I've been thinking about trying to setup physical control from the buttons on a Streamdeck. That would be ideal for my desk. There's even one that has some knobs for multi-zone volume control.
Synchronized playback is a big feature! I often have 4 zones playing in sync.
That way, as I move around the property I have music where ever I might be, at a level that's appropriate for that location.
For control, I use the web UI on a desktop or an SqueezeCTL on my phone. Don't think I...
In my case, all Pi devices. I still have 4x SB3 in a drawer, but they all have various issues needing repair. Also, I have found that RCA outputs are not the most convenient.
I'm happily carrying on with 6 zones of PiCorePlayer fed from Lyrion on a Lenovo Tiny PC.
Three zones have HifiBerry XLR DAC to small powered monitors (M-Audio BX5s.)
Two zones have HifiBerry AMP2 driving Definitive Audio outdoor speakers.
One zone has SPDIF/AES output to a pair of JBL 705Ps...
Nothing wrong or especially new with loudspeakers being sold as a system, with mating amps and crossovers. While a system approach is nice, I personally don't consider such an approach "active" monitors, since the active bits are all external. Easily changed if/when desired.
I think people fundamentally underestimate the problem of media. There's very little magnetic tape being made today. It tends to be for people who use open reel decks, since they are willing to spend significant sums for new blank media. There's only one company making cassettes, and they make...
Not the lack of pre-recorded media. Never was any significant amount of that for MD. The lack of new, blank media is a problem. NOS cassettes of any sort are quite pricey these days, expecially on a a price/performance basis. MD are much better, but also have not been made in years.
Recently been drinking Le Cigar Volant 2015 & 2016 from Randall Grahm's Bonny Doon. RG is the original Rhone Ranger in the US. His story is interesting on its own. The tale of this wine is also worth telling.
For decades he made his flagship wine to suit his own desires. He struggled to sell...
Everything I had on cassette was copied to MD or files long ago. MD was a rational replacement for cassette. Digital. Durable. Random access. Vastly better sounding than any cassette deck I ever encountered.
One mic, or coincident techniques, can be magical. Recall the Cowboy Junkies "Trinity Sessions" which was recorded in a church in downtown Toronto. The band was arranged around a single Calrec Soundfield microphone.
Yup. They're killer. Get really low and loud for the size & price. Built-in parametric EQ and 500 W of power per-speaker mean very tunable.
I was able to get a pair of 705Ps refurbed for $1200. Now I'm looking around for a deal on used 708Ps.
The refurb market seems to have gone away after a...