Squeezebox Touch

quote:

Originally posted by pcstockton:
Looking for SB experts.... Looking for answers to a few questions if you please.

Must I use the Squeezecenter i.e. Logitech's "media player"?


-Patrick

If you mean that the Touch has to be connected to a PC running squeezecentre, then no. It will run stand-alone with its own version of the server running internally.

Lots of answers on the Logitech Touch forum. Don't think I am allowed to post a link so do a google for the slimdevices forum.

Thanks Jo. Better stated... my question is, Can I use a SB Touch with Foobar as a player?

An the logitech forum is crap. It says something that one can find better information here that there.

quote:

Originally posted by Thorsten_Lux:
Can you play music-files from an USB-Harddisk without an ethernet connection???

Yes you can: obviously no internet radio, no digital clock in suspend mode and so on. You need an internet connection only for the initial setup (to download the firmware).

Anyway it's better to limit the number of tracks stored on your HD to 5000-10000 if you don't want to wait a long time for every scan/re-scan of the database.

Mine arrived pretty promptly from Holland despite transport chaos in Europe. Very easy to set up and the sound from the analogue outputs is very encouraging after only a short warm up.

I've only experienced the "stuttering" effect at the begining of one 24/96 track - it's the same everytime I play it on its own. However, it plays normally if I play the whole piece and it follows on from the previous track! I'm going to try an ethernet cable. The 24/96 tracks do sound excellent though.

Best of all is the quality of Radio 3 through the natively played AAC streams via the IPlayer. Quite superb. I'll miss these when I'm back in CZ!

quote:

Originally posted by pcstockton:
Thanks Jo. Better stated... my question is, Can I use a SB Touch with Foobar as a player?

An the logitech forum is crap. It says something that one can find better information here that there.

touch is a stand alone that will use it's own player and doesn't need ASIO etc as it is not used as a sound card. Nothing to bypass other than maybe defeating some of it's own settings. USB is storage access only. Foobar is not in the loop but SB will see the same files after setup.

quote:

Originally posted by Chris Shorter:
I've only experienced the "stuttering" effect at the begining of one 24/96 track - it's the same everytime I play it on its own. However, it plays normally if I play the whole piece and it follows on from the previous track! I'm going to try an ethernet cable. The 24/96 tracks do sound excellent though.

I've now tried cable connection between router and Touch and the stuttering problem is completely eliminated for me. I've no complaints about the sound at all.

quote:

Originally posted by Chris Shorter:
I've no complaints about the sound at all.

Chris

How does it compare with other sources. Are you using it with a Naim DAC

Does ANYONE is the States know how to buy one of these?

Magnolia seems to be the only outfit that sells them. I would rather not buy from them but it may be a moot point as none of them carry/stock the Touch.

The Logitech online "store" states that they are "out of stock".

any ideas? Id like to try one fo fun.

thanks,
Patrick

quote:

Chris

How does it compare with other sources. Are you using it with a Naim DAC

Unfortunately, not yet! It's just been the analogue outputs so far in to two systems: 52, 300, QUAD988's and 32.5, 180, IBL's.

For comparison, I have a recently serviced CDS2. With 16bit FLAC the Touch sounds pretty good but is clearly not in the same class as the CDS2. With 24/96 material, compared with the CDS2 with normal CD, the Touch is very good, better in some ways, which I think is a great result for a sub-£300 front-end. If the NDAC closes the gap with the 16bit stuff I don't think I will have much need for the CDS2.

Internet radio is very good too, particularly the AAC streams via the BBC IPlayer. Decoding within the Touch is certainly much better than the transcoding arrangement with the Squeezebox Receiver I had previously. Until recently I had a NAT-01 and am used to good radio in the home; the Touch does a very good job indeed.

On the question of sound quality alone, if you're intending to use it with a Naim DAC, will there be any difference (between the Touch and the Classic)?

quote:

Originally posted by Salmon Dave:
On the question of sound quality alone, if you're intending to use it with a Naim DAC, will there be any difference (between the Touch and the Classic)?

