Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Apple Lossless a compromise?
GuyDebord;316806 Wrote: I just changed the settings in squeeze center to ALAC-WAV and I couldnt believe the difference, . thank you very much for this posting. I made the same exciting sound experience you describe with my recently purchased transporter, when I played for the first time AIFF files ripped from a CD (Saint-Saens, Symphony #3 -Organ) with iTunes. Surprisingly, the ALAC and FLAC rips (using Max because performed on an iMac)) from the same CD sounded poorer. This was very confusing and misleading because it is stated as a matter of fact, that lossless formats should not loose sound quality. According to your experience, I would guess now that the transporter perform some on the fly conversion with FLAC files in the default settings. Unfortunately I could not figure out, where to change the settings you described. In the advanced settings for file conversion in the 7.0.1. version of squeezecenter, there is no way to set any format to WAV. There is only a choice between Native and deactivated for most of the formats (I hopeI have used the right vocabulary because I am using a german localization of the server). Any additional hint would be very much appriciated.. -- ilbravo ilbravo's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=18371 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34122 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] FLAC or ALAC that is the question!?
david_a_woodward;316973 Wrote: Hi there, I hope someone can help, Ive read a fair few posts, but as is often the way cant find the info I am looking for. I am new to ripping, I have a collection of about 500 CDs and I am on the brink of lashing out some hard earned cash on SB3/Duet/Transporter (3 rooms) and TranquilPC T2-WHS-A3i (unless anyone recommends a better alternative), so should not have space constraints? I have always been a keen audiophile with a Michell GyroDec, CD2/82/250/SBL Naim system, this is where I plan to add the Transporter, (can I share the Duet remote with the Transporter, SB3 and Duet systems?) I am looking for the best quality I can achieve, but I do not want to spend too long discovering (and learning) the best suite of amazing software programs that appear to be available to use, nor labouring over very slow rip/tagging. I do want to view cover art on the duet controller and would like to easily move some/all(?) of the ripped CDs to a, yet to purchased, ipod. So what is my dilemma? I gather, but may have got the wrong end of the stick, the two obvious choices are to use iTunes, seems to be viewed as the easiest and simplest workflow in ripping, tagging, cover art etc in ALAC loseless format, or go down the, what appears to be, much more daunting sounding, EAC/FLAC/various other tools for cover art extraction etc route. I am not too concerned about being locked into Apples proprietary approach provided it works well with SB technology, and makes my life easier to transfer my CD library. I am keen to know the pros and cons of each approach, so I can make a better informed decision. Thank you all in advance for you valued comments. The simple thing to do is use dBpowerAmp to Rip and tag your files in FLAC format. FLAC converts to almost anything else you might ever need and allows you to stay far away from iTunes. -- iPhone *iPhone* 'Last.FM' (http://www.last.fm/user/mephone) Media Room: Transporter, VTL TL-6.5 Signature Pre-Amp, Ayre MX-R Mono Blocks, Vandersteen Quatro, VeraStarr 6.4SE 6-channel Amp, VCC-5 Reference Center, four VSM-1 Signatures, Runco RS 900 CineWide AutoScope 2.35:1 Living Room: Duet, ADCOM GTP-870HD, Cinepro 3K6SE III Gold, Vandersteen Model 3A Signature, Two 2Wq subs, VCC-2, Two VSM-1 Bedroom: SB3, NAD C370, Thiel 2.3 Home Office: SB3, Parasound Vamp v.3, VSM-1 Sigs Mobile: SB3, Audioengine A5 iPhone's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=13622 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=49492 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] The Absolute Sound reviews AppleTV and Squeezebox Duet
^^ Clearly fair balanced reviewing!! I'm an Apple TV user, and I have to agree that review makes no sense. I haven't run into the issues he did, FWIW -- JoeLR JoeLR's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=17635 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=49614 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] The Absolute Sound reviews AppleTV and Squeezebox Duet
Bring it on Pale Blue Ego - I'm ready! I hope it's a good one. (especially since I just purchased a Duet to use into my Dac) -- mr_bill mr_bill's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=6737 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=49614 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Power Supply
I have pondered using batteries for both my SB3 and DAC, and to hook it up to a trickle recharger unit (solar powered). Then i look outside and see rain BT -- BigTony We're Only In It For The Music! www.zappateers.com BigTony's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=10638 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=49561 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Time to go minimalist?
