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[JimH]

I'd like to ask you to help analyze JRiver's strengths and weaknesses when compared to Sonos.

Here's a start:

Sonos devices have built-in speakers.  JRiver is best used to feed a receiver or DAC.

Sonos has nice phone apps.  So does JRiver

Sonos supports some streaming services.  So does JRiver, but they may be more difficult to access.

[fitbrit]

SONOS development, bug fixing and feature request implementation cannot possibly be as fast as JRiver's.

The SONOS experience cannot be ruined/compromised by anti-virus software.

[connersw]

SONOS development, bug fixing and feature request implementation cannot possibly be as fast as JRiver's.

Have you spent any time around the Sonos forum?  They are pretty responsive.

I'm sorry, but the Gizmo app is no where near Sonos.  Just from an eye candy level, the Sonos app is much slicker looking and scales to tablets.  Compared to Gizmo's outdated black-and-white icons, it is not even close.

Additionally, you can group and ungroup rooms within the app. Gizmo does not link or unlink Zones.

Sonos has something like 38 integrated streaming services, including all the biggies: Spotify, Amazon, Google, Pandora, Tune In, Rdio, Slacker, etc.  Gizmo has none.

Sonos has a much better search function within the app; specifically the way it displays results.  It also integrates all your streaming services along with your personal collection into one search.

Sonos allows you to create and edit playlists from within the app. Gizmo does not.

Sonos has integrated alarms and a sleep timer. Gizmo does not.

Sonos allows playback of local files (ie files stored on your phone/tablet). Gizmo does not. In turn though, Gizmo allows you to playback files locally (ie directly on your phone/tablet).  Gizmo can also be played off your home network, while Sonos is limited to only your home network.

Now, Sonos is Audio only while Gizmo offers Video and limited Image functionality.  The Video support is a huge plus for Gizmo.

The other plus is the view customization of Gizmo. However, it can also almost become a hindrance since it is not associated with Theater View or DLNA server customization.  It can be confusing and tedious to set up.

From a functionality stand point, Sonos wins in ease of set up and ability to keep groups in sync.  Setting up DLNA services in MC can be a nightmare and sync is difficult to maintain.

MC's biggest advantage is high res Audio playback.  Sonos is limited to 16-bit/48kHz while MC can play 24-bit, SACD, and DSD.

Sonos is also limited to their own hardware (hence the restrictions above).  Some may see that as an advantage (all inclusive); however, I would much rather pick and choose my individual hardware as well as integrate hardware I already own.  MC has the advantage of working with a wide range of hardware (TVs, receivers, DACs, Bluray players, DLNA or Bluetooth speakers, car headsets, other PCs, etc).

Lastly, MC is a full featured Library Manager--ripping, tagging, file management, etc.  Sonos is really just for playback; some secondary software is needed for Library organization. 

In short, I would say that everything Sonos does, it does better.  Where JRiver gains the advantage is that it does so much more (namely HD Audio, Video, and Image and Library Management).

[fitbrit]

Good detailed analysis, connersw. From what I've heard about Sonos, and seen of their apps, I wouldn't disagree with you.
However, for those with iOS devices, JRemote is actually quite a bit better (IMO) than Gizmo.

I have not been to the sonos forums, so I was speaking based on comparing Interact to most other so-called support forums.

[6233638]

In addition to the things mentioned above:

Sonos does synchronized multi-room audio, or can link devices in the same room for multichannel audio.
I believe it also supports dynamic linking/unlinking of devices without interrupting playback.
Media Center does not, unless it's all being played off a single audio device.

Sonos allows playback control from the device for networked audio, Media Center (DLNA) does not. Playback commands are either ignored, or do not behave correctly. (e.g. stopping playback on the device skips to the next track)
Seeking probably works to networked devices via Sonos, does not work in Media Center via DLNA to any of the speakers I have tried.
 
The control app is free on all devices, guests are not required to purchase an app for their phones.
Additionally, I am not concerned about guests controlling my network or accessing my library from outside my home once they have used it. (Gizmo/JRemote need a guest mode)
 
Setup is easy - you don't even need a PC. DLNA always requires manual configuration and technical knowledge. The Pioneer speaker I recently purchased didn't even work without manual configuration in Media Center.
My mother could buy and set up a Sonos network herself - she would be completely lost trying to set up Media Center and DLNA devices.

