Phorus PR1 Receiver

This receiver sets up easy, has great Wifi range and the sound quality is excellent, BUT the software for the android doesn't allow you to manage a play list. If you have MP3's, it just plays them in alphabetical order. The only way I could somewhat manage the play list was to use separate folders for the songs I want to play together. That means if I want to play the same song in a couple different "play lists", I need to have multiple copies in multiple folders. The product listing was deceptive on this part as it suggests you can be listening to you playlist. I guess that is true, but forget the order. When I called the manufacturer to see if I was missing something, they said that this was the number one complaint and they hope to improve this in a future software update. I had also hoped that I could pipe other audio through the receiver like when watching online video, but it will only play audio from their app. It does have internet radio and a couple online music services, but if you want to manage your own music this just doesn't cut it. You can opt to use bluetooth and other apps that support it while giving up range.

I configured three Phorus PS1's speakers in an eye-doc's office and was so impressed that they can all the same play music simultaneously across different areas of the building from their PC, smartphones and or tablet. I own a dozen blue-tooth devices but was always frustrated with the interference, short distances and the limits of number of speakers/devices that can be connected.Enter Wi-Fi based audio aka Hi-Fi. This concept has several wi-fi audio standards but Play-Fi DTS is open source software so the standard is growing in popularity. The system is so Superior to bluetooth. I choose the phorus RS1 as it was the best and low cost way to inter-connect several legacy stereo systems to the same source device and play all in sync while controlling volume of each play-fi connected system through the device. Of course this only works when you control the wifi network. But the range and quality of wi-fi based "play-fi" is far superior to and more flexible than bluetooth.As I loved the concept of Play-fi I decided to unify a whole house system. At my home I have 5 semi-independent older home stereo's receivers to unify with 4 Phorus PR1 receivers. So I can stream or play local music (for example) from my windows 7 PC in the living-room or several family smartphones and tablets to: 1. garage inside & outdoor front and back yard. 2 old receivers in the same stack were connected with a Y splitter to the 1st PR1 as our 20 something kids have parties in the the garage and I like music while I work in the yard. 2. family room the second PR1 will drive the family room's old sony 7.1 system that does the family room and deck. 3. Basement: the 3rd PR1 will connect the legacy bose home entertainment system in the basement. 4. Desktop: Back in the family room's computer desk I might add a PC speakers to a PR1 or a PS1 speaker. It is a bit confusing but windows OS can only pass sound to one "playback device" at a time. Windows sees your sound card and one "playback device" and your software all for Play-fi DTS as a second device. So for computer speakers you might disconnect them from your sound card and plug them into another Phorus RS1 play-fi receiver.Talking to Phorus tech support, I found that the Phorus RS5 ($150 on amazon) has better capabilities for multi room streaming through Spotify's smartphone app but I am going to save my money and keep the PR1 systems. As with my windows upgrade software code for play-fi dts sfotware I can stream Spotify to multiple rooms. the savings is about $90 per wi-fi receiverAs a bonus this introduced me to the free music service or my Amazon Prime account(s) of which I was aware but had never used despite being a 3 year prime member.The tech world changes quickly so the product's on the shelf will likely need updates. Some can update automatically while others update manually 1st and then automatically later.Instructions provided with the phorus devices are too simple to be true. So hopefully they will post improved instructions at some place like: [...] Meanwhile you can call an excellent Phorus support staff at: (877) 666-4335 Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm Pacific Time or email them.Music sources that show up on my Android Phorus App:Amazon Music, Deezer, iHeartRadio, Internet radio, KKbox, Media Server, Music, Pandora, QQMusic, Raposody, SeriusXM, Songza, and Tital. Have not been able to find my 2 favorites: No Google Play Music, and no podcast addict. However if you connect a windows PC then anything that you could play through the speakers can be played to the phorus system. (google Play only supports thier own special format).The phorus device has it's own branded ios and android app but tech support says they can all be driven by the play-fi app (which I installed on my windows PC's and the Phorus App on my android phone What's more is that the any app controls any play-fi product no matter which brand it is. This is significant as you your home of business may need some wired speakers, some battery powered speakers and maybe a play-fi speaker to share the sound with your older legacy home stereo system. the following manufactures have or are coming out with Play-fi dts products: Aerix, Anthem, Arcam, Asus, Autonomic, Definitive Technology, Dish, Fusion Research, Hewlett-Packard, Klipsch, MartinLogan, McIntosh, Paradigm, Phorus, Polk Audio, Rotel, Sonus faber, SVS, Wadia & WrenSetting up your receiver: 1. Take out of the box 2. For best results place your PR1 receiver device near your router during set up. You can move it later. 3. Connect your receiver to some existing audio System using one of the standard connections included. 4. Connect the power adapter and connect the adapter to power. If your speakers are turned on then you may hear a cheerful couple of tones.How to connect the Play-Fi to the network.You will need a WPS button on your home router and some luck. Or it is easier if you have a wireless laptop (PC or Mac) Tablets might not be compatible until after the network connection is complete.seting us is easiest if your computer or smartphone has built in WiFi. But, during setup if you get stuck search also for these pages which might be hard to find:Phorus, Play-Fi App for Windowsplay-fi: playHow do I set up my Play-Fi System?play-fi: No Play-Fi Devices Detectedplay-fi: Set-Up using a Web Browser

The device does music well. It is the software the software is a tad clunky, poorly developed and not well thought out. On my iPhone it is clunky and is limited to a few specific applications that have to be run inside the Phorus Play-Fi app. This is not so much a problem if all you want to do is within the app. But if you want to run another app, say YouTube, there is no possibility that I can see.The app looses connections periodically when I am well within range and even when my phone is sitting near the device.The app does not remember where it was when you last used it so you have to go through the steps to connect to a speaker and start the app (Pandora, Music, etc) within the Phorus app... Sound confusing? It is.At best the software is cumbersome and unrefined.Then there is the windows version of the app. This is another disappointment. There is a "free version" that does nothing but sending your audio to the speaker (one feature I was hoping the iPhone would have). That is all that it does. There is no way to turn it off that I can see other than stopping the process (which I did right before deleting it). If you want more sophistication you have to pay for it... Like the ability to play music while doing something else. Or play more than one speaker in you house at a time... or even turn it off... :-(This is a not yet ready for prime time device. Hire some software engineers that know what they are doing, and don't try to make money off of the software.. you guys are in the business of selling hardware... use the software to make the hardware look like the great stuff that it is.