Everything is moving forward in high gear now for the new AxiomAir (last minute name change). If you go to
www.axiom-air.com you will find the beginnings of the final look and feel of the interface. Clicking on the opening Logo takes you to the main page. We would love to know your thoughts and questions on how it is coming along.
The site graphics reminds me very much of XBMC from 10 years ago.
Working on a mobile site for on the go listening? Site works for phones but is a little unwieldy.
So far the site you have is easy to use and self explanatory - good stuff. Wonder if there is a way to merge the NAS/USB split that you have in the GUI somewhere in a setup menu so the end user doesn't have to remember where their music is - so if the device can contact the NAS and has USB attached it refers to a merged list of music on the 2 sources.
One of the great features of AxiomAir is that you do not need to put all your music in our library to make it work. You could actually set up a Playlist or add to the Coming Up Next list songs from both your NAS and the USB drive. If someone arrived and wanted to play a song resident on their phone they could just join your network and play it. They do not need to load it into your library first.
So you pull from file folders rather than indexing the metadata in the music files?
Technical question: Will the AxiomAir be controllable by software (though REST API, for example)? Or are the calls like Vol+, Vol- straight HTTP or AJAX calls?
The reason is that to be 100% usable with my home servers, I need to control the "receiver/amplifier" portion of the AxiomAir (the content and play can be done using UPnP).
In an all-Apple environment, what would AxiomAir add to existing apps, e.g. Music, Remote, Podcasts? Direct volume control is one thing I can see, but not sure what other advantages AxiomAir would offer.
A merged library display is an interesting idea, and certainly something we can look at. Currently our Favourites and Playlist databases work in a merged manner: you can pull tracks from a variety of sources and they will all appear together.
Thanks for the idea!
Andrew
Working on a mobile site for on the go listening? Site works for phones but is a little unwieldy.
So far the site you have is easy to use and self explanatory - good stuff. Wonder if there is a way to merge the NAS/USB split that you have in the GUI somewhere in a setup menu so the end user doesn't have to remember where their music is - so if the device can contact the NAS and has USB attached it refers to a merged list of music on the 2 sources.
So you pull from file folders rather than indexing the metadata in the music files?
Correct, we index the file folder structure in a flat file database in the background and pull individual file metadata when an action is performed on the specific track (adding to Favourites, Playlist, Playback, etc.). Our music server component is built upon MPD, so much of the data handling is based on that core software.
Thanks,
Andrew
Technical question: Will the AxiomAir be controllable by software (though REST API, for example)? Or are the calls like Vol+, Vol- straight HTTP or AJAX calls?
The reason is that to be 100% usable with my home servers, I need to control the "receiver/amplifier" portion of the AxiomAir (the content and play can be done using UPnP).
I'll pass your specific questions on to our programmer, but in the meantime you could investigate the possibility of integrating your control calls with a standard Linux playback client for MPD. I'm sure that volume controls would be easy to access and one of the great aspects of our system is that it is open source. We welcome programmers and "under the hood" types to experiment and add their own features to our platform, some of which might be of general enough interest to add to the official distribution.
Thanks,
Andrew
In an all-Apple environment, what would AxiomAir add to existing apps, e.g. Music, Remote, Podcasts? Direct volume control is one thing I can see, but not sure what other advantages AxiomAir would offer.
This is a very interesting question and it speaks to one of the core features of our system: flexibility. Within a complete Apple ecosystem, a single AxiomAir could simply be treated as an AirPlay speaker, playing back audio from your iPhone, iPad, or iTunes. You use the interfaces you know and are familiar with and there is no learning curve. The only addition here is fantastic audio quality. However, what if a friend or relative visits with a new song on their device that they really want you to hear, and it happens to be an Android device? You could certainly connect the device to your computer running iTunes and copy over the file, add it to iTunes, and play it back over your existing interface (I won't comment on the legal copyright aspects of doing that!). Hopefully the file is in a format that iTunes can deal with...something like FLAC would need to be converted first, or a plugin added to iTunes. All pretty clunky compared to just streaming the song over uPnP to AxiomAir directly! The other benefit is multi-room. The AirPlay standard does not support multi-room or sync, except in a rudimentary manner from iTunes 10 onward. A whole home system of AxiomAirs can simply connect to your existing iTunes music folder and provide seamless, in sync, whole home audio. So really the choice is in your hands, AxiomAir is flexible enough to allow you to choose how you want to use it.
Thanks,
Andrew
Thanks, Andrew, that all makes sense to me. Do you know yet what the upgrade path and costs will be for existing LFR preamp/amp/DPS's?
Just tried the site from my smart phone. Very good job in making it pretty and usable from a phone. Pass my congrats to you designer.
Here is a link to a video with Andrew explaining the features of the interface
AxiomAir Interface Video
Ian or Andrew, have you figured out how to run a family of curves for the AxiomAir? If so, are you using a DSP in the product to shape the response?
Being that this model of the AxiomAir is a pair of M3s we had most of the hard work already done. We do the family curves based on one channel at a time without the use of a DSP.
I can honestly say it's the best front end to MPD I have ever seen. Software is rock solid but most of the user interfaces are really old school looking. Nice work!
Being that this model of the AxiomAir is a pair of M3s...
I see :-)
Can't wait for it to come out, looks great.
We are finally ready to do the pre-launch of AxiomAir. We thought since it is such an exciting new category of product for us that it not only deserved a new logo but also an exciting new approach to the launch itself. Today AxiomAir goes live on Kickstarter at
AxiomAir
Ian and Andrew, there really is no way I cannot back this project. I know both of you have dedicated your lives to audio. I really do hope one day the industry recognizes all the risks you've taken, the innovations you've spawned and your tireless efforts to offer high end audio to the masses. The videos really did bring tears to my eyes. Here...have all my money...LOL!
OK, I'm embarrassed to admit this, but I will in the thought that there might be other potential customers that are in the same place on the learning curve.
I have all my music ripped to 320kbps MP3s, and they reside on a separate internal drive on my main business computer. I sometimes play those tracks through another computer that's hardwired onto that network, because this second computer ties into my mixing console and Mackie monitors. BUT..... I have some network issues here that haven't allowed every other device to "see" those audio files on the main computer.
So, I buy the new AxiomAir. I sit it in my office and I assume it will play those tracks by retrieving them via wireless. I can also plug in a USB memory stick with tracks, it seems. (Is there a set of RCA line-level inputs to make use of the amp/speaker system from, say, a TV's "audio out"?)
OK, now I move the AxiomAir to my back porch. Let's assume that the WiFi signal strength is still OK for it to retrieve those files from my office PC. I can control these tracks via my Smartphone or a Android Tablet?
But what is the AxiomAir's WiFi hot spot generator doing for me? Aren't I on my
home" WiFi network?
Sorry for the "newbie" questions. I REALLY liked the videos on the Kickstarter page. I want to sign on. But as a neophyte in music streaming, I have to wrap my head around exactly what it will do for me.
BTW, good to see you MoJo!
Oooops- I might have locked on to understanding the WiFi hotspot: If, say, I'm on a beach where I DON'T have access to the music files on my home network, the AxiomAir's WiFi hotspot allows the AxiomAir to pull music off my phone... or from a friend's phone who is there as well.
Do we BOTH have user interfaces? I know the video mentioned interconnect-ability among other people....
I'm exited about this product. I've mentioned before that I have been waiting for it. Although I did end up buying M3s and an VP180 in the mean time. I guess I am not very good at waiting.
Knowing Axiom, I believe I know the answer to this. However, I was just chuckling at a guy at the office here recently who was recently disappointed in a similar Kickstarter scenario to my question.
The way the rewards are worded could be open a bit to interpretation. For instance the 475$ pledge reads,
"You'll get ... AxiomAir at a savings of more than $320!"
Can you please specify if this means...
a.) I will submit a $470 pledge and I will later receive an AxiomAir.
or
b.) I will submit a $470 pledge and I will later have an opportunity to purchase an AxiomAire at 320 off the purchase price?
If I get this wrong, I will have to stop teasing my co-worker and we can't have that.
Hi Mojo,
Thank you so much for your kind words. Audio is such a fun business, challenging and frustrating from time to time, but those times aside it is one of those things that gets into your soul and I love it.
Ian and Andrew, there really is no way I cannot back this project. I know both of you have dedicated your lives to audio. I really do hope one day the industry recognizes all the risks you've taken, the innovations you've spawned and your tireless efforts to offer high end audio to the masses. The videos really did bring tears to my eyes. Here...have all my money...LOL!
Thank you for the VERY kind comments Mojo! It's refreshing to hear, particularly after you have spent nearly three years toiling on a project that your just KNOW is going to bring better portable and wireless sound to everyone. After all, that is what Ian and I do, day in and day out: We try to make peoples lives better and more fulfilled through their enjoyment of music through good sound!
Hi Murph,
It is a). When production begins you get one of the very fist ones to come into existence. At the end of the campaign (late July) we will contact everyone who purchased one on Kickstarter and find out what customization they would like.
Hey Mark,
I'll answer your questions in order:
Yes, our system will retrieve your music files on your main computer over your WiFi network. You also have the option of plugging in an ethernet cable if you have some issue with WiFi in a particular location.
For an analog connection from a TV or any other device with an audio output, there is a 1/8" (3.5mm) jack on the front of the AxiomAir system.
You can control the tracks with our user interface that is available on any web browser.
Looks like you figured out the hotspot.
Any device that is connected to the network where AxiomAir resides (the hotspot or your home WiFi network) can bring up the interface. So yes, each user will have access to the interface.
Thanks for your questions and comments!
Andrew
Fantastic, Andrew! Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions.
I've never really made any use of products to stream audio. I spend my days in front of a traditional system, and have systems in every other room I spend any time in at all.
But the AxiomAir intrigues me with it's well-thought out capability. I just might have to try to find a use for one!
Thanks for clarifying Ian. I knew Axiom would never be as sneaky as this other campaign I mentioned. Your wording was just strikingly similar. Luckily, buddy at work here is only out $65.
EDIT:
And done. Summer on the deck will finally have tunage without dragging M60s out the door.
Great looking product - congratulations on all of your hard work. The M3 heart of the system should really sound fine.
The tremendous capabilities of this unit really highlights what kind of a dinosaur I am. I still play only CD/SACDs & have never downloaded nor streamed music ever.
I wouldn't know where to begin!! So I'll start with one burning question. Since I have such a large collection of CDs, could my favourite few be just copied to a USB Stick & played that way? I realize that the files would be large & would eat up USB space pretty quickly.
Any hints on getting into downloading or streaming music (I can't believe that I'm making such a leap!!) would be appreciated...
TAM
I am very interested in backing the project. A few questions.
I have a good 2TB of music in FLAC sitting on a Synology NAS. Right now I am using the Synology DS Audio to stream music to my iPad and Nexus tablet. I know I am not getting the best sound out of that but it's wireless. I also have a windows HTPC running FooBar2000 that maps to my music share.
How does the AxiomAir connect to a network computer? or NAS? am I setting it up in the same wifi and then putting in my login credentials using CIFS or SMB or AFP?? You mention on the kickstart about UPnP but that would be a method to stream to the unit from another user interface device. When I am sitting outside 'chillin' I'd still want the best sound quality possible. Does the Air act as the central processor pulling the music from the sources, or is it just a receiving device with a speaker/amp to simply play the music?
Lot's of questions all in there... but might as well get the technical out the way as I am taking the leap with knowledge and experience with your other products that it will sound good.
Mark, I'll be using it on the deck, at the park, at work, at friends' places,...
BTW, it looks like Ian didn't ask for enough money :-).
Can someone show me where the slot is for my eight tracks?
Dinosaur or not, I just pledged at $475...
TAM
Question, what type of battery is powering this unit?
Don't forget to order port plugs :-).
I have a new problem now. I can't decide on the colors. I might have to get one of each.
Great looking product - congratulations on all of your hard work. The M3 heart of the system should really sound fine.
The tremendous capabilities of this unit really highlights what kind of a dinosaur I am. I still play only CD/SACDs & have never downloaded nor streamed music ever.
I wouldn't know where to begin!! So I'll start with one burning question. Since I have such a large collection of CDs, could my favourite few be just copied to a USB Stick & played that way? I realize that the files would be large & would eat up USB space pretty quickly.
Any hints on getting into downloading or streaming music (I can't believe that I'm making such a leap!!) would be appreciated...
TAM
Hey TAM,
Thanks for the kind words!
It's a VERY simple process to "rip" your CDs and transfer the files to a USB stick. Plug the stick into the front of the AxiomAir and you're good to go. I'm a big fan of a program called dBPoweramp. They have a free trial and it will rip your CD to any file format you like, along with setting up all the CD information and the cover art. If you use something like dBPoweramp you can convert your CD to FLAC or ALAC which will result in much smaller files, and you will lose no fidelity.
One other great capability of the AxiomAir is the ability to play FREE webradio stations. There are thousands available in any musical genre you can name, and many have excellent sound quality.
Andrew
I have a new problem now. I can't decide on the colors. I might have to get one of each.
The beauty is that you have a month to decide!
How does the AxiomAir connect to a network computer? or NAS? am I setting it up in the same wifi and then putting in my login credentials using CIFS or SMB or AFP?? You mention on the kickstart about UPnP but that would be a method to stream to the unit from another user interface device. When I am sitting outside 'chillin' I'd still want the best sound quality possible. Does the Air act as the central processor pulling the music from the sources, or is it just a receiving device with a speaker/amp to simply play the music?
Hi Matt,
AxiomAir connects to your NAS or shared network drive through SMB/CIFS or NFS if you're a Linux user.
One of the great features of AxiomAir is that it is BOTH a music server, and a receiver. So you can connect it to your entire music library when you are in the house, with AxiomAir indexing and serving up anything in that library, and then go outside by the pool and stream some tunes from your phone directly to the system. In most cases out there wireless speakers are either servers or receivers...ours is both!
Thanks,
Andrew
Damn it, Andrew. Why weren't the top colors implemented in software?
Are those the die cast high-powered woofers I spy in there?
So I am to take it that if you get your $75k in backing, that you will make this product. Over the past hour, I have seen the pledge number double, and if it keeps up, you'll get that before the day it through.
Andrew, the only thing missing from this little beauty is high fidelity bass. I understand the physics but at least let the first 40Hz of usable bandwidth escape to my ears through a subwoofer jack. It would be so sweet if you offered that and even more sweet if you freed the woofers from that duty when a sub is plugged in. Pretty please...I haven't asked for anything from you guys for years:-). I'll pay more!
Feature Suggestion: For people with teenagers, it might be worth considering having a maximum volume that could be unlocked with a pin. That way, it only gets as loud as you want, but could be unlocked when you leave the house!
Andrew:
Thanks for the info. Now I start another journey into this wonderful pastime where I thought that I would never go.
I look forward to meeting you in Sep at the bash - if you aren't totally burnt out by then, ha!!
TAM
Just thought I'd drop in to say this speaker looks pretty neat!
Just made a pledge and hope you guys surpass your goal. This is just what I was looking for and more, bravo!
Ian On the technical video at the 1:36 mark the section with Vlad Muller, he talks about the customizable grill that I do see as an option at the bottom of kickstarter. But then he goes on to talk about anodized aluminium.
I gathered from the kickstarter the unit comes in black or white. Can we get a unit in Anodized Aluminium too? That would be totally awesome with a custom real wood top.
I know that your site doesn't say real wood.. If it isn't, can we talk about getting a template for the top section so I can cut my own. I have a really nice piece of cocobolo sitting in my woodshop that would make a wicked top for my unit. Get me the shape I need and I will cut it out and ship it up for you to put onto mine.
Been away for a bit doing the doctor thing again. But this is really sweet looking. Very slick design. Sadly I have more important commitments right now but congrats to Axiom for putting together such a nice piece. Hope you guys get the recognition you deserve.
I was thinking of the anodized aluminum too. But then I had a closer look at the black and I have to say I really think the drivers look wicked through the grill. I hope the drivers are black and have an inverted dust cap.
Also, one more question. On the axiom air web interface link that is on page 1. you have radio and radio favourites. what radio options are going to ship default with the unit? will is support things like spotify ??
Andrew, regarding the UI, the master volume will be a frequently used control. The usability would be improved if we didn't have to scroll the page to access it.
Hi Matt,
We were thinking of a selection of anodized aluminium tops.
The top on AxiomAir is actually removable by the owner if you want to switch it out at any time.
The stock tops are black or white gloss plastic, the wooden tops are real wood. For the one you take outside all the time the stock top is the most water resistant.
Please let us know the amp-hr rating of the battery...or even better...the discharge curves.
Info on the mini-projector would be great. I could maybe use that on the deck or in the living room.
Ian On the technical video at the 1:36 mark the section with Vlad Muller, he talks about the customizable grill that I do see as an option at the bottom of kickstarter. But then he goes on to talk about anodized aluminium.
I gathered from the kickstarter the unit comes in black or white. Can we get a unit in Anodized Aluminium too? That would be totally awesome with a custom real wood top.
I know that your site doesn't say real wood.. If it isn't, can we talk about getting a template for the top section so I can cut my own. I have a really nice piece of cocobolo sitting in my woodshop that would make a wicked top for my unit. Get me the shape I need and I will cut it out and ship it up for you to put onto mine.
You should check your email. They are offering free real-wood upgrades to the unit for existing customers.
Hi Andrew. Will the 150W supply for audio be shared with the charging system for the battery? I'm hoping you have a separate charger board with its own switching transformer or at least a well-filtered winding off the main switching transformer.
OK, this likely flies in the face of the very point of having the AxiomAir, but.....
Is there an output from the DAC stage? In other words, can I sit it next to a receiver that otherwise doesn't have networking capability to allow the wireless reception of sources, but feed said sources into my big system?
The initial thought that I had was in my workshop, but this is too nice to be exposed to the sawdust that I raise twice a year(!). I wondered it it could be used as a source-only to the receiver and old DJ speakers I keep down there, allowing the A^A to sit in a dust-free box.
Yes, I'm already starting to abbreviate it's name.
Still trying to justify this to the CFO.
Edit: Along the dame lines, is there a headphone jack?
The way I see it, if you want to use headphones, just use your phone. Now a sub out jack...that's a different story. I'm going to be listening to 150 clean watts through drivers that have a family of curves so depriving me of subbage is a mortal sin!
Sorry Mark. Are you still glad I'm back :-)?
I should also explain that I don't listen to a quarter watt anymore. I need power, baby! :-)
Hi Andrew. Will the 150W supply for audio be shared with the charging system for the battery? I'm hoping you have a separate charger board with its own switching transformer or at least a well-filtered winding off the main switching transformer.
What I was told when I phoned Axiom about batteries, the unit charges the batteries on the same circuit, but not at the expense of the power requirements for the amp. So, if you have the unit full on, then the batteries will be getting a dribble charge.
Hmmm...I see. Thanks. I can live with that. If I detect any sonic differences while the batteries are charging, I'll pop them out for the listening session. It's a bit of a hassle but the alternative is worse :-).
How about a PureDirect mode that disables the charger?
Or, why don't you plug the unit into the wall and let the batteries fully charge before listening it it?? Or seeing as the batteries for the unit are optional, don't buy the batteries and run it off the mains power all the time. Then you won't have to worry about any potential loss from power getting diverted from the power supply to play your music.
I need the batteries for nice days when I go to parks. Then when I get back home, I might want to listen to it while the batteries are charging.
In anticipation of the AxiomAir, has anyone dealt with this FLAC downloading service based in the UK? It seems to have a quite extensive library including SACDs:
https://allflac.com/Or are there other ones closer to home that may be as good?
TAM
No, but that's a good find, Tom.
Do I have this right? I can download entire albums for a couple of bucks?
I don't really know as I haven't tried it yet - but it seems so...
TAM
Ya, I just sampled it - it rocks. Can't go wrong for less than 2 bucks!!
TAM
Now Tom...why would you want to sacrifice that bass if you were listening to the AxiomAir? Imagine how complete the AxiomAir would sound with one of them there EP400s sucking that suuuhhhweeet bass out of it!
We just have to get Andrew to see it our way.
.why would you want to sacrifice that bass if you were listening to the AxiomAir? Imagine how complete the AxiomAir would sound with one of them there EP400s sucking that suuuhhhweeet bass out of it!
And does your Sub also use batteries so that you get all that bass when you are out at the park??
Perhaps you should invest in a pair of EP800's and some LFR1100 with an ADA1500-4 for your home so you can get a feeling of what really good sound is like,
No sub at the park. Just on my deck as I said before.
I'm really liking how the AxiomAir is turning out. I know I'll regret not snagging one at the introductory price, but I have too many other immediate expenses. Perhaps waiting won't be such a bad thing. As has been mentioned, this wasn't planned as a single product, but as a platform, so I'm looking forward to seeing what else is in store.
Hi Mark,
Do you mean something like this below that contains just the Pi and the DAC? Thereby allowing you to make any of your "wired" systems work like the AxiomAir.
Ian, thank you so much for the response! I wasn't thinking so much of a separate unit as much as maybe an optical out or even a 1/8" headphone/line level output from the existing design, allowing it to operate as a full-function standalone piece or as a receiving source for a bigger system as well.
Of course, I was only thinking along these lines for economy of production; I have no idea of the market for a device like that above, since I'm only now wrapping my head around the uses for a product like the AxiomAir.
I was talking to Joyce about it last night and likened the A^A to a TiVo...which we adopted to pretty early. We found that when we tried to explain to others how TiVo changed the way we watched TV, many couldn't really wrap their heads fully around it. I think it took using one for a few weeks before you realized that you could totally re-think how your TV is used to watch broadcasted shows.
My gut feeling is that a product like the AxiomAir will change the way I listen to, and enjoy, music.... even if I'm not sure how yet!
Ian, my use case for this AxiomAir gateway would be my soon-to-be dedicated two-channel set-up. My amplifier for this set-up is functionally minimal. It has RCA inputs, no optical or HDMI but surprisingly, it has a USB input for MP3 players. I see the gateway has RCA outputs for interfacing to my amp.
I would love to have a subwoofer in my two-channel (2.1?) set-up but I don't have a sub out from the amp. If you had a sub out jack on the gateway, you'd open up the possibility of me buying a sub.
In fact, you may be able to treat more ears to your subwoofers if you had a sub out on the AxiomAir.
As for my main system, I can't see how I would use this gateway. There isn't enough of a differentiator between my Onk and the AxiomAir at this time.
I also have some input on the market about subs but I will send you an e-mail about that.
Do you mean something like this below that contains just the Pi and the DAC? Thereby allowing you to make any of your "wired" systems work like the AxiomAir.
I would find a use for something like this.
Question for the kickstarter. It doesn't say if we are getting billed in CAD or USA? The price difference with an exchange rate does add up to a good $130+ difference between the two currencies.
Hi Mark,
Do you mean something like this below that contains just the Pi and the DAC? Thereby allowing you to make any of your "wired" systems work like the AxiomAir.
Ian,
It would be interesting to see if there is any demand for the Pi, DAC, AND AMP in a self contained package. I have a pair of M3's being driven by an old receiver and an Apple Airport Express for streaming. It would be great to get rid of the old beast, and replace it with this - It would fit the bill perfectly. Plus the power upgrade wouldn't hurt either.
Ian, in thinking about the above design you posted, I realize that it WOULD be something I would be interested in as well, although the form factor being similar to the AxiomAir is not necessary in my case.
I was thinking last night that such a unit, at a reduced cost without the amp, drivers, crossover and possibly the elegant form factor would allow someone like me (who has multiple "traditional" systems everywhere I spend any time) to STILL offer room-to-room "whole house" music continuity at a less-expensive cost than buying a full AxiomAir for each location.
I guess this is really what a SONOS system offers....I've never really checked into that. But it would keep within the A^A architecture and GUI interface.
Well, I kicked my starter in the butt and bought one.
Hi Matt,
It is all in USD at Kickstarter but we are including the GST/HST everywhere in Canada.
I was beginning to think these conversations were taking the usual path of "please turn your new product into more than most people afford because we all want our wishlist added.....".
Then looking at the image of the separate DAC, I realized there is an opportunity for add-ons. That way we can have both.
All I really wanted was a really good sounding wireless speaker system. Then I realized my Squeezebox has aged a lot. It aged well but must be nearing failure. A separate DAC to feed my upstairs stereo and keep it synchronized with the AxiomAire out on the deck would be something I would eventually buy.
It solves my current weakness of really only playing music inside or outside right now. And if it's a separate unit, it becomes flexible in both it's positioning and pricing.
Marketing idea:
Set up a tunage filled NAS at September's event accommodations and put a unit in every room with an offer to purchase it (then or after production) at a discounted price. I doubt security of the devices would be an issue with this type of crowd but it could be worked into the security deposit with the help of the accommodations.
If nothing else, it would be the topic of conversation all weekend.
It solves my current weakness of really only playing music inside or outside right now.
What other choices do the rest of us have?
Edit: I knew what you meant, Andy!
Do want. But I can't justify the expense at the moment.
I'm with Murph, though. I am still using a Squeezebox and definitely looking for some other method for streaming. So a unit with the Pi and DAC is very interesting.
It solves my current weakness of really only playing music inside or outside right now.
What other choices do the rest of us have?
Edit: I knew what you meant, Andy!
I was thinking that a lot of people have Sonos, or Sonos style, setups where music is synced across multiple portable speakers or portable amps. I'm sure some of these people must use the technology outside.
Ian. Are we going to get the system specs for the new air at some point like we have for all your other speakers? ie, the SPL freq resp graph and +/-3 db range?
I had a good chuckle as Sonos when someone on their forum asked about the frequency response for the Play 5 and was told by one of the company reps:
You're correct, we don't post those specifics. We've found that in most cases with multiple, independently amplified speakers all contained in one unit a simple frequency measurement isn't going to give you a very good idea on how it sounds. We encourage everyone to listen for themselves and make their minds up.
I just think to Dr. Floyd Toole, and well, frequency graphs do give you an idea as to how the speaker will sound.
Ian. Are we going to get the system specs for the new air at some point like we have for all your other speakers? ie, the SPL freq resp graph and +/-3 db range?
I had a good chuckle as Sonos when someone on their forum asked about the frequency response for the Play 5 and was told by one of the company reps:
You're correct, we don't post those specifics. We've found that in most cases with multiple, independently amplified speakers all contained in one unit a simple frequency measurement isn't going to give you a very good idea on how it sounds. We encourage everyone to listen for themselves and make their minds up.
I just think to Dr. Floyd Toole, and well, frequency graphs do give you an idea as to how the speaker will sound.
Just look at an Axiom M3 frequency response graph. That's basically what it is. It would be measuring the same tweeter and the same 6.5' drive unit that is in the Air (same crossover etc). The only thing that should differ greatly is below the Schroeder frequency. The specs state the same frequency response but with the larger box of the ported M3 bookshelf, the amplitude it can put out at the low end should be greater than the Air.
Just look at an Axiom M3 frequency response graph. That's basically what it is. It would be measuring the same tweeter and the same 6.5' drive unit that is in the Air (same crossover etc). The only thing that should differ greatly is below the Schroeder frequency. The specs state the same frequency response but with the larger box of the ported M3 bookshelf, the amplitude it can put out at the low end should be greater than the Air.
I don't think so as it's all packaged in a completely different shaped box with a different orientation of the speakers. If what you said was true, then the upper part of the graphs would all be identical between the M2, M3, M22. They are not.
Just look at an Axiom M3 frequency response graph. That's basically what it is. It would be measuring the same tweeter and the same 6.5' drive unit that is in the Air (same crossover etc). The only thing that should differ greatly is below the Schroeder frequency. The specs state the same frequency response but with the larger box of the ported M3 bookshelf, the amplitude it can put out at the low end should be greater than the Air.
I don't think so as it's all packaged in a completely different shaped box with a different orientation of the speakers. If what you said was true, then the upper part of the graphs would all be identical between the M2, M3, M22. They are not.
I don't think it would be measured as a stereo pair. The upper parts of the graph between the models are different probably because of the use of different configurations, crossover point between the midrange/woofer and HF unit, crossover slope etc. I think all these factors would have an impact on the summed frequency response.
On the kickstarter Q/A it was posted
Our DAC module is based on the 32bit/384kHz capable PCM5102A from Ti. We have put a significant amount of effort into designing extremely low noise analog power supplies and isolating the DAC from noise generated by the Pi.
but Andrew posted on CanukAudioMart
There is a dedicated, high quality DAC capable of high resolution files up to 24bit/192kHz in the AxiomAir. It uses ultra low noise analog power supplies and is connected to the Pi via I2S. This is a far better method than using a USB DAC as the Pi has some bus limitations that compromise it for audio use.
Not to pick fault, but what DAC are we getting. I'd rather have the 32/384 PCM5102A unit.. or is it that but in real integration in the system, it will only run at 24/192?
Hi Matt,
The DAC is theoretically capable of 32bit/384kHz, but our current implementation is only stable up to 24bit/192kHz. We are continuing to test even higher resolutions, but until we start to see available material at higher resolutions become commonplace it will be fairly low on the priority list.
Thanks,
Andrew
Only 11 more left of the original 200 ($475 pledge) and then some of the multiple buys. I find it very interesting to see how pledges seem to pop up every so often. You will get a spurt and have 3-4 new ones added, then it may be 3-4 hours then another pops up.
Andrew. As we are still in the pre-production stage... have you thought of adding something like this
Wolfson Audio Card onto that air. It would then make it a multi media powerhouse as it could be integrated into a higher audio system, and allow for external devices to stream into it.
Just a thought as it's already designed and built.
Reserved mine! October seems so far away now...
Andrew. As we are still in the pre-production stage... have you thought of adding something like this
Wolfson Audio Card onto that air. It would then make it a multi media powerhouse as it could be integrated into a higher audio system, and allow for external devices to stream into it.
Just a thought as it's already designed and built.
Hi Matt,
Well, there are a few reasons why we won't use this or any other existing DAC, and I'll detail them below. But first, what do you think it would bring to the table to make AxiomAir into a multimedia power house? The digital input?
On to why we won't use this solution:
Our dedicated DAC is already designed, tested, and prototyped and it offers excellent performance.
The Wolfson solution does not use ultra low noise power supplies.
The Wolfson solution is only capable of 24bit/48kHz.
The Wolfson solution is only compatible with Raspberry Pis that are now two generations old.
And finally, Wolfson has little to no support of the background Kernel changes required to make this board/chip work correctly with the Pi. Check out comments on various forums.
Thanks,
Andrew
You guys are really making me want one. Horrible timing.
Well done, Andrew!
You guys are really making me want one. Horrible timing.
Yeah, I'm thinking I may be suckered into getting one. It may end up going to my dad, since I think he would get a ton more use out of it, but I could definitely see borrowing it for taking to the park or wherever.
I'm going to use mine mostly as a high quality kitchen radio & occasionally a music machine being run through my nearby Toshiba Laptop.
My present 'real radio' (Tivoli) just doesn't get good reception from my radio stations in Vancouver or Bellingham, WA (~100 miles away) where it is situated now at the wrong end of the house for reception...
TAM
Andrew. you are correct in wanting the best clean sound that you can get from the unit. I read a post on another forum where someone wanted a digital in and did a quick search and found that.
But thinking about it more, I would rather have a product that does the 1 thing it was really designed to do very well, than trying to make it into a does everything box but will end up doing it all half assed.
I don't know if it was the AxiomAir or another product, but I read recently of a shutoff timer and wake up to music timer. Was that the A^A?
Hi Mark,
Do you mean something like this below that contains just the Pi and the DAC? Thereby allowing you to make any of your "wired" systems work like the AxiomAir.
I'm old, slow and just left the '90s. How is this different from a Pi with spdif out to talk to a receiver (your main system)?
That is what I was looking at as a replacement for streaming music to my 2808 now that the desktop that I was using is dead.
I don't know if it was the AxiomAir or another product, but I read recently of a shutoff timer and wake up to music timer. Was that the A^A?
Now that I would really like! Then I could wake up every morning to Pink Floyd's Time.
Come one people.. just another 6k more to go so that we can crack that $150,000 mark and get Ian happy. ( 106k and he'll be ecstatic ).
Do want. But I can't justify the expense at the moment.
I'm with Murph, though. I am still using a Squeezebox and definitely looking for some other method for streaming. So a unit with the Pi and DAC is very interesting.
I'm currently using a Pi with a DAC very similar to the picture Ian posted. The Pi runs a Linux distribution called Squeezeplug, which includes a Squeezebox and Airport emulators. The DAC is also connected via 12S, and it's all in a
nice perspex case. It's from a small Scottish company called IqAudio.
Having said that, I'm totally blown away by the AxiomAir! I'll see if I can scrape together enough to back it.
Shane
So i see that one of the options for later purchase is a battery. Does this mean for the $495 price it does not include a battery and must be plugged in or is the upgrade for an extra or extended life battery?
Been following this for awhile but I've been away for a month. Couple of Q before I consider dropping for a multi pack
1) I'd want to control this all from JRiver's Media Center, so:
- what protocol can I use to "push" to the speakers (DLNA / Airplay / Other)?
- is there any quality issue using DLNA (etc) to push media over the speakers pulling from the server
- can I config them (through the Axiom Air App) to appear as one or a group of speakers?
- if configured as a group how does multi room sync work, and what protocol/system do you use between to keep them in sync?
2) Networking Qs
- Wifi Hotspot : one issue if using the WiFi hotspot on Axiom Air is I presume both the speaker and the device then loses access to the Main House network so your media must be on either the device or the Axiom USB port.... or ???
- Will the Axiom Air auto pick Ethernet over Wifi without reconfiguration (eg if my Axiom Air mostly lives on Ethernet but I unplug it to do portable will it then grab my WiFi that I've previously configured then return to Ethernet when plugged back in)?
Thanks
Nathan
Been following this for awhile but I've been away for a month. Couple of Q before I consider dropping for a multi pack
1) I'd want to control this all from JRiver's Media Center, so:
- what protocol can I use to "push" to the speakers (DLNA / Airplay / Other)?
- is there any quality issue using DLNA (etc) to push media over the speakers pulling from the server
- can I config them (through the Axiom Air App) to appear as one or a group of speakers?
- if configured as a group how does multi room sync work, and what protocol/system do you use between to keep them in sync?
2) Networking Qs
- Wifi Hotspot : one issue if using the WiFi hotspot on Axiom Air is I presume both the speaker and the device then loses access to the Main House network so your media must be on either the device or the Axiom USB port.... or ???
- Will the Axiom Air auto pick Ethernet over Wifi without reconfiguration (eg if my Axiom Air mostly lives on Ethernet but I unplug it to do portable will it then grab my WiFi that I've previously configured then return to Ethernet when plugged back in)?
Thanks
Nathan
Great questions. So does this mean I couldn't stream spotify on my wifi and be connected to my axiom air at the same time?
Thank you, Shane. That is very interesting.
Great questions. So does this mean I couldn't stream spotify on my wifi and be connected to my axiom air at the same time?
That question is not as simple to answer. The AA can make it's own network if there is not any other around to connect to.
Where the fun part comes in is if you want to stream music from your phone that is already streaming from another source. This might be a functional limitation of the phone and it's ability to have both a cell connection to the internet and connect to an external wifi at the same time. I don't believe that my LG phone can do that. However, I can turn my cell phone into a wifi hot spot, and then there would be a wifi network that the AA could connect to rather than make it's own adhoc one. But then you sort of give up the multiple people.
Ian, let's cut to the chase: Will there be blue LEDs?
This thread is a very good example as to why I just can't jump on board with the AxiomAir. I love the idea. I love the look of it. But beyond that, there's too many unknowns. And this is not some cheap speaker. Even at the kickstarter costs it's over $600 CDN!! And after that they say $300 more? Holy @#$%
Now I get it. This isn't some Logitech, Bose or Philips fidelio nonsense. With no reviews to go by, no specifics on the gui, no real battery tests, and no idea what this is actually going to sound like.....you get where I'm going with this.
I would love to try it, but something tells me to not try the 1st gen. I know I'm paranoid. Axiom makes great stuff, so there's that to consider but this is also Axiom's first attempt at such a thing as well.
I understand your feeling, and trust me, I am feeling them too. But I did make the commitment. I guess there is that hope it will sound good, but reality is there isn't something to benchmark it against.
You are correct that $600+ is quite a hefty price tag for a remote speaker. I know we all love to put on the audiophile hat, but at some point we make compromises. Like have you replaced the audio system inside your car and upgraded the soundproofing and put in acoustic treatments to make it the best is possibly can? Or do you just live with the car sounding like a car because it makes little sense to try and change it?
I don't know if I really need a $600 portable speaker for carrying around outside. I just hope that I do get some great enjoyment out of the investment.
It's unfortunate, but I won't be able to gather the funds before the campaign is over. I know what you're all saying about 1st gen. I'll catch them in the next round.
I heard a fully mocked up prototype and I heard one of their "in progress" testbed (blind A/B test) and it does sound very nice, and connectivity was really slick. That was back in February when I was at Axiom. I just remember how much emphasis was going into the testing,electronically, acoustically, and using human ears with one goal in mind... to get it right the first time.
So i see that one of the options for later purchase is a battery. Does this mean for the $495 price it does not include a battery and must be plugged in or is the upgrade for an extra or extended life battery?
Hi,
The AxiomAir does not come with a battery, it is optional and can be added for a discounted $68 if you back our Kickstarter. We did it this way because many people will never make use of the battery, so we are passing on the savings to that crowd. One thing that everyone should keep in mind is that the battery is expensive for a reason. With a true 150 watt amplifier inside, we need an extremely large capacity battery pack. We are using the latest LiFePO4 battery technology for less weight and longer life. This is not your typical $15 pack for powering a 10 watt amplifier!
Thanks,
Andrew
Hi Nathan,
For pushing audio to the AxiomAir you can use either AirPlay or uPnP/DLNA. If you have higher than CD resolution files uPnP/DLNA is the preferred method as the AirPlay standard does not really support highrez. You can group multiple AxiomAirs in any way you wish by using our web interface. Our system for sync is a proprietary protocol.
The hotspot is really only for use when you do not have access to your home WiFi network. When using the hotspot you can stream music files from a connected device, or from a USB drive. If your phone supports it, you can stream from the cloud using cellular data while connected to the WiFi hotspot. Ethernet is automatically given priority and the system will fall back to the WiFi connection when your LAN is disconnected.