[connersw]

However, for those with iOS devices, JRemote is actually quite a bit better (IMO) than Gizmo.

JRemote is not a JRiver product.  It is a third-party app sold at an additional cost (same w/ EOS and nMedium).  Granted, now that the creator has been brought on staff, there has been discussion of integrating its features and designing a more "universal" remote platform that is similar across all devices.  It's still early, but this has not happened yet.  The Sonos app is fairly standard across all platforms.

I spent a lot of time discussing the app, but the comments regarding ease of set-up really cannot be under-sold.  Sonos is about as plug-and-play as it gets.

[JimH]

JRemote is not a JRiver product. 

It is now.  Please search for news about Robert Ryan.

[Arindelle]

There is a hard limit of 65,000 tracks that you can add to Sonos due to memory allocations. Sonos also limits the amount of characters allotted for each field of metadata.

Max characters for Artists name: 76
Max characters for Album name: 92
Max characters for Track name: 100
Max characters for Genre name: 22
Max characters for an audio file name: 100 https://ask.sonos.com/sonos/topics/what_limitations_are_there_when_adding_my_local_music_library_to_sonos

also

We have allocated memory to the queue, track limit, metadata, Sonos playlists,

That means you have a hard cap of 65K tracks ... IF they are Mp3s with limited metadata, and truncate your filepaths/filemname, you can get that. But, if you use playlists to organize playback (which you pretty much have to), use Flac with complete tagging, and have some lengthy classical filepaths you might be ablt to get half of that. Oh forgot, say you launch a shuffle of your polka collection of 2000 tracks, that counts towards the 65000!  Whad'y a mean, u don't polka?! 

Sure there are work arounds, but if you have a reasonable size library Sonos with its memory architecture will be antediluvian soon enough if they don't totally redesign the thing

So with medium size lossless libraries Sonos is not viable, IMO

Eye candy remotes? Sure Sonos looks nicer than Gizmo, but if you have 30k tracks have you tried to find stuff on the Sonos remote (unless you type in something). Better have a good memory. JRemote is far superior IMO. Getting a used ipad on ebay is not more than some Harmony remotes that people buy.

What SONOS does offer as connor mentioned is premium web streaming capabilities that work out of the box and there's the rub. They don't just support "some" they support almost all of them in both the european and american market -- they pay a ton of money for those APIs and that is what more and more people want. That is the one point where I have not been able to convince people to go with JRiver and drop Sonos. Qubuz, now in 6 countries (also in chapter 11 - they have four months to sort their crap out) and I am pretty sure are still making more revenues selling licensing to hardware manufacturers than they get in subscriptions -- at least before the UK got access. Basic internet streaming to non premium services is easy too.

So if you don't need the many audio pluses that MC offers, have a 1000 cd library with a very simple organization of your music, and you spend a lot of time streaming the web. Sonos is not a bad choice.

I heard it running off a ps audio dac and it sounded pretty good had to admit even though I'm a JRiver fanboy. Already mentioned networking DLNA devices, Sonos does have that sorted and syncing is very good. Tested that recently with the same system with psaudio dac with windows open and outdoor speakers for a bbq last weekend, and it was spot on.

Sonos can work directly off a NAS adding client machines is very simple. JRiver of course is not set up this way.

I know I'm not following your format Jim, but in short JRiver is superior in every way IMO so I'm not going to list  all the pluses

The main points of Sonos is internet streaming support direct to DAC; and NAS as media server and/or dlna device control as 6233638 mentioned

Setup is easy - you don't even need a PC. DLNA always requires manual configuration and technical knowledge. My mother could buy and set up a Sonos network herself - she would be completely lost trying to set up Media Center and DLNA devices.

Ok maybe there is a steeper leaning curve with MC, but its easier than Photoshop or Cad/Cam software like AutoCad ... so thats not a selling point.

[daveman]

I love JRiver...

That said, I recently purchased a SONOS Connect (it connects to my primary because I found that my wife and kids could not easily use any of their speakers)  JRiver to control music around the pool.  Now, my kids can easily access radio stations, use Songza, and play music  from our music library controlling it from an Ipad or Android phone.  The software is pretty much the same using either device, is extremely easy to use, and it works as advertised.

In fact, I now use JRiver primarily to control our video library and not for music (except on my personal computer).

