can have wireless, it’s just much more flexible. Did think about ceiling speakers, but I was amazed at how expensive they were plus we’re combing a new build extension onto the old galley kitchen and dining room so the ceiling void on the existing rooms is insufficient.

Thought about hard wiring but it’s yet another complication in an already fairly complicated build. Also what’s the point now you can have wireless, it’s just much more flexible. Did think about ceiling speakers, but I was amazed at how expensive they were

Really not complicated, not expensive and if you get the speakers in the right place (which is much easier with wall or ceiling mounting) then there’s no need for flexibility. You do need to wire back to a single location (ie you need to have a fixed place for your source) but nothing to stop you having two amps/sources there – ie it doesn’t need have the same music as the other room

Ceiling speakers usually seem to be massively overpriced as they are aimed at the ‘custom install’ market. No reason they should be. These are a bargain with the smallest at <£40 a pair. BK’s subs are excellent – I don’t believe they’d sell anything crap.
http://www.bkelec.com/Ceiling_Speakers/C_Speakers.htm

I use Spotify through a Gramofon into my HiFi. Works a treat, or at least it used to but has started skipping. I looked into Chromecast Audio but read a review that said that the Gramofon wiped the floor with it. Anyone here tried both?

I like the Gramofon because of the large pause button on the top…

I use the Spotify Android App to stream into a Chromecast Audio which is plugged into a 15yr old Sony Hi-fi.

This outputs to a multiway speaker switch, and decent wiring goes up some sleek trunking to the loft.

Lounge has the original hi-fi speakers, bedroom is another set of standard speakers, kitchen and dining rooms have a pair of moisture resistant ceiling speakers which are much better than expected.

Cheap, simple, and as a bonus, I can control the tunes when I go to bed with a sleep timer on the hifi, and then it wakes me up to the radio in the morning.

The only real downside to the whole set up is the volume isn’t adjustable to suit each room, but you can adjust it from the phone easily.

Re: Gramofon vs Chromecast

Seems the major downside of Chromecast is the lack of PC control. Can’t say I’m bothered by that. Feel sorry for Gramofon though nice product was looking at one myself a couple of years back and then bam Chromecast audio.

Thanks for the link Bimbler. I hadn’t realised that Chromecast didn’t work from the Spotify desktop. I use a laptop mainly so I guess I’m keeping the Gramofon…