Thanks,
Andrew
This thread is a very good example as to why I just can't jump on board with the AxiomAir. I love the idea. I love the look of it. But beyond that, there's too many unknowns. And this is not some cheap speaker. Even at the kickstarter costs it's over $600 CDN!! And after that they say $300 more? Holy @#$%
Now I get it. This isn't some Logitech, Bose or Philips fidelio nonsense. With no reviews to go by, no specifics on the gui, no real battery tests, and no idea what this is actually going to sound like.....you get where I'm going with this.
I would love to try it, but something tells me to not try the 1st gen. I know I'm paranoid. Axiom makes great stuff, so there's that to consider but this is also Axiom's first attempt at such a thing as well.
Hi newf,
I happy to answer any questions that you might have that we have not covered. I believe that our reputation speaks for itself in terms of our ability to engineer great sounding amplifiers and loudspeakers. The performance of the AxiomAir is on par with a pair of our M3 bookshelf speakers driven with a powerful amplifier. Our DAC technology has been outlined and we have been open about the software we are developing. I'm not sure what part of the UI is an unknown...we have a full video on our Kickstarter page showing the operation of the UI in detail, and yes, we have performed numerous tests on various battery pack samples. We have fully operational prototype systems and reviews will be in the works once we have production representative samples. Please let me know if there is something that we have not made clear and I'll be happy to answer!
Thanks,
Andrew
And? Blue LED lights?
And? Blue LED lights?
At least one Mark!
My buddies and I purchased the AxiomAir purely on faith. Once I watched the video on Kickstarter and had a chance to wrap my head around what was being engineered, as an audiophile, I not only supported it, I evangelized it. I saw what Ian and Andrew were trying to do and I bought into that vision.
As for the cost, there's only one thing that can drive it down and that's volume. It's a shame actually that Axiom doesn't do a better job of exposing to the world the emotion and experience its products are capable of delivering. Why is it that after 5 or 6 years on the market, the EP800 is still one of Axiom's best-kept secrets?
As for the cost, there's only one thing that can drive it down and that's volume. It's a shame actually that Axiom doesn't do a better job of exposing to the world the emotion and experience its products are capable of delivering. Why is it that after 5 or 6 years on the market, the EP800 is still one of Axiom's best-kept secrets?
I don't think it is as simple as that. To the general masses, there just is not desire for great sound. Apple did a great number to music in making portability over quality.. most think that 128mp3 through earbuds is as good as they need.
Gone are the days of Audio trade shows where manufacturers show case their latest speaker design and beauty paired with quality are able to sell. My hope with the air is that it keeps companies like Axiom alive and profitable long enough for when the resurgence of the Audiophile comes back into vogue there will be around to truly prosper and deliver the promise to the new masses.
It's not about great sound. It's about the emotion...the experience. My buddies aren't audiophiles. But they were moved by the first video on the Kickstarter page. Of course when they get it, and listen to it, the sound will reinforce the experience the video talked about and the circle for the listener will close.
I believe this is the mistake Axiom is making. Advertising has to be engineered.
Hi Nathan,
For pushing audio to the AxiomAir you can use either AirPlay or uPnP/DLNA. If you have higher than CD resolution files uPnP/DLNA is the preferred method as the AirPlay standard does not really support highrez. You can group multiple AxiomAirs in any way you wish by using our web interface. Our system for sync is a proprietary protocol.
The hotspot is really only for use when you do not have access to your home WiFi network. When using the hotspot you can stream music files from a connected device, or from a USB drive. If your phone supports it, you can stream from the cloud using cellular data while connected to the WiFi hotspot. Ethernet is automatically given priority and the system will fall back to the WiFi connection when your LAN is disconnected.
Thanks,
Andrew
Thanks Andrew - Sounds good. Final couple of Q's:
- If I group the AxiomAirs will they then appear as one DLNA/UPnP device on the network and handle in sync playback between themselves?
- If I group the AxiomAirs will they then appear as one Airplay device on the network and handle in sync playback between themselves?
- Is there a Line Level or headphone out (so I can occasionally feed a PA system from one of the AA)
- I understand the Airplay quality limits, but do you support 24/192 bit over DLNA/UPnP ?
Thanks
Nathan
Thinking about it - it would be good to also be ably to by an "Axiom Air Upgrade" that just had the Pi/DAC etc so you could connect the smarts to an existing system making it part of the Axiom Air ecosystem. An idea for later?
Thanks
Nathan
I am in with the kickstarter . Now where is that fancy link to the free Flac files ? I am suprised you guyz dont have a forum built for the quality files for sharing .I am willing to rip some of my cd collection to flac
I need to start building a nice audio library again . The MP3,s just dont cut it anymore .
I just re-read all the info on the AxiomAir and re-watched all the videos. This thing is going to be awesome!
Being in Canada, every morning I cringe as the price of this unit goes up and up and up.
RIGHT ON!!!!
A subwoofer output! Ian and Andrew ROCK!
Andrew you really deserve that ring. You lived up to your ritual of the calling of an engineer and didn't strand that first 30 Hz.
Wooooohooooo!!!!!
I might buy one of those pre-amp modules if it has the right I/O. Please let us know what the I/O is when available.
So, when you buy one on Kickstarter, are you charged right away or upon delivery?
I believe you are charged when the project is "started". In this case, "started" = in 3 days.
As for the pre-amp module, please include sub out on that as well. One of the use cases of the module is to "modernize" vintage or minimalist set-ups which lack a sub out.
I am seriously thinking of pulling out as just because of the exchange rate change over the past month, the cost of this unit has jumped for us from $545 CAD to $604 CAD.
I don't know if I can stomach and additional 13% price hike in the cost of this unit from when I made the pledge to what I will be paying now. And it looks like the CAD is slipping even further down into the black hole. By the time they bill me, I fear I will be paying closer to $700 CAD for something that I thought was costing me far less.
Can't blame Axiom as it's the way KickStarter works. But then again, they can't blame us Canadian customers if we pull out as the cost now is no where near the cost then.
Mojo, where did you get the info that there will be a sub out?
You asked for it – you’ve got it! We’re adding a subwoofer output to the AxiomAir. Even though the AxiomAir is designed to not need a subwoofer we had numerous requests to have one anyway just in case you wanted really low pounding bass. It’s just one more thing AxiomAir owners have the freedom to choose.
And a SNEAK PEEK for our fans: we are also developing a pre-amp version of the Air. It can be used to make your wired system show up as an AxiomAir device in the AxiomAir interface. That means if you have an existing wired system somewhere in your house, you can now add it to the AxiomAir Interface and stream music to it, just like you can to your Air. You can also add it to multi-room groups in the interface so that you have the same music playing on your AxiomAir and in the room that system is in. Perfect for parties! This new product will be available for pre-purchase at
www.axiomaudio.com sometime in August and will be ready to ship in November.
It’s hard to believe a whole month has gone by, but there are only THREE days left in our Kickstarter Campaign. If you or someone you know has been waiting to get in on the action, wait no longer! Join the AxiomAir revolution and get the freedom to hear great sound everywhere you want to be.
Thanks to everyone who has been spreading the word – your support has made this exciting project possible and I really appreciate it.
Cheers,
Ian
I still can't find the post, but either way, a sub out sounds great!
I like the idea of a pre-amp version even more, though. I'm sure someone at Axiom tossed it around over the last few years, but I think I'm the one who mentioned it first here, so I'm taking credit for that one!
Mojo, you get credit for the sub-out!
::High-Fives MoJo!::
Just saw the email from KickStarter.
I was checking for an Axiom Newsletter!
I was talking to Deb, and she had said that the price after kickstarter was not going to be the $795 as it had originally been posted on Kickstarter. That number has since been removed.
I know my ears sometimes plays tricks on me, but I think it was costing closer to the $600 CAD mark.
If that is the case, then you are at best getting a 10% savings on the cost of the unit if you live in Ontario, but if you live in Alberta, after the conversion from US to CAD, you might be just breaking even.
Can someone at Axiom please confirm the after KickStarter price??
According to my email, my Kickstarter Pledge was $475 USD to be charged on 12 Jul if the campaign was successful.
In my haste, I didn't realize that it was in USD when I pulled the trigger...
TAM
I might buy one of those pre-amp modules if it has the right I/O. Please let us know what the I/O is when available.
Think of it as just another "component" that you plug into your existing system like a Tuner/CD/DVD/BluRay/etc. It has a power button on the front with an indicator led, and around back there is a pair of left/right RCAs, a power jack for connecting a small "wall wart" power supply, two USB jacks for USB drives, and an Ethernet port. Volume control and source switching are handled by your existing pre-amp/receiver/processor/integrated amp. Inside are the same low noise power supplies, high resolution DAC, and Raspberry Pi2B as the AxiomAir portable.
Thanks,
Andrew
I might buy one of those pre-amp modules if it has the right I/O. Please let us know what the I/O is when available.
Think of it as just another "component" that you plug into your existing system like a Tuner/CD/DVD/BluRay/etc. It has a power button on the front with an indicator led, and around back there is a pair of left/right RCAs, a power jack for connecting a small "wall wart" power supply, two USB jacks for USB drives, and an Ethernet port. Volume control and source switching are handled by your existing pre-amp/receiver/processor/integrated amp. Inside are the same low noise power supplies, high resolution DAC, and Raspberry Pi2B as the AxiomAir portable.
Thanks,
Andrew
I should clarify the Ethernet jack...the pre-amp module still has WiFi capability, but because this is a component that will sit on your equipment stand, you might wish to use an available LAN connection instead.
Hi Matt,
Let me clarify this for you. The price on Kickstarter now is USD $497. That works out to CDN $633.55 at today’s exchange rate. If you paid the USD $475 amount it works out to CDN $605.50. Since we are including the sales tax that makes it CDN $535.84 in Ontario and CDN $576.67 in Alberta. Kickstarter will charge your credit card on July 12.
Once Kickstarter ends we will continue to offer pre-purchase discounts on the AxiomAir that increase each week until we are at USD $799 around mid-September. The lowest we would likely start would be USD $517. and CDN $605. This would make the tax included price CDN $683.65 in Ontario and CDN $635.25 in Alberta. This means that it was still worthwhile to have purchased on Kickstarter no matter your location.
Ian
Andrew - just a bump on these questions prior to the closing:
Thanks Andrew - Sounds good. Final couple of Q's:
- If I group the AxiomAirs will they then appear as one DLNA/UPnP device on the network and handle in sync playback between themselves?
- If I group the AxiomAirs will they then appear as one Airplay device on the network and handle in sync playback between themselves?
- Is there a Line Level or headphone out (so I can occasionally feed a PA system from one of the AA)
- I understand the Airplay quality limits, but do you support 24/192 bit over DLNA/UPnP ?
Thanks
Nathan
I might buy one of those pre-amp modules if it has the right I/O. Please let us know what the I/O is when available.
Think of it as just another "component" that you plug into your existing system like a Tuner/CD/DVD/BluRay/etc. It has a power button on the front with an indicator led, and around back there is a pair of left/right RCAs, a power jack for connecting a small "wall wart" power supply, two USB jacks for USB drives, and an Ethernet port. Volume control and source switching are handled by your existing pre-amp/receiver/processor/integrated amp. Inside are the same low noise power supplies, high resolution DAC, and Raspberry Pi2B as the AxiomAir portable.
Thanks,
Andrew
I should clarify the Ethernet jack...the pre-amp module still has WiFi capability, but because this is a component that will sit on your equipment stand, you might wish to use an available LAN connection instead.
How about getting rid of the power switch and one USB port and giving us a subwoofer out instead? I know the light is important to Mark :-).
Matt, you will be very sorry if we all have one and you don't.
When we all say things like "Oh whoa! This AA is so awesome. And its sub out is so smooth and TIGHT!", you won't have a clue what we're talking about.
You'll be so left behind because our AAs will be totally portable and your LFRs won't be.
Mojo, you get credit for the sub-out!
::High-Fives MoJo!::
Thanks, Mark. I never did get high fives for the EP800 :-).
By the way, are you missing thumbs on both hands?
Volume control and source switching are handled by your existing pre-amp/receiver/processor/integrated amp
On the pre-amp only, you will still be able to control the volume from the smart phone app, correct?
+1 for the sub out.
Hi Nathan,
- If I group the AxiomAirs will they then appear as one DLNA/UPnP device on the network and handle in sync playback between themselves?
I'm waiting on an answer from our programmer to confirm this, but I believe that it will work as you have described.
- If I group the AxiomAirs will they then appear as one Airplay device on the network and handle in sync playback between themselves?
An AirPlay stream cannot be broadcast to other AxiomAirs. We'd love to include this capability, but Apple forbids it.
- Is there a Line Level or headphone out (so I can occasionally feed a PA system from one of the AA)
No, just a summed-mono subwoofer line level output.
- I understand the Airplay quality limits, but do you support 24/192 bit over DLNA/UPnP ?
24/192 works fine over UPnP. I have tesed this both from Android devices using BubbleUPnP and from a PC running Foobar.
Thanks,
Andrew
How about getting rid of the power switch and one USB port and giving us a subwoofer out instead? I know the light is important to Mark :-).
Hi Mojo,
A subwoofer output on the pre-amp module would not work. If we offered one the volume level of your sub would not change when you changed the volume on your pre-amp/processor/receiver. I would just drive the sub from either line level outputs of speaker outputs on your system.
Thanks,
Andrew
On the pre-amp only, you will still be able to control the volume from the smart phone app, correct?
Yes, the software volume control still works from either your remote devices or our web interface.
Does the Air itself have a physical volume control? If not, I would strongly recommend one. Having to fiddle with a phone to turn down the volume, mute it, or pause playback isn't great.
I am seriously thinking of pulling out as just because of the exchange rate change over the past month, the cost of this unit has jumped for us from $545 CAD to $604 CAD.
Hey Matt,
What rate were you using to get $545? I checked back at the closing rates and on the day we started our Kickstarter the Canadian price works out to $585.24 and at yesterday's close was $604.29. So the delta is only $19 or 4%.
Thanks,
Andrew
I am seriously thinking of pulling out as just because of the exchange rate change over the past month, the cost of this unit has jumped for us from $545 CAD to $604 CAD.
I don't know if I can stomach and additional 13% price hike in the cost of this unit from when I made the pledge to what I will be paying now. And it looks like the CAD is slipping even further down into the black hole. By the time they bill me, I fear I will be paying closer to $700 CAD for something that I thought was costing me far less.
Can't blame Axiom as it's the way KickStarter works. But then again, they can't blame us Canadian customers if we pull out as the cost now is no where near the cost then.
Yeah things aren't cheap in Canada are they. I have a hard time swallowing $600 bucks for this thing when I already have portable speakers in the house...granted they probably aren't anywhere near as good but that is only something I can assume as this point. I fear when this thing hits the 700-800 CDN price point it'll be product suicide. I'm sure it is a difficult task to try to price something accordingly.
During the Kickstarter, the unit is priced similarly to a pair of M3's, so you're getting the amp, DAC and other electronics for free. That is incredible value.
Even after that, if you accept that the M3's represent a decent value, the upcharge for the electronics seems very reasonable to me, and certainly competitive with other premium audio brands. And this thing simply does MORE than just about any other competing platform out there.
Now, I personally can't afford it due to other priorities AND I don't have any unmet needs that it satisfies. But I think this is a very remarkable product at a fair price.
I would absolutely consider the DAC/Pre-amp thingy as a successor to my squeezebox in the future.
How about getting rid of the power switch and one USB port and giving us a subwoofer out instead? I know the light is important to Mark :-).
Hi Mojo,
A subwoofer output on the pre-amp module would not work. If we offered one the volume level of your sub would not change when you changed the volume on your pre-amp/processor/receiver. I would just drive the sub from either line level outputs of speaker outputs on your system.
I was going to fix the volume on my minimalist receiver and use the software volume control.
Does the Air itself have a physical volume control? If not, I would strongly recommend one. Having to fiddle with a phone to turn down the volume, mute it, or pause playback isn't great.
It would be "nice" but not necessary :-p. It adds cost, impacts lead time and increases MTBF :-).
I am seriously thinking of pulling out as just because of the exchange rate change over the past month, the cost of this unit has jumped for us from $545 CAD to $604 CAD.
I don't know if I can stomach and additional 13% price hike in the cost of this unit from when I made the pledge to what I will be paying now. And it looks like the CAD is slipping even further down into the black hole. By the time they bill me, I fear I will be paying closer to $700 CAD for something that I thought was costing me far less.
Can't blame Axiom as it's the way KickStarter works. But then again, they can't blame us Canadian customers if we pull out as the cost now is no where near the cost then.
Yeah things aren't cheap in Canada are they. I have a hard time swallowing $600 bucks for this thing when I already have portable speakers in the house...granted they probably aren't anywhere near as good but that is only something I can assume as this point. I fear when this thing hits the 700-800 CDN price point it'll be product suicide. I'm sure it is a difficult task to try to price something accordingly.
Volume, volume, volume. It needs more VOLUME!
Pull out then! You will want one later when we all say how great it is and then you can pay more. I`m going to use this at work so it will be used more than my house system.
I have a spot for it on my golf cart too, so it will get more use than at work.
I think it will be the cats a$$ and I`m sticking to my guns and supporting Axiom. So it`s going to cost more than we thought..........
Pull out then! You will want one later when we all say how great it is and then you can pay more. I`m going to use this at work so it will be used more than my house system.
I have a spot for it on my golf cart too, so it will get more use than at work.
I think it will be the cats a$$ and I`m sticking to my guns and supporting Axiom. So it`s going to cost more than we thought..........
Yeah...that's the idea! And remember to strap a subwoofer on top of your golf cart because now you have a sub out jack, baby. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
How much weight does the battery pack add?
Are you going to release a stand for it? would be nice to have a stand with some matching wood accents on it.
I vote for a stand too.
I'd like the stand to be an 8" sealed cube, with a 7.5" driver, and a 3" x-max. That will give us 110 dB at 29Hz and 3 feet. Good enough unless you're listening to contra-bassoons and pipe organs.
Call that the EP100 v2, slap a price tag of $400 on it, and I'll buy it.
If your going to ask for a sub, at least ask for a Wireless one! There's all kinds of wireless subwoofer kits they could build into the Air.
Just say'n!
I'll take wireless but I don't want to pay more than $400.
what about heat? how is the unit dealing with heat? just vents?
Well Done! 171K Raised and 355 units sold
I'm in for a couple and looking forward to the add on option as well!
The product page is up:
http://www.axiomaudio.com/axiomair-n3?ut...er_preorder#t-3I am very curious to see what the chrome grill looks like.It's very hard to tell from the image on the "customize yours" page.
Fitst post. Been an axiom owner since 2009. Love my 7.1 set up from Axiom.
So today I was charged $475 US. As of todays rate, i will be charged $602 CAD plus the 2.5 % charged by credit card companies when it's purchased outside Canada. (Kickstarter is based in New York). Axiom started at the website with $579 cad plus $56 for the wood top option( free during kickstarter upon submitting your pledge to Axiom which I did). There is only 5% tax in Alberta so after all the calculations I only save $50 CAD dollars. Better than nothing I guess but some saved $375 as what kickstarter said. Wherebis justice? I should get at least a free battery...
Congrats on Axiom though for a successful start.
... Better than nothing I guess but some saved $375 as what kickstarter said....
What do you mean by the above statement?
Darn, I was seriously considering getting one on kickstarter, I thought the kickstarter ended on the 12th, as in including the 12th. Had family issues yesterday, was too busy to order.
Oh well. I screwed up there. 13% tax here so the kickstarter was the better deal, even more so when batteries/wood finishes are added.
There doesn't appear to be much difference between the Kickstarter price and the pre-production price other than the free wood top.
Hi Mojo.
$375 savings when they started the project. I'm guessing this savings is from original price once they are fully priced by October.
Hi AquaT. Yes, I agree with that.
I thought it was gracious of Axiom to give us free wood tops and discounts on the accessories.
There doesn't appear to be much difference between the Kickstarter price and the pre-production price other than the free wood top.
13% tax, and higher prices for wood top/battery.
It's another +$150 for me now for the speaker, wooden top and 9hr battery - so I'm out. I was on the fence about it anyways. I would have liked to try it for my own use of course but I think we could use these at work at as well. My department buys all the A/V stuff for our University. Something like this would be good for people to take out and use in small rooms. All wireless, multiple users connect to it with their phones etc. All things harder to accomplish with a PA system or setting up speakers/mixers.
Andrew or Ian, can you reveal a bit more info:
- At 1:20 into the video, I spied an inverted dust cap on the woofer. At other parts of the video, I saw the regular dust cap. I'm excited at the prospect of an inverted dust cap because, if properly accounted into the design, we can expect greater linearity without a sacrifice in bass extension.
- At 1:38, I spied cast baskets. Is this for real?
- At 2:34, we see the chrome grill. At 1:05 and 3:03, we see the black grill. The drivers are clearly visible through the black grill but apparently not the chrome grill. Although I like the chrome grill, visibility of the drivers is more important to me than grill color. Based on the video, I would go with the black grill. Can you comment on my observations?
- Is the grill removable? Like Vlad says, the dominant aesthetic feature of the industrial design is the grill BUT my Axioms sound distinctly better to me and others with the grill removed. I don't know if that will be the case with the AxiomAir or if the industrial design relies on the grill for structural integrity but I had to ask.
- How much dynamic headroom can we expect? The Kickstarter page suggests 5 x 150W. Is this for real? If so, is this headroom available from AC and battery power?
I don't know how others feel about this. I am not opposed to swapping out hardware if there are problems provided it's relatively easy to do so and the packaging is not compromised in the retrofit. If it's not easy, I'd prefer a delay in shipping to ensure robustness.
I was on the fence about it anyways....I think we could use these at work at as well. My department buys all the A/V stuff for our University. Something like this would be good for people to take out and use in small rooms.
I had the same thought.
As for the price, it's really tough to swallow $900Can for this. I know it's not the same as the competition but the vast majority out there, like OakvilleMatt said, can't differentiate. The only way to drive down cost is through volume. Axiom needs quantities of 10,000 units per year to eliminate price barriers.
Is there easy access to physically get to the Pi if needed (for maint / upgraded units etc)?
Is anyone using Rdio?
http://www.shaw.ca/rdio/?utm_source=big-picture&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Stream%2BRdio%2Bon%2BCanada%27s%2Blarges&utm_content=Text%2BLink&utm_campaign=big-picture-2015-07&emid=em-2015-07-16-bp-L11
So it seems this thread is dead since the Kickstarter finished. A shame as I had a few questions that went unanswered which is part of the reason why I kept delaying the purchase to the point where I stupidly missed it. It seems like nobody else's Q's are being answered either?
Everyone at Axiom is busy working on the Air. They're building in the high power drivers with inverted dust caps, making sure it has a million hours MTBF, dynamic headroom of 5 times continuous power and less than 1 femtovolt of ripple on the power supply rails. Oh...and a subwoofer output on the Air gateway.
I wouldn't mind some opinions on this either.
The option for Rdio just came up on our Sonos the other day, that i noticed anyway.
There doesn't appear to be much difference between the Kickstarter price and the pre-production price other than the free wood top.
13% tax, and higher prices for wood top/battery.
It's another +$150 for me now for the speaker, wooden top and 9hr battery - so I'm out. I was on the fence about it anyways. I would have liked to try it for my own use of course but I think we could use these at work at as well. My department buys all the A/V stuff for our University. Something like this would be good for people to take out and use in small rooms. All wireless, multiple users connect to it with their phones etc. All things harder to accomplish with a PA system or setting up speakers/mixers.
I was also on the fence, but it came down to answering one simple question:
Where and how often would i use it?
Ok so i suppose those are two questions.
Having the Sonos setup throughout the house alleviates any necessity for portability in this area. Don't travel much with campers or things of that nature so, where would we use it?
I just couldn't come up with any $500 useful purposes so i passed.
However, i have two friends that signed up for them so i plan on testing out the functionality, battery life and sound quality when they finally arrive.
It really is a fantastic idea, far more advanced than anything i've come across while searching for good wireless audio setups.
I'm thinking they should have had a longer kick starter. I think the kickstarter price was fair, so if you got one good for you.
I wouldn't mind some opinions on this either.
The option for Rdio just came up on our Sonos the other day, that i noticed anyway.
Mike, check out earbits.com. I can't stop listening to the blues channel.
what about heat? how is the unit dealing with heat? just vents?
My apologies for not being active in this thread over the past couple of weeks...we have been VERY busy working on AxiomAir!
The power amplifier and its power supply are the only areas of concern for cooling, and it and the heasinking attached to it have been placed inside the enclosure in a location that is in the direct path of air flow exiting the port. So, we are dealing with the heat through heatsinking and both convective and "forced air" cooling.
Thanks,
Andrew
what about heat? how is the unit dealing with heat? just vents?
My apologies for not being active in this thread over the past couple of weeks...we have been VERY busy working on AxiomAir!
The power amplifier and its power supply are the only areas of concern for cooling, and it and the heasinking attached to it have been placed inside the enclosure in a location that is in the direct path of air flow exiting the port. So, we are dealing with the heat through heatsinking and both convective and "forced air" cooling.
Thanks,
Andrew
So...all of you port plug lovers are SOL :-).
I for one am very happy to hear no moving parts are required for cooling. I had no doubt.
Just please make sure there's no bleating or farting artifacts.
Andrew or Ian, can you reveal a bit more info:
- At 1:20 into the video, I spied an inverted dust cap on the woofer. At other parts of the video, I saw the regular dust cap. I'm excited at the prospect of an inverted dust cap because, if properly accounted into the design, we can expect greater linearity without a sacrifice in bass extension.
- At 1:38, I spied cast baskets. Is this for real?
- At 2:34, we see the chrome grill. At 1:05 and 3:03, we see the black grill. The drivers are clearly visible through the black grill but apparently not the chrome grill. Although I like the chrome grill, visibility of the drivers is more important to me than grill color. Based on the video, I would go with the black grill. Can you comment on my observations?
- Is the grill removable? Like Vlad says, the dominant aesthetic feature of the industrial design is the grill BUT my Axioms sound distinctly better to me and others with the grill removed. I don't know if that will be the case with the AxiomAir or if the industrial design relies on the grill for structural integrity but I had to ask.
- How much dynamic headroom can we expect? The Kickstarter page suggests 5 x 150W. Is this for real? If so, is this headroom available from AC and battery power?
I don't know how others feel about this. I am not opposed to swapping out hardware if there are problems provided it's relatively easy to do so and the packaging is not compromised in the retrofit. If it's not easy, I'd prefer a delay in shipping to ensure robustness.
Hi Mojo,
The dust cap on the woofers is our conventional convex dust cap...an inverted dust cap buys you nothing in terms of off-axis performance or linearity, in fact it hinders it.
Sorry...that shot was an early prototype...the production woofers will be made with our high-gauge stamped baskets.
I find that your observation is correct, even though it is kind of counterintuitive. You would think that the black drivers would be more visible with a white grille, but they stand out the most with the black grille. The chrome grille is somewhere in between.
The grille is removable for servicing only, so we don't recommend it. It's not difficult to do, but there is a high likelihood that you would damage or kink the grille in the process of swapping it out. Keep in mind that the tops CAN be changed out anytime you'd like. They are held on with magnets.
Dynamic headroom is approximately 4-5 times the max continuous power, and it's available from either power source.
Thanks,
Andrew
Thank you for taking the time out to answer the questions, Andrew. Very useful info.
Is there easy access to physically get to the Pi if needed (for maint / upgraded units etc)?
Hi jmone,
The Pi and DAC can be accessed by taking out four screws and removing an access panel on the bottom of the AxiomAir. This will allow you to service, upgrade, or change the SD card in the future should it be required.
Thanks,
Andrew
How much weight does the battery pack add?
Are you going to release a stand for it? would be nice to have a stand with some matching wood accents on it.
Hi newf,
Each battery pack weighs approximately 2 pounds. We will not know the final weight until tooling has been completed.
Thanks,
Andrew
Ok...now that I _think_ I have covered off all of the outstanding questions, how about some feature additions and updates?
Volume control: There is a physical volume control knob on the bottom front of the unit behind an access door. This is the same area where the power button, USB ports, and indicator LEDs are located. The volume control only works on the analog input. This allows you to plug something like a CD player directly into AxiomAir, even though most CD players do not have a volume control. The same goes for some TV analog outs. For all of the digital streams (AirPlay, UPnP, web radio, NAS, USB, etc.) the volume can be controlled from either the streaming device or our web interface. We will also be adding a maximum volume level setting with password protection if you'd like to limit listening levels...for the kids or maybe your visiting Mother-in-law who insists on rocking out too late into the night!
3.5mm jacks: We have had a large number of backers ask about using AxiomAir with their TV. Of course this is possible as long as your TV has an analog output. In order to make the connection cleaner, we are adding a duplicate 3.5mm jack on the back of AxiomAir to easily allow you to hide the wires. This input is in parallel to the 3.5mm jack on the front, so you can only use one at a time. Selecting the analog input, rather than the digital stream, is via a button on our web interface. This means that you can leave an analog source like a TV or CD player plugged in all the time and switch between it and streaming audio remotely.
Spotify integration: Maybe...fingers crossed!
TIDAL integration: YES, AxiomAir will have it!
Rdio integration: We have not really looked closely at Rdio yet as it seems to be a less popular player in the streaming music marketplace, but it is something that could be added if there is demand sometime down the road.
Thanks,
Andrew
These all sound (sic) great, Ian!
I'm looking forward to it more than ever! I love the idea of the 3.5mm jack in back for a cleaner look!
Not to be forward, but will the features that have been added all go into the non-amp, non-speaker version as well??
Andrew, the volume control and LEDs sound like cost, lead-time and MTBF hits to me with little added value. My UI is my phone or tablet so why do I need this extra hardware?
The maximum volume level setting may be useful for some but I will never use it. For me, it's more code that needs to be tested and maintained.
The front 3.5 mm jack is a must for sure. This is where the competition suffers actually. You have to get at the back of the unit to plug a source in. That's no good for some use cases.
I see the back 3.5 mm jack as more gold plating because I don't mind a small cable coming out the front and I don't mind having to unplug it to plug another source in.
Spotify would be terrific! I don't know what TIDAL is. I don't know what I don't know when it comes to these services actually. Since you seem to be up on them, it would be a terrific educational experience for me (and my buddies) if you could teach us.
With regard to these services, my hope would be a platform where I can install whatever music services I like. Just like I can do that now on my PCs, tablets, phones, etc. And I can get on whatever internet radio stations I want by typing in their address and saving them to my favorites. That's a good epic you and the software team can work on :-).
You need a volume control on the unit, I don't understand why there isn't. Mom/girlfriend/child etc are all going to want to turn it up or down "easily". No Master Volume is just weird. Two simple flat buttons for up/dwn is all that is needed. I love the ability to limit the volume in the gui though...excellent.
But don't listen to me, I missed the kickstarter like an idiot so I can't buy one now anyways.
But I do thank Andrew for answering my questions.
You need a volume control on the unit, I don't understand why there isn't. Mom/girlfriend/child etc are all going to want to turn it up or down "easily".
That's EXACTLY why we don't want hard buttons :-).
When these buttons get dirty or their membrane contacts no longer work, your AxiomAir will make a great doorstop.
What's with the power button? Why do we need one? Why can't we turn it on and off with the UI?
Mojo, Axiom needs to design this unit for more people than just you. I, for one, don't like it when a device that is usually controlled by a remote control doesn't have buttons for its basic functions on it somewhere.
Mojo, Axiom needs to design this unit for more people than just you.
Totally agreed, Peter. As long as Axiom includes all the stuff I'm asking for. Including the subwoofer output on the Axiom Air Gateway.
Didn't they already point out that the subwoofer output on the small device didn't make any sense?
Ken, Andrew correctly pointed out the sub out gain can't be controlled with the receiver. As a result, he decided that it didn't make sense to include a sub out.
My buddies and I planned to fix the receiver gain and vary it using the Air's UI. I therefore see no reason to trap that first 30 Hz.
As long as Axiom includes all the stuff I'm asking for
What about the stuff that I'm asking for? Or Joe, or Bob, or Frank?
At some point, with a posted delivery date of October-ish, they need to finalize the feature set.
I'm thankful that, as Andrew noted above, they added features beyond the ones that I've already paid for.
I, in no way, expect them to keep going back to the drawing board over and over again.
One thing everyone should keep in mind is that we are not totally free to do whatever we want in terms of features, indicators, and controls. In order to be granted AirPlay certification there is an agonizingly long list of rules and protocols that MUST be followed, otherwise no approval from Apple. In fact, there are over 100 pages of compliance testing requirements!
Thanks,
Andrew
In order to be granted AirPlay certification there is an agonizingly long list of rules and protocols that MUST be followed, otherwise no approval from Apple. In fact, there are over 100 pages of compliance testing requirements!
Isn't that similar to getting the old vaunted THX certification?
Or did that just more require paying a bunch of money to them. I don't recall.
Does that even still exist?
As long as Axiom includes all the stuff I'm asking for
At some point, with a posted delivery date of October-ish, they need to finalize the feature set.
Totally agree, Mark. Axiom needs to manage this. Andrew asked so I responded. BTW, the less hardware and bells and whistles, the quicker we'll get it and the longer it will last.
With regard to the gateway, neither me nor my buddies will buy it without the sub out. So we will wait until Axiom includes it.
Andrew, with regard to Airplay, my buddies and I could not possibly care less but I of course can see why the masses care even though it sucks. Spend time and money on hardware robustness and certify Airplay later with a software upgrade if need be.
Airplay certification doesn't require hardware switches, pots and lights BTW. Stick those where they belong - on the GUI.
I'm not sure I see the point of having a sub out connection on a unit which has the primary purpose of being a portable speaker setup. Who would want to also carry around a subwoofer?
Oh, no, he's talking about the small piece of equipment that acts as a source, not the complete system.
I'm not sure I see the point of having a sub out connection on a unit which has the primary purpose of being a portable speaker setup. Who would want to also carry around a subwoofer?
Mike, initially I wanted the sub for the deck. Since that time, I've found a place I can use it inside the house too. Now I am looking for a sub. See my post earlier on this thread for specs.
Ken, yes...the sub out is also needed on the gateway.
But it's like hanging the sub off of your DVD player instead of your receiver. You can still control the volume with the web interface (for some godforsaken reason), but if the sub is plugged into the receiver/preamp, then that takes care of matching the levels for the sub and the surrounds.
Ken, one of the primary use cases of the gateway is to modernize a legacy or minimalist receiver - like my Pioneer Elite Air Studios A9 or my buddies' Sansuis from the 80s. These babies don't have a subwoofer output. Hence the need for a sub out on the gateway.
Andrew suggested we run our receivers' speaker outputs to the line level inputs of our subs. I looked at that early on when Ian announced the gateway but the shortest distance for any of us to a suitable sub location is 22 feet. We've talked about it and none of us are keen on running speaker cables that distance. Besides, none of us like subwoofer line level inputs. On top of that, we have nice speaker cables, perfectly terminated, and we don't want to go through the extra hassle and expense of different cables.
So these are our barriers to purchasing the gateway. A subwoofer output would eliminate all those barriers and it would open up the opportunity to buy subs because we currently don't have any for these systems. The subs would have to hit the price point and specs I outlined earlier.
Having a sub out on the Axiom air is an excellent idea for those of us that want to setup a complete System in a room with a small footprint. I love it.
The gateway is a different story but I see Mojo's point. As for Airplay certification I could not care less about it myself but I know the Apple sheep will.
MY CUPERTINO MASTER REQUIRES ME TO TELL YOU WE LOVE YOU TOO NEWF.
Let's face it, Apple makes a good product. If it were crap, they wouldn't have so many subscribers.
Frankly i'm impressed with the iOS stability. My Nexus crashes and freezes at least once a month, no doubt choking on the horrible flash coding on some pages. Apple hates it, but at least the iPad doesn't lock up.
I'm even thinking the iPad screen looks better than the Nexus even though both were highly regarded and the specs of the Nexus touted as better than the iPad.
It might just be a bit more glossy, i can't say.
No I won't face it, because I see so many Apple issues on a daily basis I'm not blinded by the Apple marketing. If you want a REAL tablet, buy a Surface Pro 3. I have had to support all the platforms for 25+ years. I have completely given up on Apple. My iPad - gave it to the woman along with the poor excuse of a phone 5c and I will NEVER go back. They do crash...a lot, they do get virus's, they are a security nightmare etc etc. I even gave up my 5c and went back to a old S3 while contract expired and I was much happier. It was like taking hand cuffs off. Now I carry a S6 Edge and it is awesome. Meanwhile my woman who always wanted the iPhone now hates it and wants my Edge instead. Every single Apple product I have had has had to be replaced more then once and I take care of my stuff. That's crazy. Battery issues, iPad just died one day and it never left the house, not a mark on it. Every update Apple releases causes more issues. iTunes is a complete JOKE. Wireless issues alone were just insane. We have students coming to us daily with Wireless issues. I work at a university. I have had meetings with Cisco, HP, MERU and other networking engineers and its a running gag on how many wireless issues Apple refuses to fix.
Thankfully we are seeing a transition from Apple to MS by students and faculty. We can't keep up with the demand for Surface tablets. Kids are fed up with Apple's closed ecosystem and constant issues just trying to get some basic productivity out of their Crapples. Plus, it seems the general consensus is that Apple is for women and old people! LOL. They are overpriced old tech with a locked ecosystem, poorly written micky mouse software....yeah ok I'll stop.
Anyways, if we want to debate Apple, we really should move it to another thread. Andrew and IAN have done a great job of keeping this thread up to date with Axiom Air info so lets not ruin it with off topic Apple stuff. I realize the irony of me saying that!
I am really excited for the Axiom Air. I hate myself for missing the Kickstarter (by a few hours
) and now its beyond my reach, but the vision that Axiom has for this looks so promising. I don't want to take away from that.
Totally agree withe everything newf said. The Surface Pro with OneNote is the killer productivity app.
Just to toss out there that your experience contains bias of course. Not everyone needs to connect to some university system and other universities may not have such a problem. We've had two iPads and multiple iPhones for years now with no battery issues or anything else of major note. I suspect there are tens of millions of others who have had the same positive experience. If it was so broke, it would never sell. So again, you don't have to face the reality if you choose, but the products aren't that bad no matter how much you personally dislike them.
But really, who the hell buys any tablet for productivity??
I tried to make a simple spreadsheet of a cost comparison on a plane because i didn't have any paper.
By the end of the 2 hour flight, i ended up making 3 different files by accident and had 6 rows of 2 columns of data.
Hunt and peck, hunt and peck.
What a useless exercise.