JRiver is a great and powerful product but it needs work in terms of "Eye Candy" and ease of use.  It needs to have easy access to integrate other music streaming apps and radio stations.  It also needs a more modern looking interface.

just my 2 cents.

[JimH]

Split

[JimH]

What I see so far is that Sonos wins on:

1.  Setup

2.  Streaming

3.  Sync

I believe we need to provide hardware to compete directly with Sonos.  The Id is a step in that direction.

[connersw]

I think that is a good list, but I would also add user-interface to that list (unless you are including that with ease of set up).

However, I don't see why hardware gets amended to that list.  I don't know of anyone that says "you have to hear how awesome my Sonos speakers sound."  They say "I love Sonos because I can control all my music, all over my house, with just my phone, and it is super easy."

And I definitely don't see how the Id is a step in the right direction.  Linux has 1-2% of the PC market.  Why would the average consumer want to purchase a Linux based PC to put in their living room?  Now, a Linux based server application that can be loaded onto a NAS (and licensed to NAS manufacturers) to stream all of their media to connected devices that they already own--that would be something of value. 

[JimH]

I don't want to start a discussion about the Id here, except to say that ideally nobody should know what OS the device runs.  It should just work.  Sonos has to have some kind of simple OS.  Do you care what it is?  Most TV's and Blu-ray players now run a variant of Linux.  They are still considered consumer electronics devices, not computers.

I didn't include look and feel because I think it's a little too squishy.  Everyone has an opinion.  Nobody is right or wrong.

If you'd like to discuss these, please start a new thread. 

Thanks for your comments.  They are very valuable.

[6233638]

I would say that one of the bigger problems is that people want self-contained devices now.
 
They don't want to be running a PC server, or to hook up a separate device to a stereo.
They want to get rid of that bulky stereo and replace it with a wireless speaker (or speakers) that just does the job.
 
At this point, most people I know are looking to extend their current systems than buy into something new.
Adding support for their existing devices (Sonos/AirPlay/other) would be far more beneficial to them, than replacing their existing system which already works for them.
If they already own multiple AirPlay devices, why would they abandon them for a new platform that is unproven and costs $400 per zone?
 
Having the ability for Media Center to receive audio from these devices and route it to other speakers obviates the need for expensive licensing deals.
Instead of needing a license for Spotify etc. you just load up the Spotify app on your phone and play to Media Center, which routes it to whichever zone suits you.
It's less elegant than a fully integrated solution, but it enables the possibility for switching to Media Center from other platforms.

[JimH]

I started a thread on the User Interface subject.

[cncb]

In my opinion unless you add a number of commercial streaming services, you won't be able to even begin to compete with Sonos (I think Sonos pretty much supports all of the available ones).

[JimH]

Split: The Id is an Internet Applicance

[gworrel]

I recently bought a used Sonos Connnect which I intend to use as a source for whole house audio. I bought it because I have heard such good things about the interface. I already have dedicated receivers for each zone.

To get around syncing issues, since I am only using the one Sonos device, I bought one of these: http://www.amazon.com/C2G-40973-Component-TOSLINK-Selector/dp/B001ACXCM0
That will give me 3 sources and 5 zones with remote control. I only plan to use the audio but it is component video capable.

While I understand the appeal of the Id for some people, Sonos seems to put the focus on the speakers and the app. The number one selling bookshelf speaker on Amazon is a Sonos Play 1 for $199.00. Of the 11 top selling bookshelf speakers, 6 are Sonos speakers. That surprised me.

[csimon]

Sonos devices have built-in speakers.  JRiver is best used to feed a receiver or DAC.

Sonos does have a standalone device that acts as a Sonos "receiver" so that you can add your own amp, speakers or DAC (Sonos Connect). But I'm not sure if it can do multichannel and it certainly doesn't have all the audio processing of MC.

It's not just Sonos though, there are a myriad of other multi-zone products out now, possibly most noteably the devices that use Qualcomm's All Play protocol.

The biggest advantage of Sonos and others over MC is the synchronised playback.

Personally, I'm no longer that concerned about synchronised playback with MC as I'm going down the route of distributing stereo audio round the house via matrix switching, which allows sources other than and as well as the media player to be synchronised to other rooms (e.g. TV audio, satellite radio, bluetooth audio, iPod dock, etc).  If I wanted to distribute the same music from MC, it also means that only one "instance" of the audio needs to be played rather than the PC generating audio multiple times in different zones and/or needing a PC or other device in each room. Multiple zones would only be needed in MC for different audio processing or to add more "channels" so that different music could be played in different rooms, again via matrix switching.

