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Original poster

To ask how you play music at home?

72 replies

hopelesslynaive · 10/12/2017 17:13

This is going to sound naïve, but we don't listen to much music, and for the last few years our only music playing device around the house has been an ipod nano, in an ipod docking station. I have all our old CDs transferred to my pc in iTunes, which I've been selectively syncing to the to the ipod, space permitting.

But, now the ipod is broken!!! Shock I only realised when I was putting up the Christmas Tree - I went to put on some Christmas tunes, and the navigation buttons no longer function.

So, what next? The world has moved on since we bought the ipod nano. Do people just use their phones to play music these days or is there an obvious "must have" device? If you use phones do they plug into your speakers using a wire or do you dock them? Our ipod dock does have an "audio in" hole at the back, so presumably it can be used as a traditional speaker too.

We all have Android phones, so if we were going to use those I guess we would need to use Google Play, yes? Or is there something else that's better? Does everyone just keep their music in the Cloud, and download it selectively to their phones if they're playing it regularly?

Please, help me navigate this .....

OP posts:
MrsExpo · 10/12/2017 17:36

DH is a bit of a Hi Fi freak, so our music is played from CDs or vynyl via all manner of —ridiculously large and very ugly, to say nothing of divorce inducingly expensive— gadgets and boxes connected with special bits of wire and a pair of speakers which I am not allowed to touch —but, then, I wouldn’t want to— ......... ...

I’ve loaded all my stuff onto my iPad and sit and listen to that as the mood takes me.

Original poster
hopelesslynaive · 10/12/2017 17:38

Ok, so just looking up Sonos on the John Lewis website and it says (repeatedly) that "it connects you to all the music on earth", but doesn't explain what it means by that.

Does it mean you pay some sort of monthly subscription and can then download just about anything from the internet?

And it also seems to be integrated with that annoying sounding Alexa thing that Amazon is advertising everywhere. Presumably that's not optional?

OP posts:
abouttimeforanotherone · 10/12/2017 17:40

Mostly CD's and a spot of youtube, and we still have a record player and a load of albums.

IncyWincyGrownUp · 10/12/2017 17:45

Spotify subscription and a decent enough for us Bluetooth speaker or by using the chrome cast on the telly.

My eldest always has earphones attached to her head.

My youngest is a walking talking jukebox set tonrandom, he’s always belting out tunes :o

GrooovyLass · 10/12/2017 17:47

Tend to use Spotify through a Bluetooth speaker or through the telly. Or I actually have a quite new (3 years old) record player for playing actual vinyl records!

Mia184 · 10/12/2017 17:49

Spotify via JBL bluetooth speaker - amazing sound

SparrowandNightingale · 10/12/2017 18:01

MrsExpo I have one of those DH's too. It's the leads that drive me potty.

Nomad86 · 10/12/2017 18:04

Use Chromecast to play YouTube on the TV or use a radio TV channel

Moregilmoregirls · 10/12/2017 18:06

So is speaker controlled by Amazon dot, streams lots of free music from our Amazon account

Moregilmoregirls · 10/12/2017 18:06
  • Sonos
Redglitter · 10/12/2017 18:08

I use Spotify with my Echo Dot

MakeMisogynyAHateCrime · 10/12/2017 18:11

We get free Spotify through my DH’s phone contract.

We have sonos in the sitting room and in the kitchen we have a radio with an iPhone dock. We can also listen via our computers or TVs.

I still prefer my CDs and records though.

sendcoffee · 10/12/2017 18:11

Well I either listen to CDs or vinyls, but DH does listen to Spotify through the soundbar.
I'm dreading the day my iPod dies for this very reason. He'll want to get something fancy I can't work out how to use!

Fffion · 10/12/2017 18:12

Amazon Echo

MyRelationshipIsWeird · 10/12/2017 18:12

DP has Amazon music so I log onto his account on my phone and connect to the TV sound bar or use my headphones.

I also have Spotify but the adverts and shuffle-play-only aspect are annoying and I'm too cheap to upgrade to the premium ad-free service!

SoMuchToBits · 10/12/2017 18:14

I am Old Fashioned and use a CD player, or occasionally a cassette tape player (for those tapes that I have been unable to replace with CDs). I also have some vinyl records, but don't currently have a record player for them. I'm thinking of trying to buy a second hand one.

ohcecelia · 10/12/2017 18:14

Google play music cast on to a Chromecast and speakers.

MyRelationshipIsWeird · 10/12/2017 18:16

I also have a small speaker in the kitchen to connect to my phone/ipad/laptop. Just looked it up on Amazon and horrified to see how much DP spent on it for me!! But it's really good, compact and great sound quality Sony SRS-BTM8 Portable Wireless Speaker with Bluetooth (Black)

cakeandteajustforme · 10/12/2017 18:16

Sonos + Spotify. I think OP asked how it works a bit further down?

Spotify is the music end of things - it's like Netflix for music but has pretty much all the music ever made, rather than select tv shows iyswim. Except for a couple of artists who haven't signed up.

Sonos are the speakers, they connect to each other and to your phone over app. We can all access it and change the music via our phones. You pick which rooms you want playing (eg could have something in the kitchen diner while upstairs kiddos listen to nursery rhymes). It's really really good.

They've recently updated the Spotify and sonos apps to make it all work much more seamlessly. So some web reviews might suggest the app is clunky.. it's been improved. Would definitely recommend! We didn't have anything for ages and this feels very 21st century.

NerrSnerr · 10/12/2017 18:17

On our Echo, from phone via Bluetooth speaker or my trusted radio alarm clock.

cakeandteajustforme · 10/12/2017 18:18

Oh and in terms of the actual speakers, we have 1-2 of the cheapest sonos speakers (sonos 1) in each room. No need in our experience to get the big 3/5 ones for a typical Uk house for music purposes.

If you have massive rooms/want to use it as your tv surround sound might be a different matter.

MozTheMonster · 10/12/2017 18:21

We have a Sonos bar in the lounge - we play the TV through it. Also have a smaller Sonos in kitchen. I either play music straight out my iMac OR I play it on either or both Sonos (if I want music all over the place!). The Sonos is linked to my iTunes (on computer) and plays what I want it to play. No Alexa or anything else needed. No monthly fee as all music I play is either downloaded from iTunes or uploaded via computer to iTunes.

2rebecca · 10/12/2017 18:22

Instruments, radio, computer (most of our CDs are on the computer), stereo with CD player and record player. Probably in that order. I listen to a lot in the car via usb widget player as well.

happypoobum · 10/12/2017 18:25

DS plays live music near constantly.

If he is out or otherwise engaged, I would use digital radio, or TV.

Today we put the tree up so we had the MTV Christmas Top 50 or whatever on.

If I am wanting musical accompaniment to cooking and DS isn't playing I just put the radio on.

deepestdarkestperu · 10/12/2017 18:29

Spotify premium, either through the TV, Bluetooth speakers or the laptop.