I hope just because the Axiom Air has Airplay compatibility that people aren't going to buy it for productivity!
I am buying the Axiom Air to be more productive. The happier I am, the more productive I am. This is how my right brain justified the purchase to my left brain.
Mike, you are using the tablet all wrong. Who the hell uses the keyboard to make a spreadsheet on a tablet? That's what the stylus and One Note are for :-D.
They wouldn't let me take
my stylus on the plane.
Jerks.
Appropriate for the murder capital of Canada.
I miss my original Note. Everything in it/on it still works except the som card reader. My son has been using it for online gaming since Christmas.
My iPad mini keeps me conveniently connected now. Love it.
Ian, thank you for the generous gift. Please keep mine and invest it in a subwoofer output for the gateway and an EP100 v2 subwoofer with the following specs:
- 8" sealed cube
- 7.5" driver and 3" x-max.
- an amp that will give us 110 dB at 29Hz at 3 feet.
- doesn't have to be wireless. I would actually prefer wired.
- no bells and whistles.
- $US400 sell
If I don't hear back, I'll use the code to buy a battery for the Axiom Air :-).
Since I subscribed to google play music, most of my music listening have been done on this service. I got the Axiom Air on Kickstarter and I think many user would benefit having google cast functionality on top of Airplay.
Having both service would remove the need to be compatible with all major music services and still satisfy Android and iOS users.
Is this in the planning? If not, do you plan on releasing the source code soon to let the community develop plugins?
Do you know the quality of Google Play Music?
I'd love to see a quality comparison of the various streaming services.
It is MP3 320 kbps. In my mind, it is good enough for casual listening.
Casual as in without emotional intimacy, indifferently, carelessly and without serious intention?
There is no such thing as "casual listening". :-)
Casual listening for me means that listening to music is not the primary activity. I still want a good listening experience, this is why I purchased the axiom air, but if I miss a tiny tiny bit of dynamic or detail by using google play music instead of a ripped cd in flac, nobody will notice a difference.
Yeah...I hear you.
Woohoo! Mine is shipping in 3 days!
Mark, shipping is the transport of goods.
Thanks....thank a lot!
Isn't the AIR supposed to play any file on your network, regardless of type.
Though you guy should checkout vtuner.com the files are great it's an Internet tuner with access to thousands of stations. My A.V.R.s use it and I haven't heard a really bad sounding recording yet all 128kbps.
Thanks....thank a lot!
Mark, the Axiom Air is shipping in 3 days. At least that's what it said when I configured my order.
I hope I don't get a box full of parts and DIY instructions :-)
Isn't the AIR supposed to play any file on your network, regardless of type.
Though you guy should checkout vtuner.com the files are great it's an Internet tuner with access to thousands of stations. My A.V.R.s use it and I haven't heard a really bad sounding recording yet all 128kbps.
I'd love to have vtuner on the Air.
Mojo, I got the email but haven't done anything with it since we have company for a long weekend.
I thought the A^A wasn't shipping till October or so?
That's what I thought as well. Axiom did say they were way ahead of schedule though.
Maybe my 8" sub is almost ready too :-).
You should try as long as the air has one of the inputs eg. Optical or digital Vtuner.com is free I even have it on my ITunes
I'm hooked on a station called size radio it's hiphop but it plays all the classics they stole the beats from. From classic soul and funk to the new versions. All commercial free, I hate radio where the CRTC makes them talk for 45 minutes of there so called commercial free hour.
SSSSSHHH. Don't mention iTunes. It will make people aaaaangry.
SSSSSHHH. Don't mention iTunes. It will make people aaaaangry.
Ken, i forgot to return your spatula before you started stirring the pot again.
SPATULA CITY!
..............Spatula City!
Andrew, it would be very useful if you could put a USB port on the air battery. That way I can take the battery on the road to juice my internet things.
SPATULA CITY!
..............Spatula City!
I bet there is such a place.
I might Google it.
Anyone else having trouble with the link provided to configure the Axiom air you purchased through the kickstarter program ?
I received an e mail from Ian telling me to click on the link and configure my Axiom Air . Link is dead ? I get the dreaded error code 404 Not Found .I tried multiple ways to get in but no go
Any assistance would help
Edit ...Here is the error I get when I click on the click here logo that was sent to me through e mail
Confirm Your Kickstarter Rewards
The requested URL /kickstarter.php was not found on this server.
Apache/2.2.22 (Debian) Server at axiomaudio.com Port 443
I had that problem with a dead link but just replied to the e-mail and Ian sent me another.
While we wait..... couple of Q:
- What protocol are you using to keep multiple devices in sync? NTP / PTP clocks / something else?
- When do you plan to release (as stated) the code?
Thanks
Nathan
Wait what? They are shipping already? Had I known that I would have jumped on the Kickstarter. The fact that I wouldn't get this thing until after summer was just another thing against it.
It's just a link to configure your Air, its not shipping yet.
Really regretting not getting this now. Been fighting with BT speaker all summer and I'm ready to toss it as far as I can throw it. BT should have never been a wireles for audio. To @#$@#$ fussy.
Hopefully the AxiomAir is more stable.
Call Axiom. They don't want to see friends of audio in pain. They may be able to help.
Isn't there still a pre-order discount going on? I don't think it was substantially different than the crowd-source discount.
It is quite a bit of difference from the kickstarter price for me. Add 13% tax too. So what was just over 600 CDN total originally, keep in mind free wood upgrade too. Now it is ~820 with my tax. I can't justify that. Then the battery kickstarter deal with from what I remember was $60? now it's $110. So now the total is $950 and seems to only be going up. I can't do that I'll be divorced! Come Jan 2016, my provincial tax goes to %15...how cool is that
I mentioned it before earlier in the thread but I missed the Kickstarter by a few hours, a family matter...and stupidity
I also asked a few questions in this thread that weren't answered here until after the Kickstarter ended which did make me hesitant to jump on it without more info..
At the end of the day, not Axiom's fault. Kickstarter was what it was and I missed it for whatever the reason.
You're going to have to pay 15% PST and GST on top of that come 2016????
yup.13% now, raises to 15% Jan 2016. I'm predicting many Newfoundlanders not buying much in 2016.
But think of all the free healthcare that you can get..
If you knew the heath issues I have been struggling with for that past 8 years.....lets just say you get what you pay for.
So I take it that nobody has gotten or really seen a final product yet?
Be nice To see a production line shot soon, but it could be awhile. The good thing is that it's already paid for.
I seem to remember from way back that they would be shipping in October but there might be some demos available at the bash...
TAM
When I visited Axiom back in February of this year, they had a working prototype that was pretty slick. They were just refining the audio quality (you know how Ian wants to make sure that it actually sounds good) so I am sure that there will be some demos to hear and see that are even better since it has been 7 months since I was there.
Well if they are anything like most smaller companies, not much stuff gets done in the summer months. People deserve a break, vacations etc. I'm sure the ones left are going nuts trying to get things done.
Still anxious to see the Air.
Should I have gotten an email on how to order?
Yes, about three weeks ago. Call Deb.
New video just arrived in my email from the kickstarter program showing a video of the tooling used to make the air .
Check it out here
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/axi..._project_update
Is it October yet? Sigh...
Some of us don't want October to come.....snow. We get it every Halloween weekend.
Newf where are you?
We're pretty much garunteed snow halloween night...
Damn frost is early, the last 3 nights.
I'm in Newfoundland. Western side, sunny side, but also the snowy side.
Where else would a Newf be
Our weather the last few years as been very odd. Summer started months late, really long winters again. But we do get snow Halloween almost every year.
Really looking forward to this. Hoping for early October
Really looking forward to this. Hoping for early October
Same here! It gives me more time to work on my playlist. The new David Gilmore album is really good.
I have it on good authority that Axiom has signed a deal with the North Pole (which is somewhere in Canada as all good children know) to use Santa Claus' facilities so they can deliver all the AxiomAirs on the morning of Oct 1st!
I've been burned by Santa before
It was fun playing with the Air interface at the get together.
Apple's certification and the requirement for the connected apple device take exclusive control seems rather limiting to me.
What would be really cool is that when you have multiple devices that want to connect, they could connect to an active que and add songs from their device. That avoids the issue of control.
If Axiom could introduce some form of connection management like this I suspect they would have a truly unique device.
so how does the "que" work now? the ad seems to indicate several users can connect at once.
How many out there really want to have multiple clients connected up to the Air? I think it's a minor use case; cool...but minor. It's really a feature for Andrew and his beer buddies on weekends
.
Fred - you were connecting via a browser, which does not get any priority. If you used a streaming client the experience is better.
Newf - currently if Android users connect via a browser, an Apple device can connect and grab control. The Apple device can then play songs from iTunes that a user may have on the device. Without a client, Android cannot.
The setup at the 35th was a USB drive with music connected directly to one of the circuit boards. We connected to the Airplay hotspot, which allowed Android to web browse or Apple to connect. Android devices could browse the drive, remove songs from the playlist and stop/start the playback.
One interesting thing to note, even while an Apple device "owned" the Airplay, any device can connect via the browser and shut the entire system down.
A small script that I wrote that included a timer would reset the device whenever I opened any app on my phone, which provided a few laughs as one of the attendees always seemed to be trying to connect when it executed and he was harassed for stopping the music!
There were also numerous challenges trying to connect to the hotspot for both Android and Apple.
Mike, I never quite managed to connect. From what I remember though, if one iPhone had control, another could not connect.
I'm not suggesting the experience is bad, quite the contrary, I now think its an interesting tech.
I just think that the idea of being able to que music from multiple devices might be quite useful.
It'd be cool to see a future firmware update allow the Axion Air to show up on the network as a Chromecast audio device.
Fred, I agree that is interesting, however I think there needs to be....how to phrase this....different functionality than what was available for us to work with.
I understand that Axiom is chasing Apple's blessing, which will assist in adoption.
As Andrew said a few times when questions arose "I am the hardware guy..." Not sure who is the code jockey on this one!
Not sure who is the code jockey on this one!
The kickstarter lead me to believe it is Michelangelo Guarise (
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/axi...sys/description)
Interesting, I must admit that I never paid any attention to the product before seeing the guts at the 35th, as it was not something that I was looking to acquire.
I wonder if it's possible to have the AA setup to have a primary phone which would have precedence over the other connected phones. For example my android phone would take over the playlist que when I felt like it in a room full of iPhones.
Michelangelo is going to sign on here so you can get answers to software questions from the "horses mouth".
Hello everyone! I'll be really happy to reply to every question, curiosity or suggestion you may have about AxiomAir's software side of the moon...
The "priority mechanism" some of you mentioned is actually something that we didn't think about.. It could be doable, but IMHO will make the user experience quite problematic...
As for multiple users sharing the queue, that is what AxiomAir already has, the issues you're reporting are probably due to Hotspot performances. It would be really helpful if those of you that experienced some problems on that side would report some more details about it
Hi!
- What protocol are you using to keep multiple devices in sync? NTP / PTP clocks / something else?
- Do you still plan to release (as stated) the code?
Thanks
Nathan
We tried NTP Multicast solutions, but they were not suitable for a consumer-grade scenarios (this solution is really dependent on the network it operates on).
So we are sending chunks (from 5 to 20ms) of PCM data via TCP and continously sync clients via NTP.
And yes, we'll release the code. More details about that soon..
Thanks - and how do you handle drift between the devices, Do you drop/add packets, resample or ?
Welcome to the forum, Michelangelo.
Here are a few more questions for you:
1. Are you going to expose something like a REST interface so we can integrate the AxiomAir into larger control software?
2. If not, then are the HTTP commands used by the UI easy to reuse through HTTP posts (or gets). Additionally, if no API is supplied to retrieve information from the AxiomAir, is the UI based on machine-readable HTML or is everything done through AJAX and JavaScripts (thus not directly parsable to get the data).
Regardless on the specifics of the answers to 1:
a. Is there a mechanism to remotely power up/down the AxiomAir? Is the HTTP server always active? Or would we have to use Wake-On-LAN? Or Infrared?
b. Will there be commands to control the volume (up, down, mute, set)? How about retrieving the current values?
Multi-Room control:
c. Will you be exposing a mechanism to remotely control (by software not human clicks) multi-room capabilities, including obtaining the lists of all current speaker sets?
d. Would the API for one AxiomAir be able to use the APIs supplied for all the above functions? (ex: controlling the volume of each AxiomAirs currently synched).
Thanks in advance,
E.F.
Thanks - and how do you handle drift between the devices, Do you drop/add packets, resample or ?
Drop packets, but believe me: they are rarely dropped
Hi and thanks for the welcome!
Here are your answers (very interesting questions indeed)
1. Yes, the whole system will be controllable from APIs. At launch we'll have just socket.io APIs, and in few months I plan to mirror them also with REST ones. They are already documented, and should give you a better idea on the whole architecture:
https://github.com/volumio/Volumio2/wiki/WebSockets-API-Reference2. The UI is fully powered by Angular.Js and gets sends data via WebSockets (socket.io).
3. I don't think there will be WOL, as this is something that requires a specific hardware state. Hardware wise we now have ON\OFF.
But this could be an interesting feature to add in the future (but sure it will require hardware redesign)...
4. Absolutely, you have full control on volume, and you can retrieve it (together with all playback related info) from the getState API call
5. Yes, with Socket.io
6. Yes indeed. Every AxiomAir device uses the same APIs to talk with the others, and so can you.
Hope I replied with clarity to your question. Really eager to know your feedback on the architecture we set up.
Yes. Thanks.
Looks easy enough to implement on my side.
I had forgotten a VERY important UPnP question.
a) Are you planning to support SetNextAVTransportURI from day 1?
b) Which formats will be available day 1? DSF? FLAC? M4A?
c) Can you steam multi-channel that you will then downmix to stereo using selectable algorithm to mix (at least one that will preserve volume)
Great info. Like many, I'll have a mixed environment with multiple Axiom Air, but existing Airplay Devices (to feed amp), and other DLNA / Airplay Speakers speakers.
What is the potential options for Whole House (in sync) audio. Can you use say DLNA (or Airplay or ???) to push music to one Air and how does it go co-ordinating playback with the other Airs and the other Airplay / DLNA devices?
Also how is the standalone Axiom Air Adapter going?
Thanks
Nathan
Any word on delivery dates? Will we receive an email when it has shipped?
A mini run for production will start on Oct 19. I don't know when they will ship
Does anyone? Do you know how many elementary particles have to align before something can ship? Do you really believe anyone can predict the schedule for aforementioned alignment? Any predictions will lead to disappointments on both sides.
Well, I'm hoping before frost sets in
All summer I've begrudgingly dealt with the inferior acoustic of my current bluetooth speaker at the beach, yard, etc. I glared at it, letting it know it's days are numbered!
I can't wait to show up at a work site and blow them all away with some good sound and wireless to boot.
Speaking of work. After missing the Kickstarter for being too stun to realize that when they meant it was over on the 12th, that did not include the 12th (so I missed it by hours). Now it being too $$$ to consider I figured I'd try to get my a/v guy to get one in so we ahem I mean I could at least try it for a quick audio setup when people needed it in smaller rooms. We are a It and a/v dept for a university. I think these would solve havingg to setup a PA system in rooms just for simple music. But, again, nobody knows who Axiom is, so I could not convince them to try it. Oh well.
Any updates on how the first run went?
Thanks
Nathan
Do you have any pics Ian, getting pretty excited. How did the first run turn out? Hope everything is going like clockwork.
Unfortunately we ran into a few snags with the tooling and a few small parts. It is going to take a week or two to fix these. I am very excited myself to see these start going down our production line. It is so close now.
Thanks for the update (figured there was a snag!)
Well, I guess you have to expect these kinds of things. Thanks for the heads-up and have a great week.
I thought this was shipping in October. Looking forward to it
It's still October. We just turned the calendar back one month for daylight shipping last Sunday!
Our most complex tool (the rear of the cabinet) had problems. We tried repairing it but that has failed. We are going to have to make another one from scratch. It is a big drag but the material has been ordered for the new one now and we have everyone organized to run the CNC vertical end mill around the clock when we get the metal.
Sounds like you guys the same luck I got! That's too bad.
Bringing your tooling in house is amazing, but not without its challenges.
Hope you get it sorted out in short order.
I can' t wait to hear one.
Anyone else find themselves checking this thread daily?
I keep hoping for that e-mail that says it's shipping. Meanwhile the LFRs are keeping me entertained.
Problem must be more than CNC machining a piece of billet, that should not take weeks, a day or two at most.
Axiom likes to make as much of the product in house, and when I was there in February and saw some early prototypes, they were still a ways off on the milling of the cabinet. Things were being done on a 3D printer and while that works great, it does require a lot of additional machining and cleaning up. Not sure what they are doing for mass production, but they have always wanted to get things right the first time, and while my previous statement about them doing as much in house as possible, delays were to be expected. It is unfortunate though for all of you that bought one. Just know that you won't get one until Axiom thinks that it is ready and not just shuffled out the door to meet a deadline.
...and that is the ONLY way to do it. Quality only hurts once. Do it right the first time. If it takes a little longer, so be it.
I agree. I'm anxious/excited, not impatient
It was interesting to note that from my viewpoint, there was a surprising lack of anything related to this product at the factory during the 35th anniversary event mid September.
I saw one in the test lab and the disassembled one at the resort that we were playing with.
Beyond that...nothing I noticed.
Apparently the mould is being made as we speak. So hopefully it will all come together nicely and be shipping soon.
Still no news on this speaker, that is kinda weird. I thought it was going to make it for Christmas. Must still be having problems with it.
Maybe no news is good news?
Maybe no news is good news?
Well, when you have waited six months for something you paid for it gets a little old. I feel sorry for the folks that forked out for ten of these, crazy!
Most Kickstarters run late, but I figured Axiom would be more or less on target given they know how to build speakers! I wonder what the current hold up is (some more frequent updates would be good).
This hasn't been handled the way Axiom has done with everything else in the past. I haven't actively followed this thread, but judging by the comments, there's been a severe lack of information regarding the current production stage etc., and just answering members questions. That's not Axioms MO. We've always been kept in the loop; that's what makes Axiom a great company. It's even more troublesome (and frustrating especially for those who have paid for it) due to it being partially or wholly publicly funded via Kickstarter.
I'm sure someone is going to shit on that because it's me, but it's an objective opinion from someone that loves Axioms products and philosophy.
Peace
I knew the industrial design for the Air was going to be a challenge when I first saw the Air video. I sincerely hope Axiom doesn't over-look important details before shipping. The memory of late shipping will be quickly erased if/when the Air yields a moving listening experience.
What is new for Axiom is the move info Software. I've been a beta tester for years for JRiver's Media Centre and know how hard it can be to get this sort of software working, and working well. I'll be interested to see how it goes but as there is a MC build for the Pi I can always cross flash my AA's if needed.
Combine the drivers, 150watts, small enclosure volume = high probability of unwanted enclosure vibrations if there is not enough stiffness in the design of the enclosure. Looking at the picture on Facebook of the new mould there could be more stiffness In the new design of the mould. Look at the grid pattern. JBL EON's have a thick plastic case with a very strong design but you can still hear the enclosure make noise at high volumes and bass.
Axiom's not building the software. I doubt they even authored any requirements for it. Perhaps they authored features; that's about it. I do wonder if they'll do any acceptance testing on the software. I hope users don't end up having to do the acceptance testing.
How they end up supporting the software throughout its life-cycle will be interesting.
Yeah...that's always concerned me. But you know what? If there's any audible resonance, back it goes!
When it came time to hit the button on the kickstarter and order it I always hesitated. I had unanswered questions, very basic things not being answered here,and still not answered btw, and it made me think that the design just wasn't finished or near it. They had an idea but not a working prototype? I don't know, that is just what kept crossing my mind and the lack of responses here just made me hesitant to order...then when I said @#$@ it I'll do it anyways, I was like 2 hours late lol. I can understand peoples frustration.
I think too many people are impatient.
Our society is inundated with too much instant end products for use, purchase or consumption from instant texts to instant oatmeal. If something isn't available on hand instantly, the herds must gripe.
Kickstarter provides funds for an IDEA with an end product. There is
no guarantee of an end product though so why the hell would anyone think their Kickstarter money was used as if they just bought something on Amazon shipping the next day?
I'm sure Axiom will develop the Air, but to assume it was just going to be done and ready in months at most is naive.
There's people already complaining they haven't received a unit a month after the Kickstarter project completed funding.
For those with that instant gratification mentality that have themselves in a frustration-fueled merry go round, i have no sympathies.
I saw (and heard) a working prototype back in February 2015. Looked great, and while they were tweaking the sound of it, it sounded really good, and people in the office were playing back music pretty easily.
At the time (11 months ago) the biggest issue was getting the rounded components built effectively, efficiently, and up to Axiom standards. I saw one of the guys in the back working on a recently 3D printed part, and he even said something like "while we *could* sand this smooth, we don't want to have to do that with every one that we make" or something like that. To me, I was under the impression that they were working on the kinks way back then, but were close to having a product ready to go. With all of the time since then I would say that they don't want "a" product ready, but then want a quality product ready.
To me, I was under the impression that
I could cut this off here Nick as it demonstrates my point.
The impression/opinion = ASSUMPTION people form these days is that something will be ready soon, instantly, shortly, more so than the thought "hey, i wonder if this could take awhile for a finished product" or "there is evidence a prototype is in development enough for me to support the Kickstarter idea, but as a generally sane individual i KNOW that technology creation (e.g. CRT tvs exist for decades from B&W to colour to flat screens to big screens then finally in the 2000s decade almost 20 years for -- LCD--LED--OLED tvs...) still takes years to develop to a finished product, if ever".
they were working on the kinks way back then, but were close to having a product ready to go. With all of the time since then I would say that they don't want "a" product ready, but then want a quality product ready.
No doubt Axiom will only release a fairly solid product before releasing it and even then, after it ships it will also no doubt have revisions after the masses find faults during large scale field testing.
Some of the new developments which i saw during my first tour of the factory in 2004, didn't come to fruition as completed products for years. It was lip biting to keep the secret quiet on the upcoming DSP subwoofers back then until they were released!
Chess, While I have "no skin in this game", and I agree with you in that people "expect" everything very quickly, Ian was on here telling folks of the progress and setting the expectation of availability very shortly in Oct 2015 with the statement "It is so close now". People cannot be questioned for reading that and wondering where this stands 2 months later.
So, people in this case are taking queues from the Master!
I indicated that at the 35th, there were none to be seen, and IMHO, the electronic section of the Air we abused was not ready for prime time.
LOL, i hear you Mike, but define "so close" in the world of electronics development.
My first reaction was:
"
I read 'so close' in the forums yesterday but five bucks says we won't see anything for x months..." rather than "
gee, it's been six months why don't they have something by now..."
I indicated that at the 35th, there were none to be seen, and IMHO, the electronic section of the Air we abused was not ready for prime time.
I'm not sure anyone was listening to you.
Jerks.
...
I indicated that at the 35th, there were none to be seen, and IMHO, the electronic section of the Air we abused was not ready for prime time.
The electronics or the software? The software is the component they have the least control over.
I'm absolutely confident that Axiom is working furiously to get this thing out the door as a quality product. We all so how they worked to resolve their sub amp issues a few years back.
I think too many people are impatient.
Our society is inundated with too much instant end products for use, purchase or consumption from instant texts to instant oatmeal. If something isn't available on hand instantly, the herds must gripe.
Kickstarter provides funds for an IDEA with an end product. There is
no guarantee of an end product though so why the hell would anyone think their Kickstarter money was used as if they just bought something on Amazon shipping the next day?
I'm sure Axiom will develop the Air, but to assume it was just going to be done and ready in months at most is naive.
There's people already complaining they haven't received a unit a month after the Kickstarter project completed funding.
For those with that instant gratification mentality that have themselves in a frustration-fueled merry go round, i have no sympathies.
I don't think anyone supported this project for instant gratification. Since October axiom has been using the "carrrot and stick" approach with backers which is making them impatient. I can go hours without eating but the minute you throw food in front of me I become irritable.
They would have been better off saying the project will take another 6 months or at least posting consistent updates so people don't get their hopes up too high. I've supported many kickstarters that have been well over a year past their delivery date but they've either been consistently vocal or at least honest when it comes to how long their delay will be.
As for kickstarter being not being like amazon... Kickstarter is supposed to be like amazon. Your not investing in the product or donating to it. You are literally buying the product on faith that the creator will deliver the product promised on a set date or time period that they came up with while factoring in any possible complications or delays. The delivery date on kickstarter project is no different than the estimated delivery date on an amazon product. The only difference is that you are putting a lot more faith in the creator while the creator is putting their name on the line. This makes communication between backers and creators very important. As long as backers are kept in the loop they rarely complain but when you leave them in the dark the relationship starts to waiver and destroy the whole point of kick-starter which is creating a solid relationship between backer and creators.
To me, I was under the impression that
I could cut this off here Nick as it demonstrates my point.
The impression/opinion = ASSUMPTION people form these days is that something will be ready soon, instantly, shortly, more so than the thought "hey, i wonder if this could take awhile for a finished product" or "there is evidence a prototype is in development enough for me to support the Kickstarter idea, but as a generally sane individual i KNOW that technology creation (e.g. CRT tvs exist for decades from B&W to colour to flat screens to big screens then finally in the 2000s decade almost 20 years for -- LCD--LED--OLED tvs...) still takes years to develop to a finished product, if ever".
they were working on the kinks way back then, but were close to having a product ready to go. With all of the time since then I would say that they don't want "a" product ready, but then want a quality product ready.
No doubt Axiom will only release a fairly solid product before releasing it and even then, after it ships it will also no doubt have revisions after the masses find faults during large scale field testing.
Some of the new developments which i saw during my first tour of the factory in 2004, didn't come to fruition as completed products for years. It was lip biting to keep the secret quiet on the upcoming DSP subwoofers back then until they were released!
Exactly. I am making the same point... It appeared, to an outside observer (me), that they just had tweaks left to do, but to them they wanted to get it up to the Axiom standard before releasing it and that is taking time. They don't want a half-baked product going out.
The electronics or the software? The software is the component they have the least control over.
I'm absolutely confident that Axiom is working furiously to get this thing out the door as a quality product. We all so how they worked to resolve their sub amp issues a few years back.
It does not matter about Axiom's control over which pieces Fred, they are offering the product, so Axiom owns the issue regardless of who builds individual components.
I am also confident, having known Ian since the late 1980's. But there needs to be some sort of review and communications on the situation to update those who are asking after investing their hard earned money.
Certainly this whole process regarding the tooling has been two steps forward and one back. Pictured below is the new rear tool we remade. It is getting some final tweaks as the two parts need to mate together perfectly to work under the pressure of the molding machine. The process of all these tweaks is driving me crazy but we are working through it. I don’t know how many times we have had that tool together and then ripped apart again but it is inching closer to perfection.
Also pictured below is the new dry tunnel we added to our paint booth so we can bake the finish on the AxiomAirs after they are molded.
On the software side, it is good to go now, and very cool to use. Andrew, Michelangelo, and I have been running the system in our homes for a few months now and getting all the bugs we could find ironed out. I have three of them running around my house; one is hooked to my main system, another to a pair of M2’s in the bedroom, and a third set built into a pair of M3s on the desk. I am sure there will be lots more updates to the software once we start to get feedback from a broader audience. But the update button is working great and Michelangelo is going to be all over making any changes once we start to get feedback.
More than anyone I am so looking forward to getting this product shipping. I think people are going to love it once they have it.
whoa my eyes are playing tricks on me !!! I sear .. saw a case of 24 whizzing by on that last picture!
It truly is a painfully fulfilling experience to build something unique
.
It truly is a painfully fulfilling experience to build something unique
.
Like a relationship with a woman.
Cam, judging by your avatar, you're beyond the pain
.
I just assumed he was giving the lady a lift over a puddle.
Cam, judging by your avatar, you're beyond the pain
.
LOL!
I've no issues with the delay. I waited 3 years for Rift to become a real product (bought DK1 and DK2 along the way for my flight sim) and just placed the order for the commercial version - mostly - on faith.
I also ordered the battery for Air on faith. I've no doubt that Axiom will deliver because the company's reputation is dependent on it.
There is a guy called Milan in Croatia who's family owns a furniture store (they make them). He is an avid sim'er as well, and felt that there were no quality rudders available for the sim market. He created one (Milan MFG Rudders) and he's shipped more than 1500 in two years. All at $350 or so per device. At first, people were leery about sending $350 to a guy in Croatia. But now his name is synonymous with quality. His thread on the game site alone generates revenue for him because of all the positive feedback.
Axiom, to me, is the same way. Quality products at great prices. If I didn't live in a condo, I would have ordered the amps a long time ago!
So Ian, take your time, get it right and let us sit back and enjoy the ride.
hsb
...let us sit back and enjoy the ride.
hsb
Like Cam.
Although I'm disappointed it's this late, I have no worries about eventually getting it, or it being top quality. This is the only item I have ever pre-purchased on Kickstarter, and Axiom's (and Ian's) reputation was the reason I pre-purchased with absolutely no worries.
I'm cool with it. Joyce has forgotten about it, so when I want to buy a new tool or something, she doesn't say "didn't you just buy that Axiom thing" or "You just got that Axiom thing that came in last week". Bonus tool stuff!
Seriously, I'm not sweating it. I've had times when, despite pulling all-nighters, I've gotten backed up on some deadlines and missed them. And I've had (luckily, only) a few that went nuts unnecessarily, and some that were understanding. I'd like to be.... and am.... one of the understanding ones. And it really IS hard to stay in constant touch with the client, to only have disappointing news day after day. Especially when you honestly keep thinking you'll have that "breakthrough" in just a couple of days and be able to update the client with the good news instead.
I trust Ian and the crew that they want to get this done as soon as possible, without compromising the product, as much as some of us want to receive it.
I don't get annoyed if a waitress has kept us waiting if she's running around like crazy.
And I don't believe delivery dates have been extended because Ian is "just out back having a smoke".
Know what I'm looking forward to most? Not the receiving of the actual AxiomAir, but the new life that it will breathe into the forums here as we learn and discuss it.
...let us sit back and enjoy the ride.
hsb
Like Cam.
. You're on fire, pal.
Somebody's gotta light up these boards
.
Somebody's gotta light up these boards
.
I broke my Axioms in for 100 hours, but they're still bright.
I hear the version 3 is a bit more muted in the highs.
But what's the difference between the v3s and the v2s?
Magnetic grills, all aluminum dust caps, re-designed tweeters, woofers and cross-overs. They apparently sound better than V2.
What, no buttery highs and chocolaty bass?
Damn, must have been good and I missed it...
Well, of course they do, when you use Kimber Kable!
Can we not thread crap this thread? Thanks in advance guys...
Sorry, Steve, I can't let that stand. YOU HAVE NO HONOR!
Here is an update I have been looking forward to delivering for months. Yesterday we successfully molded the rear panel for the AxiomAir N3 from the new tool; and it worked great. We are going to clean up a few little cosmetic things around the edges this week and then we are in production on the first AxiomAir product.
A big thank-you to everyone who has been so patient through this process.
Thats great news.
Congrats.
Congrats Ian! Looking forward to hearing it in person!!!
Congrats! I like the looks of the port/handle.
I'm glad you got your tooling figured out. Injection molding is a complicated process.
Awesome news,
Congrats on the new success.
Yipee and congrats on all the hard work to get to this point
Can't Wait to get mine. Also keen to hear how the add on unit is looking (eg so you can wire in existing equipment).
Ian,
Is there going to be any option for Kickstarter backers to opt for something like getting one less AA but getting two of the pre-amp versions? (I backed for two AAs, but I would really prefer just one AA and two pre-amp versions.)
Speaking of which, is there any timeline on when the pre-amp version might be available? (Or what the cost of it will be?)
Hi MP3Mike,
The next products after the AxiomAir N3 is complete will be versions of our computer speakers with the AxiomAir built in and the AxiomAir pre-amps. It would be no problem to change one of your N3's for a couple of the pre-amps. I don't know the exact prices yet for these but we will have that soon. If you could send an e-mail to debbie@axiomaudio.com and let her know what you are planning she can let you know once we have all the pricing figured out.
What will the advantage of an air pre-amp be compared to a Chromecast?
What will the advantage of an air pre-amp be compared to a Chromecast?
Hi Mojo,
Functionally the Chromecast Audio is able to perform a number of the same functions as AxiomAir, but there are a number of limitations:
Chromecast Audio has no ability to play locally stored music files (USB stick, etc.).
Chromecast Audio needs an existing WiFi network to function. There is no hot-spot capability which AxiomAir has.
Chromecast Audio playback is limited to 24/96, and I have been reading of some issues with it not being bit perfect (i.e. re-sampling data for playback).
Thanks,
Andrew
What will the advantage of an air pre-amp be compared to a Chromecast?
Hasn't Paradigm done the same thing with their wireless speaker system? It looked like it to me, but then again, you may be talking about something totally different.
Hi MP3Mike,
The next products after the AxiomAir N3 is complete will be versions of our computer speakers with the AxiomAir built in...
Well now, that sounds interesting. I'm using a cheap 8 year old 'portable' system now for my computer speakers. Its due to die at some point soon, so I'll need a replacement.
I cannot wait for this product to be released. It will be a game changer, and I can't wait for everyone to experience it.
The next products after the AxiomAir N3 is complete will be versions of our computer speakers with the AxiomAir built in and the AxiomAir pre-amps.
If you are upgrading the Computer Speakers, will there be an path for those of us who own the computer speakers to get the Raspberry Pi interface installed? This might change my mind of keeping or trading in the computer speakers that I bought from Axiom last year.
Can you give us a bit more insight as to what is planned?
Hi Matt,
We see these as two different products. The computer speakers with the AxiomAir built in would be better categorized as our bookshelf speakers with the AxiomAir and amp built in as they do not need to be near the source. You will certainly be able to do a Trade-up if you wanted to go in this direction.
No problem. But the idea was great with the WAF. I wanted some music in the front room of my house but my wife didn't like the large speakers and associated cords linked up to a stereo that she feels is ugly. (I know, there is no accounting for some peoples tastes).
I have the M3 computer speakers that you sold last year, and your idea of linking it with an Raspberry Pi was genius. The Pi is so small it can easily be hidden behind the speakers. Next to no cords as they can all be hidden in the bookshelf. Hooked up the speakers to a Pi that I own via a short USB cable and presto. I have music in the front room without the size. Now I know I don't have the great software app on my Pi like you have on the Air, but it works well enough.
Thanks again for your innovative thinking.
I sure hope that the AxiomAir gets into production soon. In my travels I read a variety of magazines, and I see more and more products out there in that market.
Heck, I saw an ad for Paradigm's Premium Wireless series including their PW800. Has a LOT of similarities to the AxiomAir. Same bitrate capabilities, wireless, dual woofer/dual tweeter config (Axiom's are larger woofers), 230W RMS for Paradigm vs. 150W RMS for Axiom, a bunch of app support, streaming from devices, ARC (room correction) with the Paradigm, etc. Both selling for $799...
I love the ARC. I love the sub out (good call Axiom).
I don't like the fact it can't be battery-powered. That one right there is a deal-killer for me.
No mention of where compression takes place. We've been promised 115dB with the Air.
Wait, I thought there was a battery module that could be purchased.
I love the ARC. I love the sub out (good call Axiom).
I don't like the fact it can't be battery-powered. That one right there is a deal-killer for me.
No mention of where compression takes place. We've been promised 115dB with the Air.
Yup. Still lots of goodies with AxiomAir, it is just that I am seeing more and more competitors nabbing up what was an exclusive AxiomAir feature here and there. I just want the Air to be as successful as it should be, but I am getting nervous.
Pretty sure Mojo was referring to Paradigm as not having battery...
Yes, they better change the production and shipping dates on the AxiomAir page. Still pretty quiet and no pictures of the conveyor belt yet.
Heck, I saw an ad for Paradigm's Premium Wireless series including their PW800. Has a LOT of similarities to the AxiomAir. Same bitrate capabilities, wireless, dual woofer/dual tweeter config (Axiom's are larger woofers), 230W RMS for Paradigm vs. 150W RMS for Axiom, a bunch of app support, streaming from devices, ARC (room correction) with the Paradigm, etc. Both selling for $799...
Yup. I checked out the Paradigm system, and read a couple reviews about it a month ago when my best friend asked for my opinion of Sonos. I immediately recommended the Air to him, but....
The reviews I read for the Paradigm system were very positive. There's a few awesome features on the Paradigm system. One being that their system is open, so you can add other brands of speakers to the network.
Cam, you'll be able to add whatever brand of speaker you want to the Axiom pre-amp as well.
I've never heard ARC but if it's anything like XT32, it's a good addition. I am hoping that Axiom and partners will at least make available a decent equalizer app for the Air. By decent I mean not like the Android EQ apps but more like the ones available for Windows.
How is this coming along Ian, hoping for the best!
How is this coming along Ian, hoping for the best!
The product page hasn't been amended to denote any delay, ergo it still says shipping in January, so here's hoping.
We have been doing the fit and finish detail to all the tools this past week and half. There are still a few more things to do on this list. Michelangelo also wrote a QC start-up code that sets the clock and performs a routine of tests to verify all is good with the software and hardware. When it is done these tests it will say "QC check passed" (or not) and leave the AxiomAir in analogue mode so we can run all the audio tests. This is working great. As soon as Steve can get off of cleaning up injection tools we can make a video of the process of building an AxiomAir.
Exciting times, I can't wait to get this thing in my hands. I will have to retire my old work radio. Thanks Ian!
The product page says "Ships in 20 Business Days" now. Excitement level rising.
I can't wait. Only 14 business days left until me and my buddies party with our Airs.
I can't wait. Only 14 business days left until me and my buddies party with our Airs.
At your age "old buddies" are referred to as "my senior citizen friends". I constantly have to remind Bob of this.
We are producing the first run of the AxiomAir now. Here is a picture of the inside of one.
To cool,
Happy to see it's soon to ship.
Nice, this makes me super happy. Can I upgrade to cast baskets? J/K Getting close, thanks Ian.
What's the blue and white wire for on the far right below the crossover?
Edit: Looks like tweeterage.
You're right! All my buddies are 5 to 10 years older than me. I get to learn from their mistakes
.
Hi Mojo,
Those are indeed the tweeter wires.
A lot of risky innovation taking place over there. Someone needs to award you folks the Decibel audio prize.
Are the electronics mounted on a metal structure?
I just bought a
small 128GB thumb drive to start loading my top albums so I'm ready for the A^A when it arrives!
