Bottlehead Forum
Other Gear => Digital => Topic started by: scooter_nate on May 04, 2012, 02:57:27 PM
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How is everyone? I have a SEX amp and mainly use my laptop for my main source of music and I am sick of looking at the cord going from the haedphone jack to the RCA's any ideas what i could use DAC or something I may not know of, also I am not looking to spend a whole lot.
Thanks for your time,
Nate
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I use a squeezebox touch. It is a Logitech product that allows you to stream the music from your home computer wirelessly.
Our will eliminate the cords.
http://mobile.logitech.com/speakers-audio/wireless-music-systems/devices/5745
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I was looking at the squeeze boxes and am just not sold on the wireless stuff. how exactly does it hook up to the amp and most of all the sound quality?
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The quality of the built-in DAC is good but you can route the digital signal to an external DAC if you prefer. Or, just use the RCAs directly out to the amp.
While it will work wirelessly, I connect mine with cat5 directly to the router. It is just more reliable that way. If the amp stays in one place, this is the way to go.
Imagine an I-pod touch that uses your computers hard drive for storage and will decode just about every music file out there.
This allowed me to move the noisy computer out of my music room. I'm in no way affiliated with Logitech. These things just work great for me.
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Thank you I think you sold me on the touch. Will let you know what my score is on the touch.
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I use an older version of the touch and wirelessly and while I certainly prefer my vinyl when ever i can, the squeezebox product certainly opens up doors to listening. I actually use it most for listening to online stations that I could never pick up with a tuner....digital out to a dacmagic upsampling DAC and for streaming content....it is quite live-able/like-able.
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+3 for the touch, I am using a Vortexbox for a server, it is an OS based on Fedora Linux, and has Logitech media server built in and does auto rip of CDs and DVDs, and it is free. I also added a linear PS for the touch. If you have an Iphone, IPad, or Android device you can buy a cheap app. that allows you to use them as a remote.
Cheers,
Shawn
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Hey Nate - I add my enthusiastic support of the Squeezebox products. I have the Transporter. I think going with the Touch is a real good start. You can always upgrade the DAC. I have found that wired Ethernet with the Transport sounds better. The good thing is that you can run a really long and cheap cable with no sound effect. I have tried 4ft vs. 25ft, cat5 vs. cat7 - no difference. Let the USB fans tell you that!
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"4ft vs. 25ft, cat5 vs. cat7 - no difference. Let the USB fans tell you that!..."
Ok, I'll give it a shot... using my audiophilleo AP-2 and running from a 2010 mac mini -- first using a 1 meter starlight usb cable, and then moving the mini to a closet and using a 7 meter starlight, no audible difference whatsoever. Not saying that all usb transmitter/receiver pairs will behave the same (probably won't) but this is the very real result of a real test done by me, in my home, with a very good system, and over the course of about 2 weeks and many listening sessions.
-- Jim
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Interesting results Jim. I would venture a guess you paid a bit more for your 7 meter Starlight than I did my Belkin 25ft cat5e ethernet cable. You probably would not be able to get a reliable signal through a 7 meter el-cheap-o USB cable.
Still - USB continues to progress. We all benefit from that. I will store your experience in the data banks for future reference. One never knows with this hobby. I do like WireWorld stuff. I have several of their cables. Very good for the money.
I will give this one to you! Sort of...
Cheers - Eric
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Hi Eric,
Just as a reminder, I don't want to cast this as a boxing match, so hopefully there are no rounds to win or lose -- just trying to keep the idea of implementation being key as the main point.
As you said, sure, maany usb cables would never even work at this length, but that's why not all usb cables are created equal -- likewise for everything else in the chain.
As for the bottom line, my starlight/AP-2/metrum octave setup cost pretty much exactly what a new transporter cost, but what we don't know is how the two setups compare in sound quality, which is really the bottom line.
BTW, the 7 meter usb cable was the most expensive one I ever purchased at $225. I'm going to be evaluating the audioquest carbon next, which is only $118 and right out of the box seems to possibly be poised to step to the head of the pack of the cables I've owned. Even the starlight UltraViolet is noticeably better than the standard issue belkens and monoprice, etc. offerings. So, better design, materials, connectors, etc. does really pay off in usb cable implementation, but what I can't say at this point is where the point of diminishing returns starts. Of course that will be very subjective and system dependent too, so my point will undoubtedly be different from somebody else's.
So, hope you and everybody else is truly taking this in the spirit of providing information, not pushing or bashing any one technology over another. As to what I may use with the BH dac when it comes out, I can't even predict -- I'll try usb (with vaarious cables and such), coax and optical spdif, and whichever sounds best is what will stay Based on what John has told us so far and what I heard at RMAF, I'm betting that the spdif will be the ticket, but I'm also prepared to be surprised. :-)
-- Jim
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The BH DAC! - you had to bring that up again. I had forgot about it already!
- Tons of exciting under $1000 DAC's out there. Its hard to resist tinkering with them. I do believe that I will be able to 'upgrade' the sound of my Transporter in fairly short order. I do think the ak4396 in the Transporter is still a good chip, and implementation in the Transporter is generally good, although I feel that I can obtain a larger more analog sound in some of the recent products (Schitt, Audio DG, CEentrance, Burson, Wyrd, etc.) with FET output stages, better power supplies etc. The question still remains, do I hold on to the Transporter as a 'server' using squeezebox through ethernet etc. or ditch the whole thing and switch to USB.
More food for thought. I would probably be more willing to bite if the price for experimentation is not too steep!
Eric
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Hey Jim, just wanted to let you know that I am using the AQ carbon USB in my bedroom system, I can't compare it to the WW Starlight as I have not heard one. I did receive the Supernova 6 optical, if you remember I ordered the Supernova 5+ on closeout. The 5+ was sold out even though it showed in stock on the website, so they sent me the 6 at the same price. I like it so far, it uses 208 quartz fibers as well as using glass lenses on the connectors. I would like to AB it with a high quality coax, maybe I will have to buy one. I bought the Carbon USB because I borrowed a Benchmark ADC to do some vinyl rips, ended up not using it, but it does great with my second system.
Cheers,
Shawn