2. digital
  3. 1246323985

CD transport vs streamer?

I am presently using a squeezebox unmodded and streaming via ethernet (not wi fi) uncompressed files from a Mac. I am feeding this into my Weiss Medea DAC (tried both Toslink and coaxial). However, comparing it to using my Jason transport, the sound is significantly worse. eg in Jazz at the Pawnshop, I can hear the liveness of the recording, on the streamed music it sounds like it was recorded in an anechoic chamber. Same when i stream from my apple TV via toslink.

Has anyone found a way of streaming that actually can outdo a high end CD player?
jglim
mlsstl
1,428 posts
 
Jglim, I'm still curious about the file format you're using for the Squeezebox. Some formats are not native to the device. While they will play they require transcoding by the server software, so that could be an issue for you.
jglim OP
16 posts
 
I am using apple lossless.
mlsstl
1,428 posts
 
I am using apple lossless.
That could be one factor. ALAC is not native to the Squeezebox so has to be transcoded by the Squeezecenter software and streamed to the Squeezebox in a different format.

Check your settings to see which format is being used to stream from Squeezecenter to the box. That could explain the situation, particularly if a setting is off.

And, for an experiment, take a CD where you've noticed a quality difference between your CD player and the Squeezebox and rip that CD to either wave or FLAC format. Both of those are natively decoded. It would be interesting to see if that makes a difference for you.
richlane
167 posts
 
Hi Mlsstl,

I'm not sure what you mean by Apple Lossless is not a native format to the Squeezebox. Logitech lists it as a supported format in their spec sheet, right along with FLAC, and WMA Lossless.

For what it's worth I'm getting phenomenal sound from the Transporter and terrible sound from the Squeezebox, while both were using Apple Lossless. So possibly it's a processing thing, a jitter thing or a clocking thingy.

Jglim,

In my humble opinion, you will never get the sound that you are looking for through the Squeezebox. I think you should Demo a Transporter. Have fun with it for 30 days and then ship it back if you don't agree with me.

Rich
mlsstl
1,428 posts
 
I'm not sure what you mean by Apple Lossless is not a native format to the Squeezebox.

Check the Slimserver website:
http://wiki.slimdevices.com/index.php/CodecComparison

From the ALAC entry a shade over halfway down the page:
"- Must be transcoded (automatically) to play on SlimServer"

I had to install the Apple codec on my Squeezecenter in order to play any AAC/ALAC tracks.

I understand your enthusiasm for the Transporter. If I had spare cash to throw at my system I'd probably do the same. I did try it under their 30 day home trial. Sure, they took it back without trouble when I returned it but it is still a hassle to bring it in, return it and tie your credit card up for a couple of months.

OTOH, of the two things I suggested, one he should be doing anyway (double checking file streaming settings) no matter which machine he ends up with and the other might take an hour of time to settle the issue one way or the other.
More to discover