Seen the new update on their facebook page earlier today. I'm Steve. Very Excited to see the final thing.
Any chance I can get 150W x 2 for the Air? Can you tie-wrap an extra amp/power supply board in there
?
Well......the end of next week will be 20 working days, lets hope it ships.
Hi Mojo,
We can increase the amp size no problem but we would have to give up the portability and have it plug-in to the wall only. This still may make a lot of sense for AxiomAirs around your house that just stay plugged in all the time.
Here is a picture of an actual AxiomAir. We are going to make one last change to give the grille mount more support and then they begin shipping in a few days.
Thanks for the update, Ian!
Very anxious to hear it in person
Does it come with a matching shaving brush? Ian, I've never told you this before, but I like your knobs.
I agree, Ian, this is a good solution for those who don't need mobility. I bought into the air because of mobility and high fidelity. Thanks.
Looks SUPER Ian!!! I can't wait!
I know the chrome grill doesn't reveal the drivers but I am hoping the black grill (still) does.
I hope the Air will ship with Raspberry Pi3 so that the platform isn't obsolete before it even ships
.
Yup, there goes another month. Where oh where is my AxiomAir, where oh where can it be!
Yes, it's been a long wait. Starting to lose it.
I hope the Air will ship with Raspberry Pi3 so that the platform isn't obsolete before it even ships
.
What difference would it make if it was the Pi3 or a Pi-Zero?? it needs enough power to run a music queue and power the dac. there isn't any real cpu processing in any of that.
Where are Pi-Zero boards going to be sourced from for warranty purposes?
I am sure that Axiom are getting a bunch of boards. If you go onto the Raspberry Pi, there are a whole load of different options. Many developers used the Pi2b for development, then used the Pi1a for release as it requires less power to run and for imbedded devices, you don't need all the extra i/o interfaces that the 2b had. They also have the The Compute Module Development Kit that can be used that simplifies the layout and gets rid of the SD card needed for the OS to boot from. My point is that the speed of the processor doesn't really make a hoot of difference, and does it really matter if your wifi is built in or as a plug in module?
And if it was a Pi-Zero, for the $5 for the board, would you really want to warranty it, or simply just pull the board and replace??
What I am sure of is that Axiom understand supply chains...
The first production is on its way to the paint booth now!
That's sweet, congrats Ian! Good job Axiom, I know mine is going to get a lot of attention because I am at a different customer pretty much everyday, besides all the tradesmen and tradeswomen trying to figure out what I have....going to be fun!
Does that mean we shouldn't make design changes?
This comes with a cassette deck, right?
Ditto, Ian!!
They look so comfy in groups, it's a shame to split them up. I hope they go to nice homes where they will encourage loads of PDD's (Public Displays of Dancing).
If I still did job-site gigs, I'd have been first in line. "Oh, before you leave, Mrs. McCarren, WHICH next door neighbor is it that you hate and you're pretty sure will not like Scandinavian Speed Death Metal? The gray house? Out back? OK, have a nice day at the office."
You go, Ian!!
It needs a lazy susan.
Does that mean we shouldn't make design changes?
This comes with a cassette deck, right?
Excellent!
Excellent job Axiom!!! My cells are getting excited again...
Will the AxiomAir App be available on iOS too? Ian's update in kickstarter only mentioned about Android.
Hi AquaT;
Since the AxiomAir is an AirPlay speaker we didn't see a time when Apple users would need an App. Also, Apple devices have a program called Bonjour pre-loaded so they can access the webUI without needing to search out the IP address. For Android users the App allows the UI to resolve without needing to search out the IP address.
Is a 3-way Air coming out or is that my imagination?
Hmmm...it appears Bryston will be introducing an in-cabinet line soon?
I can see mine in the line, ha!
TAM
Hi Tom,
Yes, it looks really close to the front of the line.
Any painted pictures, I like shiny. Can we see the inside of that booth or is that trade secret.
I don't even have one ordered and I'm excited. Can't wait to read peoples opinions
I have a couple on order and can't wait to hear what they are like. I'm also very interested in the Pi and the SW. Couple of Q's:
- What version is the Pi
- Is it easily accessible if we want to "get to it"
Hi jmone,
It is the Pi2 and it is very easy to access through a removable panel on the bottom.
Thanks Ian - The first "upgradeable/hackable" speaker!
I take it is running volumio?
Hackable and Up-gradable were design features we wanted to have. We even nicknamed the access door the "tinker door". It is not running Volumio but the AxiomAir platform was written by Michelangelo. He will be showing up a lot here starting next week to answer questions and get ideas for changes we may want to implement.
Here are some pictures of the first run of AxiomAirs in the paint booth and new bake tunnel.
Which 2 are mine?
Ok, I messed up. I should have got in on the kickstarter.
That is a super nice shack you have Ian, those are almost looking too purdy to beat up at work.
Is there any way to know whether or not mine is in this first run, or "just keep an eye on your inbox" kind of deal? I pulled the trigger within 5 hours of the kickstarter email hitting my inbox, so I'm hopeful either way
Hi Scott,
I will add you to the list of Beta testers these first ones are going out to. Using all the feedback from these first ones we will update the code and the user manual. All the code updates can be loaded using the update button on your interface so you can keep yours right up-to-date as the changes happen.
Awesome! Thank you, Ian!
The very first one was boxed up today!
I sincerely wish you run out of digits on that serial number
.
I see that I am going to have to make a carrying case, maybe you can make that an option Ian.
I would like the model with an 8" EP100 built-in
.
Ian,
I was contacted about being a Beta tester a week or so ago and I was more than happy to do it. I haven't heard anything back yet. Am I on the Beta tester list?
Thanks!
Steve
Hi Steve,
We have you on the list.
If you need any other testers I had purchased on Kickstarter as well.
Also keen on participating with the Beta Team. I have a couple on order and I am a Beta Tester/ Forum Admin for JRiver Media Center. I've already started the conversations over about the Air and what we may need to do to add MC support so Beta Team access here would be great.
Thanks
Nathan
At last a binary serial number!
I am expecting to receive #00000000110011
Hi tmuhr and Nathan,
We have you added to the list.
Hi tmuhr and Nathan,
We have you added to the list.
Thanks Ian,
Nathan
I love the shipping boxes!
Just got my FedEx Tracking info.
They are leaving the nest...
TAM
I ordered mine off of Kickstarter as well. Although mine if for my wife, I'm sure she'll allow me to play with it as well
. I'd be happy to be a beta tester if you need additional people.
Thanks,
-Stu
Darn, I didn't get a tracking e-mail.
I know that my 4 felines are gonna luv that box, ha!!
TAM
My FedEx tracking info just came in the mail. Looks like a Monday or Tuesday delivery. Thank goodness we turn the clocks ahead this weekend!
If you are still interested in Beta testers , I would be willing to try .
I have copied all my music to flac in preparation for the air via kickstarter . Well over 2000 recordings.
I have a large supply of axiom products in the basement including a recording studio .
I wonder why Debbie got me all excited about being a beta tester and then I don't get one.
I love the new boxes for shipping them. Can't wait to get mine. I am willing to beta test if you still need any.
Once my wife realized I was getting the microphone, she is now asking me how she can do Karaoke with it. Any suggestion?
Hi Shawn,
It was the microphone option that didn't assemble quite as planned. We are modifying the mounting for that PCB now so we can get yours in production next week.
Hi gearcruncher,
We would love to add you to the Beta list. We will take all the help we can get to help us iron out any code bugs and get the manual easy-to-use as quickly as we can.
Ok cool, I get to sing soon. Yes, thanks Ian.
Hi DerekA,
I have added you to the Beta list.
I think the best way to do Karaoke is to plug a cable from the TV to the AxiomAir and select the Analog Input on the User Interface. All the audio controls and Karaoke effects for the mics will be controllable from a special page on the User Interface.
Got mine at 3:15 PM! That is the coolest box, ha!
I'll unpack it tonight & get playing with it tomorrow...
TAM
I will do that Ian, it sounds like it's going to be a lot of fun to test. I will also have to fool around with the Yamaha CX-A5100s Airplay mode.
Edit: Oh ya, have fun Tom, I am tempted to drive up to your place.
I'll beta Test! I suppose I have to buy one though lol
Your best way would be to come by ark, ha!
TAM
I know, we sure have had some heavy storms come in. I seen a plane flipped upside down in the paper.
Happy for all of you AxiomAir buyers and for Axiom that they are getting this product out there.
Now if I could just get my on-wall M3s to ship.
Well it took less than 5 minutes for one of my cats to find the Axiom Shipping Box - pics below. I've put the Air temporarily in its place on our wine rack rosewood table in the kitchen where it will replace the little radio on its right.
First impressions - big, beautiful and so well packed for shipping in its nice cloth bag. I'll power it up tomorrow & try to sync it with our Toshiba Lap Top that will be about 6' away from it to the right of the table. It runs Vista so I'm not too hopeful on how it will turn out. I have a Samsung Galaxy TAB 5 as well so it will be interesting...
TAM
Now if I could just get my on-wall M3s to ship.
Don't you have enough new toys to play with?
Speaking of toys, this weekend I'm torn between setting up the Air & playing with my new 2016 Toyota RAV4 Limited that has more tech than any airplanes that I ever flew - mind you they are all antiques now, ha!
TAM
I'm excited for you guys! It looks great.
Tom. could you not bring the Air into the RAV and then stream in tandom to both? Or didn't you get the battery pack to go with your order??
Now if I could just get my on-wall M3s to ship.
Don't you have enough new toys to play with?
Yeah, new phone is set up. Anthem MRX-1120 is in place, just need to update the firmware, and run ARC to enjoy it, but the long process of rearranging the equipment shelves is done.
I hopefully can get wires run for the M3s early this week so that I can patch any holes. I'm excited to get the M3s, but honestly I do have TON of other things to do too.
Big learning curve here. Since I'm stubborn & doing beta testing, I'm trying to get it to run by myself on my Android Tablet with the help of Ian's Instructions via PM; however, I don't want to bother him on the phone until I need to.
My older Toshiba Lap Top Running Vista does not want to cooperate due to an outdated browser & I-tunes doesn't like it either because it wants Win 7 or later. It might be a lost cause but I'll play with it later.
Anyway, I've got it playing music nicely on my thumb drive that plugs into the lower front panel. 8 GBs of MP3s (ripped CDs) at 320 Kbps. Sound is awesome - smooth & powerful - typical M3 but from a more point source. I think that I have the best sound in a kitchen in the local area, ha!
I haven't been able to get internet radio to it yet but after rereading Ian's Instructions, I never went quite far enough in the procedure. Time for a break - I'll play with it again after supper. So when I get radio along with my music, I'll be happy.
I believe that mine has a battery but I really don't know except it is quite heavy...
TAM
I bought a 256GB USB 3.0 drive so I'll be ready.
Not sure USB 3.0 is supported on raspi2.
Have you tried out one of your subs with it, TAM?
Yesterday I bought a package of 2 Kingston 16 GB thumbs from Best Buy Can for $14 - about half price - one for the AIR & one for the car. They are 2.0 & work fine in the AIR. These thumbs do not have the fastest write speed, but once it is done, basically that's it. Buffering is adjustable in the APP, but I left mine on the default setting & experienced no stuttering nor pausing.
These are quite small with an aluminum housing that fits the slot of the AIR & allows the 'access door' to be closed with it installed. Thumbs with a bigger form factor may not allow this.
Subs are not required with the way that I use it in the kitchen. The M3s sound just fine for music as is...
TAM
This my more or less permanent setup for the AIR. Note the tablet & lap top over to the right on the control desk...
TAM
Mojo, I wasn't assuming that the Air uses 3.0 or would benefit from file read speed, but I wanted a 3.0 for faster transfer of files on the computer side.
TAM, my mistake: I thought I had purchased a 256GB drive, but looking back, it was
128GB.
I also wanted teeny and bought the largest storage size available, which evidently was 128GB. I have the wonderful idea of my Air having direct access to my 1600 or so CDs, but I guess I have to admit that there are 50% that I just never, ever really listen to anyway!
Also, I thought the Air was going to be bigger. Looking at the Air next to your clock for reference, I guess the Air is only about 6" wide?
Mine's on the FedEx truck for delivery today!
Ha, my wife remarked - 'It's bigger than I thought!'
Actually our wall clock is 25" in diameter & the Sony Picture Frame Viewer on its left is 10" wide. The unit itself is 19.5" wide by 11" high so it is substantial & weighty.
BETA Testing has revealed some issues with connectivity to the net with my unit or my router. I can connect my Galaxy TAB S & Toshiba Lap Top to the AA but it will not switch over to join my network (hence the internet) using my older D-Link DIR-615 with a signal booster. Therefore I'm limited to operating off my Thumb Drive with no net radio being available. Ian & Michelangelo are working on it - that's what BETA Testing is all about.
My 16 GB Thumb Drive holds close to 800 MP3 tracks at 320 Kbps & is about half full. Like you, I have a ton more CDs that I'm just not interested in listening to anymore so they will not get ripped.
We had a dinner party last evening. The AA provided wonderful glitch fee background music over about 6 hours. I ended the evening with a demo of AA playing the haunting Miles Davis track 'Ascenseur Pour l' Echafaud' (Lincoln MKX commercial with Matthew McConaughey):
http://time.com/4029216/matthew-mcconaughey-new-lincoln-commercial/What a cool piece of music. It sounded absolutely wonderful on the AA...
TAM
Ian,
Not sure if you saw my previous comment, but I'd be happy to be a tester if you still need more. I ordered mine for my wife on Kickstarter.
Thanks,
-Stu
Nice to see that your's doesn't have red light flashing...
TAM
SRoode, your configuration looks gorgeous.
Thanks Ian. Can't wait to try it.
Steve, is that four USB ports?
Hi Purist,
We will get you added to the Beta list tomorrow. Thanks for helping us out through this phase.
Thanks Derek! Mark, yes, 4 USB ports. One is used by the AxiomAir (probably for wireless, since it flashes activity when streaming). There is also a Ethernet port there if you want to hardwire the AA. I had no problems immediately having our iPhones connect to it using AirPlay. I needed some help from Ian to clarify how to access the AA software using the PC (the draft instructions are a bit sparse). But with Ian's help, I can access the AA software no problem. Cool info - I was streaming Pandora to the AA from my iPhone, and my wife's iPad brought up the AA software and it was able to read the info from Pandora to show the artist, song name, and song duration (with time left to play). Pretty neat. I'm copying all my songs from my PC to a USB stick now to see how the software recognizes it. Soundwise, it is very close to an M3, maybe a touch less bass. But the clarity is even better than my M3s (but mine are several years old, probably a V3 vs V4 difference).
Are those ports on the front? a lan port on the front?
I'm not sure what help I can offer anyone without a unit but I am a Sys admin and network admin for wired/wireless so from that point of view ask away.
All ports are on the front, behind a closeable door.
USB is a breeze. Just plug it in and the AA starts reading it automatically. The software also allows to you queue songs (which is nice) and create playlists. Very easy to use.
I have not been successful yet in the AA reading my network drive. I will have to play with that some more tomorrow.
So Lan port is on the front. Kinda messes things up for me. Wanted to hardwire it in a spot wireless is sorta weak in the house. Have it connected to my home network and nas/or pc via wired and just use a phone to control it.
wonder if something like this would fit with the door closed. I have one in my car-very small.
https://www.amazon.ca/SanDisk-Cruzer-Low...*=1&*entries*=0
That would easily fit. I have one like that in my car. With the door closed, you have about an inch clearance.
Are those ports on the front? a lan port on the front?
I read this as the unit having an Ian port. I thought that would have been pretty cool.... like a Super Secret Master Key kind of thing. Ian flies in, plugs in a key that hangs around his neck, and you have access to unreleased Jimi Hendrix songs covered by Elvis.... recorded YESTERDAY!! ::Cue Dramatic Teaser Audio::
I played around again tonight to try to get my AA to hook up with my router (both thru the Galaxy TAB S & Win Vista Lap Top) & hence the internet - still no go. Still Flashing Red & Blue Lights - a steady Blue Light means it is properly hooked up to the router/internet.
Plays my Thumb Drive nicely though...
TAM
Tam,
I used the first method in the instructions (iOS AirPlay) to set my AA up, which forced it to connect to my network. Do you know anyone who has an iPhone 5 or 6 who is local? Maybe ask them to come over real quick and see if they can stream to the AA using AirPlay. This will force the unit to connect to your network. I know it's not the preferred method, but it would be interesting to see if this method temporarily works to get your AA connected to your network. If it doesn't then there is something different about your network and my network.
Steve
Okay,
I was successful in linking the music from my Network drive to the AA Software! It turns out you have to enter the router's IP address in the "NAS IP Address" field, then list the subdirectory field. It was a little confusing because the NAS IP Address field states "IP Address of your Network Drive" instead of "IP Address of your Router". I should have figured it out sooner.
So, in less than a day I have been able to connect using AirPlay on an iOS device, connect via the web on a PC device, link a network drive with a music directory, and play music via USB. Really not bad at all for a "Beta" unit with "Beta" software. The software can use some polish, but it is definitely working well for such an early version.
Sometime this week I will try to take the unit away from home and see how well it performs outside of my network range, but that may have to wait until the weekend.
I was successful in linking the music from my Network drive to the AA Software! It turns out you have to enter the router's IP address in the "NAS IP Address" field, then list the subdirectory field. It was a little confusing because the NAS IP Address field states "IP Address of your Network Drive" instead of "IP Address of your Router". I should have figured it out sooner.
Just for clarity, can I assume that your network drive uses a USB port built into your router?
Thanks for the advice.
Where is the "NAS IP Address" field? Once when I selected My Music I saw 2 entries - USB & NAS. I clicked in NAS & there was nothing there & it went away leaving only USB to choose from.
I have a feeling that my wife will never be able to get it up & running...
TAM
Tam,
Press the Gear in the upper right, then select "My Music". On that screen there is a rectangular button on the mid right of the screen that says "+ Add new drive". When you click on that, you get the options.
@Tam,
This is what I had to enter to make it work for me:
OK. I hadn't gone into 'Add a new Drive'.
To be clear, the IP Address there is your Router IP Address?
When you are referring to 'my Network drive' do you mean the internet. I need an internet connection to receive internet radio...
TAM
Tam,
Yes, the IP address is my Router IP Address.
"My Network Drive" is the drive I have connected to my router that serves as NAS (Network Attached Storage), not the internet. I have a mirror of all of my music on that drive, so that anyone on my network can access it.
I don't use internet radio, so I have not tried that yet.
Here is a screenshot. My Network Drive (Readyshare) has the IP address 192.168.1.1 (most routers have that address). On that drive, I created a directory called "USB_Storage" and in that directory, I copied my entire "Music" directory from iTunes there. When I entered the correct info (shown in a post above), the AA software "found" my music. The AA software is shown playing "Loves Me Like A Rock" from that directory.
You are so far ahead of me & obviously more tech savvy.
Could you try to connect to the internet to see if it works - not necessarily for radio, but any connection to the internet would be enough.
Thanks for all of your stalwart work...
TAM
No problem!
Yep, I went into "Browse", then "Webradio", then "By Genre", then "Rock", and there is a list of stations to choose from. I chose a couple and they are all working.
Then you are already hooked up to the internet & I take it that your R & Blue Lights are not flashing like mine are.
I tried Net Radio & get nothing because of no net connection - frustrating.
I'll try 'Add a Drive' to see if that works.
Thanks
TAM
I went into 'Add a Drive' but decided that this is not my problem & didn't want to make things worse. It will not switch over from the AA Hot Spot to the Router to get a steady light. It just kicks off over to my Router with no connection to anything - hence the flashing lights.
When I go into my router properties in the Galaxy it shows an IP of 192.168.0.168. When I find properties on my Lap Top & PC, it is 192.168.0.1.
Could this be a problem I wonder?
TAM
Then you are already hooked up to the internet & I take it that your R & Blue Lights are not flashing like mine are.
I tried Net Radio & get nothing because of no net connection - frustrating.
I'll try 'Add a Drive' to see if that works.
Thanks
TAM
TAM, I gather you have no issue getting to the web user interface when you are connected to the AA hot-spot? What do you see when you go to the Network tab under the gear icon? Is your home network there? Have you tried to power off the system and boot it up again?
Thanks,
Andrew
Hi Andrew:
I've powered OFF/ON numerous times, including rebooting the Galaxy.
I have no problem getting the AA APP (web user interface) after connecting to the AA Hotspot Network. I can use the APP & play my Thumb Drive music all OK.
Under the Network TAB, my Home Network is there. When I connect back to my Home Network, it connects OK, but the AA does not switch over to the internet connection & AA Hot Spot WiFi option is still visible. Ian says that it should disappear & the lights should turn steady. This is not happening.
Perhaps I need someone on the phone to walk me through a start up to make sure that it is not me screwing up the procedure...
TAM
I'm wondering if it's a Firewall issue. When you choose your network, it should be asking you for your network password.
On my Win Vista Lap Top, I disabled the Windows Firewall. That did not fix anything. I don't think that my Galaxy has a Firewall because I haven't installed one, but I could be wrong, ha!
Once it is back on my Home Net, when I refresh it thru my browser, it comes up with axiom.local DNS not found...
TAM
I meant your router's firewall. I'm assuming your laptop and you Galaxy are clients. Can you log onto your router and check 2 things:
1) See what your security is set to (Mine is WPA2-PSK [AES])
2) Make sure your access control is set to allow new devices to connect. Here's a screen shot of what mine looks like:
On my Win Vista Lap Top, I disabled the Windows Firewall. That did not fix anything. I don't think that my Galaxy has a Firewall because I haven't installed one, but I could be wrong, ha!
Once it is back on my Home Net, when I refresh it thru my browser, it comes up with axiom.local DNS not found...
TAM
OK, here is what I suggest you do:
1. Disconnect your laptop AND phone from the AA hot-spot.
2. Press the power button and wait for the system to turn off (green light goes out).
3. If you don't have iTunes installed on your Vista laptop, download and install it.
4. Turn on the AxiomAir.
5. Go to your laptop WiFi connections and connect to the AxiomAir hot-spot.
6. Open a browser and enter axiomair.local/.
7. Click on the gear icon and go to Networking.
8. Click connect next to your home WiFi network name.
9. Click on the "eye" icon.
10. Enter your home WiFi password and confirm that it is connect (make sure upper and lower case for any letters is correct).
11. Click connect.
12. The blue LED should stop flashing and turn solid.
Let me know if there are issues with any of those steps.
Thanks,
Andrew
I wonder if all of this should be moved to a new topic? (AA Tech support or Beta questions). I know I'll have questions, some of which are popping up now before I even receive the unit, but I don't want to muddy any waters here....
I haven't gone into my router firewall, but I know that the Security is WEP. I have allowed numerous other devices to connect to it over the years, so I don't think that is a problem & my password must be correct.
Andrew - I'll go upstairs & try your procedure. My Galaxy is a TAB S tablet, not a phone, but that shouldn't matter.
I'll get back shortly...
TAM
Hi Everyone! I'm so happy about these great feedbacks!
To reply to some of your questions\issues
@exlabdriver: I am looking into your very particular issue. Checking if there may be some problem with WEP and your password. I'll let you know
@SRoode: So your Router is in fact your NAS.. Your comment may be confusing for others, as to add your NAS you should input your NAS address...
I'll be here to reply all your questions!
OK, I tried Andrew's procedure on both the Vista Lap Top (with iTunes installed) & the Galaxy TAB S Android Tablet. Unfortunately, same result.
All is well up to Step 11.
Inside the AA App, when I click 'Connect' back to my Home WiFi Network (with the correct PW that works with other devices) it connects fine, brings up a small window advising that it has connected. Then the AA APP goes into a never ending 'search' mode - the revolving circles on the screen.
The R & B Lights continue to Flash. In my WiFi Network list, the AA Wifi is still showing as available, ie, the unit hasn't found & switched over to my Home Net I guess...
TAM
A new thread might be in order if one of the Axiom Staff sees fit to start it...
TAM
I got brave & went into my Router Settings. I believe that something in there might be set so that AA can't access it.
What that would be I don't know because it is all foreign to me. Nothing in the Firewall Section jumped out as being wrong, but again I don't know.
I exited without changing anything...
TAM
Any info on the shipping schedule (I've two on order to Syd Oz from Kickstarter)?
Congrats Ian and team.
They look great.
OK guys, I may have stumbled upon something.
In my Router DHCP Server Settings:
DHCP IP Address Range is: 192.168.0.100 to 192.168.0.199
AA IP Address is: 192.168.211.1
Could it be that my Router is not able to see the AA as it is clearly outside of its Address Range?
It is configurable but I won't change anything till I get some expert advice.
Eagerly awaiting any thoughts...
TAM
@exlab:
The AA IP address you are seeing is, I presume, the one you see when connecting to AA as wi-fi access point. There is no link between that address and the router's DHCP (separate networks).
Do you have old equipment connecting to your router? A regular wi-fi access point (one with just one radio) has to accomodate the lowest level of communication. So if a B and a G are both connected at the same time, both will operate using B. It is possible that some equipment somewhere (could even be a neighbor's) is forcing the wi-fi router to a lower mode of operation than the minimum AA requires (which would explain the "connected-but-not-connected" you have).
1) To put that possibility out of the way, you can temporarily change the SSID (name of the network) and make it "hidden" (you would then have to enter the name manually in AA and not pick it up from a list). If you have the same situation, then you will at least have eliminated a possibility.
2) Just to make sure it is not something very silly, how close/far is the AA from your access point? Is it possible to get them as close as possible? There might be some interference. I have seen countless times a laptop at 10 feet having trouble getting good connection and a perfect one at 9 feet (with exact same signal strength).
Some good advice there Eric. I would try both of these ideas.
Another idea would be to reset your router (I don't think I saw that done yet). There should be a little button in the back of the router that you would press using a paper clip. Hold it down for about 10 seconds. After it reboots, see if you can connect the AA.
Still another option worth looking into. This could be a perfect opportunity to upgrade to a new router. The D-Link DIR-615 is about 7 years old now (I got rid of my DIR-655 about 2 years ago), and although working fine now could break down at any time (If I get 5 years out of a router I am happy). The new AC technologies are out there now and much faster. I don't think the AA connects at AC speed, but most other new devices do. Replacing your router should allow the AA to connect since it would be a fresh start, and all devices would need to be reconnected to the network.
I am really hoping you get this worked out soon, for your own sanity
Thanks for the inputs. Damn, I thought that I was close.
My router is indeed aged but has worked perfectly with all devices that come & go here. My Toshiba Lap Top is 4 years old & Blackberry Play Book is 3 years old - both running fine.
Both the Lap Top & Galaxy TAB are within 6 feet of the AA with good signals showing.
My problem is that I'm just not comfortable with playing with routers because I don't know anything about them. The Router Manual might as well be written Chinese for the amount that I can discern from it.
Maybe a new one is in the cards but I can feel my blood pressure rising already, ha!
TAM
It's the AxiomAir that you need to try closer to your wi-fi access point.
The Manual states that 'Reset' restores factory settings - is this what I want to do?
I unplugged it for a couple of minutes & then let it reboot - is that the same as pressing 'Reset'? It's now working OK on my devices but the AA still will not hook up properly.
Time to look at Best Buy I guess...
TAM
It's not the same thing. Pressing the button will restore the router to factory settings, like you just took it out of the box.
Do I want to do that, ie back to factory settings?
Just found this one at the local BB on sale til tomorrow:
http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/d-li...5392d86fe55en02Does it sound like it would do the job?
TAM
That's exactly the one I picked out for you on Newegg if you decided to upgrade.
BUT, before spending any money, I would try pushing the button and doing the factory reset first.
Note, you may have to re-setup your home network again if you push the button, not sure, but you will definitely have to set it up again anyway if you buy a new router.
Well, as you said, after this many years, it is time for an upgrade for many other reasons.
I think that I'll just go over & get one while it is on sale...
Tom
OK, after an afternoon of new Router installation hell, I'm fully up & running both on my devices & the AA. The Vista machine gave me a lot of heartache; however, 'chatting' with one of D-Link's techs solved that. So it seems that an obsolete Router was the cause all along with the AA.
No flashing lights now & my blood pressure is now receding, ha!
Got a burning question though. My web radio is working fine but how do I add a couple of the local stations our here on the west coast? The search feature doesn't seem to work with a generic query. Does it need an actual URL of the web site to be typed into the box?
TAM
Yea!!!!! I knew it! Good for you Tam!
Go here for a nice list of stations:
http://www.internet-radio.com/The search feature in AA just searches what is already programmed. You can add stations. Find one you like on the site, copy the link, add a new station, and paste in the link.
Have fun!
If anyone is looking for an new router look for Asus 68u, or Netgear r7000. Mature products with excellent firmware support, and excellent range. They also have custom firmware support, ios/android apps. There are more expensive options but people rarely need it. If you need more ports look at the Asus rt88u with 8 ports. Do not get the 87u. Trust me.
RT-N66U running Tomato here. In the last 4(?) years, my wireless quit working once and I had to reboot it. Aside from that, it's been smooth sailing.
The reason that I stayed with D-Link was because of the service that they afforded me when I first installed the previous router years ago.
Since my computer room doubles as a radio room (a fine collection of receivers) I found that the router power supply was causing RFI noise in my radios. I complained to D-Link in Toronto & in a couple of weeks they flew 2 engineers all the way from Taiwan plus 1 from Toronto to my home on Vancouver Island with a bag of modified power supplies. Fixed the problem & they all flew back home that evening.
Absolutely unbelievable. It probably cost them ten thousand dollars in airfare plus hotels & per-diem. So the least that I could do is upgrade with the same brand.
Thanks for all of the help guys. Now to hunt down some net radio stations...
TAM
That's some amazing service! I'll bet they brought some information back that helped them as well.
I was able to use my older, simple plug-into-the-wall-socket D-Link Signal Booster using the WPS Button connection method that has boosted my 2.4 Ghz signals to the upstairs from 1-2 to 4-5. It doesn't do the 5.0 Ghz though, but that is OK. Great performance upstairs now where the Tablet, Lap Top & AA reside.
Just wondering if anyone has been successful in importing any radio stations into their AA?
I have only tried a few because my brain was close to exploding last night, but I haven't been successful due to error msgs like - 'Unable to decode stream' or whatever.
I'm looking for streams that will work in the AA for:
CKNW Vancouver, BC; KGMI Bellingham, WA; KKOH, Reno, NV
If anyone comes across links that will work please advise.
I'm wondering that if the streaming site has a 'Play Button' instead of just automatically streaming when selected & loaded might be the cause of problems. Does pushing the 'Play Button' in the AA 'Playback' page send a 'Play' command to the streaming site? If it doesn't, many sites will not work...
TAM
I would try vtuner.com , the AA should pick that up.
Thank you sir!!
I managed to get CKNW to work from vtuner & that is the important one.
KGMI & KOH are a no go from vtuner - unable to decode error, but I'll work on it later after a Guinness or 2 tonight. Actually the pre-programmed Californian station 560 KFSO carries all of the talk programs that I listen to & is in the same time zone. Interestingly, KTIE 590 in the same provided list will not decode & it isn't carried by vtuner.
There are so many streaming services that it is hard to stumble on the correct one so thanks for the tip.
Maybe I can put away my kitchen radio now, ha!
TAM
My pleasure, glad it worked. Now I have to be patient for my AA to get here.
Hopefully it will all go well & your blue light will come on steady quickly.
It is quite a cool unit when it is up & running doing what the user wants it to do.
CKNW never sounded so good...
TAM
SBrown, thank you for the link. I was able to add my local Indianapolis stations without any problems. I love the AxiomAir!
You are welcome but I can't take the credit because someone else mentioned it awhile back and I have been using it on my computer and my Yamaha prepro came with it.
I can't wait to hear some M3s ,it should be alot of fun.
Got a question - what is the ANA VOL knob in the front compartment? Perhaps for the xylophone chimes on bootup?
TAM
Question for Axiom - The manual states to press the white button to properly shut off the speaker. If I plan on leaving my speaker in one place and not unplugging it for a week or two, is it okay to just leave it on all the time?
Can someone who has the Air describe for us what inputs and outputs it has?
Can someone who has the Air describe for us what inputs and outputs it has?
I don't have mine yet, but the FAQs (
http://air.axiomaudio.com/faq) mention analog, USB, and ethernet inputs.
Analog Input (With Volume Control Knob)
4 x USB (1 Used By Wireless, 3 Free)
1 Ethernet
1 Subwoofer Out (on back)
Thanks to both of you. I see in the link Scott provided we need iTunes to use it with our PC. This is really unfortunate. I will never install iTunes on my Windows machine. Is there a different way to use the Air with a Windows machine?
Hi Tom,
The volume knob is only active if you are using the Analog Input.
Hi Steve,
It is no problem to leave it on. I never shut mine off either.
Last night my wife and I had a blast using the AA. We celebrated ST. Pats by having a couple of whiskeys and cokes, and listening to great music. She had her iPad, I had my iPhone, and we were both able to access the AA interface at the same time, and independently queue songs to the playlist. It was a lot of fun!
BTW, I just received my 128GB USB Mini Drive in the mail today ($35 USD). I was able to copy my entire online library to the USB, and it only used 28GB (plenty of room to add more songs). I just plugged it into the AA and within a couple of minutes, all music was automatically indexed and available.
Ian, my wife and I are so impressed with the AA, and really enjoying it. You should be very proud!
Hi Mojo,
The only reason to install i-tunes is to avoid having to use the IP address of your AxiomAir to get to the webUI on a PC. When you install i-tunes you get a program called Bonjour along with it. It is actually Bonjour that allows axiomair.local to resolve in your browser without the IP address. Our Android App alleviates the need to have Bonjour for Android devices.
Hi Steve,
This is so cool to hear you are loving the AxiomAir. It has been a really long journey getting here. The mission sounds so simple when you say it fast enough "Sounds Fantastic and Works with Everything".
The Update button allows us to just keep making it better too.
The first run of white ones is happening today.
Thank you sir!!
I managed to get CKNW to work from vtuner & that is the important one.
KGMI & KOH are a no go from vtuner - unable to decode error, but I'll work on it later after a Guinness or 2 tonight. Actually the pre-programmed Californian station 560 KFSO carries all of the talk programs that I listen to & is in the same time zone. Interestingly, KTIE 590 in the same provided list will not decode & it isn't carried by vtuner.
There are so many streaming services that it is hard to stumble on the correct one so thanks for the tip.
Maybe I can put away my kitchen radio now, ha!
TAM
Hi TAM,
There is a bit of a trick to finding the correct link for some webradio stations. If you try to use the link from a web browser live player it will not work. What you need to search for are direct streaming links. Almost all streaming stations have them, but sometimes they are buried in a far off section of the station's web page! You want a streaming link that ends in either M3U or PLS. If the link you find has one of those extensions but still won't play, check to see if the beginning of the URL is http:// or
https://. I have found that sometimes changing from https to http will get the link to work. Listening to webradio stations from around the globe is something I really enjoy and regularly introduces me to new music, and it's all FREE! Have fun!
Andrew
I'm so happy to see that you're so enthusiast about the system... And as Ian mentioned, there's an update function which will allow us to deliver new functions and make it even better!
Ok, thank you Ian.
I think one of those white ones may be mine.
Here is an idea for you.. If finding the web radio streaming stations are a challenge. why not link a web radio database for members of your site to add to. Then if you are feeling up to it, and your programmer can, add the ability to link to the database from the AA and tag/add the radio stations to your unit. That way you can get the global streaming of what other AA users are listening to
there are dozens of databases like
http://radio-locator.com/search for internet radio databases in google. most provide a clean url forvstreaming
I use the software shutdown procedure that seems to shut the AA off OK. Once the lights extinguish, I then close the web page.
About the long term , I don't know...
TAM
Hi Mojo,
Yes it is. We will be shipping yours on Monday.
Jeeez, now you guys are getting me excited about receiving mine! And here I've been saying "no rush...no rush....".
It's different when others are posting how great the AA's are!
I'm not on the Beta list, and I don't even remember what color I ordered!
Same here.
I even downloaded to AA app today in anticipation. Really looking forward to coming home and finding one of those sweet custom Axiom boxes waiting for me
Figuratively can't wait.
Hi Ian,
Was just curious if I got added to the beta list and wondering when shipment will happen. I'm eager to test one out
Thanks,
-Stu
Hi Purist,
We will be shipping yours next week also. It will be the week to ship all the Beta AxiomAirs. The white ones will be first and then the rest of the black ones. I think we should slip one in for Mark too.
Thanks, Ian, but I'm honestly in no rush and I'd make a lousy Beta tester for this because networking is not my forte!
I wasn't hinting in my post above. I had just been so casual about whenever it came in, but now that others are talking it up, I'm looking forward to it!
I'd make a lousy Beta tester for this because networking is not my forte!
That might actually make you a good beta tester, though.
Ian, beta means the hardware/software/system may be unstable, features may be missing and users should use at their own risk.
I think what you mean is these are for field trials. A field trial is testing a product under the conditions it will be used.
Am I correct?
Mark:
If I can get my network to work with my ineptitude, you probably can, ha!
With my new router (PITA to install) & older signal booster, I'm getting great signals to all of my devices now. They work so much better with a strong & steady signal...
TAM
Andrew:
You are correct for there being as trick to obtain the correct link to get the AA to decode some streaming sites.
It seems that anything with 'streamtheworld' won't work on mine.
I need to do more experimenting & searching...
TAM
@TAM,
Routers are flaky things, they seem to be working but after time never work as well as when they are new. Plus, technology advances so quickly. Try to make it a point to change them out every 5 years or so. It's the best $60 you will spend.
Steve
Thanks, Ian, but I'm honestly in no rush and I'd make a lousy Beta tester for this because networking is not my forte!
I wasn't hinting in my post above. I had just been so casual about whenever it came in, but now that others are talking it up, I'm looking forward to it!
I have beta tested things before but I have been a tech geek all my 41 years. I've done more I.T stuff then I could list so I generally can get anything working most times. My guys at work always say I'm the guy that fixes stuff nobody else can. So that should make me a good beta tester correct? I mean I am a sys admin, net admin, electronic eng years ago av installer etc. But you know what? My woman who is ... well clueless with technology is often the better tester. If there is a way to break it or get frustrated with it she'll find it. So it depends on what axiom wants. So just enjoy it and use it. Don't worry about the techy stuff.
Ian, I have two on order and if in short supply and it helps to ship one a bit later that would be fine. Keen to play!
Thanks
Nathan
I've started a user net radio thread in 'Hearing Things'.
