2021: brave new world of streaming - advice please

tuga

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On the power consumption issue, firstly let me explain that this is not an exercise in trying to get my bills down, I think some of you have made the wrong assumption here, it's the ecological dilemma that vexes me.
Off-site (web) streaming is an ecological no-no. Video is worse but audio is not good either.

 

Jules_S

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I would recommend investing in a Smart home system like Samsung SmartThings and power cycling the Sonos Connects. Yes, you've got the small overhead of powering the smart devices but you will be able to monitor power consumption through smart plugs and turn them on/off on an intelligent scheduled basis, or perhaps according to motion in the room, or by pressing a wireless smart button etc.
We do have a fully-installed home control system already so yes, controlling power to sockets for the Sonos is simple to achieve, and can be scheduled accordingly. The more I think about it, the more I wonder why it didn't occur to me before!

 

Jules_S

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Off-site (web) streaming is an ecological no-no. Video is worse but audio is not good either.
Is that based on the energy demand that streaming makes on the data farms that host and serve the content? Does it compare favourably or unfavourably to the production, distribution and disposal of physical media? I'm genuinely interested, and have no idea how it stacks up. Do you have any data on it? Also I wonder how second-hand physical media compares, I presume it's better than streaming?

 

manicatel

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I'm not familiar with Sonos, so you need a unit in each room?

Can you not just use multiroom speakers instead of having 6 streamers? 
Multiroom speakers? Not sure what you mean there.

Sonos..... look at a Sonos 1SL.......It’s a mini streamer, DAC, amp  & speaker in one small box. You could start with one of those per room. Each one needs to be plugged into the mains, but no other cabling is needed unless you want to wire it into your router. It will work off your wireless internet.

The notion of switching them off when not in use to reduce PWR consumption...... not something I would think is ideal. Remember that basically, a streamer/speaker is a mini-computer, so every time you want to use it, you’ll have to wait for it to boot up & connect to your network. Like your internet router, they’re really designed to be left switched on 24/7.

You can have different music playing in each room you have a Sonos speaker located, or you can “group” them together so that you can have the same music playing in several rooms. 
Sonos is controlled by a free app via your phone or iPad etc. One of its biggest advantages is that the app is very user friendly & easy to use, as well as being reliable. There are several competitors, but the Sonos app is pretty much the best out there, despite their balls-up a year or so ago when they announced redundancy of some of their earlier models.

 

StingRay

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Multiroom speakers? Not sure what you mean there.

Sonos..... look at a Sonos 1SL.......It’s a mini streamer, DAC, amp  & speaker in one small box. You could start with one of those per room. Each one needs to be plugged into the mains, but no other cabling is needed unless you want to wire it into your router. It will work off your wireless internet.

The notion of switching them off when not in use to reduce PWR consumption...... not something I would think is ideal. Remember that basically, a streamer/speaker is a mini-computer, so every time you want to use it, you’ll have to wait for it to boot up & connect to your network. Like your internet router, they’re really designed to be left switched on 24/7.

You can have different music playing in each room you have a Sonos speaker located, or you can “group” them together so that you can have the same music playing in several rooms. 
Sonos is controlled by a free app via your phone or iPad etc. One of its biggest advantages is that the app is very user friendly & easy to use, as well as being reliable. There are several competitors, but the Sonos app is pretty much the best out there, despite their balls-up a year or so ago when they announced redundancy of some of their earlier models.
Sonus 1 is the sort of think I mean: https://www.whathifi.com/best-buys/best-multi-room-speakers-one-wireless-system-music-everywhere

I would not get a streamer in each room, if you did that with the Bluesound Node2i that would be around £2.7k, they also use more than 6w. I may get a decent one for the main system and then have Sonos for other rooms.

I assume you can play 2 different systems at the same time from 1 iPad/phone? 

I switch my Node off when not using it, it’s not a problem, only takes about 20 seconds to get going after switch on.

 

tuga

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Is that based on the energy demand that streaming makes on the data farms that host and serve the content? Does it compare favourably or unfavourably to the production, distribution and disposal of physical media? I'm genuinely interested, and have no idea how it stacks up. Do you have any data on it? Also I wonder how second-hand physical media compares, I presume it's better than streaming?
One doesn't have to buy physical media, we buy downloads and stream locally. I think that with Spotify one can download playlists and stream locally too but have no idea if there's a limit.

.

How streaming music could be harming the planet

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190207-why-streaming-music-may-be-bad-for-climate-change

.

