Will component stereos ever go wireless?

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
If you've ever had to connect the countless number of RCA cables from the back of an A/V receiver, you know where I'm going with this thread.

This is further complicated when you end up with 4 remote controls (yes, I know there are universal remotes).

This sounds like a job for Apple to make it seemless. Is this what Rendevous is for? Is Bluetooth possible here?

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 17
    spcmsspcms Posts: 407member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by satchmo

    If you've ever had to connect the countless number of RCA cables from the back of an A/V receiver, you know where I'm going with this thread.

    This is further complicated when you end up with 4 remote controls (yes, I know there are universal remotes).

    This sounds like a job for Apple to make it seemless. Is this what Rendevous is for? Is Bluetooth possible here?




    I'm pretty sure i saw a Philips system a few years back, with components connected with infra-red.
  • Reply 2 of 17
    Quote:

    Originally posted by SpcMs

    I'm pretty sure i saw a Philips system a few years back, with components connected with infra-red.



    Problem with infared vs. RF is the requirement for line-of-sight.
  • Reply 3 of 17
    defiantdefiant Posts: 4,876member
    I only listen to music on my computer. Hmm? I should get myself a stereo, so that the computer doesn't have to be running all the time.
  • Reply 4 of 17
    No Components won't be connected wirelessly. Most are in close enough proximity to make wired connections the most efficient.



    The future connectivity will be HDMI www.hdmi.org. Which is one small connecter that supports HDTV and Multichannel Audio.



    I expect Wireless to become an option for real channels however. Reducing the need for long cable runs will benefit many users.
  • Reply 5 of 17
    A High End Stereo is only as good as its connections. I don't think we'll ever see a good component go wireless, and I wouldn't buy it anyway.
  • Reply 6 of 17
    a_greera_greer Posts: 4,594member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by satchmo

    Is this what Rendevous is for? Is Bluetooth possible here?



    no i hope not: interferance is bad enough at unregulated frequencies, the last thing we need is more 50cent taking spectrum - get a licenced band (say 4ghz?) and it is cool but wifi/bluetooth is cloged - on the other hand....a bluetooth ipod could screw with cell phones on the bus, hummmm



    Quote:

    A High End Stereo is only as good as its connections. I don't think we'll ever see a good component go wireless, and I wouldn't buy it anyway.



    this is verry true, why do you think people are so willing to spend 50$+ on monster and alike cables
  • Reply 7 of 17
    Head phone implants... Now that would be a scary thought, especially if they were WiFI...



    Hey, Doc, I can't get this Country music out of my head...
  • Reply 8 of 17
    Anyone remember the Sony Lissa. It was connected via firewire: http://www.hifichoice.co.uk/review_print.asp?ID=1594



    I remeber thinking it was pretty cool.
  • Reply 9 of 17
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,423member
    If the industry is smart they'll move towards integrated units for the general public who don't want to piece together a bunch of disparate units. The problem with this approach before was the heat from amplication. This has been ameliorated by the proliferation of Digital Amps which are much more efficient(small and they generate much less heat per wattage)



    The trend is starting now with



    Sony- SACD/DVD Receiver. 6 channel Amp in one chassis. Easy hookup great sound.



    What I'd like to see



    DVD/SACD/DVD-A with support for MPEG4/AAC/WMA/WM9

    7.1 Digital Amps

    HDMI out with DVD Upscaling

    Ethernet 10/100 for networking external AAC/WMA audio.

    Wireless 802.11e

    Small 20GB HD inside



    All in one nice easy chassis to hook up with one or two cables. Wireless could be used for rear channels ethernet could be used for loading the internal drive with music.
  • Reply 10 of 17
    Quote:

    Originally posted by scavanger

    A High End Stereo is only as good as its connections. I don't think we'll ever see a good component go wireless, and I wouldn't buy it anyway.



    Wireless would work for digital data (CD player to DAC) but you are right about analog connections. To get good sound you need a powerful amp connected to speakers with quality cable.
  • Reply 11 of 17
    Quote:

    Originally posted by jante99

    Wireless would work for digital data (CD player to DAC) but you are right about analog connections. To get good sound you need a powerful amp connected to speakers with quality cable.



    Despite being a bit of an analog nut myself, I'm going to have to disagree here. It may take a little while, but I expect that eventually we'll see amplified speakers integrated with A/D converters, and the digital source will be sent directly to the speakers, perhaps over wireless. This is a pretty straightforward extension of what presently exists in (digital) recording studios, where amplified speakers are common and audio is made digital as early as possible and kept that way as long as possible. There the costs of high-quality A/D converters are likely to keep them out of speakers themselves, but that shouldn't be a barrier for consumer applications. Some day I betcha.
  • Reply 12 of 17
    Lobby your congressman to support Ultra-Wideband so that it get's FCC approval.



    Ultra wideband has the potential to wirelessly transmit data to your high definition TV. Now that's cool.



    Just for the record, I'm an EE who has spent the last few years with my head stuck in signal processing books and journals. UWB is legit.
  • Reply 13 of 17
    Quote:

    Originally posted by jginsbu

    There the costs of high-quality A/D converters are likely to keep them out of speakers themselves, but that shouldn't be a barrier for consumer applications. Some day I betcha.



    But why would any consumer want to buy 5 or 7 DACS when all you need is one? It just seems a little overkill to have your speakers be wireless when normally they are a few feet away from your TV/stereo components. I guess for rear speakers it sort of makes sense but still how far away would those speakers be? And you still need to power the speakers some how so there are always going to be wires.



    If you wanted speakers in every room of your house having wireless would work but you probably will have the speakers in your wall which means you could just as easily use wires to connect the speakers.
  • Reply 14 of 17
    Quote:

    Despite being a bit of an analog nut myself, I'm going to have to disagree here. It may take a little while, but I expect that eventually we'll see amplified speakers integrated with A/D converters, and the digital source will be sent directly to the speakers, perhaps over wireless.





    You have this backwards. I understand what you mean but speakers would contain D/A converters which are cheaper and easier to get right versus A/D converters IMO.



    Quote:

    But why would any consumer want to buy 5 or 7 DACS when all you need is one? I



    Because adding rear channels is a pain. Sure you can go the extra mile and hide the cables but it's work nonetheless.
  • Reply 15 of 17
    Quote:

    Originally posted by jante99

    It just seems a little overkill to have your speakers be wireless when normally they are a few feet away from your TV/stereo components.



    Part of the point is to eliminate the TV/Stereo components as the heart of the system, so you can send audio from any source to the speakers without having to wire things up in a certain way. On this model, the speakers are just nodes on a wireless network: you could send them audio from conventional A/V components or computers or anything else (even the doorbell -- a really loud doorbell!) from any location in the house or beyond. People are already bumping up against the limits of the standard A/V system structure. Of course, standards and protocol will need to be developed to make everything play nice together. But the payoff is a tremendous degree of flexibility. As I said: someday.
  • Reply 16 of 17
    jubelumjubelum Posts: 4,490member
    In a word, yes to the thread question. Wireless is happening. Reminds me of the popular science article from 30+ years ago... "Will TVs ever have remote control capability"



    I can't wait until the Bose line goes all wireless. Next to a neural impant, that is as good as audio life could be.
  • Reply 17 of 17
    amorphamorph Posts: 7,112member
    Keep an eye on IEEE 802.15.



    Wireless FireWire. Ohhhh yeah. 8)
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