Looking forward to some other user input so that I can expand my list...
TAM
Hi Mojo,
You are correct in that we have all been doing a lot of testing internally for months now. So our hope was that Beta could really just end up being field testing.
Has anyone tried Spotify with the Air?
I don't use Spotify, but I used Pandora and it worked with no problems. When I streamed Pandora from my iPhone (using the Pandora app) using AirPlay, and opened the AA interface on my PC, the AA interface actually identified the song artist/title that was playing.
Are you streaming (casting) songs from your phone using Pandora or is your phone commanding the AA to make a connection to the Pandora service, find the song and then maintain the connection to play the song?
Does it stream iHeart Radio? I don't remember if that was in the specs....
I tried streaming iheart Radio on my PC, but it wouldn't let me as I'm outside of the US...
TAM
Mojo,
When I use Pandora, I run it normally in my iPhone app. Then, I choose to output the audio to the AA instead of the iPhone using Apple AirPlay (built into the iPhone). That's why I was amazed that the AA interface was able to "see" what was playing when I opened the AA Web-browser interface on my PC.
However, most of the time, I just use the AA app on my phone to play my songs, or, as I'm doing right now, Internet Radio.
Just because AirPlay is an Apple thing doesn't mean Android users are left out. There are Android apps that will AirPlay, too. I have one called "AllCast" that will allegedly do it. Sounds like I might find out next week if it really does
SRoode, when you're in the middle of a song, and you shut your phone off, does the AA keep on playing that song?
Mojo,
I'm assuming when you say "shut your phone off" you mean turn the screen off, with the phone still "on" waiting for incoming calls.
When using the AA interface, yes it keeps playing and would keep playing even if you really fully power off the phone. The phone is just commanding the AA what to do. The AA is the server.
When using Pandora, yes if you turn the screen off because Pandora is built to keep streaming when the phone "sleeps". If you fully power the phone down, then Pandora will stop because in this case, the iPhone is acting as the server.
"When using the AA interface, yes it keeps playing and would keep playing even if you really fully power off the phone. The phone is just commanding the AA what to do. The AA is the server."
Exactly what I wanted to know. Thank you!
When I use Spotify with my Chromecast, I can kill the power to my phone and the Chromecast keeps on playing. I am glad to hear the AA behaves the same way.
You guys are speaking a foreign language to me, ha!
TAM
They are talking about buffering (but may not know it). As wifi or ethernet for that matter is pretty blocky and can easily send packets out of order, you would want to have most if not all of a music file in memory as fast as possible so that you are playing from a local buffer rather than relying in the network stream to give you the next block of sound in the right order and on time.
So once you start playing the song it will try and get the whole song locally as quickly as possible. Once it's local and playing it doesn't need the source until the next song that is cued up needs to be downloaded into buffer.
Any Android testers out there? Curious to how the AA is working with Android. I will never buy anything with Apple on it again in my lifetime so if the AA isn't android or PC friendly without itunes it's a deal breaker.
Will it connect to a Windows share? SMB?
Any Android testers out there? Curious to how the AA is working with Android. I will never buy anything with Apple on it again in my lifetime so if the AA isn't android or PC friendly without itunes it's a deal breaker.
Will it connect to a Windows share? SMB?
Will give you a full run-down shortly after I get mine. Windows/Android user with a ton of differet ways to access my NAS (including smb), so I should be able to let you know how great it is soon
Has anyone turned it up loud? Does it creak, burp or fart?
They are talking about buffering (but may not know it). As wifi or ethernet for that matter is pretty blocky and can easily send packets out of order, you would want to have most if not all of a music file in memory as fast as possible so that you are playing from a local buffer rather than relying in the network stream to give you the next block of sound in the right order and on time.
So once you start playing the song it will try and get the whole song locally as quickly as possible. Once it's local and playing it doesn't need the source until the next song that is cued up needs to be downloaded into buffer.
Wrong. I'm talking about the AA being the media server vs. the remote device.
Has anyone turned it up loud? Does it creak, burp or fart?
Yes.
newf:
I have an android Samsung TAB S; however, I've been using mostly the Vista LapTop so far. Tomorrow I'll run it on android to see how it does.
I don't stream music, only net radio. All of my music is on a Thumb Drive & so far has played it flawlessly.
I've cranked it up a little over half Vol without any nasties but then it is getting too loud for me. The default vol is set at 50% (on boot up) with max being 100%. I set mine at 30% & 60%. 50% on booting is a bit much IMO, depending on the source I guess...
TAM
You've an option to set the default startup Volume... So you can set it at 30, if that suits you better!
Wrong. I'm talking about the AA being the media server vs. the remote device.
What I read sounded more like someone asking how it worked when you have your music on your iphone and had the AA play that music. Then it is not really being the music server but is acting as a remote device. The AA can be a whole load of things at once.
I have a Synology NAS that all my music is sitting on. I can listen to that music on my tables using the DSaudio app that will connect to the Synology that has all the music and catalog that you can select the tunes. As you add them to the play list they will queue up the song and just before the song is about to play the software will download a copy of that song to the local tablet storage so that the copy is local. You can control the cache size so that it will buffer about 100-1000 songs. If I ask it to play a song that it has already buffered then it doesn't need to redownload the song and can play from the local copy.
Now my Pioneer stereo can play DLNA and AirPlay too. But it has a very small buffer inside. Not even enough to play a large song so it I queued up say the 2112 by rush and after listening for a minute, turned off my tablet (off, not standby), then the song will continue to play for about 4-5 minutes then stop as it will run out of song data. Effectively the receiver is not playing streamed music in real time, but buffering and playing from the buffer. it just doesn't have enough buffer space to grab the whole song like my tablet can (and like the AA can) and the receiver also doesn't do song management so if you have a play list with the same song playing 5 times in a row it will re-buffer the song each time.
The AA has an adjustable buffer too, as well as an adjustable % load before play. So, when the phone is the remote device streaming to the AA, you are correct that there is a buffer. But, it's not buffering later songs (that I know of). It's really just the iPhone acting as the server in that case, streaming in real time, like you said above.
More field testing in progress here.
My AA runs perfectly on my Vista machine; however, my Android Galaxy TAB S is not communicating properly with the AA.
When I launch the AA APP (I've un/reinstalled it several times), it comes up OK. Checking in 'NETWORK' shows that it is connected to the Hot Spot plus my home network shows as being available - identical to my Vista machine. In my Tablet Settings - Networks, AxiomAir is in the list but shows 'Out of Range' so it is not getting the signal because the AA's lights are not flashing - normal I think.
The problem is when I go into 'MY MUSIC' or 'PLAYBACK OPTIONS' & Select 'BROWSE', there are no options showing on the screen, ie no 'USB' nor the 4 other selections ('WEBRADIO', etc).
I am able to shut down the AA with the Software option, so there is some communication going on.
Any thoughts?
TAM
Dear TAM,
an update will be released soon to fix the very same issue you're experiencing...
Michelangelo, if this is a failure with the Android app, I wanted to let you know I will likely experience it also when I receive mine later this week. I plan on running the Air app on my Samsung Galaxy phone.
OK Thanks. I'll stick with the Vista machine until then.
Field testing does have its merits, ha!
TAM
TAM, could you please install google chrome and see if that helps?
Be advised that 'Chrome' comes standard in the Galaxy TAB S software suite - so it is already loaded on this Tablet.
'Chrome' is what I've been using on both my Android & Vista machines - works perfectly on Vista but not on the Android...
TAM
John picked up the first of the white ones today. There will be a bunch of them shipping tomorrow.
sweet, but once you go black...
Ebony and ivory with hard wood.
Windows XP and Vista will no longer be supported by Chrome. I also have Vista on my computer.
TAM,tell me this is the greatest sounding portable you've ever heard and no one will ever pry it from your cold, dead hands!
Man, it looks huge in that picture. I'll be smiling like John when I get that baby.
John John
went to site
came back with an Air
half his height
I downloaded Chrome (Comodo Dragon actually) for my Vista machine last week expressly for the AA.
It has an annoying banner across the top that it won't be supported anymore, but that doesn't stop it from working just fine. Even though XP itself is not being supported anymore by MS, it will continue to work.
Not to worry!
I'll say one thing about the AA, it is the biggest portable I've owned except for my magnificent Sony CRF-320 which is sitting beside me here. It is actually heavier that the AA when loaded up with batteries & not 1 computer chip to be found inside. The AA sound is of course far better:
http://www.shortwaveradio.ch/radio-e/sony-crf320-e.htmTAM
Picked up the first white AA at the plant today and watched the small batch being assembled and tested. I'm looking forward to some critical listening
More white ones are shipping today!
How about a black one with just the narrow bands white?
Never mind! Just got my email!
I am moderately ecstatic to be excited about tremendous order of spell-binding product getting me jumping up and down... I think I need some air... some axiom air...
Eric, yours sounds like mine.
Matching Lazy Susan arrived today. Now we can easily direct the AA to either the sunroom or the kitchen.
Ian, any updates on the AA with the microphone option? I had ordered with the add on. Thx.
Hi Tmuhr,
We are just finishing the re and re on the mounting bracket for that circuit board. They will be shipping next week.
It has arrived... but at home...
I guess I will be coming down with a cold within the next few minutes!
Eric, you don't want to give your co-workers that cold you're coming down with, do you?
Question for Michelangelo:
I didn't find in either the FAQ section or the user guide the list of supported codecs.
I presume FLAC and M4A.
Does it support DSF? If yes, how (native DAC, convert to PCM)?
Does it downmix multi channel files automatically?
Thanks in advance,
E.F>
It has arrived... but at home...
Dang! That's some quick shipping.
Eric you definitely don't sound good from here. Take a day with pay and relax.
I will have to start a thread on questions soon.
My first comments on usability is that for setup, it's soooo close!
By being a UPnP device, AA already support the appropriate service to be visible under "Network" in Windows... But...
1. Need to support the "GetIcon" function to have a great looking axiom air icon
2. Need to either implement the following page or supply it in UPnP device description.
http://192.168.55.155:49152/upmpd/presentation.html
Easy to fix and save so much to users (no need for Bonjour when you are a UPnP device)
Now continuing...
Hi Eric!
Regarding codecs support, we tried to make it compatible with most codecs know by humans... Just to name a few:
FLAC, WAV, MP3, AAC, ALAC, Ogg, Musepack ..
Unfortunately there's no support for DSD, nor with direct DSD or DSD over PCM...
I agree on the UPNP informations, I'll discuss on how to integrate them on next release...
Hi Michelangelo,
DSF works fine (which is DSD).
Apart from the main issues, there are a lot of glitches with UPnP -- to be expected with a dat 1 product -- that I will list for you when I have time.
So far:
KUDOS: Gapless works great
DSF supported
LESS GOOD: Wired LAN plug is too deep inside the casing. Need a flat tool to get the connector out (to pry the little plastic flap down)
MUCH, MUCH LESS GOOD: Wi-fi interface is too weak for a commercial product. You down have to move far away to have too many obstacle in the way to start getting stuttering and then the box becomes so irresponsive that you need to reboot. At least, this can be resolved by using another USB dungle, one longer or with an antenna.
AxiomAir is now integrated in my home automation system, at least for the playback. Have to figure out volume control soon.
Eric,
My AA is about 40 feet from my router, in another room, and the signal is really good. Have you checked your router to see if it's broadcasting at full power? Some routers have a setting to lower the signal power to save energy.
Steve
The Wi-fi dongle has been choosen among lots of alternatives, we were looking for good bandwith and reasonable range for a USB dongle and the one in the AA was winning over the competition..
To solve your situation you could try a wireless extender, this should definetely do the trick...
I would be very curious to give the software a try. I have a Raspberry Pi 2b and was wondering if it would be possible to get a copy of the boot flash. No problem with signing non disclosures and know it's not for release to anyone else.
Interested in giving it a try to use as a streaming point to my AVM to see how it works. if it looks good then I will be buying one of the proposed air stereo connection boxes that Ian hinted about. Sort of the AA without any speakers to hook up to my amp.
figured I could help with the testing in the process
I have a slight problem. Volume control has stopped working in the last hour. I thought it was just with UPnP, but it still doesn't work with USB key... That thing is LOUD!
Michelangelo, any suggestions?
I will try resetting to factory defaults...
A few Factory Reset later, I have identified the culprit.
As soon as you change the volume control to "linear" once, even if you set it back later to logarithmic, volume control stops working.
Pfew!
Thanks!!! That's a precious info! A fix is coming!
@oakvillematt
AA software will not work without the specific hardware added to the PI (DAC, gpios controls etc...) So I think you're out of luck with this one...
However, as promised, we're going to release AA's OS in open source, so you'll be able to give it a look and with some tinkering make it work on stock PI...
Me again! Volume control problem is more serious than it seemed. It happens also when setting "volume normalization" to off (which truly should off by default).
When that option is ON, DSF files can't play (getting "error opening audio output". Quite possible happens with other settings.
Oh! And for those interested in how it sounds, it is very good. You need a little bit of exposure to get used to the driver and tweeter orientation, but within an hour it's a thing of the past.
Surprisingly strong bass.
Once some of the glitches are out of the way (and there are a lot less than a typical first version of the first software-driven project), it will be an excellent product deserving of its price tag,
This will be very interesting. My ears and brain will have to adjust from a thunderous 7.1 Axiom system in the basement, to an intimate Totem system in my 2.1-channel room to the Air everywhere else.
Eric, do these tweeters have the tapered horns found on the V4 speakers?
Mojo, I don't know. No obvious way to look.
I thought you could partially see the tweeters through the noir screen.
I used a flashlight and could see a bit. Not about your description, but definitely NOT like my other speakers which are V2s and V3s.
Hi Michelangelo,
LESS GOOD: Wired LAN plug is too deep inside the casing. Need a flat tool to get the connector out (to pry the little plastic flap down)
MUCH, MUCH LESS GOOD: Wi-fi interface is too weak for a commercial product. You down have to move far away to have too many obstacle in the way to start getting stuttering and then the box becomes so irresponsive that you need to reboot. At least, this can be resolved by using another USB dungle, one longer or with an antenna.
AxiomAir is now integrated in my home automation system, at least for the playback. Have to figure out volume control soon.
I don't understand why the LAN port is on the front at all. If wireless is weak in your home, or if the AA's wireless isn't strong, wired is the way to go, but who wants a wire hanging out the front? Even if you don't have wires ran through your home you could use lan over powerline for like $50 and it'll still be more reliable then wireless....but who wants a cable hanging out the front of this gorgeous thing? major oversight imho. I understand if it's all on the same PCB and it was just easier to stick it all behind one door but....
Eric, it looks like a Kugelwellen horn. Does that help?
The v4 tweeter faceplate has this horn profile. I am just curious if that same faceplate was used.
I don't understand why the LAN port is on the front at all. If wireless is weak in your home, or if the AA's wireless isn't strong, wired is the way to go, but who wants a wire hanging out the front? Even if you don't have wires ran through your home you could use lan over powerline for like $50 and it'll still be more reliable then wireless....but who wants a cable hanging out the front of this gorgeous thing? major oversight imho. I understand if it's all on the same PCB and it was just easier to stick it all behind one door but....
Steve, although I have no right to criticize as I did not order one, I agree with you on this. I was completely shocked to find out all the connections were on the front. The thing is so beautiful, I couldn't imagine having the door open with wires or a flash drive sticking out.
And why is there no independent "master" volume knob? I currently use an Airport Express to stream music into a traditional integrated amp. I set the "max volume" with the dial on the amp, and then use the digital volume on the streaming device for fine adjustments. It works great. (Even my powered M2's have a traditional volume knob.) This would certainly solve (at least temporarily) the "full blast" volume situation that Eric is dealing with currently.
I like the connections up front because usability is improved. Granted the aesthetic appeal is reduced but I always prefer function over form. The design philosophy is inconsistent however because some connections are up front and others are in the back. Given the major use case of the Air is portability, all connections should be up front to allow easy access.
The way the front panel was designed you can either plug in directly from the front or run a cable underneath your AxiomAir and access the front wire connections without having to leave the door open. It is the same for the USB inputs. As long as your thumb drive is not huge you can plug it in the front and close the door.
For the Sub Out we saw no real need for it to be on the front so it is rear only. For the Analog In we anticipated different needs that drove us to put it on both the front and the rear. We did not see the LAN connection getting much use at all but it can be wired permanently without the need to leave the door open or accessed from the front from time to time if needed.
Hi Shawn,
There is a max volume control setting in the interface that you can set and store. The Analog volume knob is only needed to give you a little added control when using the Analog Input on your AxiomAir.
Sounds like a lot of thought was put into the I/O locations. I didn't know there are two analog in jacks. It makes sense - one rear for permanent connection and a front one for temporary. I personally am not bothered by the sub out being on the back even though I will be frequently connecting and disconnecting my sub. I am just glad there's a sub out.
Ian, could I ask where I sit in the Shipping Q?
Thanks
Nathan
Ian,
Thanks for the heads up on the front door. I didn't notice it, but when the door is closed, there is an opening on the bottom of it the an Ethernet cable could fit through. So, the cable could really be hidden from sight when hard-wired to the network.
Is it too late to be a beta tester for the speaker! :P
I just received the news letter from the kickstarter project.
I assume it's just the software that we're beta testing, and not the "hardware" itself?
Hello Folks,
I would love to be on the beta! Would you be able to sign me up?
Doug Hreceniuk
If still available I would love to get in on the Beta Test.
Patrique Malaise
Much like everyone else popping in here, I would like to get in on the Beta test. Thanks,
Ted
I'd image we'd all like to be beta testers if it meant getting one ! LOL
I don't understand why the LAN port is on the front at all. If wireless is weak in your home, or if the AA's wireless isn't strong, wired is the way to go, but who wants a wire hanging out the front? Even if you don't have wires ran through your home you could use lan over powerline for like $50 and it'll still be more reliable then wireless....but who wants a cable hanging out the front of this gorgeous thing? major oversight imho. I understand if it's all on the same PCB and it was just easier to stick it all behind one door but....
Steve, although I have no right to criticize as I did not order one, I agree with you on this. I was completely shocked to find out all the connections were on the front. The thing is so beautiful, I couldn't imagine having the door open with wires or a flash drive sticking out.
And why is there no independent "master" volume knob? I currently use an Airport Express to stream music into a traditional integrated amp. I set the "max volume" with the dial on the amp, and then use the digital volume on the streaming device for fine adjustments. It works great. (Even my powered M2's have a traditional volume knob.) This would certainly solve (at least temporarily) the "full blast" volume situation that Eric is dealing with currently.
Yeah, and to echo your comment, I didn't order one (although I did try) so maybe I have no right to crticize either but a without a physical volume knob or buttons I could see some frustration with the less techy in my house. I can hear the woman already...."you paid how much for that and it doesn't even have a volume knob!" LOL. I was hoping to get matching wood for the kitchen on it so she wouldn't notice that. Jokes aside, what happens when support for this ages or stops? apps don't work, browsers don't work with it anymore, it basically has a shelf life. I trust Axiom wouldn't do this, but what about when you don't have a phone? maybe your out camping, phone died, now your AA is basically useless because you can't press play or turn the volume up and down. I gotta think this through vs the competition before dumping cash on this I think. Without hearing it first - and now the cost is quite high (thank you crappy Canadian dollar) it is a risk for such a toy. This is why I asked so many questions during the kickstarter and kept putting off ordering when we couldn't get answers. Will it work for my purposes? I don't know. I could see it working at my workplace though. University, a little box like this would be great for setting up audio in small rooms for a casual event. Kids already got the phones - problem solved. Then add the mic option and boom - portable PA system with built in media center. Right now we gotta bring a mixer and pa system and even then they want to play their music on their phones which turns into a mess of wires and only one phone connected. Could even connect a Projector to it. Some possibilities there beyond home use.
I'd also like to volunteer for the Beta test if still available.
Thanks,
BP
Ian, when do you expect to start shipping the non-beta units? I'd like to also get on as a beta tester, but it might not be worth it, based on when you start shipping the non-beta.
Hi Ian;
Very excited to try out the new AxiomAir! I'd like to volunteer for the beta test as well as my friend, Bryan Fife, who is an IT network professional and signed up through Kickstarter as well.
Thanks,
James Savard
I didn't know there are two analog in jacks. It makes sense - one rear for permanent connection and a front one for temporary.
I didn't realize this either, but I'm pretty happy about that. I'll be able to use it like a sound bar when I watch TV in the living room that the kids are allowed to be in :P
Hello,
I would like to sign up for beta testing. Please provide details.
Thanks,
Dave.
I would love to be a beta tester. I'm a computer tech by profession and would be thrilled to help out.
cheers
jules
Back on Page 61, Ian stated that this is really field testing vs beta testing as they've done extensive in-house testing already.
If you find something that doesn't function properly with your gear, point it out here & the 'experts' will investigate - just like I have over the past couple of weeks.
Again, mine works great on MS Vista but not on Android; however, a software 'fix is in the works...
TAM
I would like to sign up as a beta tester for the Axiom Air.
Backer #130
Fred Heinzler
Avery Audio
I'll gladly beta test as well-
Backer #46
Any details on how you become a beta Tester? I guess they are just randomly choosing. I'd certainly entertain it.
MY email is :
steves@nf.sympatico.ca
I think you have to buy one, Steve.
Lol. I did sorta figure that was a requirement. But I'm not paying 800 bucks for a beta product.
Field trial product
. You have 30 days to return it.
Field trial product
. You have 30 days to return it.
Plus the hardware
is final. It is just the software that is subject to change (and improvements!)
Having used it now for over 10 days, I can tell you it is not a beta product, and does not even feel like a field test product. Like Scott said, the hardware is final, and the software will do nothing but improve. Even as it stands now, I have no problems at all with it, and have played it for about 50 hours already. We really love it.
Backer #152 checking in. I'd like to be added to the beta testing list as well. Thanks for the consideration.
Lol. I did sorta figure that was a requirement. But I'm not paying 800 bucks for a beta product.
They are all asking to be beta testers from Kickstarter, Ian mentioned it in the last update. Oh, and on the Facebook page.
Sign me up for Beta testing if not too late.
#100 on the long list of KickStarters.
Everything is moving forward in high gear now for the new AxiomAir (last minute name change). If you go to
www.axiom-air.com you will find the beginnings of the final look and feel of the interface. Clicking on the opening Logo takes you to the main page. We would love to know your thoughts and questions on how it is coming along.
Any thoughts to having streaming music services such as Slacker, Apple Music, or Google Play?
Pretty much everything streams over AirPlay now to the AxiomAir. We also have an agreement with TIDAL for it to be available natively in the AxiomAir; that will be in an update coming soon.
Ian, please add me to the 'Field test' team, if there is an open spot.
I've added the rechargeable battery option to the AA, looking forward to testing that feature at full volume!
Thanks!
Speaker of battery pack. Is there an ETA to receive them?
Just so I can get a flash drive all ready and filled with music, does the AA do ExFAT?
I used an ExFAT with AA without problem.
I used an ExFAT with AA without problem.
Perfect. Thanks for the info!
Speaker of battery pack. Is there an ETA to receive them?
Mine is already in the speaker. Did you order an extra one?
I thought it was an external pack. I'll try it
works pretty well. just need a strength indicator!
Eric, what do you mean by it works pretty well? It should "just work" and you shouldn't notice any difference between AC and battery.
that would match pretty.
Most product causes slight noise when switch in between.
Doesn't work great because it is lacking indicators remaining batery life in UI.
Any other semantic question for me, Mojo?
I'm kind of curious to know if the AA will shut itself down properly before the battery dies or if it will suddenly just die.
A remaining battery indicator would be nice, and might be able to be handled in the software, sort of like on your laptop.
Michelangelo, is this possible?
Unfortunately there's no hardware possibility to have a "battery strenght indicator" in the UI. However, when battery level is starting to get really low, the red LED will lit (letting you know that you're running out of juice) and before completely diying the unit will detect it and shut down the system safely...
Eric, I thought you perhaps noticed an audible difference under battery power compared with AC.
Glad to hear there's deep discharge protection and a low indicator.
I will be using the battery a lot. Does Axiom have any recommendations about extending battery charge/discharge cycles or preventing the battery capacity from being reduced? Should we limit charging to room temperatures or is it OK to charge the battery on a hot day outside under solar load?
Thanks for all the great input so far everyone! As Michelangelo has pointed out, the red LED on the front of the AxiomAir will illuminate when you have approximately 15-30 minutes of charge remaining (15 if you have one battery pack, 30 if you have two). This is your indication to plug in your unit for a re-charge. If you ignore the warning LED the AxiomAir will go through a proper shutdown routine and turn itself off. A re-charge from fully discharged takes about 2 hours, regardless if you have one battery pack or two. One thing to keep in mind is that the available power output from the amplifier is reduced during charging, so you should avoid playing the system at full blast.
We decided not to include a battery monitor as it's not practical to create something that would be meaningful for the type and charge life of the batteries we are using. By this I mean the battery output remains nearly constant for over 90% of it's discharge cycle and then falls off a cliff. An indicator would only be accurate at the same time as the battery charge warning LED lights up!
Mojo, the modern battery chemistry used means that you don't have to worry about deep cycling or trickle charging the battery packs. Just use them as you need them. As with any batteries, extreme operating or charging temperatures should be avoided, if possible.
Thanks,
Andrew
Great info, Andrew. Thank you.
For those needing to integrate with other system, I found a small and easy to use C# library that works well (retrieving info, commands and volume control).
https://github.com/edward-murrell/NMusicPD
What control do we have over the sub filter? If we don't have any control, what is the filter set at? Is it hardware or software-based? What is its order?
I don't want to derail anything here, but it relates directly to the Air:
I'm looking into (finally) getting a
NAS unit with five of
these. The Synology units seem to be highly regarded. The one I linked to, in particular, offers
Plex server capabilities.
Before I go too far down this path, will the Air play nice with a unit such as this?
I have worked with Synology units for a long time. There should be no problem at all with the air.
Word of wisdom. Don't buy the 1 drive unit. if you can, don't buy the j unit as they processor inside of them is just too underpowered and you will find that it bogs down with any of the other apps that you can run with the unit.
I have 2 of the DS209 (that is equivalent to the DS212j). It works fine as a single client interface. but get 2 or 3 people hitting it for larger files and it gets slow.
I upgraded to the DS412+ that has a quad core intel atom processor inside of it and I get blazingly fast speeds from my mac, along with multiple others hitting the unit such as streaming audio, video to my 3 media centers in the house.
My suggestion is buy once and buy big. It costs less to get a bit bigger and you'll be surprised how your data storage grows to fit all available disk space.
Just completed first battery test. Lasted 19 hours (dual battery pack). Can't say exactly how many hours it was actually playing (4-6 hours with volume at 85+). Once fully charged I will see if I can do a test with continuous music playing.
Looking forward to your test results, Eric.
Thanks for the feedback, Matt. I'm looking at the DS1515+ as linked in my post.
Synology is very good. I've setup quite a few for clients. I have DS1515 as well. It's amazing what they can do for the cost. Make sure to use their recommended drives though.
Just completed first battery test. Lasted 19 hours (dual battery pack). Can't say exactly how many hours it was actually playing (4-6 hours with volume at 85+). Once fully charged I will see if I can do a test with continuous music playing.
Nice to know they are using quality batteries. How heavy are these things with batteries installed? that was one of my questions back when the kickstarter was on the go.
Stop asking questions cause...you know...it's beta and you don't want it
.
Why has the Axiom Air app disappeared off of Google's Play Store?
I searched for axiom, axiom air and axiom air n3. Why can you see it and I can't?
It's there but can't be located via the search for me. I had to locate it via my installed apps.
Coming on 17 hours now non-stop playing.
Volume varied from 85 (60% of the time) to equally shared between 75 and 95.
It was all classical music so because of the dynamics actual volume is different than popular music but it is still pretty impressive.
Going to bed now. Leaving system on but at 50. Will now from my server log when the AxiomAir shut down.
I'd like in on the beta!
Kickstarter backer #129
Final time: 20 hours.
First time I ever got a product with a battery life matching what was promised (and even a little more).
Can someone please confirm the power supply input voltage of the AA. I will soon be moving to a country that only supplies 220V/60Hz and hope to bring it along with me.
Final time: 20 hours.
First time I ever got a product with a battery life matching what was promised (and even a little more).
Excellent! Coming up with a battery life spec. is a can of worms because we have no idea of how loud the system is going to be played with what type of music. My testing was based on a typical use case, so it's nice to see that your experience has exceeded our specifications.
Andrew
Can someone please confirm the power supply input voltage of the AA. I will soon be moving to a country that only supplies 220V/60Hz and hope to bring it along with me.
The power supply brick will accept a wide-range AC input, from 100-240Vac, 50/60Hz. Simply provide an appropriate power cord with the required plug and you are good to go.
Thanks,
Andrew
Great news, Andrew.
I might be moving out of the country in the somewhat near future too!
@Mark
No worries, Canada has the same power outlet sspecs!
Mark will be moving to Cape Breton to escape you know who
.
I might be moving out of the country in the somewhat near future too!
When do you think the big shipping day is for the rest of us testers Ian.
Not trying to pry, never mind. I would rather have the surprise e-mail.
Well my dreams of trying out the AA just got shattered. Looks like last bad weather killed my roof. Can't file another claim with insurance as we had too many over the last few years. Plus siding damaged. So, new shingles, repair damage on roof, and new siding.
Don't you hate it when life gets in the way of toys!
Don't you hate it when life gets in the way of toys!
Yeeeeeeeeeeeep.
Everyone is too busy checking their email box every five minutes for a shipping email so they don't have time to write anything.
Is it too late to be a beta tester
Alright, got my shipping notification today. I'm going to celebrate with a couple of new tunes.
I would love to be a beta tester. Please let me know how to be involved. Thanks!
I got my email yesterday. It should arrive on Tuesday
I guess everyone has not figured it out.. You are all beta field testers once you get the unit. That was the beauty of the Pi. it's totally reprogrammable and as people report errors or deficiencies, the program can be updated to fix them. No need to request anything. just use it and report back
Hi Srho and Kenhhk, we can certainly add you to the Beta group. Thanks for helping out.
There is an update available now. It is in the system tab of the drop-down menu.
That is great. Do I need to do anything to set up delivery?
Just did the update. Quick and easy, no problems. I don't notice anything different though.
You'll notice that browsing is much faster, especially with older devices...
This update delivers mainly under-the-hood tweaks... So yes, they are difficult to spot as they are bring mainly performances improvements...
Got my Axiomair yesterday. Shipping to Ontario took a day. Amazing.
First impressions;
Big (good)
Sound is amazing. No portable unit I have ever come across can compete
Battery (fantastic). Being able to throw this unit down anywhere and play music of at this quality is a dream come true
Streaming (NAS) - setup and streaming from my NAS was a breeze. I run UnRaid NAS and have streamed flat content via wifi without issue
Couple questions
Battery guage Is this coming? Did I miss it?would like to know when the unit is fully charged
AirPlay - have not been able to get this to work. 2 different iPads. Tried YouTube (for testing only of course :p) Spotify and iTunes/Music. I can see the AxiomAir and select it. As soon as I play something it kicks off back to iPad in the AirPlay menu. Haven't had a lot of time to test anymore with AirPlay
Small ask. Volume slider is ok but would prefer + - button for finer tuning of volume loudness. But no big deal
What version is this update? Mine doesn't find it but wondered if I am on the latest already
1.023 fatboy.
Spotify is a no go fatboy. I e-mailed Spotify and they have agreed to hook Axiom up with their partners department. Can you send them an e-mail too so that I am not the only one asking for Spotify on the Air?
No battery gauge. You don't need it due to the battery technology. It will be constant voltage for 90% of the battery life and then die within 15 minutes. So no indicator needed. It shuts off gracefully. You have about 9 hours at ear-splitting volumes.
Can you help me now? How do I get my music on my laptop to play on the Air? Can I make a "virtual NAS"?
Michelangelo, browsing is a lot faster. Thank you. Navigation is still not the most user-friendly.
Fatboy it takes about 4 hours to reach full charge from the discharged state if you are not playing it. The re-charge time is a function of how loud you are playing it.
Fatboy - Also, when the red light on the unit starts to flash, you have 15 mins left of battery life (30 mins if you have dual battery).
Mojo - I think the easiest way would be to just copy them on to a USB and stick the USB in the AA.
For those who are Spotify users, you will be disappointed to discover Spotify is not currently supported. Please write to Spotify at support@spotify.com to rally support for Spotify and Axiom to partner.
Michelangelo,
One thing I noticed last night is if I am browsing through my USB music library, if I dig down to a song, then back up to the artist list, a lot of times the artist list is blank and I need to swipe my finger on my phone to move the list in order for it show display. Is this a bug, and does anyone else have this problem?
-Steve
There are numerous navigation issues that although not fatal, are nonetheless annoying.
Thanks for all the replies. I understand the Spotify issue I think but AirPlay isn't working for any media type.
I will test AirPlay on my receiver and compare the differences
As far as sharing from the laptop mojo this should be pretty easy to setup. If you create a share on the computer (assuming Windows) one the share is available just point the Axiomair to the IP address of you computer and then the share name
Here is a link on how to setup sharing on Windows
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-share-folders-and-documents-on-a-windows-8-.html
Thanks, Fatboy. I'll try that later although Windows file shares may not be supported or supported very well.
I can test it out as well. See what I see with Windows shares.
Got my Axiomair yesterday. Shipping to Ontario took a day. Amazing.
First impressions;
Big (good)
Sound is amazing. No portable unit I have ever come across can compete
Battery (fantastic). Being able to throw this unit down anywhere and play music of at this quality is a dream come true
Streaming (NAS) - setup and streaming from my NAS was a breeze. I run UnRaid NAS and have streamed flat content via wifi without issue
Couple questions
Battery guage Is this coming? Did I miss it?would like to know when the unit is fully charged
AirPlay - have not been able to get this to work. 2 different iPads. Tried YouTube (for testing only of course :p) Spotify and iTunes/Music. I can see the AxiomAir and select it. As soon as I play something it kicks off back to iPad in the AirPlay menu. Haven't had a lot of time to test anymore with AirPlay
Small ask. Volume slider is ok but would prefer + - button for finer tuning of volume loudness. But no big deal
Hi,
The battery takes 2 hours to charge from a full discharge, regardless if you have one or two batteries installed. There is no plan at this time for a charge/discharge monitor because of the limited reliability of the data we would be able to provide for this type of battery. In most cases if you have not drained the battery completely, plugging the unit in for an hour will be enough to get it to full charge.
I will assume that you are trying AirPlay with the Air on your home network on not via the hotspot? What version of iOS is on your iPad?
You can perform -/+ adjustments to the volume slider by clicking on the speaker icon on either side of the slider.
Thanks for your input!
Andrew
Fatboy it takes about 4 hours to reach full charge from the discharged state if you are not playing it. The re-charge time is a function of how loud you are playing it.
2 hours for a full charge.
Thanks, Fatboy. I'll try that later although Windows file shares may not be supported or supported very well.
Because of the wide variations in how different versions of Windows and OSX handle sharing, permissions, and the differences in firewall and anti-virus software, the Air does not officially support connection to network drive shares at this time. There IS full NAS support.
Thanks very much for the reply Andrew
Great info
iPad Air is running 9.3 and iPad mini 2 is running ng 9.2.1 and yes on the home network. I can try it on hotspot but haven't found a way to delete the wifi network from the Axiomair config
Are the ones shipped this week already updated?
Sorry about the misinformation, Andrew. You did say 2 hours in a different post. I don't know how I came up with 4.
Are the ones shipped this week already updated?
Updates are very easy.
One other question. If I encounter bugs is there any way to provide logs for investigation
I have noticed the browser will lose connectivity for some controls once in a while. I notice this most with volume controls via browser (safari) on ipad
The loss of volume control is driving me absolutely insane!!!!!!
Under some scenarios, I've only been able to get the volume control back by doing a factory re-set and of course when I do that, I lose my config including my favorites.
Under other conditions, I've had to re-boot which isn't so bad.
Now I know what not to do until Michelangelo corrects the issue.
Yes mojo. It is very annoying as I reported last week. Don't touch any of the playback options. Hopefully this has been flagged as critical. Business has been loss for lesser issues.
It's not only the playback options, Eric.
Eric, do you know how I can set up a virtual NAS (if there is such a thing) so I can listen to the music I have on my laptop?
Right now I am listening off of a stick and also internet radio which is actually quite good! I could also put songs on my phone and stream them via MediaMonkey by making the Air my renderer.
No immediate solution comes to mind. Maybe FreeNAS running in a VM?
Otherwise you might try using mediamonkey and upnp or other combination like that. Unfortunately (and strangely) the axiomatic doesn't have a upnp client to browseba upnp server.
With MediaMonkey running on my Win10 machine, I can stream FLAC files but not wma files. Axiom's aware of this.
I have started converting to FLAC but I think I have to maintain two formats. The reason being, with Spotify, I can also listen to my own library but that library has to be lower quality (or maybe the same quality) as the 320Kbps Spotify offers.
Version 1.023 has "fixed UpNP" but I don't know how that affects us users.
Upnp was already working pretty well. No idea what changed. Probably some option I wasn't using.
Version 1.023 is flagged march 23rd. If that is when the software was internally released it would mean Michelangelo has just started or now testing fixes for the issues found in the past week (I sent him and Ian my complete list using private message)
Any chance you could share that list or Ian could share a known issues list? That way I don't report known issues?
Upnp was already working pretty well. No idea what changed. Probably some option I wasn't using.
Version 1.023 is flagged march 23rd. If that is when the software was internally released it would mean Michelangelo has just started or now testing fixes for the issues found in the past week (I sent him and Ian my complete list using private message)
I think you should report them so they can hear it over and over again and fix them so they can shut everyone up
.
Besides, you should experience our pain, fatboy
.
Seriously though, the software issues are very fixable and I know Michelangelo is addressing them. From what I've seen, the firmware platform is built very robustly and the issues we are seeing are likely related to features that have not been fully fleshed out.
I have reported the general interest issues in this thread. The other list are small protocol glitches shared programmo-a-programmo! Glitches are pretty low for a first version (apart from the annoying volume control problem!)
Sounds good guys. I will keep the discussion going.
Upnp was already working pretty well. No idea what changed. Probably some option I wasn't using.
Version 1.023 is flagged march 23rd. If that is when the software was internally released it would mean Michelangelo has just started or now testing fixes for the issues found in the past week (I sent him and Ian my complete list using private message)
When a new update is prepared, we test double test it before release (both here and in Axiom) to ensure everything is OK and we're good to go. That's why there's some time span beetween reporting bug, fixing them and releasing an update.
