Experiences with SlimDevices Squeezebox.

Is anybody using lossless WMA with their Squeezeboxes? I've been ripping my CD collection with Windows Media Player 10 using this format because it's just so convenient -- one stop shopping in Windows Media Player, and it even downloads the album cover art. But I've only done about 30 CDs so it's not too late to switch if there's a reason.

Anyway, I don't yet have a D2A converter (until now, I just had my vintage Sony 707ESD CD player hooked directly to my amp) and was disappointed but not surprised by the lo-fi sound quality of the Squeezebox's analog outs. Springing for a separate A2D converter just for the Squeezebox doesn't really interest me, but I could kill two birds with one stone: is anyone running the Squeezebox's output into a HT pre/pro or a HT receiver like the Sony STR-DA9000ES?

Also, I'm curious but haven't been able to find out: does the SlimServer software on the PC decode/decompress the sound file (MP3, AIFF, WMA, etc.) and send PCM over TCP/IP to the Squeezebox itself or is the decoding/decompression function peformed in the Squeezebox? Supporting all those different formats in the Squeezebox seems a little counter-intuitive to me.

Is a DAC necessary? Or can one connect a Sqeezebox right to a power amp? Is the sound that bad without a DAC?

DAC is not necessary. Difficult to answer on the sound quality question. It depends on many variables. If you are just streaming 128kbps mp3, then it matter little. If the wireless network is slow, it will sound bad irregardless.

Assume all the computer side business is well implemented, it sounds ok for a $200 device. Don't expect it to sound like a newest Wadia DAC or even a Benchmark DAC-1.

Thanks Ejliu. I'm not going to rip my entire cd collection, just do a bit of streaming. As long as it sounds as good as fm radio, I'll give it a try. Wiley