Logitech Transporter vs Linn MDS

Posted by: AMA on 13 August 2011

The last two days I had a chance to put my hands over a new Linn MDS and test it against a Logitech Transporter in my home system.

When running through analogue output TP still has an edge over MDS.

How could it happen that 1900 $ product developed in early 2000s by unknown manufacturer still sounds better than 2900 $ Linn gear from 2011? ENIGMA....

Obviously nDAC/XPS takes the performance of both MDS and TP through digital output to absolutely different level. The sound just opens up, the soundstage expands, the bass gets more weight and articulation. Incredible dynamics. But it should be for the price you pay for nDAC/XPS.

My previous tests showed that nDAC/XPS is close to KDS in some sonic departments (and features a better bass).

What I found interesting was that MDS came very close to TP as transport to nDAC. TP was just a bit more articulated. The effect is quite noticeable in the lower bass and then gradually diminishes towards the highs.

In terms of flexibility: MDS streams data from uPnP while TP requires a dedicated Logitech server (called SlimServer). At the same time Slim Server is very advanced and full-functional, including the iPeng Clients for iPod/iPad.

I would love to repeat the test with ADS digital output -- will it surpass the performance of TP when both run into nDAC/XPS? Sheer curiosity ...

Posted on: 13 August 2011 by DavidDever

Logitech Media Server 7.7 and later includes a fully-functioning UPnP server stack - you can use this with both devices to compare at par the performance of both.

Also - do try optical on the Majik DS - you might be surprised how much this makes a difference with the n-DAC.

Posted on: 13 August 2011 by likesmusic

It'll be interesting to see what Logitech do with their Logitech Media Server - it seems to include video as well as sound, and drive the Logitech Revue as well as Squeezeboxes so there are many possibilities

Posted on: 13 August 2011 by AMA

Originally Posted by DavidDever:

Hi, David.

Does it mean I can stream from Logitech Media Server 7.7 with TP and MDS at the same time?

Also, I performed the TP/MDS test through the optical cable

btw I took a chance to compare two cables again: Analysis Plus tosslink and Van Del Hul tosslink and again I could not tell them apart through nDAC. But when I run TP through DC1 it sounds a bit more controlled than tosslink -- very small effect which I think I ad overlooked before.

This time I picked this on a very difficult track: Nathan Riki Tompson - Cheza (from Naim Label tester). Still I can't say if this is a cable superiority or possibly TP coax is better arranged than TP optical output.

Posted on: 14 August 2011 by Tog

No surprises here as the TP was years ahead of it's time. The addition of UPnP indicates that Logitech is looking to this rather than Slimserver as the future direction for general media streaming.

If the UPnP stack works well this could be the development Mac users have been waiting for and a major shot in the arm for UPnP. The Slimserver ( now LMS ) have a lot of experience drawn from years of developing their streaming software.

Tog

Posted on: 14 August 2011 by likesmusic

Logitech posted losses of $30m, due in part to the abysmal failure of the UPnP/Google TV Revue (which they are now nearly giving away) so I'm not sure their track record with UPnP is anything to get excited about!

Posted on: 14 August 2011 by Simon-in-Suffolk

Hi AMA, if you haven't already, you might want to look at SqueezePad for the iPad, a superb controller for logitech devices, as well as supporting direct playback to the iPad for listening around your house.
Simon

Posted on: 14 August 2011 by likesmusic

And don't forget that Airplay will let you (if you are so inclined) stream from your iPad or iPhone or Touch to an apple tv/airport express.. so you could connect squeezecenter or LMS as it will become to an apple renderer... but Logitech have to be working on a new renderer to replace the Revue- maybe they will make Touch's UPnP renderers even.

Posted on: 14 August 2011 by Tog

LMS 7.7 works on Mac - good control features - can be seen by nStream but so far not finding libraries very well.

For me "the elephant in the room" is Airplay and how naim are going to implement it - if they are as I expect going to announce new 'renderers' next week I would also expect some kind of indication about Airplay.

Of course Airplay is still imature and I have no idea of its capability of streaming hires files.

Tog

Posted on: 14 August 2011 by DavidDever

Originally Posted by likesmusic:

Be careful how you wield that stick–the same could have been said for a certain other manufacturer not that long ago, whose business model is based around UPnP streamers as audiophile sources.

In Logitech's defense, part of the problem has largely to do with the ongoing sniping over video codecs and DRM, not UPnP/DLNA–though I think they've discovered the hard way that players which require proprietary extensions to UPnP in order to function do not serve their business model in the long term. (Mark my words, this will also eventually affect Sonos as well.)

Posted on: 14 August 2011 by AMA

Originally Posted by Simon-in-Suffolk:

Hi, Simon. Thanks for the reference. Is it free?

Posted on: 14 August 2011 by likesmusic

I wouldn't disagree with any of what you say David, but I reckon Logitech have a lot of catching up to do in some areas rather that necessarily having lots of experience to bring to the party. Squeezecenter is pretty limited as a way of browsing, playing and arranging a more than trivial collection of music ime.

According to one off the developers of LMS - "Initial focus is via DLNA for Revue (and other DLNA clients). Images do make sense, and as a part of this work I hope we can finally get to the "rethink cover art" bug." so perhaps there's a shift from Squeezebox to Revue.

If you google "Logitech forum beta lms" you'll get the whole saga .. I wouldn't hold my breath!

Posted on: 14 August 2011 by Tog

@DavidD & Likesmusic - agreed - Slim Devices (now alas Logitech) trail-blazed serious streaming in a time when you could get a Squeezebox modified by Boulder into a serious audiophile device. The Transporter was seriously good but the company was under financed and the sale to a company like Logitech meant they were left with a world class player nobody knew what to do with and so it was shelved. It is a sad story but not that uncommon.

Having played with LMS on the Mac for a few hours I remain unimpressed and went back to Vortexbox with relief.

Tog