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Slim Devices' Transporter from Logitech

post #1 of 36
6/14/08 at 7:04am
Thread Starter 
Has anyone tried out the "Slim Devices' Transporter from Logitech"?

Stereophile: Slim Devices Transporter network music player
Slim Devices' Transporter from Logitech: Review by Joe Lozito on BigPictureBigSound

It is said that it could sound "better" then a 10k balanced cd-player.

I would love to connect it with a Headroom Home Balanced amp (via XLR).
My music source would be my desktop pc, which would be connected to the Transporter via ethernet. The Transporter would output the music to my HeadRoom amp via XLR, with a balanced Grado SR225 connected to it

or

the HeadRoom could be used as preamp, which is connected to a Red Wine Audio Signature 30.2, to which 2x Akg K1000's are connected.
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post #2 of 36
6/14/08 at 9:09am
The Transporter has been around for a few years and is an outstanding source. I wish I had one, but I love my Logitech Squeezebox,it's baby brother. There is a very active forum on the Slim Devices website. Check it out.
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post #3 of 36
6/14/08 at 3:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by alexdemaet View Post
I would love to connect it with a Headroom Home Balanced amp (via XLR).
Last time I was at Slim Devices I think this was their phone setup in the listening room.
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post #4 of 36
6/14/08 at 4:47pm
I was not crazy about the sound of the transporter when I owned it, the highs were slightly hazy and harsh and it did not have the best bass I have heard. I did like the interface and feel that is the way of the future. Makes me wish Logitech would partner with people like Modwright and APL rather than fight them with the "it can't be improved upon dogma" that is prevalent on their forums. Think you still may be better off with a Squeeze Box and a dac.
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post #5 of 36
6/14/08 at 5:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jp11801 View Post
I was not crazy about the sound of the transporter when I owned it, the highs were slightly hazy and harsh and it did not have the best bass I have heard. I did like the interface and feel that is the way of the future. Makes me wish Logitech would partner with people like Modwright and APL rather than fight them with the "it can't be improved upon dogma" that is prevalent on their forums. Think you still may be better off with a Squeeze Box and a dac.
I think I've reached the same conclusion... I was seriously thinking of the TP, but was leery of its DAC being as terrific as claimed; I didn't feel like spending $2K for the tP, then turning around & having to spend another $1K for a decent DAC.

I thinbk I'm gonna go another route & try the Apple TV. I'm a Mac user already, and having my music library (which isn't very big @ ~120GB) stored on the ATV HD would be a decent backup solution--I'd probably never use ATV for video since I don't buy from iTunes, and don't feel like re-encoding all my multiple .avi's... Anyways, I figure $330 for the 160GB ATV, plus $1K for a DAC will be good enough for me. PLUS, I won't have to spend my time beta testing all of Logitech's software releases....
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post #6 of 36
6/15/08 at 3:34am
Quote:
Has anyone tried out the "Slim Devices' Transporter from Logitech"?
No, it wasn't available for a long time in this country so I went for a Stello DA220MKII. But I have the Duet running to my Stello for a few weeks now. It's an excellent combination: it has all the advantages of the TP (network, balanced, etc.), plus the nice remote of the Duet. Only disadvantage is that you have to buy a coax cable.