Thanks a lot for the feedback! And you spotted one big bug that we missed! So, everyone, DON'T TOUCH THE PLAYBACK OPTIONS!
I am working on a fix for this as we speak, so rest assured that next update will fix it.
Michelangelo, can you confirm that you have received my PMs about the other glitches? I can re-post here if it is easier for you
Yes I did and I'm reviewing them (it's weekend after all... ehehe..)
Thanks for them, you're one hell of a beta tester!
I've never had any problems with the Vol Control, mind you I never touched the Playback Options.
My Net Radio & USB Music has worked flawlessly on my Vista machine. I believe that using a Thumb Drive for playing music is really an efficient & trouble free way to go. Just make sure that the size of your Thumb Drive allows the door to close. MP3s at 320 Kps sound just fine.
Question about updates (I haven't tried it yet & I think that I'll wait for some more fixes) -
*If I update through Win Vista, does it change the software version inside the AA?
**If I update through my Android Galaxy TAB S, is it the APP on the Tablet that gets updated?
TAM
Michelangelo,
How hard would it be to add some buttons to the main play screen that we could assign some of our favorite web-radio stations? It's kind of cumbersome to click browse-webradio-favorite radios, then the station every time I want to change stations. Maybe even make it easy to assign by adding another option in the dropdown menu for the station that says "Assign Pushbutton" or something like that.
Thanks!
Steve
So I did a bit more testing. I have a Denon 2112 which supports AirPlay. I am able to play Spotify via AirPlay on my iPad to the Denon with no issue. As soon as I flip to the axiom air it kicks off back to the iPad. I am not necessarily concerned about Spotify just using it to test. If it works with my receiver shouldn't it work with the AxiomAir?
So i just tested my wife's iPad with YouTube, and Apple music and it works perfectly with the Denon but will not play to the Axiomair. Let me know if you need more info. Happy to provide!
TAM, on your Win machine, you're using a Web browser. When the firmware is updated in the Air, the Web server in the Air is also updated (as needed). You don't need to update anything on your Win machine.
If you are using the Android client on your tablet, that client may not necessarily get updated. But when it does, you should receive an update notification. You can then update it and you're good to go.
I recommend you update to the latest version if you use it predominantly via Windows. Browsing is now faster. Updates are easy and robust.
You haven't had volume issues because you haven't touched the playback options.
I don't know the answers fatboy but I very much care about Spotify. I am a premium Spotify user and I absolutely love it. I want to stream Spotify over my home wifi and via the air hot spot when I am on the go. I have downloaded thousands of songs off Spotify and want to stream them to the Air when I am offline.
Agreed Spotify direct would be amazing and might move me to a premium subscriber if it works direct with the AxiomAir.
Do you have an iOS device you can test. It might be a solution if it works which I suspect it should.
I don't do Apple otherwise I would try.
The premium service gives you 320 kbps resolution and also catalogues your own music. I love the social media functions. Users can group their music into themes and share them for discovery.
Send them an email like I did asking for spotify support on the air. Axiom wants it but hasn't been able to get their attention.
I just tweeted them. If you use Twitter feel free to retweet. I added axiom and Spotify Twitter handle. My handle is Fatboycarney. Working in. Large tech company Twitter tends to get more visibility than email
I don't do Apple otherwise I would try.
The premium service gives you 320 kbps resolution and also catalogues your own music. I love the social media functions. Users can group their music into themes and share them for discovery.
Send them an email like I did asking for spotify support on the air. Axiom wants it but hasn't been able to get their attention.
Okay Michelangelo, it's Monday now! Time to go to work!
Okay Michelangelo, it's Monday now! Time to go to work!
Have a good week then! I'm working to fix all the issues you found...
That's proper team work!
Just for fun, I checked the AA 'Update' function on my Win Vista machine. It indicated that there was a new version available so I initiated the update.
It took about 5 minutes, required an AA System Restart & all is fine - 1.023 Version now installed. So it seems that Win machines do need to be updated.
Are there fixes in this update for Android machines yet?
TAM
Tam,
The update function updates the software on the AA itself, not on the PC.
Steve
I have not seen any Android updates as of yet. My major use cases are via the Android client so I am keen to receive updates for it too.
Mojo have you tried the browser on you Android device. That was working better for me than the app in the meantime it might be an option if the app is giving you problems
I have not seen any Android updates as of yet. My major use cases are via the Android client so I am keen to receive updates for it too.
Happy to be a beta tester too if you'd like some more help. My kickstarter backer number is 279.
So excited to hear it!
-Frank
Fatboy, I have not tried the browser in Android. The Android client is working "well enough" and I can live with its issues for now especially given the other issues that Michelangelo is tackling. Thanks for the suggestion.
No problem Mojo. My Android app was doing weird things but I am pretty sure I had been doing the no no playing with Playback Options
Mostly I lose navigation, sometimes I have to stop it and re-start it and sometimes it re-starts my phone.
Mostly I lose navigation, sometimes I have to stop it and re-start it and sometimes it re-starts my phone.
Which phone do you have?
Samsung Galaxy S4.
Today I decided to leave the app open when I left home. I was pleasantly surprised to see it re-connected to the Air when I arrived back home.
Hi Andrew. Next time you design something portable, it would be awesome to consider powering it via a magnetic DC connector. In the spring and summer, I expect to mate and unmate the power at least 100 times a month and 60 times a month in the other seasons. I'm concerned about the reliability of that connector-PCB interface and it's also a PITA to make that connection in the back of the Air.
Ian, any update on the progress of shipping the units?
Thanks
Nathan
Received my AA today. Hopefully I can play with it this weekend.
Hey Mel, did you get the microphone/karaoke board in yours too?
Hi All, new here. Got my AA a few days ago, as part of the beta test.
Is there (or will there be) a forum dedicated to the beta testing comments / findings? This thread is 800+ deep already, making it difficult to keep on top of what's already been commented / raised.
Are all the beta testers deaf yet?
Makes sense to me!
Hi All, new here. Got my AA a few days ago, as part of the beta test.
Is there (or will there be) a forum dedicated to the beta testing comments / findings? This thread is 800+ deep already, making it difficult to keep on top of what's already been commented / raised.
Just got home and my AA was waiting for me. The pictures don't do it justice, it is absolutely gorgeous. The weight of it floored me, it is heavy. If it sounds half as good as it weighs and looks, it is going to be a delight.
I have to wait for my wife to go back to work because she is studying for a test. I am really going to enjoy my afternoon, thanks Ian and the crew at Axiom....very happy!
Are all the beta testers deaf yet?
what?
Seriously though, let's get some votes going for a dedicated forum for the beta test run. The AA deserves it! Moderators?
Hey Mel, did you get the microphone/karaoke board in yours too?
Nope
I just got the AA
After seeing how much my girls loved karaoke at a birthday party over the weekend, I amended my order to include the karaoke upgrade
Oldest daughter (6) is pumped that she will be able to sing along to Disney stuff.
Heavy...yes! It's an osmium frame, donchya know?
I think one place for all things AA is good. You'll just wind up reading two threads if you are interested in the AA if it's split apart.
I think one place for all things AA is good.
Excellent! I need a place to discuss the outcome of my AA meetings. The more support the better.
Not only a witty response, but the thread is brand friggin' new, and you've already hijacked it. Excellent indeed!
Excellent! I need a place to discuss the outcome of my AA meetings. The more support the better.
So how does this work. My name is Gene and I am an Audioholic? fast way to get booted off the island.
I can't seem to open up the Axiomair app. I have a Samsung Note 4. It's been searching for the last 15 minutes. What would it be searching for?
It would be searching for an Axiom Air on the network your phone is currently connected to. If you don't have one (yet?), it'll probably just search until you close it.
Edit: Reading back, it looks like you're one of the lucky ones who already has theirs :P I don't have mine yet, so I can't offer any help there.
If you are trying to connect to the Air hot spot, you have to select the Axiom Air network in the Sammys wireless settings. I'll give you advance warning that the android app can be flaky but certainly not fatal.
If you are trying to connect to the Air hot spot, you have to select the Axiom Air network in the Sammys wireless settings. I'll give you advance warning that the android app can be flaky but certainly not fatal.
What is Sammys wireless settings? Is this in the app that I can't open?
Click on the wifi icon of your note to expose wifi networks. The axiom air network should be visible. Click on that to connect. When it says connected, you will be connected to the hot spot network. Then connect with the air app.
Thanks for the help Mojo.
Thanks for the help Mojo.
That Mojo. He's an *okay* guy.... for an old-timer
. His forum presence continuously increases my appreciation for our senior citizens.
It's simply amazing I know what wifi is and even more amazing I can make out the settings on my phone at my advanced age, hey Cam?
Have all the beta units shipped yet? I still have not received mine.
Thanks,
-Stu
It's simply amazing I know what wifi is and even more amazing I can make out the settings on my phone at my advanced age, hey Cam?
It truly is. It takes longer than most, but you do it
.
Hi purist,
Not yet; there are a lot going out later this week and the rest the beginning of the week following. Our soft-feel paint order was delayed a week.
Does anyone know how to stream google play music to the Air?
I am trying Bubble Upnp. It's unable to connect to my google play music account for whatever reason. There has to be some way to make this work.
Ahahaha....I am playing XiiaLive through the Air! Finally!
I had a couple instances where the AA would cut out or loose connection only on battery power playing songs off my iPhone. Inside and outside of the house, but haven't had a lot of time to play with it.
Does anyone know how to stream google play music to the Air?
Have you asked one of the nurses at your old-age home
?
Man, I'm enjoying this too much, bud. Come on.... poke fun at my disability
.
Ahhhhhhhh yes, your disability. Baldy
.
Ahhhhhhhh yes, your disability. Baldy
.
LMAO!
Any updates on the AA with Microphone model. I am getting giddy over being able to test it.
Hmmm....I think I might want the microphone add-on too. I asked about it last August but did not receive a response. I have been told there may be a ton of goodness in that microphone add-on...goodness that goes far beyond the karaoke feature that has been advertised
.
Hi Tmuhr,
We are testing the next update now. If all goes well we will have it ready this week.
Hmmm....I think I might want the microphone add-on too. I asked about it last August but did not receive a response. I have been told there may be a ton of goodness in that microphone add-on...goodness that goes far beyond the karaoke feature that has been advertised
.
You won't be able to use is to communicate with the nursing station, ya old fart
.
[You won't be able to use is to communicate with the nursing station, ya old fart
.
Sure he will. Just needs to crank the volume.
[You won't be able to use is to communicate with the nursing station, ya old fart
.
Sure he will. Just needs to crank the volume.
HEHE
Just got my Shipping E-Mail!
The latest update is now available. This covers most items on the list and adds the Karaoke page. After the system reboots I would also suggest refreshing your UI browser page.
Very nice update. The alarm works good. Sleep works too - Andrew gets his way with powering it down and I get my way with just turning music off so I don't have to re-start it next day. The sleep time doesn't get saved though after the unit is put to sleep.
Playback Options no longer cause the unit to need a factory reset.
The analog input switching works good now. Volume is better but not completely solved yet. Volume does "funny things" after turning off the analog input.
What does the DLNA update do for us?
Sleep timer? One of my favorite features!
Hmmm....I think I might want the microphone add-on too. I asked about it last August but did not receive a response. I have been told there may be a ton of goodness in that microphone add-on...goodness that goes far beyond the karaoke feature that has been advertised
.
You won't be able to use is to communicate with the nursing station, ya old fart
.
Don't need to. The nurses all come to me to play with my gorgeous, thick hair
.
Hmmm....I think I might want the microphone add-on too. I asked about it last August but did not receive a response. I have been told there may be a ton of goodness in that microphone add-on...goodness that goes far beyond the karaoke feature that has been advertised
.
You won't be able to use is to communicate with the nursing station, ya old fart
.
Don't need to. The nurses all come to me to play with my gorgeous, thick hair
.
HEHEHE.
Hmmm....I think I might want the microphone add-on too. I asked about it last August but did not receive a response. I have been told there may be a ton of goodness in that microphone add-on...goodness that goes far beyond the karaoke feature that has been advertised
.
You won't be able to use is to communicate with the nursing station, ya old fart
.
Don't need to. The nurses all come to me to play with my gorgeous, thick hair
.
That's what they call a backrub!
Your back maybe. The nurses shave mine.
Speaking of nurses. One of my caregivers found lipstick on my upper thigh Thursday night. Man did I laugh.
Avoid new update. Got into weird issues right away and now AA is dead (even power buttons don't work).
Michelangelo, Ian, is there a way to restore previous version of software from bootable USB?
How do I get a reboot with 2 batteries keeping CPU alive?
Eric, sorry to hear that. That must be totally frustrating. You must be using (a) feature(s) that I don't use because I have not had any fatal issues. Hold the power button down for > 20 seconds.
Failing that, remove the bottom cover and unplug the 3-wire connector to the Pi/DAC board. I found it's easiest to unplug from the board rather than the "backplane".
I think if you reset to factory settings via the UI, that will take you to your last version. You might have noticed when you upgrade, the Air creates a backup. I think that backup is the "factory reset". If so, it should more appropriately be called "restore from backup".
It finally came back from the dead to factory software.
All I did is try to see if volume control issue was fixed. Got same issue as previous release (volume locked to max).
Retrying the upgrade.
Could you describe a little bit better what happened with the update please?
Also, factory reset is actually a factory reset, it restores the original firmware shipped with AxiomAir
Try refreshing the web client.
The volume is still flaky. The neighbor, 75 and enjoying the sun in her lounger, freaked out at me today when the volume unexpectedly went through the roof! She asked me to turn it down, and when I tried, the Android app was disconnected. When the app re-connected, her Depends came in handy :0.
1) Updated
2) After reset, software was weird. Change the Volume Normalization to Off. Playing a DSF file using UPnP. UI was not showing what was currently playing or the queue. Volume was locked to MAX.
3) Under system tab, system was still showing 1.023
4) Rebooted
5) Software showed 1.029.
6) Tried same DSF file, failed to play
7) Using FLAC, no issue playing, but UI not showing currently playing and volume locked
8) Tried "reset user data". Same result.
9) Tried "Factory Reset" and waiting for about 30 minutes (while watching TV show).
10) Tried holding button for very long,,, no work
11) Tried step 10 every 30 minutes. Worked on the 3rd try
12) Re-upgraded. This time it rebooted right away with proper sofrware version
13) Turned off "Volume Normalization" so I could play DSF files.
14) DSF files NOT working at all anymore
15) Volume control is now OK
I must be the only lucky one that has had no problems at all... (Except for quality of life requests).
I must be the only lucky one that has had no problems at all... (Except for quality of life requests).
I take it you are using Airplay?
Airplay and Axiom Air interface. Both work like a charm.
Air interface on Apple devices?
Thanks Eric, I think I got what happened. And also the DSF issue...
I think you just got the Pi stuck in reboot situation... After an update or factory reset you should always reboot.
If the pi fails to reboot (sometimes it happens) the power button should be held off to shut down the device manually.
The DSF is a setting in MPD that got lost in the latest update, I'll fix that now ...
Thanks Michelangelo.
I did reboot after the first upgrade.
My guess is something went wrong during file copying and the version got inconsistent binaries.
At least we now all know that recovery mechanisms do work.
@Mojo - Yes, I mainly use Apple devices (my iPhone 6 Plus, and my wife uses her iPhone 5). She uses the AA interface all the time, I use it 1/2 the time (the other half of the time I use Airplay). I also use the AA interface on my PC.
Thanks Michelangelo.
I did reboot after the first upgrade.
My guess is something went wrong during file copying and the version got inconsistent binaries.
At least we now all know that recovery mechanisms do work.
Why do you guess that something did go wrong? Do you have any specific clue?
When the upgrade completed, the dialog asking for reboot appeared, but it seemed to have lost communication with the AA already. A little like you it crashed right after the UI popped up the message.
A little while later, the AA played its little tune.
It just felt a little strange, but not outright wrong.
Michelangelo, after upgrading to 1.029 (the latest version), I switched to the analog input. I did not have a source plugged into it. When I did so, I heard the switching relay operate and then the start-up tune played. I was very surprised by this; it must have re-booted. I was not able to repeat this.
Did you do it just after turning on the device?
Yes. Come to think of it, I can't remember if I had the start-up sound twice - once on re-boot and once on the analog input. It may have sounded only once and I correlated that to the analog input.
Yes. Come to think of it, I can't remember if I had the start-up sound twice - once on re-boot and once on the analog input. It may have sounded only once and I correlated that to the analog input.
Axiom may want to reconsider beta testing devices with our senior citizen Axiomites.
Michelangelo,
Is there some way in one of the upcoming updates that you add a way for us to add music to the USB Drive that is plugged into the AA? What I mean is, let's say I buy a song, and it appears in my iTunes directory on my PC. Now, I have to remove the USB drive from the AA, plug it into my PC, copy the file, then plug it back into the AA. It would be nice if my PC could "see" the USB drive on the AA, and let me drag the file over.
Thanks!
Yes, I was thinking on something today... Like adding network transfer for files.. More infos soon..
Yes. Come to think of it, I can't remember if I had the start-up sound twice - once on re-boot and once on the analog input. It may have sounded only once and I correlated that to the analog input.
Axiom may want to reconsider beta testing devices with our senior citizen Axiomites.
Better to beta test with a bunch of hairless kids who humor themselves by applying lipstick to their thigh...hee hee...LOL!
Yes. Come to think of it, I can't remember if I had the start-up sound twice - once on re-boot and once on the analog input. It may have sounded only once and I correlated that to the analog input.
Axiom may want to reconsider beta testing devices with our senior citizen Axiomites.
Better to beta test with a bunch of hairless kids who humor themselves by applying lipstick to their thigh...hee hee...LOL!
Ian,
Any updates on the shipment of the Microphone equipped AA?
I've just received my AA here in Oz, but I've got an issue with no WiFi. When I boot it for the first time, I get the flashing Blu Light on both the AA and also the Edimax Nano Wifi Adapter but I don't see any WiFi AP being Broadcast. I can connect just fine using a wired connection. So far I've tried:
- Upgrading from V1.023 to 1.029
- Factory Reset (back to V1.023)
- Upgrading again from V1.023 to 1.029
- Deleting User Data Option
Always the same thing, no WiFi AP is being broadcast from the AA. So I then tested the Edimax Nano in a PC and it works fine. I've also tried all 4 USB ports with the Edimax Nano, no help.
Any ideas?
Thanks
Nathan
Here is a PIC of what is being shown on the AA GUI Network Settings
Found a "Fix". The Web Page via a wired connection does not let you manually enter in an SSID / Password but the Android App does. Once I had done this the AA/Edimax (post a reboot) the connected to the wireless network (and also correctly displayed all my AP).
I'd suggest that the ability to manually enter the SSID / Password be added to the wired webpage. Also no idea why on first boot / post factory reset my AA was not in AP mode.
The AA DLNA Presentation Page at http://192.168.1.xxx:49152/upmpd/presentation.html displays this (would be good to go to the UI instead)
"Hi, this is the default upmpdcli presentation page and it is not very interesting.
You can substitute another one by setting the presentationhtml parameter inside the configuration file, but in any case this can only be a static help page, it is only read when upmpdcli starts up."
FYI - the DLNA advertisement of supported formats is ambiguous so I'm running some tests using
http://www.whitebear.ch/dmra . I'll post the results.
Also I'm a member of the Beta Team over at JRiver so I've started a thread over there regarding the AA and JRiver compatibility.
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=104473.0
Here is the Info of the quick test (I'm running a fuller test overnight)
DMR Report (by Whitebear) for UpMPD
===================================
Device Description Url=http://192.168.1.xxx:49152/description.xml
HTTP Server Header=Linux/4.0.6-v7+, UPnP/1.0, Portable SDK for UPnP devices/1.6.19.jfd3
Description=UPnP front-end to MPD
Friendly Name=AxiomAir
Manufacturer Name=JF Light Industries
Manufacturer Url=http://www.github.com/medoc92/upmpd
Model Name=UpMPD
Model Number=1.0
Model Url=http://www.github.com/medoc92/upmpd
Presentation Url=http://192.168.1.xxx:49152/upmpd/presentation.html
Serial Number=42
UPnP Device Type=urn:schemas-upnp-org:device:MediaRenderer:1
UPnP Media Renderer version=1
Unique Device Name=uuid:12d25297-bf51-7de7-e08b-74da3868d788
Service Url for RenderingControl=http://192.168.1.xxx:49152/upmpd/RenderingControl.xml
Service Url for AVTransport=http://192.168.1.xxx:49152/upmpd/AVTransport.xml
Service Url for ConnectionManager=http://192.168.1.xxx:49152/upmpd/ConnectionManager.xml
AVT:GetDeviceCapabilities action=Supported
AVT:GetMediaInfo action=Supported
AVT:GetPositionInfo action=Supported
AVT:GetTransportInfo action=Supported
AVT:GetTransportSettings action=Supported
AVT:SetNextAVTransportURI (gapless play)=Supported
AVT:SyncPlay (synchronous play)=NOT Supported
RC:GetVolume action=Supported
RC:SetVolume action=Supported
AVT:Event Subscription=Succeeded
RC:Event Subscription=Succeeded
HTTP User Agent (client)=Music Player Daemon 0.19.9
Play test file result=Play success => Start Ok / Stop Ok
Media Center DLNA Server Advanced Settings
==========================================
DLNA=Off
DLNAExtra=Off
Enable bitrate Field=Off
Filter international characters=Checked
Include session ID=Off
Playstation 3 Compatible=Off
Present Caption Resources=Off
Present Small Artwork=Off
Present Subtitle Resources=Off
Skip Child Count=Checked
Use flat URLs=Checked
Use full URLs=Checked
WMC Compatible=Off
Declared Supported Audio, Image & Video Formats
===============================================
http-get:*:audio/dsd:*
http-get:*:audio/wav:*
http-get:*:audio/wave:*
http-get:*:audio/x-wav:*
http-get:*:audio/x-aiff:*
http-get:*:audio/mpeg:*
http-get:*:audio/x-mpeg:*
http-get:*:audio/mp1:*
http-get:*:audio/aac:*
http-get:*:audio/flac:*
http-get:*:audio/x-flac:*
http-get:*:audio/m4a:*
http-get:*:audio/mp4:*
http-get:*:audio/x-m4a:*
http-get:*:audio/vorbis:*
http-get:*:audio/ogg:*
http-get:*:audio/x-ogg:*
http-get:*:audio/x-scpls:*
@jimone thanks for the tips about upnp.
The only issue with presentation Url is that it expects a static page, so it should not work with the UI..
But let's try and see...
Hi all,
Got mine earlier this week. Plugged it in, turned it on and it worked right away.
I connected to it using my iPad and was able to play tunes right away using AirPlay. I was also able to connect to the AA interface with the browser on the iPad although I didn't have a USB stick with music on it, so couldn't play with that part of it.
The only issue I had was with the volume control on the iPad through Airplay. The volume scaled very slowly from low volume to about 7 or 8, then went through the roof at 9 and 10 (on 10). Seems a bit strange to me.
I also was able to connect to it through my Windows 10 Desktop PC.
Overall, I'm quite pleased, but my wife doesn't understand why I purchased this. Perspective matters ;-)
Anyway, I thought I should try to update the software on the device, but I can't figure out how to do that. Can someone point me in the right direction please?
Thanks,
Richard
Connect using the Web interface
Click on the "*" settings button top right on window
In the pulldown menu, go to "System"
In the System window, look close to the bottom of the page for a large "Check for updates" button.
Any update on when the next batch is going out for beta testing? I'm eagerly waiting for mine =)
@jimone thanks for the tips about upnp.
The only issue with presentation Url is that it expects a static page, so it should not work with the UI..
But let's try and see...
Interesting. On other DLNA devices going to the Presentation URL takes you to their Config Pages. It's just handy from other DLNA Controllers where there is normally a button that takes you to the DLNA Renderer (being the presentation URL as that is advertised).
@michelangelo, Also on the DLNA feature set (which look pretty good), any plans to support "AVT:SyncPlay (synchronous play)" as this then gives us multi device synx like Airplay but over DLNA.
Thanks
Nathan
Edit - It may also be worth updating some of the DLNA info if possbile... MFR Url (points to a 404 page), Model Name, Mfr Name etc
Edit 2 - who is " AxiomAir, from JF Light Industries"?
I've not manage to test every DLNA combination of format, samplerate, channel and bit depth but the following all worked (= good support):
- aiff : 44.1x2x16 / 192x8x24
- m4a: 44.1x2x16 / 192x8x24
- mpeg: 44.1x2x16 (mp3)
- wav: 44.1x2x16 / 192x8x24
- x-fac: 44.1x2x16 / 192x8x24
-
Ian,
It sure would be nice to get an update on the shipping of the AA in general. It would also help us be patient if we could know where we (KickStarter backers) individually sit in the queue to receive our AA, with an approximate date.
Picked up my Air from the post office yesterday .
Very well packed and very quick shipping
Opening the box for the first time ....Wow , what a beast of a machine !!!!
The beta testing instructions worked ok for Android users .
I did have to hard wire my internet connection to the Air and update to the latest version before I was able to connect to wireless . The factory version was a little glitchy . For some reason , the volume was at 100 percent when I first fired the Air up .
My red battery light and blue connectivity light remain flashing even though I charged for 24 hours .
I know I am connected because the Air functions great and responds to the controls on my phone and the wife,s phone just fine .
Back in the early 80,s I had a very large and very powerful Ghetto Blaster made by Aimor .
The Axiom Air far exceeds the sound quality of my old boombox . I agree with what other members are saying , the Air is a powerhouse of clarity . Simply put .. This thing rocks !!!
Today I was raking up the yard while streaming music from my phone . The neighbors thought I was playing my system in the living room with the windows open. The Air can hit some deep notes and its " LOUD " and clear . I use two M3,s in my recording studio . The sound from the AA is very similar to the M3,s
For those who dont know , you will need an adapter to get your sub-woofer connected . The Air takes the smaller connector
If One of you guys have your sub connected , where did you get the connector from ? Got a part number or a picture ?
As far as a first impression . Axiom gets 2 thumbs up from me . The Axiom Air is outstanding .
Now its time I do some beta testing . I will report back
One little thing, the specs say:
- Amp Power (continuous RMS) = 150 watts
- Power Supply is marked as 15v @ 8.3 Amps = 124.5 watts
The AA will also accept a DLNA Video feed. I've not plugged in a monitor to see if you get a video output but you do get Audio.
The AA will also take all my web audio links handed off over DLNA (eg Radio Station URLs). This includes AAC, AAC+, MP3, M4a and those that only have 1ch (these cause issues with some DLNA Renderers).
So I've scared my self silly a few times as I rotate between my Player (JRiver), the Web UI, and the Android App as at time the AA changes Vol to 100% when you bring say the Andriod App into focus. Also the front Vol Knob does nothing for me when using DLNA.
Fit and finish is great, though a couple of small blemishes (a small area on my black grill that is silver and some of the rubber moulding at the top is not smooth but both of these are minor).
Removing an Ethernet cable (with a rubber any snag cover) is hard as there is not enough room to put you finger in between the catch and the ceiling of the connection cubby (I have to use something like a pen or screw driver to force down the catch).
Also the front Vol Knob does nothing for me when using DLNA.
Front volume knob is only for aux in.
Hi jmone,
The power supply is 15 volt 8.3 amp continuous but is capable of going to 12 amps for a few minutes, which is forever in the world of audio signals.
Last week we began the first full production run of AxiomAirs. It all begins with the molding of the parts. I want to extend a big thanks to everyone who has given us invaluable input through the Beta process. Michelangelo plans to have the last of updates needed later this week. This means it will be time to ship all the orders outstanding and reduce the lead time on new orders. We also plan to keep going with updates to the AxiomAir User Interface as we develop new features; so please keep the suggestions coming for ways we can make the AxiomAir better.
It's always great to see updates!
But Ian, maybe you should look into a tutorial on re-sizing photos!
You might want to look into a Master Unit Die system. Makes changing and aligning molds SOOOO much easier.
Ian, great to hear the production run is underway.
Reading all the comments from you beta testers lately has really amped up my excitement and anticipation of receiving my AA.
Got mine Monday, thanks Ian! Originally I was having issues playing audion from an external source, I.e. my Echo Dot. However the latest software release seems to have fixed that. One note though the AA app alanlog input check box always looks to work now, but if I return from another menu it may or may not appear checked even though its functioning. Also, if I power cycle the AA it doesn't maintain the status of the external input, I have to turn it on every time I power up the AA.
-Stu
Alternate question, if there an option to order alternate tops? I made a horrible mistake ordering a white top.
Thanks,
-Stu
Regarding Access to the Pi itself:
- SSH access is available
- HDMI / KB / Mouse is available (need to open the tinkers door to get to the HDMI connector)
...but what is the Login / Password details? (tried the std defaults like pi/raspberry root/root etc even air/air type combos"
Thanks
Nathan
Has anyone figured out how to remove the battery?
I got it part way out then thought.... I don't know how it is wired in so pushed it back into it's slot.
I undid the four screws then used a plastic pry bar to work it out a bit till I could get my fingers under the lip.
I tried prying it out but gave up because I didn't want to risk messing it up. The battery connects to the harness using a Molex-style connector. I have one battery so I saw the connector in the other battery compartment when I removed the cover.
The battery has to be wedged in there tight otherwise it can vibrate.
When you took out your Pi/DAC board, was one of the boards seated an an angle? Mine is at an angle because the header connector and the stand-offs are not at the correct height.
My Pi/DAC Board fit looks good on my unit.
WARNING: I've already replaced my Pi as either of the following caused an issue of no sound being passed to the DAC:
- Testing if the Pi's Audio port is active
- Part of the Pi's exposed terminals Touched the Axiom Audio Name Plate (it's the only bit on the bottom made of metal).
All working now however!
What I'm trying to work out is if I can get a Full Signal output to simultaneously feed another amp/speaker set.
Does anyone know what is being output from the Sub Out on the back (as I don't appear to be getting any signal at all.... or anything I can hear with a pair of Headphones anyway).
The sub out is not intended for headphones. There isn't (shouldn't be?) enough current on that output to drive low impedance headphones. You need to connect to a sub (higher impedance input). I doubt you'll get a full spectrum signal from the sub out.
FYI - the Help Icon takes you to a 404 Page -
http://www.axiom-air.com/help
Also not sure how (or if you can) browse
- DLNA Servers
- UNC Shares
Hi purist,
The tops are interchangeable. I see we need an Accessory tab on the product page for tops and batteries. The top is held in place with magnets so it is very easy to change.
The tops are interchangeable. The top is held in place with magnets so it is very easy to change.
Cool! I'm going to make one that looks like an 8-Track player with rows of blue LEDs.
It's always great to see updates!
But Ian, maybe you should look into a tutorial on re-sizing photos!
What, Mark, you don't have a 4K monitor? What's wrong with you?
If you need recommendations, I've got a few...
Hey: I have the same problem -- no wifi. I don't understand your fix, though. You say you made the ssid visible using the android app, but the android app won't access the AA until it's been added to wifi on the android device, and you can't do that until the ssid is visible. So, how did you do it? Thanks a lot. I'm pretty frustrated.
Hey: I have the same problem -- no wifi. I don't understand your fix, though. You say you made the ssid visible using the android app, but the android app won't access the AA until it's been added to wifi on the android device, and you can't do that until the ssid is visible. So, how did you do it? Thanks a lot. I'm pretty frustrated.
I've done the following a few times,
1) Connect with Wired Ethernet
2) Update to the latest Version
3) Manually Assign the Wireless Details (you can do this with the App or via the Web GUI).
Hi purist,
The tops are interchangeable. I see we need an Accessory tab on the product page for tops and batteries. The top is held in place with magnets so it is very easy to change.
Thanks Ian.
Hey: I have the same problem -- no wifi. I don't understand your fix, though. You say you made the ssid visible using the android app, but the android app won't access the AA until it's been added to wifi on the android device, and you can't do that until the ssid is visible. So, how did you do it? Thanks a lot. I'm pretty frustrated.
Does this means that you can't see the AxiomAir-xxxx network ?
Which PC \ tablet \ phone do you have?
FYI - I tried with both an Andriod and iOS phone. Also check with a WiFi scanner (both on the Andriod and my Ubquiti network - no SSID was being broadcast from the Air). Same post a factory reset.
I am still unable to use Airplay on 2 different iPads. I am running the latest update and as soon as I select the AxiomAir to output to it kicks me back to the iPad
Both devices play flawlessly to my Denon receiver. Any thoughts? Help?
@jmone do you have the ethernet cable plugged in? If that's the case, it is by design. The hotspot turns off when ethernet cable is plugged in.
Thanks everyone for the precious feedbacks.
In order to collect informations, it will be extremely useful if you could do this:
(especialy @fatboycarney, since he's experiencing dropouts with airplay).
- Right after you're kicked out the ipad, go to:
http://axiomair.local/devor
http://ipofaxiomair/devThis page is the debug page.
Locate the section
"Send Log or bug report"
Write briefly what happens, and hit send. Wait for about 3 minutes before disconnecting the unit from the internet or turning it off.
You've just sent us some more info about your issue, this way we'll be better able to solve it.
Thanks!
@jmone do you have the ethernet cable plugged in? If that's the case, it is by design. The hotspot turns off when ethernet cable is plugged in.
Thanks everyone for the precious feedbacks.
In order to collect informations, it will be extremely useful if you could do this:
(especialy @fatboycarney, since he's experiencing dropouts with airplay).
- Right after you're kicked out the ipad, go to:
http://axiomair.local/devor
http://ipofaxiomair/devThis page is the debug page.
Locate the section
"Send Log or bug report"
Write briefly what happens, and hit send. Wait for about 3 minutes before disconnecting the unit from the internet or turning it off.
You've just sent us some more info about your issue, this way we'll be better able to solve it.
Thanks!
This is perfect michelangelo!! Expect a log tonight!
@michelangelo - no cable was plugged in at the time (only to get access when it did not go into Wifi HotSpot mode)
@michelangelo log has been sent. Initiated AirPlay to my Denon from same iPad same song and worked immediately.
Thank you very much, we got them..
Unfortunately we didn't spotted anything anormal...
So we're preparing a special version (probably ready tomorrow) which will help to gather more information.
Thanks !
@Michelangelo Thanks very much. A bit strange I am the only one impacted for something as likely standardized as AirPlay.
Looking forward to special build
Dear Fatboycarney,
we prepared a new version to better understand what's going on... And probably you're not the only one affected, so it's really great that you're helping us on this.
What we'll do is set up the AxiomAir in test mode:
In this mode you will be able to receive the test updates. This mode is what we use before sending out an update to the public, to verify that everything works as intended.
To set up your AA to test mode, go to the dev page as you did before:
http://axiomair.local/devor
http://ipoftheaxiomair/dev Locate "Test Mode" and press "TRUE".
From now on your AA will be a test device, seeing the very edge updates.
You can now go back to usual UI, and go to system -> settings -> check updates
You'll see a new update is available.
You can now update as usual and reboot.
Now, you can repeat the procedure to play from Airplay and send us the logs. And this time we'll be collecting slightly more informations.
If you want to go back to ordinary firmwares, just do the same above but click on "False" on Test mode.
You can then either reset to factory or stay with the test firmware. That will not make much difference.
For everyone willing to try test mode: please mind that this is intended for developers, and in some cases you may encounter updates which could break your AA seriously. So, we advise not to go in test mode unless somebody from axiom requires you to do so...
For anyone having further questions, I'll be glad to reply!
Amazing michelangelo. Your response time is fantastic and glad to help
Will apply the build tonight and provide feedback/logs as needed
Ian, so if you began the full production run of AA, does that mean you have started the AA with microphone (Karaoke) yet as I signed up for the beta test of it but haven't seen anyone commenting on how it works.
Derek
Last week we began the first full production run of AxiomAirs. It all begins with the molding of the parts. I want to extend a big thanks to everyone who has given us invaluable input through the Beta process. Michelangelo plans to have the last of updates needed later this week. This means it will be time to ship all the orders outstanding and reduce the lead time on new orders. We also plan to keep going with updates to the AxiomAir User Interface as we develop new features; so please keep the suggestions coming for ways we can make the AxiomAir better.
Hi DerekA,
We have shipped out two Beta units with the microphone option so far. We are still producing the input boards and wires sets for these Karaoke ones so more will be shipping later this week and next.
I have one myself and it works great. We have been just playing Karaoke songs from YouTube.
Thanks for the update, Ian. Patience is a virtue so I thank you for first giving me the opportunity to improve myself but even more so for creating a product that will bring its users so much pleasure.
Derek
We have shipped out two Beta units with the microphone option so far. We are still producing the input boards and wires sets for these Karaoke ones so more will be shipping later this week and next.
I have one myself and it works great. We have been just playing Karaoke songs from YouTube.
Amazing michelangelo. Your response time is fantastic and glad to help
Will apply the build tonight and provide feedback/logs as needed
Thank you very much..
And an additional request after sending the logs... If possible...
Could you please try to place the axiomair and your mac or iphone near the router?
Also, could you describe the placement of your mac or iphone and axiomair in respect to the router when the issue occurred?
Last, could you try to connect the AA to the router via ethernet cable?
Thanks!
Logs were went last night but I missed this note.
The iPad and AxiomAir are in the same room as the router when the test was completed. I now am wondering if the iPad was on 5Ghz so I will double check that tonight.
I will test with the AA on ethernet tonight and send logs
Thanks Ian for the update.
I would still like to know where I sit in the queue for receiving my AA, as I'm sure a lot of the other backers are anxious to know. I understand that this a brand new and exciting product you are refining, but it would still be nice to get a feel for when we can expect to receive ours.
Don't get me wrong, I'm in the software development business, I feel the pain you are going through, my clients always want the finished product sooner than we can physically develop it. One thing I learned in my 30+ years in the business, is that the more communication (good or bad) I provide to my customers, the more they understand and can live with delays in delivering the final product.
I look forward to receiving more updates, and don't be shy to post more pictures of the manufacturing process and the gorgeous boxes sitting on the shipping dock.
Thanks,
Yves
Hi Yvasse,
I see you are Black with a Black grille. These are the first ones being made so expect to see a delivery notice late next week or early the week after.
@michelangelo - in case a couple of my Q got missed:
- Pi Root & User Accounts: What is the Login / Password
- Is there any way to get a full signal output (to feed another amp)?
