Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Transporter quality Stereo into a Home Theater Setup
guptaas;457532 Wrote: > If I understood everything correctly, I need the Transporter mainly for > its DAC. If the processor has a quality DAC, I can go with a Squeezebox > or another media-streamer which I need anyway for video off network. The first issue there is the SB won't play anything with an SR higher than 48k. Transporter, at this time, will play 96k/24bit. I've been using my Transporter for almost three years in a 5.1 HT system and LOVE IT. I've ripped many, many DVD-A and DTS projects as well as play my own 5.1 mixes encoded AC3 or DTS from my studio facility (I do lots of 5.1 mixing for music/TV and use this setup for 'home-proofing' my mixes). I didn't buy the Transporter for its DAC, although it is as good as the Benchmark DAC1s we've got distributed throughout our facility. I bought it for many other reasons, and the DAC just came along in the package. It's a GREAT looking player and has functions on it that I miss on my two SqueezeBoxes. You won't be disappointed if you make the jump! -- Eric Seaberg Eric Seaberg - San Diego A.E.S., S.M.P.T.E., S.P.A.R.S. e...@seaberg.com Eric Seaberg's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7896 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=67446 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] A2 or A5?
I have the A5 in black. I feed them with a receiver. A nice unobtrusive package. They fill my living room ( 18 x 28 ) with most glorious sound. It's not a listening room, just background music. I am very happy with the purchase. As stated before they would be a lot for PC speakers. They would ROCK however, if needed. Mark. -- mark wollschlager 2 X Duets, 1 X receiver, 1 X Boom NV+ SC 7.3.3 mark wollschlager's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=22302 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=67800 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] A2 or A5?
Thanks to both for the replies. Of course, now I'm torn! Decisions, decisions. I think I'll wait another week or so to order, any one else care to opine? -- mattbrown521 mattbrown521's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=13220 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=67800 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] RATS! Recommendations/advice requested
artee wrote: > Many thanks for the responses - knowledgeable & helpful. SBs do seem > to be like a drug, judging by how many you have between you. For sure, and because of the SqueezeBoxen, I keep buying more CDs. With a bigger library, I buy more SqueezeBoxen. Its hopeless. > That would all tend to support getting a "lesser" SB (Classic, Duet) to > start And you will find uses for them later. > Any idea when the Touch is launching? For those of you who are already > using them, what are your views? The Touch is announced for late this year. I've got a beta, and I think it is a cool looking unit, very much like the SB Classic. And it has very cool new features, the touch interface, the USB jack and the SD card slot all being very cool. But IMHO, its not released today because the software is not where Logitech wants it to be. So they are working on it, and it gets better with nearly every release. And the release cycle is rapid, at least one a day. I'm a professional software developer, and I know better than to predict when software will be done. The current software is very usable, and usually pretty solid. But it will get better. -- Pat Farrell http://www.pfarrell.com/ ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] RATS! Recommendations/advice requested
It's interesting to read the responses to this fundamental question of life! I have owned the Transporter for 6 months or so and have been having a ball with the tweaking potential that it opens up. My opinion is that the Transporter "lays it out" in such an honest way that the rest of your system is brought into focus. The amp/speaker synergy will be revealed for what they are (or not). Many have found the Transporter "clinical". I agree! The challenge is to mate it with amp/speakers that are more "euphonic" to the extent that they may introduce a desirable "tube like" coloration. I have not owned a SB but from what I have read it seems a very good start, and you can have "beau coup" fun with finding/tweaking the other components after that! I would have no