Sonos Connect vs Peachtree BT-1

Irrenhaus

Hi All

So recently I got the Peachtree Decco and was not expecting to get the BT-1 from the seller. This is for streaming audio via Bluetooth to the Decco and connects via optical cable.

I also place an order for a Sonos Connect that just got today (The Decco has a docking bay for the Sonos on the back). Did not realize at the moment it will almost do the same function as the BT-1.

Now the question which one I keep. The Sonos works via WiFi and the BT-1 via Bluetooth.

Here are some of the specs:

Sonos Connect:

Audio Formats Supported:
Support for compressed MP3, AAC (without DRM), WMA without DRM (including purchased Windows Media downloads), AAC (MPEG4), AAC+,Ogg Vorbis, Apple Lossless, Flac (lossless) music files, as well as uncompressed WAV and AIFF files.

Native support for:
44.1kHz sample rates. Additional support for 48kHz,
32kHz, 24kHz, 22kHz, 16kHz, 11kHz, and 8kHz sample rates. MP3 supports
all rates except 11kHz and 8kHz.

Note:
Apple “Fairplay”, WMA DRM and WMA Lossless formats not currently
supported. Previously purchased Apple “Fairplay” DRM-protected songs
may be upgraded.

Music Services Supported:
Sonos works seamlessly with most music services, including Deezer, Google Play Music, Pandora, Spotify and Radio by TuneIn, as well as
downloads from any service offering DRM-free tracks.

Operating Systems (for stored files):
Windows XP SP3 and higher; Macintosh OS X 10.6 and higher;

Peachtree BT-1

The Peachtree BT1 can be used with any audio system that has either analogue or digital inputs - from powered speakers to your home theatre receiver or your Peachtree integrated amplifier.

The Key Features of the Peachtree Audio BT1 - Bluetooth receiver are :-

• Wolfson Digital-to-Analogue Converter

• Dual Stage Power Supply for low noise

• Support for aptX® audio codec

• Simple to setup

• Max wireless range 10 meters

• Optical and 3.5mm analogue output.

I guess will do listening tonight and make a decision
Cheers

msg

Interesting. Is there any info out there regarding the quality of a BT transmission from a device? Compression, etc?

The Sonos seems the better option, generally speaking. Dedicated, won't be limited by distance, etc.

Irrenhaus

msg wrote: »

Interesting. Is there any info out there regarding the quality of a BT transmission from a device? Compression, etc?

The Sonos seems the better option, generally speaking. Dedicated, won't be limited by distance, etc.

Not much out there about the BT-1 but limited to about 30ft now I don't plan to go that far and stay in my seat while music is playing. :')

Some more details here:

http://www.peachtreeaudio.com/computer-audio/basics.html


Cheers

andrew82

@msg brought up some good points to consider if you're looking for the best audio fidelity from your streaming devices: wifi or bluetooth? In past years the bluetooth audio codec had a much smaller bandwidth than was required for lossless transmission-it was geared towards MP3s-but with the aptX codec, I believe it now streams lossless. Personally, I believe the debate between the two is nearing its end as they appear to be essentially equal in performance, I think there's only 10 Mbps or so difference in bandwidth, with the aptX codec bringing Bluetooth to 24 Mbps MAX bandwidth. Check out the link below for some stats.

http://www.audiogurus.com/learn/speakers/bluetooth-vs-airplay/446

Before moving on from audio quality differences, I would say the distinction I would focus on is the DAC used in the BT-1. I see that it uses a Wolfson DAC, so in streaming Bluetooth you may get some quality degradation en route to the Decco through repeated conversions (D-A, A-D, then D-A). The assumption is you want to use the Decco's DAC, right? I have no idea if that's how it would work out as I only just read the bullet-pointed feature list on Audio Advisor, but that may introduce some quality issues. Sonos would just be a optical in. If it were me, I wouldn't care much; I love Bluetooth and use it daily in my car.

As the quality seems so close to not make a decision on that alone (at least for me), I would say it's a question of convenience for you now (isn't that what streaming is all about?). Having set up a Sonos for my old man, I can say it's a great system. He had a million CDs that needed to be added to his library, and he's a big fan of Pandora; therefore, it's worked out great for him. Personally, I don't like the interface and, while it's very simple to setup streaming services within the service, I find that the integrated services are slower than the native Spotify or Apple Music apps, or that I have to take an extra step where I normally wouldn't have to. Is it the end of the world? No. But it really bugs me sometimes. On the other hand, like msg mentioned, you can take your phone with you throughout your house with Sonos as it's connected by wifi, but you're limited to 30 feet or so with Bluetooth.

In my view, you can't go wrong either way. If you have a substantial music library you'd like to access remotely, Sonos would probably better suit you; conversely, if you're full-on with the internet streaming services, maybe just stick with what you've got in the Peachtree gear.

msg

Wow, is it 30ft now? I always had problems at or around 15ft or so before it would start to drop out, but my BT setups were kind of bobo - older iOS devices and an IOGEAR BT receiver in the home systems, and that of an Alpine receiver in the vehicle.

Andrew - fantastic information and perspective. A lot of great info in there. I haven't really kept up with Bluetooth technology in audio since initially playing around with it a couple of years ago, so I'm interested to see how this plays out for Irrenh. Like you guys, BT for me has always been about convenience more than sound quality, but it wouldn't hurt my feelings if I could get both and it sounds like it's progressed nicely.

I'm on the Squeezebox platform and I like the stationary/static aspect of how these players work. I do agree that it can be a bit clunky, but I like having everything in one place in a remote control app, as opposed to individual ones. I also like to control music from a web browser, say if I'm working or something, and being able to do it from any room without having to have the device with me. Again, in this case a lot of it is about convenience and accessibility for background listening while performing busy work. For dedicated listening sessions, quality being equal - or close to it - I could see it boiling down to a matter of personal preference.

Cool thing is, you have the opportunity to try both and see for yourself!

tonyb

The build in dac on the BT-1 is a plus, but only if your not feeding it to another dac, like a stand alone or other one built into the Decco. I think the Sonos is better in all other aspects. Personally I think the interface is great, never had a problem with apps or services being slow.

The Sonos is also easy to set up, range is way better, and they are constantly improving on it. Not one of those after thoughts some other companies put out and don't tend to the needs. You can also buy a dock for Phones/ipods, and you can get pretty much any radio station on the planet along with bringing all your stored media under one library. You can create playlists from all sources, re-arrange the que as you like, and all sorts of neat stuff to play around with.

You also have the benefit of adding zones, that you can play separate music in each one or combine some or all. You just need to run a Sonos into a dac is all for better performance. You can hardwire a Sonos too btw, or use wi-fi. Mine has a range exceeding a hundred feet.....possibly closer to 150. Works well for outdoor music.

Irrenhaus

Okay so last night did some listening. The selection was Diana Krall, Buika, Buena Vista and Norah Jones. All mp3's in lossless format. I stream all music from my phone and switched the optical output between the Sonos and the BT-1

Sonos

The front stage sounded more open.
The vocals were good but they felt a bit low. (not sure how to explain)
The bass was a bit muddy. (as my daughter said sounded a bit like an empty box)

BT-1

The front stage was not as wide open as the Sonos.
The vocals sounded more like in your face. Felt like they were in front of you.
The bass was a bit more detail than the Sonos.

I had a bit of a problem with the Sonos, there was a constant very low popping noise coming out of the speakers even a '0' volume. The problem was solve by moving the Sonos out of the top of the Peachtree.

This was done using the Fostex single driver towers.

Next test over the weekend will be using the analog outputs from both units. The good part is I can switch on the fly between the two playing the same song.

Cheers

tonyb

Your trying to polish a t ur d using MP3's, just sayin'.

Irrenhaus

tonyb wrote: »

Your trying to polish a t ur d using MP3's, just sayin'.

Agree, just need to decide one to keep. I think the BT-1 is smaller and works okay. The Sonos will go on the market for a good price.

Cheers

msg

This is interesting. I really thought the Sonos would have won out over the BT, although I understand this isn't a run of the mill BT device.

tonyb

Really just depends on what you want the device to do. The Sonos has lots of versatility, but some may not need all of it or even most of it. A good dac makes these cheaper music servers pretty much on the same page sound quality wise. The rest is software and interface of your liking.

Irrenhaus

tonyb wrote: »

Really just depends on what you want the device to do. The Sonos has lots of versatility, but some may not need all of it or even most of it. A good dac makes these cheaper music servers pretty much on the same page sound quality wise. The rest is software and interface of your liking.

For now mostly streaming from my tablet or phone. I was not counting on the Peachtree coming with the BT device and place the order for the Sonos same day I went to get the amp.

Cheers