Pandora One on Home Audio System

I have been playing my iPod and iPod touch through the Pure I-20 available on amazon for $99 and sometimes less. Bypasses the iPod and puts out a pure digital stream or RCA analog out. I haven't used it in my big system but on the small one Pandora One sounds good. Especially when I play it through a DAC.

I did find the setting for higher quality on the iPod, thanks. Still, it looks like the best I can do that way is 64k per the response to an email I sent to Pandora:

Currently all in-home devices receive 128k MP3 audio. Mobile devices receive a variety of different rates depending on the capability of the device and the network they are on, but never more than 64k AAC+. Pandora on the Web or the Desktop app plays 64k AAC+ for free listeners and 192k for PandoraOne subscribers.

We don't have the resources to do everything we'd like to do all at once. Someday hopefully we can change the Pandora API so in-home devices like yours can receive higher bit-rate audio.

We do have a list of all the Pandora supported devices for your home here: http://www.pandora.com/everywhere/home

Thanks for your patience in the meantime.

I've been researching devices and have narrowed it down to a few. I would have probably been happy with the Squeezebox Touch but Logitech has discontinued it and the prices on the secondary market are ridiculous. I'm considering either the Denon DNP-720AE , the Cambridge Audio Sonata NP30 or the Marantz NA7004 and am leaning toward the Denon as it will do what I want and can be replaced when the technology matures more without throwing away too much money.

Anyone have experience with these and able to make recommendations?

Thanks again.

... and it appears that the best I'll get with any of these will be 128k until Pandora gets around to updating their API. It seems backwards to have the best bitrate available on the web as most people are listening to that through comparatively low fidelity systems, but it is how it is.

OPPO BDP-103 or OPPO BDP-105 will do the trick.

Ill second the Pure i20. Also check out the Sonos ZP90 ($500) at sonos.com.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio