Wireless Audio with Airtunes PSP Remote Control

Inspired by the "Creating an Audiophile Music Server" blog, I set up a user-friendly music server that I can control from my main listening room. Using my Sony PSP as a remote, I can play, pause, skip any song on any album in my iTunes library.

Accessories for Wireless Airtunes Audio

Apple Mac mini MA608LL/A (1.83 GHz Intel Core Duo, 512 MB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive)

Amazon Price: $899.00 (as of 07/09/2008)

PlayStation Portable (PSP) Value Pack

Amazon Price: (as of 07/09/2008)

Apple AirPort Express with Air Tunes (M9470LL/A)

Amazon Price: $79.99 (as of 07/09/2008)

GRIFFIN TECHNOLOGY Xpress Digital Audio Cable for Airport Express

Amazon Price: (as of 07/09/2008)

LaCie 500 GB d2 Extreme External Hard Drive with Triple Interface (300793U)

Amazon Price: (as of 07/09/2008)

Hi-Fi Music Server Dance Party

Geek with Family Articles

PSP + Airtunes + Coverbuddy = Hi-Fi Music Server Dance Party - Introduction: Inspired by the "Creating an Audiophile Music Server" blog, I set up a user-friendly music server that I can control from my main listening room. Using my Sony PSP as a remote, I can play, pause, skip any song on any album in my iTunes library.
PSP + Airtunes + Coverbuddy = Dance Party Software Setup: Not able to afford an additional $2500 investment in remote music server hi-fi equipment I had to make due with music server components I already owned: Airport Express, Mac Mini, Onkyo TX-DS989 AV Receiver and a Rogue Audio Magnum 99 Preamp. With some additional software on my Mac Mini I could remote control the music served to the remote system in my listening room with my Sony PSP.
PSP + Airtunes + Coverbuddy = Dance Party Hi-Fi Wiring: Now that I have my Mac Mini set up to deliver my whole iTunes library to my listening room through Airtunes with Sony PSP remote control, I needed to rewire my hi-fi components. The goal: deliver the digital Airtunes signal through the best DAC in the path and passing the analog signal cleanly through to my loudspeakers. I have no budget, so I must only use components I already own.
PSP + Airtunes + Coverbuddy = Dance Party - Listening Test: Toddler_o_Geek and I danced until bedtime Sunday night.

We started out with Gnarls Barkley (didn't get us moving) and quickly switched to Futureheads. I pogoed, my daughter stomped. I made the mistake of pogoing toward her instead of just side to side, we then went into full chase mode-I was still dancing (a series of spastic kicks, arms flailing and hopping like a frog) and she screamed around the room as fast as she can navigate the furniture. We got through "Alms" before bathtime (I was freaking her out with my expert lip-synching at this point).
PSP + Airtunes + Coverbuddy = Dance Party - 24-88.2 Upsampling » Home Theater, Anime, Geek Gadgets for the whole family: Curious to find any electronic mods for the Airport Express, I ran across this tip for improved iTunes fidelity on a Mac: switch your MIDI controls to 24 bits.
PSP + Airtunes + Coverbuddy = Dance Party - Update - 24-88.2 Upsampling: I stayed up until 3 a.m. Friday night running between my computer and listening rooms. I was trying to push a high bit, expanded frequency WAV music file from my Mac Mini's iTunes to my Airport Express's connected to my hi-fi set up. This experiment failed but I learned something that will make me pursue a new experiment that I always thought silly before.
How to Save $600 With My Alternative to the Sonos Zoneplayer and Play All Your iTunes Music Store Songs: In the same PS Audio newsletter with the Noise Harvester video, Paul McGowan linked to Sonos (also see BoingBoing's recent post praising the Sonos). Sonos makes wireless music access points with a large handheld remote. A basic kit will cost you $999. I want to compare the Sonos feature set and my own Airtunes setup, which is a much more economical solution.
5 Hi-Fi Listening Room Habits for Healthy Audiophiles » Home Theater, Anime, Geek Gadgets for the whole family: I've made major improvements to my music listening experience over the last year, some at no cost. The following distills the top five guidelines I've followed to optimize my enjoyment.
iTunes 7 Breaks My PSP+Airtunes Setup - Airfoil to the Rescue: I knew I shouldn't have upgraded to iTunes 7. Now when streaming music to my Airport Express from iTunes 7 it takes forever to switch to the next song and worse it will just stop playing randomly. iTunes will actually get stuck at the 0:00 of a song and when you toggle play and pause it skips to the next song still stuck at zero. I have to quit iTunes at the MacMini to get the signal back to the Airport Express.

Wi-Fi Music Server Manufacturers

Sonos Digital Music System to stream digital music wirelessly from PC to any speakers in your home: Sonos Digital Music System is a networked digital media player allows you to manage, distribute, and play your MP3 music to any audio speaker system in your home through a wireless handheld control device.
Slim Devices : Transporter & Squeezebox : Free your music!: Slim Devices: Makers of the audiophile Transporter and affordable (and modifiable) Squeezebox 3 wi-fi music machines.
Olive. Save the sound.: Olive's wireless multi-room audio solutions deliver breathtaking sound in a beautiful design. Winner of awards from the NY Times, Business Week, Stereophile, PC Mag, Forbes and many more.
Apple - AirPort Express: Introducing AirPort Express with AirTunes. Connect to the Internet, print, and stream iTunes to any room in your home — wirelessly.