Logitech Squeezebox sound compared to CD Player

I own a Squeezebox Transporter that I used to run wireless exclusively and thought there was nothing more to be gained by changing to a hard wired setup. THEN, one day, I decided to give the Ethernet connection a try after doing research on all the ways a wireless signal can be compromised for the purposes of audio.

The SQ difference between wireless and wired is not subtle in my experience with these devices. I now run "Wired" exclusively and am very happy I decided to try it in that configuration. Sure it's more inconvenient and not as aesthetically pleasing as wireless but that can be addressed by installing a dedicated CAT5 drop behind your equipment rack.

There are countless posts on various forums that discuss the reasons why “Wired” is the way to go. Some of these posts are by well respected manufacturers who have the capital and equipment to use any connectivity method they want but are most interested in the best way possible.

Airborne electrical interferences found rampant throughout most homes today is just one of the many reasons why wireless is a compromised connectivity method. If you feel this is all smoke and mirrors then give it a try for yourself or just carry on happily with blinders

IME, the difference was easily noticeable in favor of "wired" but of course this is totally dependant on how revealing the rest of your equipment is.

Eniac...although i can't comment on the SB wireless vs wired, i can tell you my PWD sounds the same both ways. blanket statements like yours rarely hold true. you may be right regarding the SB's wireless shortcomings (i don't know). i can tell you you're wrong regarding wireless in general. you might want to reconsider using the word "blinders". seems you're the one wearing them from where i sit.

cheers

IMO, if you have a SBT and haven't tried Soundcheck's TT3 mod, then you are really missing out. It may not make sense why wireless being disabled has any SQ affects or any of the mods, but this is one of those where you have to let your ears be the judge. It only takes about 10min to install. If you don't like, you can do a factory reset and be back to where you were. On the SB forums, there are a couple of users who try to do measurements to disprove. The numbers make sense, but when you listen it's the complete opposite. I'm not trying to start a flame war on wired vs wireless or sounding like a Soundcheck fanboy, but this is one of those you have to hear it for yourself and make your own judgement if there is an improvement or not.

Another great thing about the mod is that it is free unless you choose to donate to his development.

RBautista,

Have you tried the mod to disable wireless when using SB TOuch with an external DAC? I wonder if the mod has any impact there?

A scenario where the onboard DAC might benefit due to less RF noise or something along that line perhaps would not surprise me, but not when a physically separated outboard DAC is used.

Myself, I have never used the onboard DAC so I have no experience there to say. But the sound with the outboard DAC is competitive with the best digital rigs I have heard anywhere I would say, so I am not so convinced there.

IF what I suspect is true, then use of an outboard DAC with Touch is a much more practical, straightforward and supportable solution than mods to the device itself.

Mapman,

I do use an external DAC. What you mean by "tried mod to disable wireless" always adds confusion on the SB forums. So we are on the same page, when I say disabling the wireless mod actually means the wireless radio is ON. When you try the mod and do a tt -s, you will know what I mean. In my setup, I have the wireless mod enabled which means the wireless radio is OFF. I have compared the the two and having the wireless radio OFF (mod enabled) made a big improvement in my system. The music was smoother, less digital hash/grain, and transparent.

Like you, I have never used the onboard DAC only with an external DAC. I agree with you that SBT+external DAC is comptetitive more expensive setups, but the mods did bring the SBT to another level in my system. (**Warning bold statement/opinion coming up**) I truly believe the SBT with the mods can compete with transports costing in the 2-3K range and SBT+mod+external dac competing with CD players in the 5K range.

Another great thing about the mods, you can tune to your liking. I compare it to having different filters on the DAC. With different combinations of mods disabled/enabled, you get a different flavor of sound. Some good, some bad depending on the combination. If you go to the SB forum under the Audiophile section, you will read about the different results and peoples settings.

Based upon your responses and reading your thread on your system setup, it seems you haven't tried the mod. You may have your reasons for not trying them which is fine. I just think you are missing out :)

PS. Not trying to be rude, but don't want to clog up the thread with us going back and forth on why wireless should or shouldn't make a difference. I'd be happy to discuss on a separate thread so we can keep this one on track.