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Spotify Box

evanhailey.com

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Re: Spotify Box

#111

Post by lamnk »

weq wrote: post #72
foxpurple wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did this for years. Finally gave up last year. It’s so much work, discovery is a huge pain, listening on all devices is a pain. None of it was worth it. Now I just use Spotify and don’t care. I don’t need the extra work in my life.

all my friends use spotify and everytime i am with them i hear the same music. sure its the music they like, but its the same over and over and over again with no variation. They tell me spotify is great at discovery but i havnt heard it. i listen to djs, radio stations and other internet channels that mix the music i like into new and exciting compositions.

Spotify's discovery sucks. I can never ever find a favorite song in Spotify's suggestions. The experience is very similar to Youtube's echo chamber.

Re: Spotify Box

#112

Post by this-pony »

m4tthumphrey wrote: post #110

Possibly off topic, but does anyone experience major issues with Spotify Connect? Maybe its just Sonos devices but it rarely works well.

I am experiencing some issues, especially when starting a session. It can help to have all the speakers connected via ethernet cable.

Re: Spotify Box

#113

Post by e_proxus »

mikewave wrote: post #13

For anyone else who wants to do this, just set up the absolutely amazing Volumio on your RPi or any other computer. https://volumio.org/ The web app is great for use in your house, the Spotify plugin is first class - it's supported as a target in your Spotify app, or you can browse straight from the webapp, which means even a guest on your wifi can easily pop on and help pick the music.

Another great alternative is HiFiBerry which produce their own DACs and cases that you can add a Raspberry Pi to.

Personally I have a RPi4 with the DAC2 HD and a steel case which I’m very happy with.

I think you can run Volumio on these too, but I prefer the simpler HiFiBerry OS distribution. You get AirPlay 2, Spotify and many more ways to play music. All connected to your analog hi-if equipment.

https://www.hifiberry.com/

Re: Spotify Box

#114

Post by ohgodplsno »

paxys wrote: post #104
ohgodplsno wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A single use speaker is not a game changer, it's just Spotify selling you useless gadgets. But if you're interested, I've got a mouse to sell to you that can only work on Word, and a keyboard that can only type the words "game changer". In practice, this is just a terrible speaker that can only ever play Spotify. It's a waste of energy and resources that you will throw away within a year.

You have no idea what you are talking about

Sure, be happy about buying an overpriced raspberry pi with a DAC that only plays Spotify.

Re: Spotify Box

#115

Post by lucideer »

foxpurple wrote: post #66
lucideer wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's called Bandcamp

Did this for years. Finally gave up last year. It’s so much work, discovery is a huge pain, listening on all devices is a pain. None of it was worth it. Now I just use Spotify and don’t care. I don’t need the extra work in my life.

This is true; I do reluctantly pay for Spotify. But that'll always be the case with more equitable, less profitable, ergo less well-funded alternatives. And it has been consistently (slowly) improving over the years. Worth supporting imo

Re: Spotify Box

#116

Post by harg »

celim307 wrote: post #16

Would a chrome cast audio work? Or is it not high fidelity enough

If you can buy one. I think they stopped making them a year or so ago.

I've heard the DACs on the Chromecast audios are pretty good, so should be plenty hi-fidelity for most people's needs.

Re: Spotify Box

#117

Post by ThatPlayer »

hamburglar wrote: post #103
ehnto wrote: post #102

I just make do with a Bluetooth to RCA dongle. The upside is it plays any bluetooth audio, not just Spotify. I can even connect it via my phone then control Spotify on my phone through my PC. Also no other apps or software required. It "just works" as far as bluetooth "just works".

The big problem with just plain Bluetooth to me is that “as far as Bluetooth ‘just works’” is “not very well” in my experience. The usual problems with connects and disconnects are annoying, but I’ve also grown impatient with this notion that we can just use our phone for everything. It drives me bonkers, for example, to have my music rudely interrupted by a text message sound instead of just having a subtle ding com…

A similar issue with Bluetooth for me is that that if my phone is on my pocket, my body is readily blocking the signal, as it turns out water is great at absorbing 2.4ghz. Standing phone pocket away from my Bluetooth speaker is enough to interrupt the music.

Re: Spotify Box

#118

Post by ajdude »

wussboy wrote: post #55
DiabloD3 wrote: post #54

We should just be cutting out the middlemen like Spotify, and buying music directly from musicians. Then, we can just use standards compliant hardware, of our choosing, to play the music in any format we want (many modern musicians release as flac, old school musicians still sell CDs; either play as lossless, or recompress to chosen target).

Sure. But we’ll need some sort of centralized market or exchange on which to discover these artists and send them funds. Oh wait….

I dropped Spotify after that Facebook fiasco, now I just listen to my local college radio. The website does a good job of telling me what music they’re playing, and it ranges throughout the day from old-school jazz to techno or new age. The radio is nonprofit with no ads, and I’m close enough to get both HD1 and HD2 channels, So if I’m not digging what’s on one channel, I’ll just switch to the second.

Re: Spotify Box

#119

Post by modo_mario »

alias_neo wrote: post #98
weq wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

all my friends use spotify and everytime i am with them i hear the same music. sure its the music they like, but its the same over and over and over again with no variation. They tell me spotify is great at discovery but i havnt heard it. i listen to djs, radio stations and other internet channels that mix the music i like into new and exciting compositions.

I was with Google Music for years, until the YouTube music fiasco then I jumped ship to Spotify. I found discovery excellent in Google but Spotify is horrible, it thinks I want to listen to Pop because I put a playlist of "top" or "charts" on while I work, when really I want rock/metal albums and can't discover them for the life of me.

Doesn't it have those made for you thingies that change weekly or so? In my case it makes em for the varying genres i listen to so even tho i listen to some techno at work i can pick a metal playlist with new stuff.

Re: Spotify Box

#120

Post by chrisjc »

I don't think it's explained in the article, but why was spotifyd chosen instead of cast or airplay "middleware"?

Surely cast and airplay work with Spotify while delivering equal sound?

Either way, amazing work and looks fantastic in wood.

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