Please bear in mind the TP's main point of focus seems to be jitter. So while it's an excellent transport and a DAC with high specifications, many are disappointed by the music coming out of the DAC part. The good part of that is that there are many mods that are developed, and there's plenty of room inside the box to place them there. On the other hand it means sinking even more money into it.
So IMO the transporter is meant for just what it's name says: the transport part of an extremely high end setup.
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post #7 of 36
6/15/08 at 7:15am
Thread Starter 
Thanks I decided to go for the Stello DA220MKII. Don't know about the Duet yet, cause I like to use the iTunes gui (with it's equalizer presets for different music genres). I believe I can import my iTunes playlist in the Duet gui system, but I don't know if there are any equalizer options.
The Duet remote is so cool though. And I lack a descent remote.
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post #8 of 36
6/29/08 at 4:44am
Thread Starter 
I have the Sb Duet (sb3) now and it is really good, I don't miss the equalizer presets at all. Now I am waiting for the Stello DA220 Mk II to arrive
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post #9 of 36
6/29/08 at 4:49am
Thread Starter 
(Oops, didn't know I posted already) I have Squeezebox Duet now. I don't see any equalizer in the Squeezecenter app, do you think it would be useful to have an equalizer with Sb3?
I am waiting for the Stello DA220 Mk II to arrive.
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post #10 of 36
6/29/08 at 10:25am
I don't think an equalizer is needed. With the MKI of the Stello: yes, but not with a MKII.
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post #11 of 36
6/29/08 at 11:35am
Thread Starter 
No, Eq'ing is not needed at all; only for music reproduction.
Sordel told me: "I've always regarded EQ'ing as more a hardware fix than a software fix: in the sense that you should EQ for your room and the innate coloration of your sound reproduction equipment, not for the music. EQ'ing the software nearly always does exactly the same as the original mixing process, so that a Dance EQ setting emphasizes the bass frequencies that were already (over-)emphasised by the original production process."
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post #12 of 36
6/29/08 at 6:24pm
I'd try it first before applying an equalizer. IMO a good source going into a pretty neutral amp going to decent phones shouldn't need EQ. Should you feel it does, you've propably chosen the wrong combo. Everyone has different ears and different tastes: you have to pick what sounds right to you. This is what auditioning is for.

2nd: You're talking about emphasizing an (over) emphasized part of the signal. Aren't you afraid you're over-doing it a little? I mean: you're not going to adjust your settings for each and every track. One should be aware of the limitations: it's a reproduction, by definition not the same as a live performance. Sometimes you just have to sit back and enjoy the music.
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post #13 of 36
7/6/08 at 2:07pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by LeonvB View Post
No, it wasn't available for a long time in this country so I went for a Stello DA220MKII. But I have the Duet running to my Stello for a few weeks now. It's an excellent combination: it has all the advantages of the TP (network, balanced, etc.), plus the nice remote of the Duet. Only disadvantage is that you have to buy a coax cable.

Please bear in mind the TP's main point of focus seems to be jitter. So while it's an excellent transport and a DAC with high specifications, many are disappointed by the music coming out of the DAC part. The good part of that is that there are many mods that are developed, and there's plenty of room inside the box to place them there. On the other hand it means sinking even more money into it.
So IMO the transporter is meant for just what it's name says: the transport part of an extremely high end setup.
My alac music tracks are stored on my pc hard disk, my pc is connected to a squeezebox duet through ethernet. So to bypass the Duet's dac, I should connect the Stello dac with the Duet through the optical in/out or coax. Right?
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post #14 of 36
7/6/08 at 2:57pm
Thread Starter 
I hope I will bypass some built-in dac's by using digital connection?
Would this be the optimal order to connect my audio equipment?

1) Squeezbox Duet (source) (bypass Duet dac),
(1 and 2 are linked to each other via optical cable)
2) preamp HeadRoom Home Balanced (bypass preamp dac),
(2 and 3 are connected with optical cable)
3) Stello MKII dac (finally use the best dac available in my audio inventory)
(3 and 4 are connected to each other via RCA interconnects)
4) amp Red Wine Audio Signature 30.2
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post #15 of 36
7/6/08 at 6:22pm
Thread Starter 
I just found out that the HeadRoom (pre)amp has no digital out. So the correct order of connection becomes:
1) Squeezbox Duet (source) (bypass Duet dac),
(1 and 2 are linked to each other via optical cable)
2) Stello MKII dac (finally use the best dac available in my audio inventory)
(2 and 3 are connected via XLR balanced interconnects)
3) preamp HeadRoom Home Balanced (digital stream has been converted to analog by the Stello dac, thus bypassing preamp's dac),
(3 and 4 are connected to each other via RCA interconnects)
4) amp Red Wine Audio Signature 30.2
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