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Squeezebox Boulder Audio Digital ONLY Upgrade - Page 3

post #31 of 64
3/27/06 at 8:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by neilvg
Yeah it's all flac and APE. BUT you mention bitrate limiting, and Akwok has just informed me that it is on by default. Anyway, it seems that there is some stuff for me to play around with before I go out and get this thing modded.

Thanks a lot for that info, hehehe. I see what's going on. Ever since it was found that I use Optical Out, all my credibility has gone to shambles! LOL! Now I'm being questioned on playback formats, next we'll have to ascertain phase alignment of my Orpheus, directionality of solar wind, % ozone depletion in the area....

Just kidding. Thanks guys. But I do want to find out more about those mods!

Neil
Is it plugged in?
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post #32 of 64
3/27/06 at 8:45pm
Haha, no offense intended Neil. Would you like to try a linear PS? Since I built my PS-One supplies I have a couple hosfelt supplies I will eventually ebay, but since you look to be in the city of SF, you're welcome to test one for a few days to see if it makes a diff in your system.

-Dan
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post #33 of 64
3/27/06 at 10:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by kin0kin
this has gotta be the most fungly thing i have ever seen:
http://www.boldercables.com/servlet/Detail?no=304
i live in boulder. WIERD is the key word. boulder-ites are freakin nutty people. i might have to run by this place to check them out. perhaps get told off by some arogant front range audio nazi's
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post #34 of 64
3/27/06 at 10:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by akwok
Hmm.

Itchy. Would the $600 be better spent elsewhere in the chain? Hard to tell..

Wonder if Vinnie's battery solution would be better.
spend $200 and diy it
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post #35 of 64
3/28/06 at 12:37am
Quote:
Originally Posted by neilvg
Yeah it's all flac and APE. BUT you mention bitrate limiting, and Akwok has just informed me that it is on by default. Anyway, it seems that there is some stuff for me to play around with before I go out and get this thing modded.

Thanks a lot for that info, hehehe. I see what's going on. Ever since it was found that I use Optical Out, all my credibility has gone to shambles! LOL! Now I'm being questioned on playback formats, next we'll have to ascertain phase alignment of my Orpheus, directionality of solar wind, % ozone depletion in the area....

Just kidding. Thanks guys. But I do want to find out more about those mods!

Neil

Neil,

Have you considered a career in City Management?

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/03/24/tuttle_centos/

in Jest.

Grahame
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post #36 of 64
3/28/06 at 2:55am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Grahame
Neil,

Have you considered a career in City Management?

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/03/24/tuttle_centos/

in Jest.

Grahame
Grahame! Wow! Nice find. Very very amusing.

See... I can't possibly compete!
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post #37 of 64
3/28/06 at 10:59pm
Thread Starter 
Just an update -

It turned out I had the squeezebox setup correctly to play Lossless without bitrate limiting. The digital output level was set to fixed (not variable) and replay gain was set to off.

So next I tried a coax digital cable and found that it definitely does make a difference, although it is not dramatic. I definitely prefer coax over optical on both my squeezebox and DV50. But, the sound still isn't there (as compared to the DV50). The noisefloor is kind of grayish, with detail, depth and dynamics falling significantly short comparitively speaking.
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post #38 of 64
3/28/06 at 11:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by neilvg
Just an update -
But, the sound still isn't there (as compared to the DV50). The noisefloor is kind of grayish, with detail, depth and dynamics falling significantly short comparitively speaking.
you just described the stock switcher. you really need to try a linear power supply. the switcher ps it comes with is garbage! no one should ever have to listen to the sb3 with the stock switcher

altho i found you don't get awesome depth until u get the sb3 modded.
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post #39 of 64
3/28/06 at 11:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by yo2tup2
you really need to try a linear power supply. the switcher ps it comes with is garbage! no one should ever have to listen to the sb3 with the stock switcher
Are there any that are < $100? Wallwart version..?
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post #40 of 64
3/29/06 at 12:01am
Quote:
Originally Posted by akwok
Are there any that are < $100? Wallwart version..?
yeah you just gotta look for a linear regulated power supply that's 5v with at least 1.5A. if you find one thats a small wallwort, its most likely not a linear ps. You should be able to find them for less than $20. i had a bunch of of 5v 2.3A that I had laying around at work. I only have one left now tho, I sold the rest.
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post #41 of 64
3/29/06 at 12:13am
Quote:
Originally Posted by neilvg
But, the sound still isn't there (as compared to the DV50). The noisefloor is kind of grayish, with detail, depth and dynamics falling significantly short comparitively speaking.
I would hope theh DV50 wins though considering it cost that much??

I find consumer stuff needs mods to really bring it up.
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post #42 of 64
3/29/06 at 2:39am
ok, so if you want performance rivalling the SB3 which digital transport (non-CDP) would you get?

It needs to provide either AES/EBU or coax output (the next device in the chain doesn't have USB input and I don't trust its optical input either).

(sorry if I'm stealing the light here, I figured the topic was close enough to warrent an in-thread question )
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post #43 of 64
3/29/06 at 2:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by darkless
ok, so if you want performance rivalling the SB3 which digital transport (non-CDP) would you get?

It needs to provide either AES/EBU or coax output (the next device in the chain doesn't have USB input and I don't trust its optical input either).

(sorry if I'm stealing the light here, I figured the topic was close enough to warrent an in-thread question )
I'd like to know this too...but more generally what level of transport the SB3 is comparable to. Because there seems to be a wide range of opinion on this. I've heard that the internal DAC of the SB3 is in DAC1 quality range, and I've heard quite the opposite, from a poster in this very thread. In terms of using it as a transport, my impression is that there is a similarly wide disparity of opinion.

Could I get a similarly good transport for $150, using a CD/DVD player of some variety?
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post #44 of 64
3/29/06 at 5:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by roy_jones
I'd like to know this too...but more generally what level of transport the SB3 is comparable to.
To my ears my Squeezebox 2* is exactly on par with my HeadRoom Micro DAC. Either one qualifies as "the best source I own" (and most expensive source I own) so I'm not in a position to compare to DAC1, etc.

The two were either indistinguishable or just barely distinguishable in my test**. I might have heard a small texture difference in sustained vowels in female vocals, but I'm not certain. To the extent there was a difference, I did not feel one was better than the other.


*...which SlimDevices says has the same electronics as SB3. I could retest with one of my SB3s if someone really, really cares a whole big bunch -- but I'd kinda rather not.

**I tested with a HeadRoom switchbox, HeadAmp Gilmore Lite V2 (stock PSU), Ety ER-4S, and lossless files of music I knew pretty well, mainly well-recorded jazz with vocals. Levels matched by ear by adjusting the Squeezebox's volume control.
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post #45 of 64
3/29/06 at 7:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by roy_jones
I'd like to know this too...but more generally what level of transport the SB3 is comparable to. Because there seems to be a wide range of opinion on this. I've heard that the internal DAC of the SB3 is in DAC1 quality range, and I've heard quite the opposite, from a poster in this very thread. In terms of using it as a transport, my impression is that there is a similarly wide disparity of opinion.

Could I get a similarly good transport for $150, using a CD/DVD player of some variety?
I'm new here, but I post on the Slim Devices forum a lot. Just to give you an idea of the quality of the SB3 as a transport, John Atkinson of Stereophile is currently reviewing it, and says he has to strain to hear any differences between the SB3 and Ayre C-5xe (used as transport), which costs ~$6,000 (USD). FYI, check out this thread over on the SD forum:
http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=22301
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