The Core

Get a QNAP! they're expensive, but then so is Sonos
I have so much geeky love for mine!

>>I hate iPhones

Oh, me too.  Well to be more specific, I hate iTunes and lots about Apple in general. 

But my wife has a fairly good Bose ipod docking station that is useless to me as it doesn't have any line in options other than docking your apple device in it.  She's got about 100 ipods (because they break so easily/often) including an iTouch or whatever they're called.  Would be useful to be able to play files off the network through the iTouch.

hungrygoose's suggestion - iTunes Match - would probably do 90% of what I'm after and could be the best solution, but I won't consider it as I'd have to write off 10 years of slating ipods.

Interesting
http://hothardware.com/News/QNAP-Allow-Remote-Media-Streaming-To-iPad-iPod-Touch-And-iPhone/

They have an Android app too https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.qnap.qmobile&hl=en

and you make it do so much more with their addons - http://www.qnap.com/en/index.php?lang=en&sn=859

thanks for all the feedback here.

I now have a QNAP on order and will see where to go from there.  There may be a roll for Sonus, but not urgently. 

Along with ripping a huge stack of CD's, next step will be to find somewhere offsite I can backup to regularly.

been playing around with the set up over the last couple of weeks, and thought I'd update...

bought a QNAP TS-212.  Loads of apps available - both Android and Apple - that can stream music off the NAS.  The official QNAP one is a bit limited when it comes to playing anything other than MP3's which is a shame, but found other things that will play FLAC files.

So the NAS > ipod touch > Bose docking station set up is working reasonably well.

Decided that my old amp and speakers weren't doing the job in the living room, so relegated them to the spare room, and bought a shiny white Sonos Play 5.  Very cool piece of kit.  Expect to add to the Sonos collection at some point.

The phone apps for Sonos work a treat.  So effortless.

Thanks again for the tips.