Hope nobody minds an essay. I bought a Squeezebox 3/Classic back in December and have to say that after coveting one for a while it didn't let me down in my expectations. It's the best purchase I've made in a long time. My setup at the time of the purchase was a 10-year old Marantz/Tannoy entry-level setup consisting of: Marantx PM-66SE amplifier, Marantz CD-67, Marantz ST-150 tuner and Tannoy Profile 631 SE. I recently added an ex-demo Musical Fidelity X-3 DAC with a home-made power supply. I have a squeezebox controller on the way. The CD player is very rarely used now (and seems to be dying a death or in need of repair, anyway), and internet radio on the squeezebox means the tuner is redundant for me (I generally only listen to sports on the radio). So, these will be departing the house as soon as I find the motivation. I aim to replace the CD player with a DVD player: 1) to watch DVDs when I can finally afford a TV of my own (I'm in shared accommodation with only a smallish room to myself) and; 2) as backup for the Squeezebox. This means that my AV rack will only house one full-sized AV component until a DVD player is added. So, I'm contemplating boxing away the amp and speakers and picking up a pair of Audioengine A5s as this will help de-clutter my room and make for a nice portable setup for future house moves, but I'm very attached to the current sound from the Squeezebox - DAC - Amplifier - Speakers route. It doesn't have the greatest bass in the world but I love the detail. Any thoughts from people who have/haven't gone down this route, particularly Audioengine owners. Thanks. -- david_f1976 david_f1976's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=15354 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=49620 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] The Absolute Sound reviews AppleTV and Squeezebox Duet
Steven Stone tells us there is ANOTHER sub-$400, iTunes-friendly music server, the Logitech Squeezebox Duet! For some reason it really bothers me that these high-end audiophile guys are so indelibly married to iTunes. It's like, if they can't use iTunes, the deal's off - they just won't ever have a music server. Whatever, guys. It's not the be-all, end-all of software, ok? He describes the Duet and ponders, Does it leave the Apple TV in the dust? The short answer is, 'different horses for different courses'. For many music lovers, it makes perfect sense to own both. What's that? Own BOTH? I guess when you're a high-end reviewer with boxes of uber-expensive equipment stacked everywhere waiting to be played with, having TWO networked music systems is no big deal. To me, it makes no sense at all. Anyway, on to the Duet. Mr. Stone says, you are led through the installation process by a very well-designed instruction set. He is impressed that SqueezeCenter offers access to a number of internet music sources, and that firmware updates can be sent directly to the Duet. He sets the Duet up via wifi and if he ran into any networking glitches, he failed to mention them. He does say that to access your own iTunes library, you must have a computer powered up 24/7 and this could be a significant drawback for some people. Mr. Stone was very enthusiastic about the Controller, though - easily ranks among the best I've ever grasped. And he likes the fact that the Controller becomes a stylish digital clock when residing in the charging cradle. He had no problem with the menu system of the controller and again he notes that the response time is remarkably fastas fast as the hard-drive-based AppleTV. Also impressive was the range of the Controller. Indoors, it was usuable even 65 feet from the access point, and he went over 100 feet down his driveway before the Controller lost connection. There was a glitch with the Duet not picking up all of the iTunes artwork. Logitech told him that Apple recently changed their artwork library specs, and they expected to have a firmware fix shortly. Mr. Stone seemed to be most impressed with the internet radio capabilities of the Duet, which seems strange because I thought iTunes had that feature, too. Maybe it was the inclusion of the Live365 and Radio Time plugins in the Duet system, because he seemed to really enjoy listening to commercial FM stations from around the country. Or maybe he just likes disc jockey banter and intrusive ads. As for sound quality, he equates the Duet with the AppleTV - mid-fi sound from the analog outputs, but from the digital output, it was the equivalent of his other transports. In the big finale - which one would he choose, the Duet or the Apple? He cops out again and says BOTH. Maybe he wants to run a computer 24/7 AND fire up his hi-def projector to hear some music. He says the Duet is the radio king, while the AppleTV is great for watching YouTube videos. For an audiophile, he certainly seems very happy with low-bandwidth music and video playback. Anyway, both reviews were very positive, and should serve to put the Duet on the radar of many audiophiles. -- Pale Blue Ego Pale Blue Ego's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=110 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=49614 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] The Absolute Sound reviews AppleTV and Squeezebox Duet
Pale Blue Ego;317937 Wrote: For some reason it really bothers me that these high-end audiophile guys are so indelibly married to iTunes. It's like, if they can't use iTunes, the deal's off - they just won't ever have a music server. Whatever, guys. It's not the be-all, end-all of software, ok? I've seen this and it's partly the promotion of at least one high end USB DAC manufacturer. Imagine you sell $3000 DACs to 50 and 60-something audiophiles with gobs of cash burning holes in their pockets. Some of these guys have never sent an email. You want to promote the simplest software solution that will part those guys from their money. An Apple Mac with iTunes is the path of least resistance. Software is a _huge_ denominator in the upper end of this market. -- JJZolx Jim JJZolx's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=10 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=49614 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Yamaha RX-V1800 vs. Squeezebox v3 DAC
I'm about to buy a new system for home theater and hi-fi and I'm looking to get a Yamaha RX-V1800 receiver as the main pre-pro unit. Not quite audiophile perhaps, but from the sound of everything I've read it should be good enough for my needs (probably 80% music, 20% movies). For stereo music I'm planning to connect my Squeezebox v3 to the receiver, with pre-out to a NAD C272 power amp to drive my fronts. I'm curious if anyone knows whether the Burr-Brown DAC in the Squeezebox v3 is better, or the DAC in the Yamaha is better? Just wondering if it would be better to hook up the digital signal into the receiver, or send analog via RCA. Thanks for any suggestions. -- dekaliber dekaliber's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=9852 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=49631 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