hesitation with buying the "gate-way" and going from there. I just couldn't go with having to figure out the DAC part, and I know I would have spent ALOT on the DAC! The Benchmark would probably have not made the cut - even though I grew up not too far from where they make them! A great product. Just not up to par with the Transporter. I have personally found the Transporter as the "gait-way drug" into the "affordable" realm of ultra high end audio experience. I was looking at $2K as a "gait-way" expenditure when juxtaposed against the $5-10K gear like Weiss and Berkeley etc. It all depends on what is "expensive" to you, and more importantly, your SPOUSE! You have to live with her after all! If you are trying to simplify the number of variables in the audio "picture" - ie. you are obsessive (like me) about tracking down the source of the "issue" in your system - it might be a better idea to go with the Transporter - or for the well healed - the Modwright Transporter! - It eliminates the S/PDIF issues with cables etc, blah blah blah! What I am saying is that the Transporter for me was a good place to "start". I'm not convinced that the passage of time always produces "better" DAC's, or better utilization of D/A conversion. Sometimes "older" tried and true DAC's have a loyal fan base to this day. I have a VERY dated (late 90's) MSB Link DAC III that I will not sell/get rid of! It just sounds very good! Not as good as the Transporter - the Transporter is just plain clean and refined! Black backgrond - It's all there. That aspect of it makes it so fun to tweek other parts of the downstream system. The MSB is like the experience of listening to vinyl. It sounds good! (I'm not going back to vinyl - no way no how! Especially since I now have 600 CD's ripped to WAV on my hard drive.) It is very REAL and visceral but not as "sophisticated" as the Transporter. The MSB sounds better after a few beers! The Transporter doesnt need a few beers to sound as good as it is! -- earwaxer Waxer Transporter Winsome labs mouse (modified) Maggie MMG's (modified) JPS Labs power cords Audioquest Granite speaker wire Silver Bullet interconnect HSU research sub earwaxer's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=32040 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=67907 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] RATS! Recommendations/advice requested
Folks, Many thanks for the responses - knowledgeable & helpful. SBs do seem to be like a drug, judging by how many you have between you. That would all tend to support getting a "lesser" SB (Classic, Duet) to start with as it seems that it won't be going anywhere, even upon upgrading later - it'll just join a growing family of squeezeboxes in the house. It's also a good way of getting the whole rig set up & working as advertised. Any idea when the Touch is launching? For those of you who are already using them, what are your views? Phil - How do you rate the TACT Audio, in particular Room Correction? Regards, Rick -- artee artee's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=32816 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=67907 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] RATS! Recommendations/advice requested
JezA;458425 Wrote: > I am particularly interested in the new NAIM DAC, which seems to do a > very sensible job of rebuffering the datastream, thereby (allegedly) > avoiding issues with jitter. How much is this new Naim DAC? By the way, the digital output (S/PIDF) of the Touch is improved over the Classic with regard to jitter and waveform "quality". The effect of this varies according to the DAC in question. Some DAC's seem relatively immune to transport/cable jitter. -- Phil Leigh You want to see the signal path BEFORE it gets onto a CD/vinyl...it ain't what you'd call minimal... SB Touch Beta (wired) - TACT 2.2X (Linear PSU) + Good Vibrations S/W - MF Triplethreat(Audiocom full mods) - Linn 5103 - Aktiv 5.1 system (6x LK140's, ESPEK/TRIKAN/KATAN/SEIZMIK 10.5), Townsend Supertweeters, Blue Jeans Digital,Kimber Speaker & Chord Interconnect cables Kitchen Boom, Outdoors: SB Radio Phil Leigh's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=85 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=67907 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] RATS! Recommendations/advice requested
