Both conceptually and in execution, Simplify Music 2 is truly remarkable. The app allows you to access streaming music and photos stored on your home computer or a friend’s computer via your iPhone, both through Wi-Fi and over 3G networks.
Sounds great in concept, but the sound is going to stink, right? Not so much. We tested Simplify 2 by registering a desktop with 50 or so gigs worth of music on it and accessing the collection on an 8GB iPhone from across town. Setting up the account with Simplify, downloading the app and accessing the entire collection, including info on all the artists, albums, bios, songs, artwork and play lists, took about 10 minutes.
The setup was simple and intuitive, and the results were impressive and reliable on a high-speed Wi-Fi network.
With the iPhone plugged into a stereo, the sound was on par with a typical radio station, and the stream was surprisingly free of static or glitches. On the 3G network, the sound was a bit tinnier, but with headphones it was solid. A Dirty Projectors album downloaded an hour before on the home system showed up on the iPhone with album art, lyrics pages and complete biographical info in mere moments. We were able to easily add songs to a favorites menu, and the application allowed us to resume an audio feed where it left off after receiving an incoming phone call.
Most intriguingly, Simplify allows you to share streams with up to 30 friends’ collections, a feature we plan on using.
The original Simplify Music cost $3.99, and the $5.99 upgraded version adds universal plug and play support. This includes support for FLAC files and favorite tagging across your network.
This one qualifies as a must-have.