[astromo]

Can Sonos do smart lists?

When I played with my Father's set up about a year ago I dumped some of my music on his system. I then went to set up a smart list and drew a blank.

I also drew a blank checking around for help. Where I got to was exporting a playlist generated off the back of a JRiver smart list. I was surprised that Sonos didn't have that sort of function and if it was there, wasn't easy find.

My mother is kinda locked out of Sonos. I'd love to get JRiver injected into the mix so that she could just select "Classical music" and listen. Currently the old boy has to get in and set something up.

[AndyU]

Sonos has just announced lossless cd quality streaming in partnership with Deezer - see here. And they already have Quobuz. There's not much point in having the fanciest UI in the world if it won't reach content you want.

[daveman]

Maybe JRiver should start their own lossless streaming music service?

[raldo]

In my opinion unless you add a number of commercial streaming services, you won't be able to even begin to compete with Sonos (I think Sonos pretty much supports all of the available ones).

Agree.

And since Sonos is so much easier to set up, they've had a chance at the mass market.

I don't use MC for music since I subscribe to Spotify. I wouldn't be without MC for video and photos, though...

[JimH]

I'm still interested in feedback, especially from those who don't post much.  Thanks.

[magnust]

To get my wife to use the current Gizmo? Sorry, not trying to be rude but that's laughable. If ANYTHING in an app takes more than a handfull of seconds to understand, it's OUT. Many apps are made so you rarely need to stop to try figure out how to navigate and get done what you want to get done. But within half a minute or so putting Gizmo in the hands of my wife it's very clear Gizmo sadly is not even close. To get to a point where you from starting the app find something you want to play and start playing it is ok. But after that, navigating further (hopping between changing volume, checking out other stuff to play, watching now playing playlist, skipping or jumping to another track, continuing search for more to play and so on....). I hear a couple "how do I..." and then that's it. And Gizmo looking very dated doesn't help things. But that's another thread.

Whole family approval is a deal breaker for a huge part of the market. Sonos is not flawless but is way ahead in "ease to get started". Both for the person installing and setting up stuff, but also ease to get started / family approval when everyone starts using it all.

PS:
My wife has been happy always watching tv using WMC for ten years (we have a multituner pay tv setup). But if something can't be done with the simple WMC remote, if you need a mouse to switch to another software. It's NEVER going to happen. With something like this http://www.teknowebworks.com/xbmc-Window-Media-Center-Integration for MC I probably could get her to use theater view.

[JimH]

Would it help if we sent her flowers?

[magnust]

Would it help if we sent her flowers?

I think I'm not alone in understanding that she would love that. But also that it wouldn't at all get her to use gizmo

[akira54]

I am a long term user of Sonos (after dumping a Squeezebox because it it just wasn't stable enough and my wife would not touch it). We have several Sonos gadgets: a Connect linked to a Benchmark DAC and the HiFi in the living room; a Connect in the Home Cinema linked to the AV receiver; and two stand-alone speakers (a Play5 and a Play3). We love it, but not so much because it allows perfect synced playback in several rooms (it is more of a gimmick for us, although I occasionally use it when I can't stay put). Much more important is that it is rock steady. One of the problems we had with the Squeezebox is that every time we switched the microwave on playback on the SB would stutter. A HUGE advantage of Sonos is that it has its own network and that is not affected by microwaves and similar devices.

What is great about Sonos:
-runs its own mesh network and is rock steady (adding Sonos components even improves the cover/range and strength of its network)
-super easy to set up
-good and easy to use app
-allows on the spot insertion of tracks into playlists ("play now", "play next", "add to queue"). This may be one of the features I like best
-it supports most of the commercial streamers I am ever likely to use (we are on Spotify)
-it supports internet radio (being able to set up favourite radio stations is much appreciated)
-multi-zone support: it is very easy to switch music that is playing between zones (from living room to study, etc)
-quality audio. Despite it being a "mass market" product its DAC is very good and can compete with the best of them (I run it through the Benchmark simply because the Benchmark also serves as a pre-amp)
-supports LAN and WiFi connections