The A3 is a fine CD player. I'd go for a Classic and when/if you decide you are comfortable with the whole compter audio setup, add a DAC (which will easily surpass the A3, such as the Benchmark or MF X-DACV8). Or - for 24/96 experiments you could sell the Classic for a good price and get a Touch and use that with your DAC. Alternatively, just get a Transporter if you have the means/confidence. -- Phil Leigh You want to see the signal path BEFORE it gets onto a CD/vinyl...it ain't what you'd call minimal... SB3 (wired) - TACT 2.2X (Linear PSU) + Good Vibrations S/W - MF Triplethreat(Audiocom full mods) - Linn 5103 - Aktiv 5.1 system (6x LK140's, ESPEK/TRIKAN/KATAN/SEIZMIK 10.5), Townsend Supertweeters, Blue Jeans Digital,Kimber Speaker & Chord Interconnect cables Outdoors: Boom Phil Leigh's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=85 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=67907 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] RATS! Recommendations/advice requested
I was in a similar situation to you a few months ago. After a Saturday morning fiddling with an Apple Airport Express I bought a Duet, to which I added a Cambridge Audio Dacmagic a few weeks later, which made a most worthwhile improvement. I bought a second SB and Dacmagic for my other system. I use dbpoweramp to rip my cds to FLAC and mediamonkey to fiddle with the tags - unavoidable with a large classical music collection. I'm pleased with the results and I strongly commend the Duet controller - it puts your music in your hand, as you are probably used to anyway if you have an ipod. I dare say the new touch controller offers similar pleasures - though it would of course have to be at hand. I don't fancy the Classic - I would lose much of the pleasure of the system if I had to squint across a room at a character based display. But I wish the headphone output on the Duet controller worked. Now I am in a position to try other DACS, and doubt I will lose much on my Dacmagic if I sell it. I am particularly interested in the new NAIM DAC, which seems to do a very sensible job of rebuffering the datastream, thereby (allegedly) avoiding issues with jitter. Time and a home-dem will tell. I think the Transporter is far too much money for a product that is quite dated and now a dead end. It's designer has left Logitech, and I can't see any future high-end development in the range. Other companies like Linn and NAIM are in the game and are running with the ball. So if you have a grand or two to play with, I would wait for the NAIM DAC for sure, and compare it to Lavry/Benchmark/Linn et al. Meantime, I've ripped loads of cds, got used to all the computer issues, and enjoyed plenty of music. Much of your investment will be in the time it takes to rip and organise. -- JezA JezA's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=21219 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=67907 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] RATS! Recommendations/advice requested
Welcome to the Forum. Of course these will be my opinions as well as recommendation, I would just buy a Transporter if I was even thinking of going with a Squeezebox and external DAC. The Duet is a fine unit to start with but a bit more on the gadget loves side. So if not the Transporter, I would go with a Classic or wait for the Touch. Also from your post about hearing, maybe just the Classic is the way to go. Then if it is not at the level you were looking for then add the DAC. Kind of opposite of my fist advice, but then again the first advice is based on buying a Duet/Classic with a DAC right out of the gate. If I were pushed to site a drawback with Squeezebox, it would be that one has several choices on how to get started. Obviously this is at the same time a huge advantage later on as one can solve any audio need one has, but to get started it can make it more difficult to decide. -- iPhone *iPhone* Media Room: Transporter, VTL TL-6.5 Signature Pre-Amp, Ayre MX-R Mono's, VeraStarr 6.4SE 6-channel Amp, Vandersteen Speakers: Quatro Mains, VCC-5 Reference Center, four VSM-1 Signatures, Video: 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 Kitchen: Squeezebox BOOM Bedroom: Second Boom Bathroom: Squeezebox Radio Ford Thunderbird: Duet, Mac Mini Ford Expedition: SB Touch, USB drive iPhone's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=13622 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=67907 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Inguz dsp plugin - what are the results?
