Stereophile Rated the Sqeezebox Touch Class D

Nobody is going to pay any attention to that rating, because they'll be too distracted by the Vincent ad on the adjacent page :-)

Best regards,
-- Al

The rating does seems inconsistent with the review in the same issue. There's much praise for the sound when connected via the digital out. The sound from the analog outs is criticized as a step or two down by comparison, but comparable to the analog out sound of the Oppo 83. But the Oppo is graded a class B product. It doesn't make sense.

Mlsstl, I somewhat agree with you.

Herman, you are missing the point. Look at my posted system. With all the $$$ I have spent on it and then along comes this $299 Sqeezebox Touch that can do everything my expensive CD Player can and it gets tossed into a class D rating. I believe that is just wrong. I personally think it is because of its low cost.

Synthfreek , the ratings mean something or a rating scale would not be used.

Almarg, I noticed her, very nice. She seems to have a frown on her face though. Probably the sqeezebox rating.

Onhwy61 , Yes your right.

Below is my comments on a posting on another site and below that is John Atkinson (Stereophile) reply.
___________________________________________________________ My comments

The Touch is made to be also used as a digital transport.
The Cary 306 Pro is rated Class A.
Playing the Touch through the same Cary Dac and with the results being equal sound quality, then it should have given a class A rating also.

The reviewer Kal Rubinson stated today on the Sqeezebox forum that the rating was just wrong.
He stated that he never rated, because at the time he was asked to rate it he only had it for a few days. He went on to state that he suggested to just add comments to see the review in the issue.
Somehow, someone who never reviewed the Touch then placed it in class D.

Also, guess what now, Kal's comments have been deleted.

Come On John, just because the Touch is only $299 dont change the facts.

___________________________________________________________
And John Atkinsons reply

>The Touch is made to be also used as a digital transport.

Yes, but that is not its primary use.

>John Atkinson, the Cary 306 Pro is rated Class A. Playing the Touch through the same Cary Dac and with the results being equal sound quality, then it should have given a class A rating also.

In your opinion, not mine. The rating I decide on for a product when I receive feedback from the review team is based on its unmodified performance in its fundamental role. That is can be made to sound better with, for exmaple, an upgraded power supply, or a modification to its firmware, or by using, as you have done an expensive outbard DAC is not something I take into account. (Though these things are mentioned in the review and will be mentioned in the accompnaying blurb in the next
"Recommended Components" listing.) Note that the entry for the Touch in "Recommended Components" specifically said "see KR's review in this issue."

>The reviewer Kal Rubinson stated today on the Sqeezebox forum that the rating was just wrong.

He subsequently deleted that posting

>He stated that he never rated, because at the time he was asked to rate it he only had it for a few days.

Stereophile's reviewers don't decide the ratings in "Recommended Components," I do, based on _all_ their comments both in their review and in private discussions and correspondence.

>He went on to state that he suggested to just add comments to see the review in the issue.

We don't list conventional products in "Recommended Components" without a rating, so Kal's request was not feasible.

>Somehow, someone who never reviewed the Touch then placed it in class D.

Not correct. While Kal wrote the formal review, we had three review samples of the Touch at the magazine. I decided on the rating based on Kal's description of the Touch's sound quality in the review used from its
analog outputs and on my own experience of using it, again from its analog outputs.

>Also, guess what now, Kal's comments have been deleted.

That was Kal's decision. Personally, I don't feel it approriate for a Stereophile writer to post private communications on the Web, but I didn't ask him to delete the post.

>Come On John, just because the Touch is only $299 dont change the facts.

I haven't. All is see is yet another example of someone annoyed that his favorite new toy has not got the highest possible rating in
Stereophile's "Recomended Components" listing. And please remember that even in Class D, that means we _recommend_ the product. The Touch is a great product at a great price. But by itself, it doens not deliver the
highest possible sound quality, which is what a Class A rating would mean.

John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile

Atkinson's rationale makes sense to me. He/they rated it by itself, not with an asterisk next to it saying 'with a great DAC connected to it.'

I haven't heard the Oppo nor the Touch. If they sound identical from their analog outs, they should be rated about the same. But, they're different devices that perform different functions, and hence have different competition.

But what do I know? I'm no reviewer, nor do I care to be.

Just because they rated it lower than you would have, or their justification doesn't make sense to you doesn't make it sound any worse now than it did before you read the rating, does it? Its not worth getting worked up over IMO.

I had been reading Kal's posts over on the slim devices forum. His common sense approach and frankness made me think about getting a subscription to Stereophile. While the Class D rating doesn't bother me or affect my enjoyment of the Touch as a digital transport, John Atkinson's responses and "logic" cost them a new subscription from me.