- Any plans to support DLNA Sync (Multi Renderer)
Thanks
Nathan
Hi Jmone,
the credentials are: volumio/volumio
- However, we'll disable SSH soon (but with an option to re-enable it).
- Don't really know
- Not as of now...
Q: - How do you take your Air to the "Beach"?
By this I mean, you have the Air working and connected to your Home Network, but if I pick it up and take it to the beach/picnic (any where where you don't have your WiFi), how do you connect to the Air from your phone at that point?
I tried just plugging my phone in using USB (MTP) and it was being charged by the Air (and apparently allowing access) but no connection to the App was being made that I could see.
Thanks
Nathan
..also on the Air I can use the browse USB option but nothing is being presented from my Phone's storage over MTP.
Hi Nathan,
In answer to your beach question; when your AxiomAir gets out of range of your home network it will switch to Hotspot mode and the blue LED will start flashing. You will now be able to find your AxiomAir in your WiFi networks and connect to it.
On mine, the hotspot works but sometimes it's "flaky". I can always connect but not the first or second time.
One thing I don't understand, but admittedly haven't researched, happened to me last week. I brought it to work and I noticed besides the usual "AxiomAir" network, an "AxiomAir-59b4e7" also popped up. The AxiomAir didn't work but the other one did.
I would agree with Mojo the hotspot can be flaky. This could be as much the fault of the devices connecting to the AxiomAir as the Air itself. Many devices. Android especially will prefer or even aggressively attempt to move off the Air's wifi since it offers no internet connection. This is my experience anyway.
Also the captive portals on iOS and android both seem to struggle with the Air
@michelangelo I submitted another log tonight with the air connected to Ethernet and attempting AirPlay. Same results as before. Let me know if you need more logs.
Another note on the hardware side. Connecting the Ethernet cable I notice the cable I used had a clip that was quite high on the RJ45 connector. This resulted in a very difficult time in removing the cable. It is very cramped area where the port is. Not a big deal for me as I don't plan to use it with wired connection but thought it was something to note. If you want a pic I can post one or send it over
Fatboy!!! How did you get them sausages in there to remove the cable?
Hahahaha I didn't I used a knife. Those sausages would not fit!!
There you go again...waving a knife in the Air.
Still can't get the AA into Hot Spot mode. I get the Blue/Red Light + the Blue Light on the WiFi donlge flashing but no SSID is being broadcast.
Thanks
Nathan
Also fyi for the Tinkerers and JRiver users - thanks to @mwillems we now have JRiver's Media Center also running on the Air (some more work to do yet).
More Info -->
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=104473.0
@michelangelo , Not that this will impact most, but with my tinkering I ran out of space on the "Volumio_Data" partition (Overlay). Given the SD Card has so much unused space, I increased it to 10GB. Might as well use that space!
@Michelangelo - I run dual band WiFi in my home (2.4 GHz G/N and 5.0 GHz AC). If I were to replace the wireless dongle with an AC wireless dongle, would the AA initialize it properly? I'd like to take the AA off of my G/N band and have it reside on the AC band.
Airplay is working well for me with no apparent issues. Sync with other Airplay Speakers is perfect.
WiFi roaming (multiple AP's with same SSID / Password) is not so great. The Air drops the connection completely then reconnects instead of just moving to the stronger AP.
Yesterday I was listening to the Air using music from my phone. After finishing playing one album I tried to play another album but could not. I checked my wifi settings and the Air was no longer an option for my phone. I tried going to factory settings and trying to locate the Air on my phone again but had no luck
Any ideas I could try?
Edit: I just tried to find the Air on wifi and it was finally there. Weird!
I've just noticed a repetitive static noise when I mute the volume through the client. It sounds like a charge is being built up and then discharging over and over again. It disappears when I raise the volume. Anyone else experiencing this?
I can confirm what Mojo is hearing
- I also get a sharp static/click when turning the Vol all the way to 0 and a song is still playing. It happens on Mains and Battery power. The static/click will stop if you stop playing. The frequency of the static/click seems to correspond to the tempo of the bass and the sharpness to the peak. On soft songs with little bass you don't get the click.
EDIT - Good news is I don't think it is hardware related as the issue seems to be confined to Volumio (no issue with my side loaded JRiver Media Center)
- I have also had (but can't reliably reproduce) what sounds like EFI at times during playback.
I've just noticed a repetitive static noise when I mute the volume through the client.
Hi Mojo, I also witness the same behavior.
Airplay is working well for me with no apparent issues. Sync with other Airplay Speakers is perfect.
What are you using to initiate AirPlay? I have tried everything I can think of. No luck still
The frequency of the static/click seems to correspond to the tempo of the bass and the sharpness to the peak.
Keen powers of observation. You are accurate but not precise. The frequency varies as the T^(1.3*A) where T is the tempo and A is the peak amplitude of the bass. I am sure armed with this info, Michelangelo will fix it.
The frequency varies as the T^(1.3*A) where T is the tempo and A is the peak amplitude of the bass. I am sure armed with this info, Michelangelo will fix it.
You guys are definitely beta testing at a level I can only hope to mimic when I get my AA. How you tested and then determined the formula for the static frequency is impressive.
Derek, I couldn't have done it without my digital storage scope and Mathematica.
Airplay is working well for me with no apparent issues. Sync with other Airplay Speakers is perfect.
What are you using to initiate AirPlay? I have tried everything I can think of. No luck still
I tested with an Windows App called TuneBlade that lets you take an Audio Stream and push it to multiple Airplay devices. It also lets you monitor packet resend, drop out etc. The AA was very good. I also had my son do a quick casual test from his iOS Phone to just the AA and that too was fine.
Mojo is way more scientific than me.... I just used the Mark I Ear Hole!
Hi: I need some help here.
I’m using my AA with a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and latest iteration of the AA app.
I have a D Link wireless router, and I’m also using a desktop computer and Lenovo laptop, both running Win 7, and another Lenovo laptop running Win 10. I have not used any Apple devices with the AA.
Basically, I have been unable to ever use the AA with the smartphone app, and I am currently unable to reach the web UI, even wiring directly between the AA and the computer with an Ethernet cable. Here is some background.
When I first got the AA, I could not see the AA wireless signal on the Galaxy, or on any of the other computers, including using a sniffing program. I plugged the AA into the router using an Ethernet cable and was able to access the web UI on the desktop through Firefox browser. I updated and restarted. (I’m leaving out a series of false starts, failed updates, etc. This was a very long process... ) I could now see the AA wireless signal on the Galaxy (I could also see it on the desktop and laptops). I connected to the AA wireless and then opened the AA app. When I connected to my home network from inside the AA app, the signal from the AA was immediately lost, and the app went into “searching.” Further, the AA wireless signal was now invisible to all devices: the Galaxy, desktop and laptops; the AA wireless couldn’t even be seen with a sniffer looking for hidden networks. Repeated restarts had no effect.
I re-accessed the AA with Ethernet through desktop, updated again, restarted again.
Experienced a repeat of the last time: the AA wireless can now be seen from all devices; connect to AA wireless on the Galaxy through the AA app; connect to home network from inside the AA app; AA wireless signal immediately lost and can’t be seen with any device. Repeated restarts have no effect.
That’s my experience of the AA wireless and AA app on the Galaxy: it’s never worked, and still doesn’t.
However, despite the AA wireless signal being invisible to the Galaxy, laptops and desktop, the AA is visible in Win 7 and 10 as a media device. I am able to play music (both wirelessly and with the AA connected to the router with an Ethernet cable) through Media Player, using the “Play To” function; I cannot seem to use the AA using the “stream” function in Media Player (which is, I think, the same thing as “play to” but accessed differently through the software).
Previously, I attempted to modify the network setting in the AA using the web UI. I turned off automatic IP for both wireless and wired because I preferred a static IP address for my setup.
I used the following properties for both wired and wireless:
IP: 192.168.0.120
Subnet: 255.255.255.0
Gateway: 192.168.0.1 (this is the D Link router’s address).
I restarted. Now, I cannot access the AA through the web UI; I get a “problem loading page” error.
Note that the AA still shows up on the laptops and desktop in Win 7 and 10, wirelessly and wired, as a media device (though still no wireless network signal detected) and I can view the properties, and the IP address of the AA as a media device. When I type that IP address into the browser, however, I get the “problem loading page” error. I get the same error message when I use axiomair.local instead of the IP address. This happens either through Ethernet or wireless.
Note that the IP address of the AA did not become static (per my attempts at reconfiguring the network settings) and now is 192.169.0.191 – not 192.168.0.120 as put into the network settings on the UI. Note also that I can access the “presentation” page which just gets to the brief text “This page is not very interesting ...” but any attempts to “back hack” from there just get me error messages.
So, no wireless through the AA app, and no wired connection to the UI. I don’t really like using media player, but that’s the only way I can use the AA so far.
One question I have is whether there is a way to hard-reset the Pi, so that the AA goes back to factory specs, without being able to get to the UI or app? I can, if necessary, connect a keyboard and monitor directly to the Pi, though it will be a PITA so I’d rather some other option.
Also, your thoughts on what to do about the invisible wireless signal and the phone app?
Thanks,
Randall
Just wanted to let everyone know there is a new update available now.
Hi: I need some help here.
I’m using my AA with a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and latest iteration of the AA app.
I have a D Link wireless router, and I’m also using a desktop computer and Lenovo laptop, both running Win 7, and another Lenovo laptop running Win 10. I have not used any Apple devices with the AA.
Basically, I have been unable to ever use the AA with the smartphone app, and I am currently unable to reach the web UI, even wiring directly between the AA and the computer with an Ethernet cable. Here is some background.
When I first got the AA, I could not see the AA wireless signal on the Galaxy, or on any of the other computers, including using a sniffing program. I plugged the AA into the router using an Ethernet cable and was able to access the web UI on the desktop through Firefox browser. I updated and restarted. (I’m leaving out a series of false starts, failed updates, etc. This was a very long process... ) I could now see the AA wireless signal on the Galaxy (I could also see it on the desktop and laptops). I connected to the AA wireless and then opened the AA app. When I connected to my home network from inside the AA app, the signal from the AA was immediately lost, and the app went into “searching.” Further, the AA wireless signal was now invisible to all devices: the Galaxy, desktop and laptops; the AA wireless couldn’t even be seen with a sniffer looking for hidden networks. Repeated restarts had no effect.
I re-accessed the AA with Ethernet through desktop, updated again, restarted again.
Experienced a repeat of the last time: the AA wireless can now be seen from all devices; connect to AA wireless on the Galaxy through the AA app; connect to home network from inside the AA app; AA wireless signal immediately lost and can’t be seen with any device. Repeated restarts have no effect.
That’s my experience of the AA wireless and AA app on the Galaxy: it’s never worked, and still doesn’t.
However, despite the AA wireless signal being invisible to the Galaxy, laptops and desktop, the AA is visible in Win 7 and 10 as a media device. I am able to play music (both wirelessly and with the AA connected to the router with an Ethernet cable) through Media Player, using the “Play To” function; I cannot seem to use the AA using the “stream” function in Media Player (which is, I think, the same thing as “play to” but accessed differently through the software).
Previously, I attempted to modify the network setting in the AA using the web UI. I turned off automatic IP for both wireless and wired because I preferred a static IP address for my setup.
I used the following properties for both wired and wireless:
IP: 192.168.0.120
Subnet: 255.255.255.0
Gateway: 192.168.0.1 (this is the D Link router’s address).
I restarted. Now, I cannot access the AA through the web UI; I get a “problem loading page” error.
Note that the AA still shows up on the laptops and desktop in Win 7 and 10, wirelessly and wired, as a media device (though still no wireless network signal detected) and I can view the properties, and the IP address of the AA as a media device. When I type that IP address into the browser, however, I get the “problem loading page” error. I get the same error message when I use axiomair.local instead of the IP address. This happens either through Ethernet or wireless.
Note that the IP address of the AA did not become static (per my attempts at reconfiguring the network settings) and now is 192.169.0.191 – not 192.168.0.120 as put into the network settings on the UI. Note also that I can access the “presentation” page which just gets to the brief text “This page is not very interesting ...” but any attempts to “back hack” from there just get me error messages.
So, no wireless through the AA app, and no wired connection to the UI. I don’t really like using media player, but that’s the only way I can use the AA so far.
One question I have is whether there is a way to hard-reset the Pi, so that the AA goes back to factory specs, without being able to get to the UI or app? I can, if necessary, connect a keyboard and monitor directly to the Pi, though it will be a PITA so I’d rather some other option.
Also, your thoughts on what to do about the invisible wireless signal and the phone app?
Thanks,
Randall
I have a Note 4 as well and I use the BubbleUPnP app on my phone to play music from the Note 4
Ian, what is the best way to get a shipping update on my kickstarter order?
The latest release takes care of all my navigation issues on my Sammy S4. Snappier too!
Hi all,
I want to get a low profile USB key for my music. Just wondering if there are minimum requirements for the device? I was thinking of getting a 128Gb USB 3.0 device...
btw, tried to do a search, but it appears to be broken.
Thanks!
Hey Richard-
I bought a couple of
these. I don't have my Air yet, but I can't imagine any reason these won't work!
Hi Mark, that's exactly what I was looking at...
Another question, can I plug in 2 64Gb keys in the Air instead of going with just one? Will the device recognize both and index all the music? It's actually cheaper (up here, in the great white north) to buy 2 64Gb keys rather than 1 128Gb key.
Honestly, I'm not even sure there is more than one USB jack, since I don't have my Air yet.
Someone more knowledgeable than I (pretty much everyone here) should be along shortly!
Don't have mine yet, either, but from watching this thread I've seen that there are 4 USB ports. 1 is used for WiFi and the other 3 are available.
As Scott said, there are 4 USB ports. 1 is used for WiFi and the other 3 are available.
You can plug in multiple USB drives, but each drive will be listed separately, so when you search for a song, you will need to know which USB drive it is on.
I'm having problems connecting to my Air, here's what's happening.
I received my Air on Friday, I brought it to the cottage for the weekend. When I got there, I did the initial setup with my iPad, everything went as advertised. I then brought the Air on my WiFi so I could control it from Chrome with the WebUI and retain my internet connection from the iPad. I was so impressed with the sound that I let it play music pretty much for the whole weekend, it sounds as good if not better than my outdoor M3's. But I digress.
I brought the Air back home on Sunday, after turning it on, it went in hot spot mode (blue and red lights flashing), I tried reconnecting to it with the same iPad, the iPad could see it and connect to its hot spot (I confirmed by looking at the IP assigned to the iPad: 192.168.211.2). I then tried to connect to the WebUI (192.168.211.1), but it wouldn't connect. I also tried to use it as an AirPlay device, but couldn't see it.
I also tried the same thing from a Mac, but still can't connect to the WebUI or as an AirPlay device. I confirmed that my Mac connected to the Air hot spot and also can see the IP assigned to my Mac (192.168.211.3).
Short of renaming my home network to be the same as the cottage one, is there anything else that can be done to regain access to the Air? I plan to take the Air back and forth between home and the cottage and other locations (read networks), I'd like to have a simple solution to get the air to join various networks.
Thanks ahead for any assistance.
The new AxiomAir arrived today. I quickly unwrapped it, set it on an end table, and attempted to connect to it with my Android phone via the AxiomAir app ... it hangs on the 'connecting' screen.
I then connected to its hotspot using both the Android phone (running Android M), and on a Chromebook. In each case I entered my network's WIFI information (SSID and passsword). The web UI recognizes the entry, but the light keeps flashing blue.
I then plugged in an ethernet cable, upon which the flashing blue light went away. I then attempted to connect to the AxiomAir through the Android app (connected), and entered the WIFI network credentials one more time ... immediately, the AxiomAir app went into 'searching' mode. Unsuccessful.
I unplugged the ethernet cable, and attempted to connect, to no avail.
Any help will be gratefully accepted.
I have an actiontec router from Fios.
With an actiontec router, the first thing I'd do is power cycle it. We have to do that every once in a while for an external (off the corporate network) fibre connection at work.
I received my Air today and was extremely impressed when I unboxed it. With a little effort, I got it on my network wirelessly and was able to reconnnect with the Android app.
Sadly though, I have run into three issues.
1. No matter how I set them up, (cifs, nfs, with username and password, without) I have been unable to get either of the music shares on my unRaid server to scan and be accessible (It saves them, and says it is scanning them). I have 3 Raspberry Pis in the house running Volumio, RuneAudio, and Kodi, so I have set-up these NAS locations before with no problems. Anyone have any luck?
2. Randomly, the air will turn off, or go into a mode with all three lights on where the only fix is cycling the power.
3. When the air is plugged in and the power is on, I get a soft squeal out of the tweeters. It is noticeable when music is playing as well. When running on the battery, it is not there...
Thoughts?
Ted
I rebooted the ActionTec router. No luck I'm afraid.
Is there an issue in connecting to WPA 2 psk? Or when a SSID is not broadcast? The UI does not allow me to specify the connection type (WEP/WPA PSK/WPA enterprise).
Thanks all.
Hello
I just wanted to clarify something that came via Kickstarter today. It says
"Don't forget - if you still haven't filled in your customizations, you're not on the list to ship, so dig out that email ASAP!"
I could not find an email, neither an option on the Kickstarter page to do so (customization). I think to remember that we could add later the power cord or extra battery (forgot which one), but cannot see those either on Kickstarter.
Can I get a quick instructions what customizations needs to be submitted and where?
If the answer is somewhere on the 50 pages of this AxiomAir post, please apologize in advance. I haven´t catch up for a long time now.
Cheers
I'm having problems connecting to my Air, here's what's happening.
I received my Air on Friday, I brought it to the cottage for the weekend. When I got there, I did the initial setup with my iPad, everything went as advertised. I then brought the Air on my WiFi so I could control it from Chrome with the WebUI and retain my internet connection from the iPad. I was so impressed with the sound that I let it play music pretty much for the whole weekend, it sounds as good if not better than my outdoor M3's. But I digress.
I brought the Air back home on Sunday, after turning it on, it went in hot spot mode (blue and red lights flashing), I tried reconnecting to it with the same iPad, the iPad could see it and connect to its hot spot (I confirmed by looking at the IP assigned to the iPad: 192.168.211.2). I then tried to connect to the WebUI (192.168.211.1), but it wouldn't connect. I also tried to use it as an AirPlay device, but couldn't see it.
I also tried the same thing from a Mac, but still can't connect to the WebUI or as an AirPlay device. I confirmed that my Mac connected to the Air hot spot and also can see the IP assigned to my Mac (192.168.211.3).
Short of renaming my home network to be the same as the cottage one, is there anything else that can be done to regain access to the Air? I plan to take the Air back and forth between home and the cottage and other locations (read networks), I'd like to have a simple solution to get the air to join various networks.
Thanks ahead for any assistance.
It's a strange behaviour indeed, I'll try to replicate your steps and see if there's any bug that produces the same outcome.
However, the ability to connect to different networks (and retain them) is on our TODO list!
The new AxiomAir arrived today. I quickly unwrapped it, set it on an end table, and attempted to connect to it with my Android phone via the AxiomAir app ... it hangs on the 'connecting' screen.
I then connected to its hotspot using both the Android phone (running Android M), and on a Chromebook. In each case I entered my network's WIFI information (SSID and passsword). The web UI recognizes the entry, but the light keeps flashing blue.
I then plugged in an ethernet cable, upon which the flashing blue light went away. I then attempted to connect to the AxiomAir through the Android app (connected), and entered the WIFI network credentials one more time ... immediately, the AxiomAir app went into 'searching' mode. Unsuccessful.
I unplugged the ethernet cable, and attempted to connect, to no avail.
Any help will be gratefully accepted.
I have an actiontec router from Fios.
When ethernet is connected, wi-fi is disabled.
I suspect that you didn't save your network credentials, since you state that blue led blinks but no red one does.
Is that the case?
I received my Air today and was extremely impressed when I unboxed it. With a little effort, I got it on my network wirelessly and was able to reconnnect with the Android app.
Sadly though, I have run into three issues.
1. No matter how I set them up, (cifs, nfs, with username and password, without) I have been unable to get either of the music shares on my unRaid server to scan and be accessible (It saves them, and says it is scanning them). I have 3 Raspberry Pis in the house running Volumio, RuneAudio, and Kodi, so I have set-up these NAS locations before with no problems. Anyone have any luck?
2. Randomly, the air will turn off, or go into a mode with all three lights on where the only fix is cycling the power.
3. When the air is plugged in and the power is on, I get a soft squeal out of the tweeters. It is noticeable when music is playing as well. When running on the battery, it is not there...
Thoughts?
Ted
The NAS mounting is slightly different than previous verions of Volumio, since we want to make them easier (in theory...). Could you please tell me how do you fill the form and we'll see if there's an obvious issue there...
Hello
I just wanted to clarify something that came via Kickstarter today. It says
"Don't forget - if you still haven't filled in your customizations, you're not on the list to ship, so dig out that email ASAP!"
I could not find an email, neither an option on the Kickstarter page to do so (customization). I think to remember that we could add later the power cord or extra battery (forgot which one), but cannot see those either on Kickstarter.
Can I get a quick instructions what customizations needs to be submitted and where?
If the answer is somewhere on the 50 pages of this AxiomAir post, please apologize in advance. I haven´t catch up for a long time now.
Cheers
Hi aabouganem,
I have sent you details on how to submit your options and details in a PM.
Regards,
Steve Hunt
I dont remember where I managed to find the Axiom Air user interface that I set up on my Samsung phone . I think it was google play . For some reason my new tablet cant seem to sniff out the app . Maybe there was a link provided in the Kickstarter e mails ?
Can someone post up a link . I have been looking for at least an hour lol . I know the information is within this post somewhere and I did power read most of the posts but its getting to be a long read with over 100 pages .
Hello
I just wanted to clarify something that came via Kickstarter today. It says
"Don't forget - if you still haven't filled in your customizations, you're not on the list to ship, so dig out that email ASAP!"
I could not find an email, neither an option on the Kickstarter page to do so (customization). I think to remember that we could add later the power cord or extra battery (forgot which one), but cannot see those either on Kickstarter.
Can I get a quick instructions what customizations needs to be submitted and where?
If the answer is somewhere on the 50 pages of this AxiomAir post, please apologize in advance. I haven´t catch up for a long time now.
Cheers
For anyone not able to find the "customizations" email, send an email to me with your name debbie@axiomaudio.com I'll reply with your link.
The NAS mounting is slightly different than previous verions of Volumio, since we want to make them easier (in theory...). Could you please tell me how do you fill the form and we'll see if there's an obvious issue there...
I have named the share multiple names, from "FLAC" to "unRaid Flac Files" and many variations in between. I put in the proper IP. Last, the files are on the "Music" share in a folder called "Music Archive". So, I have tried...
"/mnt/user/Music/Music Archive/"
"mnt/user/Music/Music Archive/"
"/mnt/user/Music/Music Archive"
"mnt/user/Music/Music Archive"
I have tried cifs as well as nfs. I do not need a username or password for nfs, but I have tried it anyway, as well as with and without on cifs.
The 1st few attempts, it kept saving every one, but while it said it was scanning, it never did. Now, I can't see the NAS mounts I added, but it doesn;t allow more tries to the same names.
I would like to delete all of the previous entries and do it the right way...
Michelangelo,
If I connect the AA to ethernet, and play web radio, it does play. BTW, I was able to connect to the UI by going to:
http://axiomair.local/. You may want to know that I was unable to connect to this URL for a while, it just started working after an hour.
If I disconnect the ethernet cable, I am unable to connect to the unit through
http://axiomair.local/.I again entered my WIFI SSID and passphrase to no effect.
Is there a way to debug what is happening at the unit?
The NAS mounting is slightly different than previous verions of Volumio, since we want to make them easier (in theory...). Could you please tell me how do you fill the form and we'll see if there's an obvious issue there...
I have named the share multiple names, from "FLAC" to "unRaid Flac Files" and many variations in between. I put in the proper IP. Last, the files are on the "Music" share in a folder called "Music Archive". So, I have tried...
"/mnt/user/Music/Music Archive/"
"mnt/user/Music/Music Archive/"
"/mnt/user/Music/Music Archive"
"mnt/user/Music/Music Archive"
I have tried cifs as well as nfs. I do not need a username or password for nfs, but I have tried it anyway, as well as with and without on cifs.
The 1st few attempts, it kept saving every one, but while it said it was scanning, it never did. Now, I can't see the NAS mounts I added, but it doesn;t allow more tries to the same names.
I would like to delete all of the previous entries and do it the right way...
You should do:
Alias (put what you want, it doesn't really matter)
IP
PATH: Music/Music Archive
Let me know how it goes
Michelangelo,
If I connect the AA to ethernet, and play web radio, it does play. BTW, I was able to connect to the UI by going to:
http://axiomair.local/. You may want to know that I was unable to connect to this URL for a while, it just started working after an hour.
If I disconnect the ethernet cable, I am unable to connect to the unit through
http://axiomair.local/.I again entered my WIFI SSID and passphrase to no effect.
Is there a way to debug what is happening at the unit?
When you insert Ethernet, wireless is disabled by default. I suggest to shut down and turn on the AA again, you should use axiomair.local again after this.
We're working to solve this glitch..
The NAS mounting is slightly different than previous verions of Volumio, since we want to make them easier (in theory...). Could you please tell me how do you fill the form and we'll see if there's an obvious issue there...
I have named the share multiple names, from "FLAC" to "unRaid Flac Files" and many variations in between. I put in the proper IP. Last, the files are on the "Music" share in a folder called "Music Archive". So, I have tried...
"/mnt/user/Music/Music Archive/"
"mnt/user/Music/Music Archive/"
"/mnt/user/Music/Music Archive"
"mnt/user/Music/Music Archive"
I have tried cifs as well as nfs. I do not need a username or password for nfs, but I have tried it anyway, as well as with and without on cifs.
The 1st few attempts, it kept saving every one, but while it said it was scanning, it never did. Now, I can't see the NAS mounts I added, but it doesn;t allow more tries to the same names.
I would like to delete all of the previous entries and do it the right way...
You should do:
Alias (put what you want, it doesn't really matter)
IP
PATH: Music/Music Archive
Let me know how it goes
i had problems with nfs mount too. i had to install "nfs-common" via ssh. after this nfs mounts are working well.
Michelangelo,
To put it simply, the issue is not with wired access -- I am just not able to have the unit access my WIFI, despite multiple attempts to input the SSID/passphrase.
How may I proceed?
Thanks!
@tonno thanks! added
@edvacdude Few questions: what is the LED status? Is also the RED one blinking?
I noticed you asked about non broadcasted SSID, is this your case?
There should be no problem with WPA2...
Also, could you please place the AA near the router and see if the problem persists?
@michelangelo I submitted some logs last week (or on the weekend) with the AirPlay issue reproduced. Wanted to make sure you got them.
Also further to that I was able to get the windows app tuneblade to connect via AirPlay to the Axiomair
Seems my iPads (3 I have tested) do not work ever. And they all continue to work with the Denon
Let me know if you need more tests and log. Happy to send
You should do:
Alias (put what you want, it doesn't really matter)
IP
PATH: Music/Music Archive
Let me know how it goes
I'll try this first
i had problems with nfs mount too. i had to install "nfs-common" via ssh. after this nfs mounts are working well.
Do you mind typing up what you did for this?
Any info on how to delete improperly set-up NAS mounts?
Michelangelo,
To be specific:
1. I turned on the unit. It is in battery mode. The green led is steady.
2. Around 10-20 seconds later, the blue flickering led on the USB stick turned on. It turned off, and again turned on (twice).
3. The unit made the welcome sound.
4. The blue and red leds flicker constantly, and so does the usb stick.
5. BTW, a note. I wasn't sure of what the usb stick was initially, so I removed it and once I learnt of its function, I plugged it back to the bottom right USB port (this was well before I posted about issues with connectivity).
6. On my Win 10 laptop, I see the AA hot spot. I connect to it. I am still connected to my home WIFI, but when I double click on the AA hotspot again, Windows asks me if I want to disconnect (so I realize I'm connected to the AA as well).
7. I attempt to visit
http://axiomair.local/. I am unsuccessful. BTW, I do have Bonjour installed.
The *only* way for me to connect to the unit is wired, which is when I may attempt to plug in the WIFI SSID/password. Which doesn't work. BTW, the signal strength where I have the router is around 67% (I checked my wireless printer, which gave me this information).
@michelangelo I submitted some logs last week (or on the weekend) with the AirPlay issue reproduced. Wanted to make sure you got them.
Also further to that I was able to get the windows app tuneblade to connect via AirPlay to the Axiomair
Seems my iPads (3 I have tested) do not work ever. And they all continue to work with the Denon
Let me know if you need more tests and log. Happy to send
Yes we got them and we finally discovered what's wrong with your system, you should have been contacted by someone in Axiom..
Michelangelo,
To be specific:
1. I turned on the unit. It is in battery mode. The green led is steady.
2. Around 10-20 seconds later, the blue flickering led on the USB stick turned on. It turned off, and again turned on (twice).
3. The unit made the welcome sound.
4. The blue and red leds flicker constantly, and so does the usb stick.
5. BTW, a note. I wasn't sure of what the usb stick was initially, so I removed it and once I learnt of its function, I plugged it back to the bottom right USB port (this was well before I posted about issues with connectivity).
6. On my Win 10 laptop, I see the AA hot spot. I connect to it. I am still connected to my home WIFI, but when I double click on the AA hotspot again, Windows asks me if I want to disconnect (so I realize I'm connected to the AA as well).
7. I attempt to visit
http://axiomair.local/. I am unsuccessful. BTW, I do have Bonjour installed.
The *only* way for me to connect to the unit is wired, which is when I may attempt to plug in the WIFI SSID/password. Which doesn't work. BTW, the signal strength where I have the router is around 67% (I checked my wireless printer, which gave me this information).
Sorry but you can't be connected to two wireless network at once..
Is your SSID network hidden?
Having the blue and red leds flashing means that the AA got the configuration but its unable to connect.
Could you please try to turn it off and place near the router and turn it on and retry?
Michelangelo,
The SSID is hidden. I don't understand (as you mentioned) how I could be connected to both either. Win 10 showed my primary WIFI network to be connected, and the AA hotspot, when I double clicked, indicated, 'Disconnect?', which I interpreted as a connection as well.
I will attempt the test you described later on today (move the unit near the router, first connect via ethernet, enter the wifi credentials, and then disconnect the cabe).
You should do:
Alias (put what you want, it doesn't really matter)
IP
PATH: Music/Music Archive
Let me know how it goes
I'll try this first
i had problems with nfs mount too. i had to install "nfs-common" via ssh. after this nfs mounts are working well.
Do you mind typing up what you did for this?
Any info on how to delete improperly set-up NAS mounts?
hi praedet,
michelangelo alredy has fixed this issue. you can get the "beta" updates when you do the following:
http://axiomair/dev/clik under Testmode the "True" button.
thats all. now you get the beta updates.
Michelangelo -- I did the following:
a. connected the AA to a wired network
b. Connected to it from my Win 10 laptop using
http://axiomair.local/c. Went to network, entered wifi credentials.
d. The UI indicated that configuration was updated
e. Disconnected the ethernet cable, took the unit within 4 feet of my Fios Actiontec rev i (Wireless b/g/n) router. The router is in compatibility mode BTW, no mac authentication, hidden ssid, with wpa 2 psk aes
f. No change ... blue led is still blinking, so is the red led.
Issue is not the wifi strength ... as I mentioned earlier, I have 67% strength near the Win 10 laptop.
BTW, I then connected the ethernet cable back ....
http://axiomair.local/ does not work ... takes me to a Frontier search page. The unit does not immediately respond to the connection of the ethernet cable I suppose? Five minutes later, it worked.
You should do:
Alias (put what you want, it doesn't really matter)
IP
PATH: Music/Music Archive
Let me know how it goes
I'll try this first
i had problems with nfs mount too. i had to install "nfs-common" via ssh. after this nfs mounts are working well.
Do you mind typing up what you did for this?
Any info on how to delete improperly set-up NAS mounts?
hi praedet,
michelangelo alredy has fixed this issue. you can get the "beta" updates when you do the following:
http://axiomair/dev/clik under Testmode the "True" button.
thats all. now you get the beta updates.
Tonno, you're quite avantgarde! However, I strongly recommend not to use test updates: they may break your system! Do it only when told by me or by Axiom Staff...
Michelangelo -- I did the following:
a. connected the AA to a wired network
b. Connected to it from my Win 10 laptop using
http://axiomair.local/c. Went to network, entered wifi credentials.
d. The UI indicated that configuration was updated
e. Disconnected the ethernet cable, took the unit within 4 feet of my Fios Actiontec rev i (Wireless b/g/n) router. The router is in compatibility mode BTW, no mac authentication, hidden ssid, with wpa 2 psk aes
f. No change ... blue led is still blinking, so is the red led.
Issue is not the wifi strength ... as I mentioned earlier, I have 67% strength near the Win 10 laptop.
BTW, I then connected the ethernet cable back ....
http://axiomair.local/ does not work ... takes me to a Frontier search page. The unit does not immediately respond to the connection of the ethernet cable I suppose? Five minutes later, it worked.
The issue might be that you use AES instead of TKIP... I'm looking into it as we speak...
@edvacdude
I may have figured out what is needed to make your wi-fi work. It has nothing to do with AES, but with the fact that yours is an hidden SSID.
I prepared a test update just for you. I made a fix that should solve your issue. Could you please test it?
Remember to reboot after the update has been downloaded
(to download it you must connect via ethernet...)
My issue is almost identical to evacdude,s
Plug AA into wired port and updated to latest version .
Now I can play music within my Androids phone but only when I use a wired connection .lights stop flashing
If using wifi with the AA , it is completely visible on my phone but when I try to play music from my phone , it will not work .Lights are flashing
To add , using wifi , I can play music fine from the usb with the red and blue flashing lights .
I did install the latest version of bubbleupnp and it works great as a renderer while I use a wired connection to the air .
After multiple attempts to get the AA to play music from the files on my Android phone through wifi , it almost seems as if the connection is lost immediately but there are no issues playing local from the usb . Both lights are flashing .
Michelangelo, how do I apply the test update? If I were to attach the ethernet cable to the unit, and update, will the unit automatically update with your patch? Please guide, thanks!
Michelangelo, I found your post on testing a dev-patch. I will install and let you know if this fixes the hidden SSID issue.
Dear Fatboycarney,
we prepared a new version to better understand what's going on... And probably you're not the only one affected, so it's really great that you're helping us on this.
What we'll do is set up the AxiomAir in test mode:
In this mode you will be able to receive the test updates. This mode is what we use before sending out an update to the public, to verify that everything works as intended.
To set up your AA to test mode, go to the dev page as you did before:
http://axiomair.local/devor
http://ipoftheaxiomair/dev Locate "Test Mode" and press "TRUE".
From now on your AA will be a test device, seeing the very edge updates.
You can now go back to usual UI, and go to system -> settings -> check updates
You'll see a new update is available.
You can now update as usual and reboot.
Now, you can repeat the procedure to play from Airplay and send us the logs. And this time we'll be collecting slightly more informations.
If you want to go back to ordinary firmwares, just do the same above but click on "False" on Test mode.
You can then either reset to factory or stay with the test firmware. That will not make much difference.
For everyone willing to try test mode: please mind that this is intended for developers, and in some cases you may encounter updates which could break your AA seriously. So, we advise not to go in test mode unless somebody from axiom requires you to do so...
For anyone having further questions, I'll be glad to reply!
Michelangelo,
The unit connected to my home WIFI!
There were some hiccups in playing web radio though. It initially did not show anything when I clicked on browse ... it worked on the 2nd try. When I played a web radio station, it played at top volume, when I hurriedly went to the play screen and set it to 40%< it became almost quiet. Either it is my ignorance on using the unit, or the volume control is not linear? BTW, the Android app works on my Moto X 2nd gen (Lollipol), a whole lot better than the PC interface
.
Michelangelo --
- the volume control on the android app/PC interface is not linear. I am unable to reasonably control the volume, it's either overly load, or drops to a very low volume
- When I visit
http://www.internet-radio.com/ to find and add new stations, I seem to have better luck with m3u links than pls. Any ideas why?
Thanks again for your help!
All -- how do I play youtube and pandora on the AA?
Bubbleupnp did not show an option for either.
Thanks in advance.
In one of my tests , I had the AA playing back everything my android phone did ...you tube and pandora . I believe my phone was hard wired at the time using the round jack at the back .
Turned the AA into an amplifier for the phone .
I haven't tried to play youtube with a wireless connection yet
Thanks gearcruncher. I found a couple of Android apps that may do the trick ... but they require a rooted phone.
I believe Microsoft Edge on Win 10 can cast on DLNA, haven't tried it yet.
On a different note, I also found that the convenient way to connect to the unit (
http://axiomair.local/) does not work on a Chromebook connected to the home wifi. Michelangelo, pls let me know if that convenient URL is supported on a Chromebook, thanks!
Finally, from a design standpoint, it may alleviate the issue of extracting the LAN cable from the enclosure, if it were turned 90 degrees to the right or left. Currently, I have to take a credit card, depress the little flap, and yank out the cable (always a concern to avoid damaging the new unit).
Any updates on the shipping of the new AA (specifically the one with the microphone option)?
Thanks.
Sorry meant "new to me." lack of caffeine.
I emailed Debbie the other day but haven't heard back yet about the status of the production of my microphone version of the AA. I was supposed to be helping with beta testing so I assume there is currently some delay in their production.
Derek
Any updates on the shipping of the new AA (specifically the one with the microphone option)?
Thanks.
Got my AxiomAir yesterday. This thing is HUGE! WAY bigger than I thought. Definitely will have some trouble finding a proper place for it in the house, haha, I mean, can't just be used as a bathroom speaker :P The rosewood veneer is absolutely stunning.
Anyways, trying to setup the NAS with the web page controller, I seem to have some problems with the sorting the songs. I have around 700 albums in there, all FLAC, more or less 9000 songs, and yet, all it shows is 180 albums and 3000 songs, no matter how many times I re-scan. And to make things worse, it doens't even list all the albums it read. Right now the list goes up to the letter F and then that's it.
Also, I wonder if there are any plans to add google casting to the device, as it would add a lot of options for music listening. I know I can just pop a chromecast audio in the auxiliar port but I would rather not do it as it would ruin the portability.
Thanks!
Hi Pernalonga,
There is no limit on the number of songs at 3000. If it is always stopping at the same song I would try removing that song.
Production chugging along at full speed?
