Need a musical solution for kitchen-hanging.
September 12, 2011 5:07 PM Subscribe
Kitchen stereo/new music filter: Do I still want satellite radio?
I had satellite radio five years ago (Sirius) and loved it. One thing led to another and I dropped my subscription. It seems like re-upping with Sirius-XM might solve my music dilemma (more on that in a moment), but is it any good these days? Worth the price?
Here's what I need:
Something to play music on good speakers (not my PC speakers)...
Something that will effortlessly introduce me to new music (so sick of my music library).
I currently listen to my ipod (big fat, old-timey one) on a Bose dock with pretty decent sound.
What's your experience? Am I overlooking an option? Thanks.
I had satellite radio five years ago (Sirius) and loved it. One thing led to another and I dropped my subscription. It seems like re-upping with Sirius-XM might solve my music dilemma (more on that in a moment), but is it any good these days? Worth the price?
Here's what I need:
Something to play music on good speakers (not my PC speakers)...
Something that will effortlessly introduce me to new music (so sick of my music library).
I currently listen to my ipod (big fat, old-timey one) on a Bose dock with pretty decent sound.
What's your experience? Am I overlooking an option? Thanks.
Response by poster: Ah I'm glad you mentioned Spotify. I tried the free version and I'm not sure I'm getting out of it all I can. If I wanted to listen to 100 new songs, I'd have to go out and find them, right? Or do I find them from other friends' playlists? Can spotify generate a "Things you'd like" list?
posted by Buffaload at 5:19 PM on September 12, 2011
posted by Buffaload at 5:19 PM on September 12, 2011
I gave up my xm radio last year, going for a pandora subscription instead. Sound quality from my iphone into my car stereo, or a docking station, has been fantastic. Much better than my xm skyfi II setup. I also got tired of the relatively new (past couple of years, at least) monotony of the xm channels.
posted by chookibing at 5:21 PM on September 12, 2011
posted by chookibing at 5:21 PM on September 12, 2011
Regarding Spotify: Thanks to an answer to my last AskMe, I found out about Spotibot. Nice!
Also, the newly introduce Echofi adds a Pandora-like interface to Spotify.
And yes, Pandora is cool too! Both Spotify and Pandora will introduce you to new music.
posted by The Deej at 5:35 PM on September 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
Also, the newly introduce Echofi adds a Pandora-like interface to Spotify.
And yes, Pandora is cool too! Both Spotify and Pandora will introduce you to new music.
posted by The Deej at 5:35 PM on September 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
I'm a long-term Sirius-XM subscriber, but I hold onto the subscription for the talk shows, comedy channels, and news shows more than new music. The "new" music channels tend to be really repetitive, and the genre-specific channels even more so.
I'd use Pandora for new music. Even the free choices there give me more insight into new stuff than all the channels I subscribe to on XM.
posted by xingcat at 6:42 PM on September 12, 2011
I'd use Pandora for new music. Even the free choices there give me more insight into new stuff than all the channels I subscribe to on XM.
posted by xingcat at 6:42 PM on September 12, 2011
Effortlessly introduce to new (and new-to-you) music? Radio Paradise is programmed — actual sets of this-song-segues-nicely-to-that-one-which-is-then-thematically-related-to-the-next-one programming, not what Pandora or Last.fm do — by a real honest-to-goodness DJ who has wide-ranging and eclectic tastes. Music ranges from old to new and from classical to jazz to alternative to folk-rock to I forget what else. Great stuff. It's my main source for learning about new music and new artists. (It's also listener-supported with no advertising, which is lovely.)
Free, too. At least until your conscience starts bothering you like mine did. "You've been listening to RP for how many years now? When are you gonna pony up and give them some money, huh?"
Spotify's pretty neat so far, as well.
posted by Lexica at 6:56 PM on September 12, 2011
Free, too. At least until your conscience starts bothering you like mine did. "You've been listening to RP for how many years now? When are you gonna pony up and give them some money, huh?"
Spotify's pretty neat so far, as well.
posted by Lexica at 6:56 PM on September 12, 2011
For the kitchen, go out and drop $179 on a Logitech Squeezebox Radio. No server required to stream music from Pandora and other services, and if you decide to run a server on a computer in your home, you'll get access to your music library as well. Plus, you can control it from the radio, a web browser, or your smartphone.
posted by davejay at 7:01 PM on September 12, 2011
posted by davejay at 7:01 PM on September 12, 2011
disclaimer: I just bought my fifth squeezebox; I now have two (sadly discontinued) Booms, two Radios (including one in the kitchen) and an old SL2 in the closet because I can't bear to throw it out, and because it works.
posted by davejay at 7:08 PM on September 12, 2011
posted by davejay at 7:08 PM on September 12, 2011
2nd the Squeezebox radio. I have a server too but I mostly use the radio for Pandora. I added the rechargeable battery to it so I can take it out into the yard with me, or in the bathroom, or the porch, or anywhere it'll get the WiFi.
And like davejay, I'm a long time Squeezebox guy. Three of the original ones (2nd or 3rd gen, I think) and the radio. I'm thinking of getting another radio as well.
posted by bondcliff at 7:13 PM on September 12, 2011
And like davejay, I'm a long time Squeezebox guy. Three of the original ones (2nd or 3rd gen, I think) and the radio. I'm thinking of getting another radio as well.
posted by bondcliff at 7:13 PM on September 12, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by The Deej at 5:16 PM on September 12, 2011 [1 favorite]