Are the inguz filters player-specific? I remember reading that they weren't, so once you had a filter applied it would be on everything you played on each system, which makes no sense... -- adamslim You can't have too much music, but I do have too much hifi SB+, Audion Pre, 6B4G death traps, Lowther Big Fun Horns, REL Stentor SB+, Audio Innovations L1, Chi-Fi OTL monoblocks, Heybrook Sextets Boom x 2 adamslim's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7355 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=60057 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] RATS! Recommendations/advice requested
pfarrell;458390 Wrote: > artee wrote: > > I'm looking to introduce a squeezebox into the equation, and have > the > > classic question: Duet (with/without external DAC), or Transporter? > > > Depending on when you need to buy, you should also consider the SB > Classic, or wait a couple of months for the Touch. > > I think of the Classic as the entry level drug into the world of > SqueezeBox. It works, its simple, it sounds good. and its cheap. > > So my advice is start small, get more. So far, I've got > > three SB, Transporter, Duet, Boom and a beta Touch > > > > -- > Pat Farrell > http://www.pfarrell.com/ Very sound advice. I would just add that the risk factor is low if you already own a computer that you can run squeezecenter on. If you buy from Logitech, you get a 30 day no-questions-asked return benefit. If you buy form another retailer or you need more than 30 days for your evaluation, you will find that there is a strong market for used squeezeboxes. The command very good prices used - close to the cost of new. One drawback of waiting for the new Touch is that it is just that - new. Any new product (car, electronics, etc.) is bound to have some growing pains. For just starting out you might want to start with a mature product with a mature version of software (currently 7.3.3). -- maggior Rich - Setup: 2 SB3s, 3 Booms, 1 duet, 1 receiver. SuSE 11.0 Server running SqueezeCenter 7.3.3, MusicIP, and SqueezeSlave. Current library stats: 27,698 songs, 2,304 albums, 439 artists. http://www.last.fm/user/maggior Looking forward to new Porcupine Tree, Megadeth, Alice in Chains, and The Beatles Box set. September will be an expensive month :-) maggior's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=9080 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=67907 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] RATS! Recommendations/advice requested
artee wrote: > I'm looking to introduce a squeezebox into the equation, and have the > classic question: Duet (with/without external DAC), or Transporter? Depending on when you need to buy, you should also consider the SB Classic, or wait a couple of months for the Touch. I think of the Classic as the entry level drug into the world of SqueezeBox. It works, its simple, it sounds good. and its cheap. The Duet is a bit trickier for some folks to get setup. It has the advantage of the Controller, which is cool. > I also want to be able to experiment with hi-res (24/96, > probably no more), and Room Correction (have been fascinated with that > since reading about the TACT Audio years ago). If you really need 24/96 then you need TP, or the future Touch, I forget whether the other models feed a DAC. But thinking DAC starts you into more expensive territory right away. When I got my first SqueezeBox, I found that I spent a lot more money on CDs. A lot. So my advice is start small, get more. So far, I've got three SB, Transporter, Duet, Boom and a beta Touch -- Pat Farrell http://www.pfarrell.com/ ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] A2 or A5?
I have both A2s and A5s. Both have their merits - vfm being one of them. If your listening room is of any size, go for the A5s. Whilst not the last word in Audiophile circles for PC-based music, they are (imho) unbeatable at the price. More than good enough to get you going. My black A2s in kitchen, probably deliver vocals better than do the white A5s, but then the A5s dfinately have a more open (in me-speak, that means you can hear more detail) and punchy sound for rock/pop etc. Everyone seems to enjoys both sets. I looked at bamboo, but dismissed it as not worth extra. My wife (who knows these things..) actually preferred the white finish to bamboo, saying bamboo looked cheap. All depends on your taste. You won't resent having spent £249 on A5s. Get some decent stands too. -- turbot fiend turbot fiend's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=22691 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=67800 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] RATS! Recommendations/advice requested
Gentlefolk, I'm a lapsed (medium-fi) audiophile. I'd achieved a stasis of price/performance/enjoyment. Now, however, I've discovered the wallet threatening joys of computer based audio reproduction. I'm looking to introduce a squeezebox into the equation, and have the classic question: Duet (with/without external DAC), or Transporter? I'm looking for quality similar to my existing setup, as I don't have the money, commitment or hearing for anything much better. All other things being equal, in my book less boxes/cables are better than more. I also want to be able to experiment with hi-res (24/96, probably no more), and Room Correction (have been fascinated with that since reading about the TACT Audio years ago). Any comments/advice/recommendations/experience gratefully received. Rick System: CD - Musical Fidelity A3 Tuner - Musical Fidelity A3 Integrated amp - Musical Fidelity A300 Speakers - B&W Concept 90 CM1 & CM2 Interconnects - Van den Hul D 102 III Speaker cable - QED Genesis Silver Spiral Headphones - Sennheiser HD 600 & Etymotic ER-4S Headphone amp - Meier Audio 3MOVE -- artee artee's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=32816 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=67907 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/audiophiles