Musicians from Radiohead, Gomez and Elbow tell MPs that the industry must reform and be made fairer

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/nov/24/streaming-threatens-future-of-uk-music-says-elbows-guy-garvey

 

manicatel

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If you already have a Bluesound Node, then why not just add some Bluesound speakers in the other rooms?

They do a Flex, Pulse mini & the Pulse, depending on the size you need. Works in a similar way to Sonos speakers. You can run them individually, group some or all of them together. No point in adding Sonos if you’re already using Bluesound.

Think of your phone iPad as a glorified remote control. The music isn’t routed through your phone/ iPad  ( unless you’re only bluetoothing the music), it’s just the way you select your music.

 

StingRay

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One doesn't have to buy physical media, we buy downloads and stream locally. I think that with Spotify one can download playlists and stream locally too but have no idea if there's a limit.

.

How streaming music could be harming the planet

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190207-why-streaming-music-may-be-bad-for-climate-change

.

Musicians from Radiohead, Gomez and Elbow tell MPs that the industry must reform and be made fairer

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/nov/24/streaming-threatens-future-of-uk-music-says-elbows-guy-garvey
The BBC figures are incorrect. We have been over this already. 

 

StingRay

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Ray
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If you already have a Bluesound Node, then why not just add some Bluesound speakers in the other rooms?

They do a Flex, Pulse mini & the Pulse, depending on the size you need. Works in a similar way to Sonos speakers. You can run them individually, group some or all of them together. No point in adding Sonos if you’re already using Bluesound.

Think of your phone iPad as a glorified remote control. The music isn’t routed through your phone/ iPad  ( unless you’re only bluetoothing the music), it’s just the way you select your music.
Yes you can do but aren’t the Bluesound speakers quite a bit more expensive?

 

manicatel

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Yes, they’re about £100 per unit more than an equivalent Sonos speaker. 
They’re good though. If you’ve started down the Bluesound route, it seems a bit daft to start using Sonos as well. That’s 2 apps on each of your devices to use. I would stick with Bluesound & just add a room at a time when funds are available.

 

MartinC

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Is that based on the energy demand that streaming makes on the data farms that host and serve the content? Does it compare favourably or unfavourably to the production, distribution and disposal of physical media? I'm genuinely interested, and have no idea how it stacks up. Do you have any data on it? Also I wonder how second-hand physical media compares, I presume it's better than streaming?
There as some discussion in the following thread but I'd say it's a complex subject without a clear answer at present:

 

Jules_S

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There as some discussion in the following thread but I'd say it's a complex subject without a clear answer at present:
I missed this thread, Martin, thanks for posting the link. I've begun reading through, and have waded into some of the research papers but they're a bit heavy-going after a while, and I started skim-reading I confess. One thing I did remark to myself on is that one of the papers discusses the non-recyclability of LPs and CDs. While the latter may be true due to the mixed materials involved, I am certain that I've previously seen that the PVC in LPs can be melted and re-used, if not as other LPs then certainly moulded into other consumer goods. Similarly, if we actually had the will, then I'm sure the aluminium and polycarbonate in a CD could be separated and recycled. Again I'm sure I've heard that aluminium is possibly the most "recyclable" metal, certainly in common use - think food cans. It can be almost infinitely re-used, so the only issue is the extraction from the plastic layer of the CD.

Anyway, what certainly seems clear is that there is no clear answer to the question of "what's the most environmentally-responsible way to consume music"? Apart from, perhaps, NOT to consume it at all, which let's be honest is NEVER going to be an option! As I mentioned in my original post, streaming (over the internet) is of secondary importance to us although I've certainly noticed that I have been using more and more internet radio of late.

I think that in the interest of some balance between taking sensible measures and going so far as to cause unnecessary inconvenience, I shall be continuing to consume music in multiple ways - physical media and virtual media. I'll reduce down the energy consumption as much as possible, consider a lot more second-hand media (once it's possible to get out to record fairs and second-hand shops, of course - I used to love doing this years ago and have stopped doing that for some reason).

Going back to my original post, it doesn't seem as though there are many options in the "teeny-tiny-small" streamer market other than the ones I've already considered. So provided I can manage the heat output, and make sufficient physical space, I'll stick with my Sonos Connects. 

 

t1no

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Going back to my original post, it doesn't seem as though there are many options in the "teeny-tiny-small" streamer market other than the ones I've already considered. So provided I can manage the heat output, and make sufficient physical space, I'll stick with my Sonos Connects. 
How about a Google Chrome cast Audio? There's an adapter that allows you to wire them up to an ethernet connection.

https://support.google.com/chromecast/answer/6309565?hl=en

 

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