Just in case anyone else is looking for a similar setup, this Sony Altus ALT-A33PC is a great little unit and is an absolute steal for under $60.00. I’m getting full house coverage, everywhere from the basement with fluorescent lighting to the second floor bedroom at the far end of the house. The signal is crystal clear even with an active Wi-Fi N-router right next to the USB stick transmitter.
It was plug and play right out of the box for Win7 and surprisingly, even for my crappy old Win2K notebook. I didn’t need to install any drivers or the S-AirCast software. What’s also nice is that you don’t need to use a media player of any sort as it will transmit Pandora right from an open window on the desktop. I’m using the simulated stereo function on my receiver to compensate for the analog signal and the sound quality seems very good this way. It comes with a standard RCA to RCA patch cord for a home stereo, but I also picked up an RCA to 1/8" pin patch cord so I could plug this in the AUX terminals of our Bose Wave and Dewalt radio. I’m thinking that Sony might have screwed the pooch by discontinuing this system.
