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VSSL anyone?
This thread has 4 replies. Displaying all posts.
Post 1 made on Wednesday November 15, 2017 at 18:54
Audiophiliac
Super Member
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I have been wanting to try one of these out. Does anyone have any experience with it? It seems like with the way Spotify, Pandora, and others are going with their native apps, using Airplay or Google Cast, you can listen to whatever you want from your own device, and not be married to a 3rd party device like SONOS (sure...insert HEOS or whatever here).

You get 3 or 6 sources/zones, depending on which one you get. You stream to the room you are in, or group rooms on the fly. You get 2 preouts you can send to an AVR or external amp. These can be linked in software so you could sub-zone if the case warranted it. With the existing C4 and RTI driver, they are saying it becomes an 8x6 matrix amplifier. Not sure if that means you can control grouping within the unit vs. using whatever streaming device you are using as the source or what.

It is basically 6 airport expresses, 6 Chromecasts, and 6 "Spotify Connects", with an amplifier and some bonus features. The only thing I wish it had is a doorbell/page input and trigger. I think they told me that if you stack multiples, zone grouping is limited to zones on a single chassis. So that might be a limitation on larger installs.

Good idea or asking for problems? :)
"When I eat, it is the food that is scared." - Ron Swanson
Post 2 made on Thursday November 16, 2017 at 02:53
Brad Humphrey
Super Member
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2,586
I seen this awhile back.
It is a lazy manufacturing way of not offering much at all. Because you are using everything from you phone/tablet. Which by the way, if you use your phone you run into all the things the SONOS commercials make fun of with these type systems.

Other red flags: You can not download any manuals or firmware from their site. Support tab is just Q&A.

I hope it is dirt cheap. Because you can take any amp and throw a $35 Chromecast Audio on each input and you have the same thing.

I'll pass.
OP | Post 3 made on Thursday November 16, 2017 at 11:23
Audiophiliac
Super Member
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I see your points. I think the marketing behind it is that people already are using the apps on their devices to listen to their music. Whether they are at work, at the gym, shopping, using the cheesy bluetooth speakers around the house, driving, etc. They use the Pandora app to listen to Pandora. They use the Spotify App to listen to Spotify. Apple Music for the Apple geeks. This basically gives them a simple way to do what they already do, but play it anywhere in the house.

It is not as cheap as you would want it to be. Yes, a 12 channel amplifier with 6 Chromecasts or Airport Expresses might accomplish a similar result. I suppose if you combined the cost of the 6 Chromecasts, 6 Airports, which comes to what, a little over $800? Add your favorite 12 channel amplifier, and you might be around the same ballpark, not to mention the mess of power cords, audio cables, etc. you would be forced to deal with. :) Plus you would have to choose Airports OR Chromecasts....you get both with VSSL. Plus Spotify Connect, which must not work via Airplay or GoogleCast?

Anyhow. I am not here to defend or promote the product. Just looking for other opinions. I am sure it is the right tool for the right clients. Just like everything else, it has its place. Interesting concept for sure. Of course in 3 years when Airplay2 comes out or GoogleCast2 rolls out and is not backwards compatible, you are left with a much more expensive paperweight than all the 30-pin iPod docks that got left behind in the wake of Apple's forward thinking. :)
"When I eat, it is the food that is scared." - Ron Swanson
Post 4 made on Thursday November 16, 2017 at 13:57
Brad Humphrey
Super Member
Joined:
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2,586
Last time I did this for an entry level system (using a Chromecast Audio on the input of an amp), all the apps from an iPhone worked. Including Spotify.
The only problem is with Apple specific apps (Apple Music, etc.). That require AirPlay only. Price you pay for using Apple services.
Post 5 made on Thursday November 16, 2017 at 16:06
adamav
Long Time Member
Joined:
Posts:
May 2010
273
On November 16, 2017 at 11:23, Audiophiliac said...
I see your points. I think the marketing behind it is that people already are using the apps on their devices to listen to their music. Whether they are at work, at the gym, shopping, using the cheesy bluetooth speakers around the house, driving, etc. They use the Pandora app to listen to Pandora. They use the Spotify App to listen to Spotify. Apple Music for the Apple geeks. This basically gives them a simple way to do what they already do, but play it anywhere in the house.

It is not as cheap as you would want it to be. Yes, a 12 channel amplifier with 6 Chromecasts or Airport Expresses might accomplish a similar result. I suppose if you combined the cost of the 6 Chromecasts, 6 Airports, which comes to what, a little over $800? Add your favorite 12 channel amplifier, and you might be around the same ballpark, not to mention the mess of power cords, audio cables, etc. you would be forced to deal with. :) Plus you would have to choose Airports OR Chromecasts....you get both with VSSL. Plus Spotify Connect, which must not work via Airplay or GoogleCast?

Anyhow. I am not here to defend or promote the product. Just looking for other opinions. I am sure it is the right tool for the right clients. Just like everything else, it has its place. Interesting concept for sure. Of course in 3 years when Airplay2 comes out or GoogleCast2 rolls out and is not backwards compatible, you are left with a much more expensive paperweight than all the 30-pin iPod docks that got left behind in the wake of Apple's forward thinking. :)

That pretty much sums it up.

What I would also add is the fact that VSSL has six local ( dedicated to ea. zone ) analog line-level inputs , two " global " line level outputs and two analog inputs, so it's a pretty capable audio matrix. Even though It has definitely improved since the initial release, there are still some bugs and minor issues that some may find annoying.

Here's what I like about it :
- sound quality
- ease of use - use your favorite music app ( Pandora,Spotify, iHeart Radio etc. ) to stream / control house audio
- seamless spotify connect integration - it's super fast
- built-in airplay (x6 plus party zone )
- built-in chrome cast (x6 plus party zone )
- local / dedicated analog line-in for ea. zone.
- Control4 IP driver

Here's what I don't like:
- Inabilty to combine / divide streaming audio zones " on the fly " . There is something called " party zone " which basically allows you to create a group of rooms that will be visible as additional airplay or spotify connect zone, but changing rooms in that group requires using VSSL app. With all fairness this is limitation of any music app NOT the device itself. Unfortunately combine / divide ( streaming audio ) via Control4 driver does not work either

Overall it works really well if you have muliple users with their iPhones/androids etc., and they all want to listen to their own music in their own rooms. " Party zone " is a nice work-around but may not be sufficient for some people.


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