What is not so hot:
-the 65K track limit. NB. Don't believe the scaremongers who claim this will only accommodate a smallish music library. This all depends on one's definition of small and large. We have almost 700Gb of music (40 years of collecting) and this comprises some 42000 tracks. Although I moan about this limit on the Sonos Forum I haven't actually reached it yet and probably won't for a couple more years)
-it cannot handle video. I would love to be able to play the audio part of music videos through the stereo
-its own playlists cannot be shared with other apps (big drawback)
-the app and underlying database is a bit long in the tooth. Some of its major problems/shortcomings:
---the latest app is counter-intuitive and poorly designed (e.g. to go back from a selection involves swiping at one level, but clicking a back arrow at another level)
---support for classical music is not as good as it should be largely because the views of titles both when playing and choosing is way too limited. What is the use of trying to make a selection from a list in which all tracks are called "Symphony for orchestra, two violins and..." because that is all it can display! What is the use of choosing from genres called "20th Century - Trio - ...". Support for multiple line displays is badly needed (at least as an option).
---if you approach music on the folder level it takes too many clicks to get there (user-definable shortcuts would be the solution but they are not offered)
---it won't let you rate your music
---it does not support such things as "recently added", "most played", "least played", etc.
---it does not support multiple artist, genre etc entries

I am presently checking out the JRemote app and noticed that it shares some of the Sonos limitations mentioned above.

[6233638]

Much more important is that it is rock steady. One of the problems we had with the Squeezebox is that every time we switched the microwave on playback on the SB would stutter. A HUGE advantage of Sonos is that it has its own network and that is not affected by microwaves and similar devices.

Sonos is using 2.4GHz WiFi like any other device. (5GHz for 5.1 Sonos devices)
It's probably just slightly more robust than whatever junk router your ISP sent you, or happens to be in a better location.

I am presently checking out the JRemote app and noticed that it shares some of the Sonos limitations mentioned above.

You can create views for anything you want to see in JRemote. This is handled server-side via Tools → Options → Media Network → Advanced → Customize Views for Gizmo & WebGizmo

[akira54]

Thanks for the suggestion. Will this allow me to change the view in such a way that it uses two lines for title display and such?

[6233638]

Thanks for the suggestion. Will this allow me to change the view in such a way that it uses two lines for title display and such?

Sorry, I should have been clearer.
You can customize how your content is organized in JRemote.
 
So you could create a view for classical music which groups by composer rather than "artist", and by symphony rather than "album", for example. (assuming your library contains that information)

Things like which tags are displayed, and how many lines are used for display would be set inside JRemote, if it had options for that. (currently, it does not)

[connersw]

Sonos is using 2.4GHz WiFi like any other device. (5GHz for 5.1 Sonos devices)
It's probably just slightly more robust than whatever junk router your ISP sent you, or happens to be in a better location.

You may want to read up on how Sonos creates its own mesh network.  There is much more to it than just the frequency.  The key to akira54's post is that he has "several Sonos gadgets."  The more devices you add, the better it gets at eliminating interference and reducing the importance of a single router location.  With the amount of devices he has, I have no doubt it is "rock solid" and not just "slightly more robust."

[6233638]

You may want to read up on how Sonos creates its own mesh network.  There is much more to it than just the frequency.  The key to akira54's post is that he has "several Sonos gadgets."  The more devices you add, the better it gets at eliminating interference and reducing the importance of a single router location.  With the amount of devices he has, I have no doubt it is "rock solid" and not just "slightly more robust."

I stand corrected. I thought Sonos still ran off WiFi extenders (I always see them on sale here with one or two Bridge devices thrown in) rather than each device you add extending the network.
 
Running on 2.4GHz, it's still just as susceptible to interference from a microwave, but it sounds like the network is robust enough to cope, instead of having all devices running off a central router... which is what you would expect.
 
I suppose it's just that you don't have to think about building a good WiFi network with Sonos, while the Squeezebox or other devices are reliant on you building a decent network.

[drmimosa]

Forwarding the audio over the network is not supported. Although that might be an interesting idea...

First of all, thanks so much for your recent work, esp. on the WDM driver and DSP over DLNA. MC20 has been tremendous so far!!

I don't use Sonos, but a lot of people mention Spotify streaming as a big feature. If you could potentially connect the WDM audio output to DLNA renderers via JRiver's DLNA server, devices such as JRiver ID could stream Spotify as long you run a JRiver server and Spotify on a machine in your network.