Ian, it would be great if the AA had Pandora support. Not sure about others, but that is a critical must-have in my book. I am unable to stream arbitrary music from my Android phone unless I root it, and use BubbleUpnp. Without rooting, I am limited to web radio, and music I uploaded to google play, streamed from BubbleUpnp (I don't have a home NAS).
Thanks!
We do plan on adding steaming services for Android. They do work currently over AirPlay. This will start after we get through the list of other little changes we need to clean up. The first one will be TIDAL but the plan is to get as many as we can.
Thanks Ian! I feel somewhat crippled on the use of the unit with Android
. May have to root the phone to fully use BubbleUpnp.
On a different note, I listened to Europa Radio Jazz today on web radio ... it felt like I had a couple of M60s in my living room. The baby can belt out some solid volume and bass. Amazing.
How do you tell the charge state of the internal battery? I don't know if needs charging or is fully charged. Is there an indicator light on the unit or an indicator in the web interface?
How do you tell the charge state of the internal battery? I don't know if needs charging or is fully charged. Is there an indicator light on the unit or an indicator in the web interface?
Ian, I previously saw someone mention that you can tell when the battery is low by the flashing lights when you only have 30 minutes or so left, but having an idea how full your battery is would help if you are planning on going to the beach for the day and would like to know if you have 15 hours of your 18 hours or if you only have one hour left. Something in the app that can tell number of hours left or percentage left would be desirable and a benefit in regards to the portability of the AA. Derek
Excited to have received the shipping notice for my AA!! =D
Email from FedEx said Friday, but the website currently says Monday. I hope the email ends up being right
I guess Monday's the day. FedEx is hit or miss around here. Sometimes they deliver and sometimes they hand it off to another company (which costs a day). This time they handed it off.
Are there any plans to fix the web interface? There are major problems there:
- unable to add a network share
It says it successfully added any share I enter, but there is nothing listed in My Music. Shares show up under "Browse > NAS" but they're all empty. There is no way to remove them - you can play, add to queue or add to playlist.
- What is the action to remove saved share?
- What is the action to remove a saved WiFi network?
- With multiple WiFi networks saved, the interface doesn't report which it's connected to.
Playback;
- Mute playback action is under the wrong icon.
- Where is the STOP playback button?
I'm reluctant to restore to factory settings, since I built a big library of webradio favourites. Is anyone else experiencing these?
I tried different browsers (FF, Chrome, IE).
Are there any plans to fix the web interface? There are major problems there:
- unable to add a network share
It says it successfully added any share I enter, but there is nothing listed in My Music. Shares show up under "Browse > NAS" but they're all empty. There is no way to remove them - you can play, add to queue or add to playlist.
- What is the action to remove saved share?
- What is the action to remove a saved WiFi network?
- With multiple WiFi networks saved, the interface doesn't report which it's connected to.
Playback;
- Mute playback action is under the wrong icon.
- Where is the STOP playback button?
I'm reluctant to restore to factory settings, since I built a big library of webradio favourites. Is anyone else experiencing these?
I tried different browsers (FF, Chrome, IE).
Hi Bartek,
Is the network share you are trying to add an actual NAS or a shared network drive? We currently don't officially support connection to shared drives, only proper NAS devices.
To remove a share, simply go to the My Music tab under the menu where you originally added the share. Click on the trash can icon beside the share you want to remove, then click on the Re Scan button near the top of the page. This should remove the shares from the browser.
Currently we don't have a way to manually remove a configured WiFi network, or to allow management of multiple configured networks, but we are working on adding these functions in a future update.
I'm not sure which Mute function you're speaking about, could you clarify?
The pause button can be used as the stop button. We did not see the need of having an actual "stop" function as starting any new audio stream or playback while in pause mode will automatically bring the system out of pause/stop and start playback of the newly selected music.
Thanks,
Andrew
Thanks for your reply, Andrew.
I only tried to map a plain old civilian-grade network share on a linux machine (via samba) as well as a windows machine. Not clear as to what constitutes a proper NAS device... Will an NFS mount work? AFP?
Is there an ETA to support SMB shares?
For the mute question, take a look at the screenshot:
http://bartek.ws/s/axiom_mute.pngI suppose I'm expecting the icon on the left to mute, not the one on the right. Also, sliding the volume bar all the way to the left will continue to play, on some streams at a pretty loud volume (http://usa3-vn.mixstream.net:8018)
Wasn't aware of the dual-use for the pause button, but now that you explained it, I understand. Wasn't sure whether pause will stop a stream (and not use bandwidth until resumed).
Hello
I would like to have an update on timing for the next shipment of the AA.
I ordered and customized (customization ID 10849582) and shipping selected to my current address in Alaska.
I have been transferred to Houston, again, and I am not sure whether I
- will receive the AA during my remaining time here, or
- should I put on hold the shipment (if simultaneous with the moving) and update shipping address after arriving in Houston.
I have not received any Fedex notification, so it has not been shipped.
Expected moving date, sometime this June, as early as the 10th.
If you can send me an update, that would be much appreciated.
Hi aabouganem,
We are building more white ones next week. So the expected ship date is June 13. Let us know if you would like to change the shipping address.
Thanks Ian
Lets hold the shipment for a while please, and not ship to Alaska.
I plan to travel to house hunt on the weeks of the 13th, so better to send it to my office address in Houston
I will send the address separately
Much appreciated
Alberto
Im having issues setting up Axiomair. I received my new Axiom Air 2 and my excitment didnt last long. I am trying to hook it up using my iPhone but the AxiomAir option just doesnt show up in my options. Could someone please help me troubleshoot?
On the SD Card, the Data Partion (3rd) is only 1GB and if you are running other apps (eg JRiver Media Centre) that can fill up quickly and lead to poor responsiveness. I use GParted Live CD to expand this partition to 10GB (as we have a 16GB Card but most is not used).
Is an easier way of expanding this partion via SSH or ???
Newbie9, I found the easiest was for the initial setup was to plug the Air into your home network using Ethernet. You can then set it up, assign WiFi info etc and from there you are good to go.
I've got my second Air and have been playing with Grouping and overall it works really well!
@michelangelo / Andrew - Couple of Q's:
- Only the Air you send the music to shows the playing status of the song, coverart etc in the UIs. The second Air seems to be doing nothing (but is of course playing the music), is this by design?
- What protocol are you using to keep it in sync between the two? In my quick test I've not noticed any syc issues like with similar DLNAv1 implementations but I don't think you are using Airplay either. (edit: are you using Snapcast?)
Thanks
Nathan
Can we get a quick update on the % of Kickstarter units shipped out already?
I'd also love to get an update on mine specifically. 10776897.
Thanks,
Patrique
Hi Patrique,
We are over the half way point now in shipping out the AxiomAirs to everyone. You should expect yours within two weeks.
Michelangelo, Andrew,
After playing and playing with the AA for a couple of weeks, I have to report that I am very satisfied with the sound and the features available via the UI. I would like to make a few suggestions for future software updates and the next version of the hardware:
1) Add a multi-band equalizer in the UI. I move the AA around the house and outside a lot, the acoustics change a lot from location to location, it would be great to be able to adjust the sound accordingly.
2) I'm not the first to ask, but it would be great to know how much capacity (%) is left in the battery, I take the AA outside a lot and I'm never sure how long I will be able to use it for.
3) Add a physical master volume control instead of just controlling the volume of the analog input. It takes too much time to turn the volume down with the UI when answering the phone and the computer controlling the AA is not close by, as an example.
4) There should be more room above the RJ45 connector to press on the tab to disconnect it. I have to regularly hardwire the AA to a network to get it to join WiFi networks as I move it between different networks. Which takes me to my next item:
5) Any update on when the AA will have a software update to remember and reconnect automatically to different WiFi networks?
I have to say that as version 1.0 of a product, you guys did a super job. Ian should be proud of the work his team did designing and building the AA.
Yves
I have been trying to get information regarding my AxiomArir order for quite some time now. I'm very disappointed in the communication Axiom has had with customers even from the beginning of their Kickstarter campaign, and thought I'd share my experience.
I received the notification from Axiom to post in the forums for beta testing and 03/24/16 I signed up for a forum account and requested to be part of the beta. No response was given.
04/21/16 I posted in the forum requesting a shipping update. Again, no response.
05/04/2016 I made a post asking how to get information about shipping. And, you guessed it...no reply.
05/11/2016 after 7 weeks of being ignored I called Axiom asking for an update. I was told the order would be moved to the next batch which was going to ship the beginning of the following week.
05/25/16 after 2 weeks with no shipping notification I called again. This time I was told that they were not sure where the order was. It wasn't in this pile so it must be in one that is going to ship soon.
Let me make sure that my complaint is clear. I don't care that my order hasn't shipped. What bothers me is the lack of communication. On top of that the only information I was given wasn't accurate.
I've participated in many Kickstarter campaigns and know that delays are to be expected. I recently had a campaign pushed out a year. No big deal. They have weekly updates on all that is happening, and I've never even felt the need to contact them. I've also dealt with many hifi companies, and one of the reasons you pay those high prices is for the awesome communication that comes with the product. Whether that is through replies to inquiries, product set up, warranty etc.
I found out about Axiom while shopping for speakers to replace a pair of Monitor Audios and possibly a GoldenEar home theater set up. I found the AxiomAir Kickstarter and thought it would be a good way to sample what Axiom does. So far I'm not impressed. The product might be the best (yet to be seen), but the experience probably isn't worth it.
Others that participated in the Kickstarter have expressed concern regarding Axiom's lack of communication as well. In their defense, I've also read plenty of posts that praise Axiom's communication and quick response. So I hope (and honestly think) this is not the typical Axiom experience. But it's left me with a sour taste, and I'm reluctant to try or recommend their products in the future.
Maf-
I'm not defending Axiom, nor disparaging your thoughts, but let me mention that Axiom doesn't really monitor these boards in case of customer service or tech support.
Yes, Ian pops by now and then, but not on a regular basis and those that handle customer service are very rarely posting here.
Again, I'm not belittling your post or feelings, just stating that the first two points (your posting here asking for updates) don't really count.
The rest...yes.
I'm actually going to chime in here and say I sadly agree with MafGuitar. You can see by my signature I'm no stranger to Axiom speakers, I love them. But communication on this kickstarter was always lacking. That was my main reason for not jumping on it, I couldn't get simple questions answered and I just put if off and off. Eventually I said @#$@# it I'll order it anyways based on my experience with Axiom, but of course I was like 2 hours late. I've flipped flopped back and forth about ordering it since, and now 107 pages in on this forum and seeing the "testing" still going on - I'm sorta glad I didn't get one. People laughed at me when I said I wasn't paying full price for a beta product, but that is essentially what first runs are. If I had actually ordered one and was left in the dark, I'd be disappointed as well. I know when I had one of my speaker mounts fail ages back and my center speaker fell and tore a very expensive projection screen, I had the similar issues with lack of communication - all documented here. Sometimes their feedback is excellent, they are all very nice people, very talented, but other times its crickets. I feel Axiom has changed a bit in the past 12 months, maybe with key people retiring they are having to adjust - but a simple post on a their own forum or kickstarter page or an email to a customer takes mins. But same goes for the customer, if you can take time to post something here, you can email them.
Hi Maf,
For the good news, I know your speaker is at the test booth today which means it will ship by Friday. We did lose almost two weeks in AxiomAir production last month due to having a production run of one of the parts get rejected.
On a general note, as Mark mentioned, we do not monitor these boards on a regular basis. I think it may be time we did.
Thanks
@MarkSJohnson I appreciate the feedback. I originally posted in the forums because that is what we were informed to do through the Kickstarter update.
@newf Same info as above. If email would have been stated as the best way to communicate I would have done that.
@Ian thanks for the update. I did receive a shipping notification today, which was a pleasant surprise. I know you are all crazy busy working on designing and producing the actual products you sell. Just an idea, but maybe assign an employee or active/knowledgeable community member to monitor threads, answer basic questions, and post updates to the Kickstarter? They can contact the appropriate people to get answers to community members questions, and act as a buffer so that you all have the time to do what you are best at.
Ian,
Got my AA and the sound is so clear and fills our kitchen with delicious sound. Thank you. My wife loved the walnut top. I was trying to connect my EP500 subwoofer to my AA to see what the total sound would be like, but I noticed that the connector on the back of the AA for the subwoofer out is different than the low level RCA input on my EP500 v4 so now I need to get a different cable. Why the change and what kind of adapter will I have to get now?
Derek
Hi Derek,
This is great to hear!
To hook to your EP500 it does require a 3.5mm to RCA adapter. This is a common cable though (3.5mm at one end and RCA at the other).
Hi Derek,
This is great to hear!
To hook to your EP500 it does require a 3.5mm to RCA adapter. This is a common cable though (3.5mm at one end and RCA at the other).
Thx Ian. That was an extremely fast reply. I will pick up this cable on my way home tonight. Derek
Ian,
Got my AA and the sound is so clear and fills our kitchen with delicious sound.
Really? Only your kitchen?
Update v1.058 is out.
Fixed IP address Added for Wi-fi and LAN
Change airplay password from UI
Better Volume Control
Multi-room Airplay Fix
SSH Disabled by default
IMPORTANT! After the update volume level will be to max. After the system has been restarted after the update you're advised to play just one second of music, then stop, then set your desired volume. This has be done just one time
Any one else having issues with V1.058 not been DLNA Discoverable? I can see the Airplay Client (and my side loaded JRiver MC DLNA instance) but neither of my two Airs seem to be broadcasting DLNA availability. I'm wired for both. I've send a log from both.
Thanks
Nathan
...also the Android Axiom Air app is now crashing most of the time (but not always) when trying to run (log also sent)
OK - did a factory reset (back to 1.031) and the Air appeared as a DLNA renderer just fine. Did the upgrade to 1.058 and it does not appear.
On a good note: the initial Wifi Setup in 1.058 appears to be working really well. Not issues in picking up it WiFi AP to do the initial WiFi Config.
You can also the pre-add other WiFi network details (if you happen to know them). Look for "Network Name" at the bottom of the list.
One thing lost from previous versions is if you initially connect via Ethernet to do your setup, you can not access this area to browse available WiFi networks or even manually input your WiFi details like you could previously. The WiFi appears to be disabled.
Hi Nathan,
I was chatting with Michelangelo and he is fixing the DLNA issue now. Thanks for noticing that one.
Ian
Thanks Ian, Looking forward to testing the new verions. Also, I'm sometimes not sure what to post here or over at the Volumio forum!
Anyone have the answer to the following:
I have two Axiom Air running Volumio 2 and I like how the Grouping works to play in Sync Audio. I "presume" that this is handed by Snapserver / Snapclients on these Speakers.
If possible I'd like to add some Android Tablets as dumb "room stations" to the mix so I've installed Snapcast v0.7.0 but I'm unsure how to connect these to the Axiom Air instances. In the Andriod App I have the following options:
Host: ???? (note: I've tried leaving it blank, the IP address of the Axiom Air, and also their Name)
stream port: 1704
control port: 1705
"Scan for Server" (note: pressing this button does nothing)
Any ideas?
Thanks
Nathan
Also is there a way of seeing the full Changelog online?
I think it may be time for Axiom to break this post up into a couple different support sections .
This post is becoming a long read for anyone just receiving the AA that may need help .New owners come to this post and have to read through a couple hundred pages before they find the answers they are looking for .
I check in every day for new information , but I use Android .
Other members use Apple I phones and others use Windows
There is all kinds of information within this original post but its sooo jumbled up , it would make things difficult for
a new user to find the information he / she are looking for
Could we not break up the post into different sections ?
Android support
IOS support
Windows support
AxiomAir should have its own forum accessible from the "Forums List" if only for marketing purposes.
Also:
http://www.axiom-air.com/ is still active. Might want to shut it down or redirect to this site (purchasing area)
I agree that a separate tech support thread would make sense.
I received my Air the other day, but haven't opened the box yet as I know that I need to give some time to everything in this thread to get myself up to speed.
I think this idea of having three separate threads for each device type is good. We will get this going this week. Perhaps they should be sticky at the beginning of a whole new AxiomAir category as Mark was suggesting?
Thanks
Ian
I have received mine today. In good luck, as movers are coming on Thursday to pack the house.
I cannot resist unboxing and playing it for the 3 days before packing them again. Ill report back
Thanks very much
AWESOME!
So easy to get it started with IOS.
It was literally plug and play.
First songs played: Michel Camilo "Caribe", Gigi de Agostino "L'amour Tojours", Cubanoson "Recordando a Cuba", Metallica "Last Caress/Green Hell", Florida "Wild One", Loreen "Euphoria", Marillion "Kayleigh" from Misplaced Childhood, and a bunch, and I mean, too many songs for my 3yrs old son. He seems to have enjoyed the most when I put it on his room, on batteries!
The WAF is 100% !
I have only a question: I noticed that when pushed to 100% volume in the iPhone, the speaker sounded at its limit with the bass. Not when played from the iMac. Is there something less favorable with the mobile devices volume control than with the desktop computer ? From the iMac I can be at 100% and I dont notice anything strange, and I dont expect anything strange with a DSP controlling it.
This product is just AWESOME !
Sad I need to pack it in a few days to ship it while I move the long way from Alaska to Houston.
Oh, I forgot, another question regarding WiFi.
I could not see the AxiomOffice network, so if I want to use outside with no home WiFi, dont know how to connect.
Is there a tip or trick to bring the Air network alive ?
Thanks
Oh, I forgot, another question regarding WiFi.
I could not see the AxiomOffice network, so if I want to use outside with no home WiFi, dont know how to connect.
Is there a tip or trick to bring the Air network alive ?
Thanks
If you have had your unit connected to your home network and then bring it to another location that is out of range of that network, the AxiomAir will automatically turn on the internal hot-spot. You will see both the blue and red LEDs flash, indicating that the system cannot connect to your home network and that it is now in hot-spot mode. From that point simply go into your iOS or computer WiFi settings and click to connect on the AxiomAir-xxxxxx network that you will see listed. In iOS a Safari window will automatically open to a login screen. Simply press Cancel at the top right of the page and then click "Use Without Internet" in the pop-up at the bottom of the screen. You can now select the AxiomAir as an AirPlay device and play music from your iPhone or iPad.
Thanks,
Andrew
I have my axiomair two days, can't connect to my Wi-Fi. The blue and red LED flash I clicked to connect to the Axiomair network and I get no login screen, nothing happens. No music 2 days help! I have an iPhone
I am not sure if this will help anyone or not, but the Axiom Air's Analog input (and subwoofer out) are my two favorite features.
With the Analog input (switchable in the main menu), my Samsung Galaxy S7 along with a 3.5 mm cable, becomes a true, portable high end system.
For those who are not "into the whole computer thing", it's this simple: Any source you can hear through headphones on your smart phone will play through the analog input on the Axiom Air.
The Axiom Air, used this way, is pretty much a high end system that can go to your patio/deck ... the boat ... anywhere you want to go. And with the battery pack, it's even better.
Saturday night, we did a bonfire with a couple of our injured son's friends. The AA was kicking out some serious jams from Spotify, and everyone was astonished that a "portable" could sound so good.
Don't let a lack of understanding the ins and outs of WI FI scare you - while you are learning those ends of Axiom Air, and while the crew is simplifying the process at Axiom, the Analog input may just get you music nirvana wherever you want it.
We have the 100 pound Fluance FI-70 here, and the AA blows it away in terms of sound quality and output. The Fluance does extend deeper, but it's also NOT portable.
I was able to connect today to my AA on my iPad. Sounds great.
I still can't set up airplay on my iPhone 6. Airplay set up screen doesn't come on, any thoughts out there
FYI - I'm on 1.065 Released: Mon Jun 13 02:00:33 CEST 2016 and still issues with no DLNA.
Michelangelo is going to have a fix for the DLNA in the next few days.
Thanks
Ian
I just received my second Axiom Air this week. Awesome.
I realize my tactical error in not ordering the battery on the first unit. Is it possible to order the battery separately and install it myself?
Hi Robvee,
Yes, they are quite easy to install. When you remove the cover where the battery goes the wire will be there to plug into the battery. The cover is replaced by the battery.
Hi Ian,
I hate to ask questions regarding a specific order in a public forum, but I sent 2 emails on May 30th after I opened my air and haven't received any response as of yet.
I was surprised by the colour of the top on my Air when I got it, and though it seems unlikely, it is possible I somehow selected the wrong colour, but because neither my confirmation email nor my online order status actually showed me my customization details, I wasn't able to verify anything between checkout and receipt of my order. I was curious what you see on your end for the wood/finish selection.
Also, the bottom left part of the grill seems to be bent ever so slightly and catches the light when I look at it (image below). If it were uniform all the way across the bottom, I'd assume that's how it is supposed to be, but the right side looks fine. Is this normal, or did something slip through the cracks?
Thanks!
P.S. The sound on this thing is phenomenal! I can't wait to see how the software evolves to make it even better!
I was able to connect today to my AA on my iPad. Sounds great.
I still can't set up airplay on my iPhone 6. Airplay set up screen doesn't come on, any thoughts out there
Hi Allen,
Did you use the "Add AirPlay Speaker" utility in the WiFi settings on your iPad to connect the AxiomAir to your network? Is the blue LED solid or flashing? If the blue LED is solid, this indicates that your AxiomAir is connected to your network. In this case there is nothing you need to configure on your iPhone 6, as long as it is on the same home WiFi network as your AxiomAir. Simply swipe up from the bottom and click on AirPlay. Your AxiomAir should be visible.
Thanks,
Andrew
FYI - I'm on 1.065 Released: Mon Jun 13 02:00:33 CEST 2016 and still issues with no DLNA.
Hi Jmone,
You seem to have put your AxiomAir in developer mode as the latest release OS version is 1.058. Any versions beyond 1.058 have not been fully tested internally and could produce unpredictable results.
Thanks,
Andrew
Hi Scott,
We have you as oak/espresso/satin. What top did you get?
Thanks
Thanks Andrew/Ian. Was running on 1.058 when I reported the DLNA. When I saw dev 1.065 was out, just tested this version as well and reported back (broken DLNA). Happy to wait and test the next version (dev or prod) and report back
Hi Scott,
We have you as oak/espresso/satin. What top did you get?
Thanks
Hi Ian. Thanks for your quick response. That
is what I remembered ordering, however what I received seems closer to the caramel colour. I've quickly thrown together an image of my top with the caramel and espresso examples (left and right respectively) just for the sake of a quick comparison.
Andrew
Thanks all is good, sounds great. The axiom team did a great job on the Axiomair keep up the good work
Allen
I posted this on the Volumio Forum a couple of weeks ago but have not got a rely. Any ideas?
Thanks
Nathan
I have two Axiom Air running Volumio 2 and I like how the Grouping works to play in Sync Audio. I "presume" that this is handed by Snapserver / Snapclients on these Speakers.
If possible I'd like to add some Android Tablets as dumb "room stations" to the mix so I've installed Snapcast v0.7.0 but I'm unsure how to connect these to the Axiom Air instances. In the Andriod App I have the following options:
Host: ???? (note: I've tried leaving it blank, the IP address of the Axiom Air, and also their Name)
stream port: 1704
control port: 1705
"Scan for Server" (note: pressing this button does nothing)
Thanks Andrew/Ian. Was running on 1.058 when I reported the DLNA. When I saw dev 1.065 was out, just tested this version as well and reported back (broken DLNA). Happy to wait and test the next version (dev or prod) and report back
FYI - now on System version: 1.078 Released: Sun Jun 19 02:00:33 CEST 2016 (Beta) and still no DLNA.
Hi Scott,
The picture on our website is a bit darker looking than the espresso actually looks and yours is a bit lighter than normal. I would suggest giving Debbie a ring at the 888 number to discuss as their a few options to choose from. The tops are easy to change; the instructions to do it will be in our next manual update in a few days.
Thanks
Woo Hoo for the Forum Air setup!
...except I don't have the "New Topic" button to create a post! May need to update the permissions to post.
Good news on the DLNA Front. V1.088? onwards (BETA Version) has restored DLNA Connectivity.
Thanks
Nathan
...except I don't have the "New Topic" button to create a post! May need to update the permissions to post.
I was wondering why nobody was posting there!
Should be all fixed now.
Hi Patrique,
We are over the half way point now in shipping out the AxiomAirs to everyone. You should expect yours within two weeks.
Hey Ian,
Been alsmost three weeksn now and still no update on my order
Can you provide some good news?
(10776897)
Thanks,
Patrique
Hi Patrique,
It will be any day now. Yours is on our assembly line now.
I wanted to chime in and say my volume control is kinda wonky as well. It does not seem linear. It's quiet put to about 5 then gets a bit louder by 7 then blaring at 8/9.
@jimone thanks for the tips about upnp.
The only issue with presentation Url is that it expects a static page, so it should not work with the UI..
But let's try and see...
Thanks - I see the presentation URL now takes it to the player UI! Perfect.
Hi ian,
Same thing I sent 1-2 emails and didn't receive answer. Would you be able to let me know where my order is :10777754
Simon
Hi Simon,
I couldn't find any e-mails in our system from you in 2016; but your AxiomAir is on our assembly line now. Likely ship day is Thursday of this week.
Thanks,
Thanks Ian,
Maybe I didn't use the proper contact. Maybe I should have used another one from the Contact us page. I sent an email to : debbie@axiomaudio.com at the beginning of June.
Anyway I have your answer and that's the important part
Thanks you very much. I can't wait to try it.
Simon
Simon
Hi Ian.
It's almost end of the day of Jun. 30 and I didn't get an e-mail yet on the shipping of my AA. My kickstarter order no. is 10777389. It would be nice to know where are you at because i thought everyrhing will be shipped out on Jun. 30.
AquaT
Hi AquaT,
I think we are at about 75% actually shipped. The rest are in various stages of production at the factory now. We can give you an update on Monday about yours.
Thanks for the update Ian. Happy Canada day to all of you out there in Axiom. 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
Ian,
I used my AA for the first time this last week out of my network (camping trip). It was a bit scary to set up. Here's what happened, and my recommendations.
The AA started broadcasting as expected (flashing blue light). When I tried to connect, I picked the AA hotspot, but then it asked if I would like to join a network. The campsite had wireless, so I said sure. Well, that was a mistake. Once it was on the campsite network, I could no longer communicate with the AA.
After trying many things (even disconnecting the battery... Man that sucker is big), I knew I had to leave the network range. So, I packed up the AA and drove off the campsite. Once I was out of range I was able to reconnect, then say NO! for joining any networks, as there were other ones in range. I was worried that when I came back to the campsite that it would automatically reconnect, but thank goodness it didn't.
My recommendations would be:
1) Make sure that in any further updates that the AA "forgets" old networks and asks you for a password every time. This was a lifesaver.
2) Think about adding a hard button to forget networks on the AA. Too late for me, but it would be a big help for others in the future if they make this same (easy to make) mistake.
3) See if there is a way that once you figured everything out and you can use the AA interface without a network, to be able to stream music to the AA without the interface, like using iTunes, Pandora, or whatever on the phone. The AA interface is still green, and on top of that, my USB drive was a couple of months out of date. It would be great to be able to pick the AA as an output device on the road, just as easily as I can do it on my home network.
But in the end, it all worked out and we had the best sound in the entire campground! Thanks again Ian!!!!
Hi SRoode,
We are going to incorporate those features in a future update. We will make it so the AxiomAir has the ability to remember networks and allow you to pick the one you want to join from a list and the ability to force the hotspot mode even when your network is present.
For now a trick to forcing the hotspot mode is to go into the network you are connected to on the Network page and join it but put an incorrect password in. This will cause it to fail to join that network and default to the hotspot mode.
Any link yet to the updated big kahuna AxiomAir user's Manual?
Not big yet but it has started .
Click on this link and scroll down to the appropriate sub index
https://www.axiomaudio.com/boards/
Any link yet to the updated big kahuna AxiomAir user's Manual?
You can download the latest manual
here You can also checkout the latest FAQs as we update them
here. Steve
Thanks for the update, Steve!
Someone has to clean up the top of the Air on that .PDF cover photo, though!
Received the AxiomAir Beast yesterday.
First impressions are that it is built to withstand a Winterfell Winter and Walking Dead apocalypse. Quite bomb proof so far. Only safety issue is that the edges of the wood veneer top cover are a little acute and sharp. When I was playing with propping the front edge of the bottom up for better directionality, it dang near cut me between my fingers when the item slipped forward.
Beware if you have inquisitive kids around the house. It's heavy as well so double caveat axiom-airer.
Was so excited after waiting a year for this that I didn't check for any online manuals. If there aren't any, it usually means that the unit is plug and play.
So I went ahead to turn it on, and try to stream music from my Iphone 6 Plus. After some not surprising glitches, I found the AxiomAirXXXX netwwork on wi-fi and eventually connected to that.
Err, now all I can do is connect that way, which I found by belatedly looking up the online manual, is the hotspot mode. This effectively means that I can't use the internet on my phone while I stream music.
This is the blue blinking light mode.
Is there a previous step I missed which the online manual seems to say in terms of connecting to the home wi-fi network first? I recall something popping up asking me to set up AxiomAir as an Airplay speaker, I can't remember if it was on the home wi-fi network setting or the AxiomAir hotspot network.
In any case, the first few attempts to set AA up as an Airplay speaker failed. I kept getting a fail message. I had to reboot the Iphone and also turn off the AA and restart to finally get Airplay set up - or so I thought.
So, how do I now connect to home wi-fi with the AA and be able to use the internet on my phone?
The Airplay set up dialogue no longer appears. I can't get the blue steady light mode. I surmise that this is the mode that most gets used ...?
Do I have to get the phone to 'forget' the AA hotspot network? Then set up again?
I have posted this to Axiom's support web form, so if the same person is dealing with that, one reply would be fine. It would be better for the AA owners to see the reply here though.
I had quite a few drop outs in the first hour or so of using the AA on the hotspot mode. My phone was literally next to the unit, and the bad drop outs made the AA quite unusable. I thought it was the battery getting weak, so I plugged in the cord. Still the drop outs continued.
Then after repositioning the AA in my lounge, the playback became very stable. This in the hotspot mode.
While the unit was working, I have to say that the sound is very balanced for a relatively small unit. Vocals especially seem very life-like. and present. A little unnaturalness on some very high level demanding bass tracks, but utterly commendable for the footprint. Some great tuning has gone into scaping the sound.
I plugged in a TV output. Hmm, not as compelling as I thought it would be from the stand-out musical vocal performance from the AA. These are just first impressions though, and I will test more thoroughly later.
With my Pono player, I also did not get as much of a wow factor as I would have expected from the high-end ESS Sabre DAC output. Strange that. Might have to let the electronics and drivers bed in.
The last two were analog inputs, so there could be something that needs to bed in on that front. The wonder of hi-fi electronics is that systems that are well designed and manufactured work synergistically after a bit of seasoning to yield sweeter sounds
However, the wi-fi hotspot sound was engaging and fulsome. Methinks the AA has been tuned to maximise sound from wireless sources. Thoughts?
Anyone know what DAC the AA uses?
Hi dyxlesic,
The pop up about adding AxiomAir as an AirPlay speaker was the message that puts your AxiomAir on your network. It is no problem to put it on now though. When you are connected to the AxiomAir hotspot, open an internet browser and type in axiomair.local. This will bring up our WebUI. From there click on the gear in the upper right corner and select Network. Your network will appear on this page. You can hit Connect and it will prompt you for your network password. After entering your network password hit connect and your blue light should go solid which indicates you are on your network.
Hi Ian,
thanks for your response.
I have tried what you suggested a dozen times. Never have I seen my home wi-fi network appear in the WebUI. Either on Iphone or Ipad. This is with the July system update too.
I have tried manually entering the network name and password. I get a message that the settings are remembered, but then nada.
Tried rebooting Iphone and Ipad after this step. Also rebooted the AA.
Other networks appear, but the home one is strangely absent. The wi-fi router is next to the AA.
Hi dyxlesic,
The fact you are seeing other networks leads me to think there must be something different about your router configuration.
Is there any chance your router is only running on AC band?
Is your SSID set to hidden?
Steve
Hi Steve,
thanks for your concern.
The router I have is from 2011, and I don't think AC was introduced until about 2013, so most likely it is running on the n band.
No, my SSID is not hidden.
So, if properly set up, and not using the AA hotspot, the AA at home/office should be on the home/office wi-fi network, and music can be streamed wirelessly from one's device/computer. One should be able to use the internet while this is happening, which one can't while in hotspot mode. Is this correct?
Hi dyxlesic,
You are correct; once the AA is properly configured on your home/office network you can stream music using airplay or UPnP and it won't interfere with your internet.
Steve
I don't think I have a choice, I have to force the AA back to factory settings and try the Airplay setup for the home/office wi-fi network from scratch.
Huzzah! I finally managed to see my home wi-fi network on the AA WebUI, entered in the password, pressed Connect and the UI said that the settings were saved.
The WebUI then entered into a spinning spiral of circles. Checking the IPhone wi-fi settings showed that the Iphone was connected to the home wi-fi network.
Airplay on the AA was available for streaming radio, podcasts on the Iphone and so on. Blue light on the AA did not blink anymore!
But I noted then that as the WebUI was gone so to speak, then any music on a plugged in USB stick was no longer available to access. If one wanted to access that, one would have to reconnect to the AA hotspot.
I am also noticing that the WebUI for plugged in USB media is not so responsive. Sometimes I can get a full list of music from the USB stick but sometimes not.
Any pointers on this, creators?
It is normal for the WebUI to show the circles when you go from hotspot to your network. You should be able to just close the page, join the network you put your AxiomAir on, and open a new browser page. If you renamed your AxiomAir it will no longer be axiomair.local, it will become whateveryounamedit.local.
Here's a weird conundrum
My hopes are hanging on receiving my AA this week as my wife's best friend and family are moving to another province. We are to visit them next Monday for a farewell gathering. How is this conflicting? He (the husband) too has purchased an AA and has received it. To avoid ruining my AA reveal/unboxing experience, I've already told my wife that I will be "sick" that day if the AA has yet to arrive. I hope that that look in her eye was of understanding
I've been anticipating this item far too long to have my introduction to it via another persons device. Uggg..
Fingers crossed. Two weeks ago Debbie was kind enough to give me an update of the status and that that the AA has been added to the assembly line. I'm very much looking forward to getting that shipping confirmation email.
Hi Metal_Manic,
It looks like it will arrive on Friday, just in the nick of time.
Hooray! Crisis averted. Very excited. Thanks for the heads up.
I used the Analog input for about a month using solely the Analog input and everything was fine.
A few days ago, I went back to try to stream music from my IPhone to the AA.
I could connect to the AA hotspot. Opened the WebUI, and tried to connect to my home wi-fi network on the Network settings. Could not see my home wi-fi network. Rebooted the AA and phone. No go.
Manually put in my home wi-fi network name and password, pressed Connect. All I get are the spinning spirals.
The AA can't detect my home wi-fi. I had this problem when first getting the AA. Then all of a sudden, one day it detected the wi-fi, and I managed to get connected whereby the blue light became constant.
Now it seems that it cannot again. It's the same router and the AA and router are in the same locations.
Any suggestions?
Hi dyxlesic,
I would try turning off the AxiomAir, then turning off your router. Power the router back up and then boot the AxiomAir. Then check the status of the LEDs on the front of the AA. If you have a flashing blue LED you will need to reconfigure it on your network.
Thanks,
Andrew
I have just gone through this entire thread again. Lots of useful info here, might be worth moving it to the Air main forum under general discussion as I do not think new users would think to look here.
We've had our AA for quite some time now (it's #42, I think). Like many, we had a terrible time ramping up...and it's still not there. My wife grew very frustrated with it and put it on the shelf (so to speak) for months. We had tried many times...and read all the advice...when we were using our old router, but nothing worked well.
Now have a new router, so I tried to establish a connection yesterday (which went fine). That's about as far as our luck went. It's again very sluggish/non-responsive in the interface mode. First thing I tried doing is updating the software (it showed Version 1.097). Tried this MANY times - the most it will get to is 60%, then just does nothing for hours.
Tried resetting to factory default today - both from the Web UI and, when that didn't work (twice), the USB method (factory_reset). Nothing. Tried a thumb drive formatted for both fat32 and NTSF. Twice each. Nothing. It won't reset - just keeps re-connecting to the Web UI, then goes back to it's sluggish old self again.
We're at the end of our patience with this thing. I realize we have not contacted you for help with this yet, but we wanted to run through all the available troubleshooting options first.
Now that we've exhausted everything the book says, how can you help us?
Thank you kindly,
Doug
Right there with you, Doug. Mine hasn't been powered on since 3-4 weeks after receiving it.
Hi Mark,
We got Doug's all working great over the phone last week. Can you send me a PM as to when would be a good time to give you a ring?
So after tinkering with the new (used) Axiom Air a day ago, one thing i can add is that a user needs to read the manual carefully and thoroughly and maybe a few times.
The small little things in it really matter.
I got frustrated trying to figure out why i first saw the Axiom Air as a wifi unit on my Google Nexus and then later on, i couldn't see it all.
Well i found in the manual that once the Air is hooked up to a local wifi, you won't see it as a wifi hotspot.
Duh.
I needed to read more carefully.
On another note, I haven't read through the whole thread so i apologize if this was answered (and Ian it may have been answered when we were at the factory but i just don't recall):
Does the Axiom Air have a 'limiter' similar to the new subwoofers that keeps it from going into distortion?
During my testing, knowing that our kids will likely take this thing on hockey tournaments and into the locker rooms, i ventured turning up the volume briefly to 100%.
Yep, it is loud, but i'm concerned about blowing the drivers of course (or rather the kids blowing the drivers).
For those few seconds, the music playback sounded a bit distorted but it also could have been the bass on the song.
Anyone got feedback in this regard?
Comments?
Does the Axiom Air have a 'limiter' similar to the new subwoofers that keeps it from going into distortion?
Comments?
No one has anything in this regard?
I have had my Axiom Air for well over a year now .
Zero distortion at full volume , however the source music I play is quality flac files .What is your source music as this will make a difference during playback ?
Even for kids , this thing plays too loud at full volume .
Not sure about the limiter ? I know the AA is advertised as a zero distortion device .
Fairly happy with my unit . All my buddies love this thing .
A friend of mine has a Bowers and Wilkins zeppelin wireless speaker .https://www.digitaltrends.com/wireless-speaker-dock-reviews/bowers-wilkins-zeppelin-wireless-review/
The Axiom Air sounds much better and plays much louder for a speaker of similar design and price
