Pi MusicBox vs Balena Sound

Struggling to choose between Pi MusicBox and Balena Sound? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Pi MusicBox is a Audio & Music solution with tags like raspberrypi, mpd, mopidy, jukebox, minimalist, headless, lightweight.

It boasts features such as Runs on Raspberry Pi, Built on Mopidy and Mopidy-MPD, Minimalist Linux jukebox, Works out of the box, Lightweight headless audio playback system, Controllable with any MPD client and pros including Easy to set up and use, Low resource usage, Supports many audio formats, Open source and customizable.

On the other hand, Balena Sound is a Audio & Music product tagged with opensource, wireless, streaming, music, audio.

Its standout features include Turns old speakers/audio equipment into wireless streaming devices, Works with computers and mobile devices over WiFi, Supports audio formats like MP3, AAC, FLAC, WAV, Open-source software, Web-based UI for setup and management, Multi-room audio streaming, Compatible with Raspberry Pi and other SBCs, and it shines with pros like Revives old/unused speakers, Wireless streaming capability, Free and open source, Easy setup, Web UI for management, Multi-room audio support.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

Pi MusicBox

Pi MusicBox

Pi MusicBox is a minimalist Linux jukebox that works out of the box, designed for the Raspberry Pi. It is built on Mopidy and mopily-MPD to provide a lightweight headless audio playback system controllable with any MPD client.

Categories:
raspberrypi mpd mopidy jukebox minimalist headless lightweight

Pi MusicBox Features

  1. Runs on Raspberry Pi
  2. Built on Mopidy and Mopidy-MPD
  3. Minimalist Linux jukebox
  4. Works out of the box
  5. Lightweight headless audio playback system
  6. Controllable with any MPD client

Pricing

  • Free
  • Open Source

Pros

Easy to set up and use

Low resource usage

Supports many audio formats

Open source and customizable

Cons

Limited features compared to full music server software

Dependent on Raspberry Pi hardware

Setup requires Linux knowledge


Balena Sound

Balena Sound

Balena Sound is an open-source software that allows you to turn any old speakers or Hi-Fi into a network-connected wireless streaming device. It works with computers and mobile devices to stream music over WiFi.

Categories:
opensource wireless streaming music audio

Balena Sound Features

  1. Turns old speakers/audio equipment into wireless streaming devices
  2. Works with computers and mobile devices over WiFi
  3. Supports audio formats like MP3, AAC, FLAC, WAV
  4. Open-source software
  5. Web-based UI for setup and management
  6. Multi-room audio streaming
  7. Compatible with Raspberry Pi and other SBCs

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Revives old/unused speakers

Wireless streaming capability

Free and open source

Easy setup

Web UI for management

Multi-room audio support

Cons

Requires compatible hardware like Raspberry Pi

Setup can be tricky for non-technical users

Limited to audio streaming only

No native mobile apps

Dependency on Balena Cloud