Spotify recently added Spotify Connect functions to their beta release (http://community.spotify.com/t5/Spotify-Ideas/Spotify-Connect-For-Desktop-App/idi-p/689688), so you could control this all from smartphone apps.

[Edit] P.S. Spotify isn't interested in adding DLNA streaming to their Windows app. http://community.spotify.com/t5/Spotify-Ideas/DLNA-support-in-Spotify/idi-p/3523.

[Matt]

If you set a DLNA renderer as the current zone and then play loopback from the WDM driver, what happens?

I'm honestly not sure, but maybe it works already.

[drmimosa]

If you set a DLNA renderer as the current zone and then play loopback from the WDM driver, what happens?

In my system, it doesn't work currently. I have MC 20.0.27, run MC and MC server on a Windows machine connected via wifi to a network. WDM audio works via USB DAC on the server machine.

I tested this with two devices, a Samsung TV and a RaspPi Volumio Audio Streamer, no audio comes of the renderer in either case. For both devices LPC appears in MC as the file playing, but no green playback icon next to the file.

It also seems to hang the WDM driver, because I can't pull up the Windows Playback Devices until I quit MC.

Let me know if I can provide more information here, thanks.

[Camver]

I used to use Sonos to play my mostly classical music files through my hifi. As has been said it is easy to set up but with somewhat limited control through a iPad app. Then they completely changed the app rendering it all but useless for classical music due to it not showing much of the album tag.

Many complaints were made direct to Sonos and on the forum about this usability problem, and much else. There response has been to ignore their users. Sonos, apparently knows best, and to be fair for streaming rock and pop it is at least usable.

So I looked for an alternative and discovered that JRiver has progressed a long way since I used it many years previously. Coupled with the excellent JRemote I at last found an interface that is streets ahead of Sonos and configurable to my needs. I built myself a silent PC based on the NUC platform and have been a happy user since with the comfort of a development team that seems to listen and respond.

I haven't looked thoroughly into streaming Internet music services but I suspect that Sonos might have the edge, at least until it falls down with classical music and their dreadful new app.

The new Sonos app did me a favour in making me look elsewhere and finding a system that makes browsing and searching for music easy.

[JimH]

Split: Denon Heos

[akira54]

I used to use Sonos to play my mostly classical music files through my hifi. As has been said it is easy to set up but with somewhat limited control through a iPad app. Then they completely changed the app rendering it all but useless for classical music due to it not showing much of the album tag.

I too use Sonos to play classical music almost exclusively and part of my moan about it concerns the somewhat shaky support for it. However, unlike you I have NOT found (so far) that the JRemote app is all that much better. I still don't get support for multiple line display of say long track titles. But perhaps you don't use the app at all in which case I can see that the web interface offers much better functionality than the app (but that is comparing apples and pears).

I must disagree with your evaluation of the new search facility in Sonos. This is actually one of the few areas in which they have made a great leap forward in that a search now not only searches through the local library but also those of subscribed music services like Spotify. Moreover, whether we like it or not, such music services are becoming more and more important and the lack of support for them in JRiver is an issue that needs to be addressed.

[Camver]

Hi Akira
I use the JRemote iPad app to access my ripped music. In choosing what to listen to, and which performance I refer to the Album tag. On Sonos only about 25 characters are displayed whilst using JRemote 93 characters are displayed. On Sonos I had to rely on the cover art displaying info about the various performers, not always the case. In any case, with box sets the same cover art is used for many different pieces of music.

Having selected the particular piece of music and chosen which version I want to listen to I am presented with a track list with a similar number of characters. Once I am listening I tend not to refer to the track listing, but it is fair to point out that with the new facility to view a PDF file within JRemote I can look at a copy of the booklet that came with the CD with none of the limits of tag length. I can even read a translation of an opera and know, maybe, what on earth they are singing about!

The beauty of JRemote is that you can choose between cover art views or list views.

I do agree that Sonos has the edge when using streaming services, having tried a few I personally don't bother with them.

The multi room setup on a Sonos appears simpler to use, at least it was on the old app! And of course if you use their speaker units around the house there is the advantage of an integrated system, albeit with relatively poor sound quality.

If playing ones own ripped music files to a Hifi system(s) then in my view, for my way of use, JRiver with JRemote is considerably better.