2. digital
  3. 1285022471

Squeezebox Touch or Sonos ZonePlayer

I'm looking at streaming my digital music (FLAC audio files) from my HP EX490 server running Windows Home Server (WHS) to various sections of my home.

I was very close to getting the Sonos solution when I came across an article on the Squeezebox Touch in Stereophile magazine.

Unlike the Sonos ZonePlayers, the Squeezebox Touch also plays hi-rez FLAC downloads.

In terms of sound quality, would anyone know which of the two sounds better?

I'm looking at connecting the media player via digital coax to an external DAC in my living room to my dedicated stereo music system while for the other rooms the media player would connect to various "portable" boomboxes/radios via analog RCA cabling.
agiaccio
johsti's avatar
johsti
102 posts
 
The touch is reliable, sounds good without a dac, sounds better with a good dac, plays 24/96 files without downsampling and is quite a bit less expensive compared to Sonos. No brainer if you ask me.
djohnson54
396 posts
 
I have no experience with the Sonos but the Touch does NOT downsample anything 24/96 or lower. I would imagine that the use of an external DAC would pretty much negate MOST of the sound quality differences between the two.
kr4's avatar
kr4
3,685 posts
 
Johsti said: ....plays 24/96 files without downsampling.
Djohnson said: ...the Touch does NOT downsample anything 24/96 or lower."

I think they agree. Touch will play 24/96 or lower rates unchanged. It will downsample 24/176.4 and 24/192 to 24/96.

Kal
djohnson54
396 posts
 
Kal,

Yes we agree. Sometimes previous posts haven't been "approved" yet. Actually I think 24/176.4 is downsampled to 24/88.2.

Nice review BTW. I am also thrilled with mine. I am open to the fact that it might not be the best solution for everyone though.

Dick
wendellkb
6 posts
 
I have the older squeezebox units. They work great, when they work. Definitely need external DAC though. (i have been told this about the sonos as well). Just doesn't sound right without it. I run it through my Cambridge 840C.
Friends with Sonos spend much less time messing around with network issues. So, if you are slightly geek inclined and want to save money, I would go for the squeezebox. If not, Sonos.
More to discover