No idea, I'd have to try it. The "buzz on the street" is that the Touch is a very fine transport, nearly as good as the Transporter say some.

quote:

Originally posted by Salmon Dave:
On the question of sound quality alone, if you're intending to use it with a Naim DAC, will there be any difference (between the Touch and the Classic)?

yes, at least in that the touch can play 24/96.

-patrick

quote:

Originally posted by Salmon Dave:
On the question of sound quality alone, if you're intending to use it with a Naim DAC, will there be any difference (between the Touch and the Classic)?

Hi!
I don't have a nDAC yet, but I recently switched from a SB3 to a Touch and the difference in sound quality feeding a MF V-DAC is actually quite surprising! It's a big step up IMO. Smoother, fuller and more dynamic.

/Henrik

(The rest of the system is: Nait XS, Audiovector S1 Signature)

quote:

Hi!
I don't have a nDAC yet, but I recently switched from a SB3 to a Touch and the difference in sound quality feeding a MF V-DAC is actually quite surprising! It's a big step up IMO. Smoother, fuller and more dynamic.

/Henrik

How much difference does the MF V-DAC make compared with the analogue outputs of the Touch? The suggestion, seen elsewhere, was that you have to spend quite a lot of money on a DAC to improve on the Touch's own analogue outputs.

How much difference does the MF V-DAC make compared with the analogue outputs of the Touch? The suggestion, seen elsewhere, was that you have to spend quite a lot of money on a DAC to improve on the Touch's own analogue outputs.[/QUOTE]

Honestly, I just placed the Touch where I had the SB3 without testing. But I will try to find some time this weekend to test both the V-DAC and a MOON DAC vs the Touch analogue.

Did some testing this week. Nothing fancy, I just switched from one source to the other during playback.

The Moon 300D Dac was clearly the better alternative for sound quality. Not really what I am looking for tho as I found it a bit restrained sometimes, so I'll save up for the nDAC instead..

The V-DAC is for sale.. It was obvious that I don't need it. It sounds different from the Touchs internal, but not better IMO.

quote:

Originally posted by YM2149:

Thanks for your thoughts on the V-DAC and the Touch. It looks like I also have to save up for the NDAC.

I had wondered about a Moon 300D as an alternative, if too much of my funds are diverted to renovating my Czech ruin. From your discription, it sounds like I would be a bit disappointed with the MOON.

quote:

From your discription, it sounds like I would be a bit disappointed with the MOON.

Well, it sounded really nice with most music. But with NiN, Fear factory or stuff that's supposed to be in your face it was a bit too polite.. So I guess it depends on your collection

quote:

Originally posted by YM2149:
So I guess it depends on your collection

Well, I'm a bit of a Mozart and Haydn man myself, so it might be worth a listen, after all!

Any further reviews or testing done with the Touch?

Is it ture it can only handle a library of about 30K tracks max?

-Patrick

Just been reading this thread and has got me very interested. I have a SB3 and stream flac files into a Supernait. Is the new SB Touch that much better than the SB3. I have a decent Arcam CD player and I find that the SB3 lacks weight and sounds thin compared to a 1k cd player.
Will the new model bridge the gap?- Is it worth changing to the touch from the SB3?

alittle gardening, a few real ales and the best saturday this year . music streaming out of the house via iphone control/sonos/ripnas /ndac. playlists are alittle fun. just refilling pot

quote:

Originally posted by likesmusic:
Don't forget that by default Squeezecenter will convert WAV to FLAC before streaming, which will then mean the Touch will have to work to convert it back. OTOH if you stream as PCM then there will be more network traffic and more decrypting for the Touch to handle.

The touch I saw didin't do this and streamed native when checked with squeezeserver (new).

quote:

Originally posted by RichardD:
Just been reading this thread and has got me very interested. I have a SB3 and stream flac files into a Supernait. Is the new SB Touch that much better than the SB3. I have a decent Arcam CD player and I find that the SB3 lacks weight and sounds thin compared to a 1k cd player.
Will the new model bridge the gap?- Is it worth changing to the touch from the SB3?

In my opinion it's well worth the money. It sounds fuller, weightier and more controlled in the highs.