In the Zone
RATING
HOUSEWIDE audio distribution has evolved rapidly over the past few years, with new systems abandoning traditional music sources like CD changers and terrestrial radio tuners to move almost exclusively to streamed content. When it comes to choosing a multizone music streamer for a system, the buying criteria today often boils down to how many streaming services it supports, app ease of use, and cost.
Sonos is the biggest player in the streaming market by far but creating a four-zone Sonos audio system would require four separate components (either the unpowered Port or powered Amp) at a cost between $1,800 and $2,600. For those on a limited budget who want to fill the various rooms in their home with tunes while using an app to control it all, OSD Black’s SRT4 four-zone media streamer could be music to their ears.
BLACK IS THE NEW BLACK
A bit of background about Black by Optimal Speaker Design. The company’s founder, Dave Chai, had initial success with a direct-to-consumer line of outdoor speakers. He then wanted to provide an affordable indoor high-end audio experience and launched the Black line to that end. Black now includes a
