Home Audio question

[Autumn]

Here's what I'm looking for. I want a way to play our own mp3 collection, Spotify and Internet radio in our kitchen or living room, and ideally take to other places. We accomplish this now with a laptop in the kitchen and some speakers, but this isn't ideal.

I know one solution would be to get an iPod and a speaker dock.

Ideally what I'd love is to have a device, iPod or something else, that can live in the kitchen/living room (i.e. not have to keep a laptop there). That device would allow me to play our music files (over wifi or maybe through its own storage), play Spotify music (hopefully without an expensive account we have the $5 one), and tune into Internet radio stations. Ideally that device could be controlled by itself, not having to use a computer to control it.

Is there such a device out there that is not expensive? Or if not, is there a good method of achieving most of these aims through other devices?

[Easy Mac]

Just get an old android phone and cheap computer speakers.

[Autumn]

The Android would be able to stream from teh wifi?

[DanGarion]

Originally Posted by Autumn

The Android would be able to stream from teh wifi?

I think you can stream Spotify with the $5 a month version on phones. Also you could stream from your computer with Airfoil or something similar.

[stevew]

I'd go with an android tablet or phone as well.

[Pyser]

i like the apple airport express. its under 100, and has a speaker hookup, so you can stream music directly to it from your computer or ipod/iphone.

maybe android too, not sure, we're an apple family

[Easy Mac]

Just for reference, I have a Bluetooth speaker in the kitchen. When I know I'm going to be in there a while (I hate you dishes), I just bring in a tablet or the phone and set it out of harms way. It syncs and plays either Spotify, Pandora or Slacker.

The pairing of the devices was amazingly easy (2 button presses).

It can also be useful to have the device around for the off chance I'm cooking and need a recipe, or I just need to screw around on the internet while I wait for the noodle water to boil.

[Autumn]

These are good ideas, guys, thanks. I wouldn't have thought of an android phone.

I knew my laptop had Bluetooth but hadn't really thought about other devices. I think my Google Nexus has it. I could do some streaming through that, and don't mind leaving that downstairs. I'll have to look into what devices could stream Spotify (not just Spotify radio).

[Autumn]

So I think you need Spotify Premium to be able to stream on demand to any mobile device. So I guess if I wanted that capability I would have to either pay up for that, or us something with a regular (non-mobile) OS.

[DanGarion]

Originally Posted by Autumn

So I think you need Spotify Premium to be able to stream on demand to any mobile device. So I guess if I wanted that capability I would have to either pay up for that, or us something with a regular (non-mobile) OS.

If you don't mind a little setup on the computer, Airfoil works great you run Spotify on the computer and then you run Airfoil speakers on the Android device. Works great for me right now. I'm taking a History of Rock class and I see up my playlist for class on my computer, and then stream from the computer to my Android device.