deano@yesits.freeserve.co.uk hath wroth:

>I thought it just seemed to follow that a 'wired' solution was
>available that could utilise the same technologies as a 'wireless'
>device, and therefore remove the need for products such as the Airport
>Express, between amp and router.

It probably should exist, but I don't know of one. One of the dumbest
design ideas is the way speaker are attached to audio hardware. It
currently consists of a high power amplifier, driving huge peak
currents, through very heavy wires, into speakers that invariably end
up on the wrong side of the room. Meanwhile, everything else is
running at 0dBm (600ohms) audio. What it should be are powered
speakers, where the power amplifier is inside the speaker, and 0dBm
audio going to the amplifier. However, that's not being done because
there's always a possibility of noise pickup on the coax lines between
the audio source and these speakers. The solution would be a fiber
optic extension, such as Toslink, between all the boxes. Once the
audio is digitized, it can be distributed to anywhere without any
degradation in quality. The problem is that the protocols used to
digitize this audio vary. The original source might be encoded on a
music CD, re-encoded into streaming MP3, packetized into ethernet,
encapsulated into 802.11, and eventually delivered to the speakers,
which have to decode the various layers in order to recover the
original music. That's why you don't see digital component systems
for high end audio and why low end systems tend to be integrated
conglomerations as doing it all in one box is easier.

>My need is very basic, and low-cost, just
>something to listen to while in the downstairs shower, or while cooking
>in the kitchen, other than whatever happens to be playing on the TV, in
>the lounge, to which these speaker zones are currently connected.

Wireless FM broadcast transmitter? You carry the FM receiver with
you. The only catch is that you have no control over what you're
listening to unless you go to whatever is playing and punch buttons.

>If @£80 for an Airport Express and @£50 for a small amp (for each or
>both of the zones) is the cheapest solution, then that's what I'll go
>for! I may even treat myself to a squeezebox after christmas, and when
>I'm really flush, perhaps the Sonos system....

There are also wireless Bluetooth audio systems. Bluetooth 2.0 will
do stereo hi-fi.
<http://www.plantronics.com/north_america/en_US/products/cat1150057/cat5420035/prod29780013>

--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@comix.santa-cruz.ca.us
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558