Quick question: Is there anyone anywhere near the Manchester/Stockport area of England with a *good* low-noise PSU that would be willing to bring it to my home so I can hear any difference? I'm thinking of at least a Welborne or something that is dedicated for the Squeezebox. I'd be willing to provide transportation.
Background: I recently upgraded my hi-fi. In the shop (www.theaudioworks.co.uk) I heard a Creek Classic CD Player, Sugden A21 Mark II Amp and Focal 826v speakers. They sounded wonderful - very musical, a great soundstage and beautiful tonality. They had the CDP + Amp plugged into their cryo/screened/dampened mains block (£500) and similar IEC cables (£200 each). I nearly choked when I heard the price but they insisted that unless you sort out electrical noise, you're never going to get real music. They plugged regular IECs into the mains and the sound was instantly harsh and flat - utterly uninvolving. I was instantly convinced of the value of sorting out your electrics. I ended up buying a cheaper solution, as I didn't have that much money. I bought the Amp + Speakers and took them home (the speakers having been run in). I plugged my Squeezebox in and the sound was disappointing. It was hard work listening to it and there was no involvement. Guitars sounded out of tune. The Amp and the speakers were doing their part, but the Squeezebox was clearly the weak link. The shop brought round the Creek CDP and all the music came back - it sounded great. Apart from when I plugged the Squeezebox power supply in - then the sound from the Creek lost a lot of tonality. They also brought the good powerblock + cables. This improved the sound when listening to the Creek, but virtualy nothing when listening to the Squeezebox. If I'm going to try to improve the sound of the Squeezebox, the PSU noise definitely needs sorting out. I have tried two other PSUs. First the PW00187 part from http://cpc.farnell.com/ and secondly, a lower noise unit (173-1604 from www.rswww.com) and got an electrician to attach the original Squeezebox DC cable and an IEC inlet. I attached a screened IEC. Neither or these made any real improvement. So I'm facing a dilemma: I either buy the Creek and play CDs when I want great sound and put up with the Squeezebox at other times, or try to sort out the Squeezebox so it's at least as good as the Creek. The hi-fi shop reckon the Squeezebox will never sound as musical as a good CD player and that electrical noise will always be an obstacle. I clearly need to sort out the power supply. However, I can't risk spending money on sorting out the Squeezebox and find it still fails to engage me. -- chobbney ------------------------------------------------------------------------ chobbney's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=9648 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=40737
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