[JamminVMI]

I have an original SliMP3 from before the Logitech acquisition, but I haven't used it in many years. I've been considering my streaming options for my main system (which currently is vinyl only). The lack of digital out is probably a downside on this, as I doubt the DAC in it is anything special.

Do you happen to know if this nearly 20 year-old hardware still works with LMS and if it's worth trying to find the AC adapter and remote?

Thanks,
Mike

Remote

I have never come across one of those old players, so unfortunately I can't give you a definitive answer.
This hardware comparison table from the Slim Devices website suggests that it will work with LMS:
http://wiki.slimdevices.com/index.php/Hardware_comparison
It's a pity it doesn't have a digital out, as the internal DAC is likely to be fairly primitive.
The Logitech Touch works well as a digital source running LMS and these devices can be purchased used for under £100 in the UK.
I have tried mine with my Yggy using its RCA S/PDIF output. It sounds surprisingly good for such a low-cost device.
The DIY alternative to a Touch is a Raspberry Pi running something like MAX2Play. I have heard good reports about how good these can sound but it's beyond my IT skills to build one!

Agree on the original. Haven’t seen one of those. But the Pi endpoints are easy to build and load (and they sound great!). Happy to help if needed.

 

[Xcalibur255]

And please people.. stop talking Covid 19 tactics and or therapeutics.
You have no idea what you're talking about and it can be dangerous if someone takes an ill advice too seriously.
No offense to happy personal experience but let us professionals do the medical work.

OK. I usually keep my mouth shut for antics like this, but this is where the line in the sand lies for me. I shared a video created by a medical professional, like yourself as you say, who specializes in respiratory illnesses and is sharing factual research and knowledge relevant to what is probably the greatest health crisis any of us will see in our lifetime. I think my post was A) not misleading or something to be characterized as "spreading amateur advice" B) not something I deserve to be chastised for by you and C) completely relevant as a conversation topic considering what a massive impact it is having on all our lives right now.

You seem to love playing devils advocate to a lot of people here. Sometimes it's warranted. This time it's not and I'm going to call you out for it. Yelling at people to stop bringing up COVID is like scolding somebody for talking about their house burning down while their house is in the process of still burning down. It's not a reasonable demand to make given the circumstances.

This is the first and last word I will be posting on the matter.

 

[Les Strat]

Remote

Agree on the original. Haven’t seen one of those. But the Pi endpoints are easy to build and load (and they sound great!). Happy to help if needed.

If I didn't already have several Logitech devices running LMS, I would probably go down the Pi route, as I have heard good reports about them.
The Logitech Squeezebox Touch was a brilliant device in its day and, in my opinion, is still a pretty good digital source, but technology has moved on and a Pi looks like a very low-cost way of building a high quality streamer.

 

[Pietro Cozzi Tinin]

You seem to love playing devils advocate to a lot of people here. Sometimes it's warranted. This time it's not and I'm going to call you out for it. Yelling at people to stop bringing up COVID is like scolding somebody for talking about their house burning down while their house is in the process of still burning down. It's not a reasonable demand to make given the circumstances.

You call me out. You'll get a reply.
I do not critique you as a person. It would indeed be unwarranted. Nor do I bash the video per sé.
I can however place multiple minusses against the plusses the video gives.
And here lies the problem.
As I wrote, laymen cannot distinguish the moment one or other argument is true or not.
One way of treatment can be right and wrong for the same illness on different people.
And that is what you cannot cover in any hallelujah sound- and video bite.
So yes it is reasonable to ask people to stop speculating over things they don't grasp.
Regarding audio it doesn't matter. It has no moral or life endangering weight.
The opposite is true when his pandemic is discussed.
It doesn't belong here for the sole reason any information is A: incomplete, B:un-understood, C: misinterpreted and D: too shallow to be of service to anyone.

Everyone her knows my background as a physician and the way my own physique robbed me from working as a highly trained traumatologist and intensivist.
I am working for the last 3 months as a volunteer on te Corona ICC's here and get asked all kind of questions every minute that are sometimes hard to answer even for us doctors. Why? Because there's too much things we still don't know.
Every kind of hope is good but I will once give my opinion here:
The pandemic is not done yet and will cost much more lives than it has so far.
I am not the devils advocate. I'm a doctor who wants to warn people so they don't die.
I don't know where you are from but the US will get the largest pile to bury.
I as a doctor, human, person and audiophile am very, very, very worried about our health and future.

 

[Pietro Cozzi Tinin]

Tidal and Qobuz are tiny, nonprofitable businesses at high risk for not surviving long term. Tidal has been close to running out of cash several times but they seem to keep finding an investor to stay running a few more years.

Aha. I thought Tidal was one of the big ones.
So we will be condemned to Amazon who than controls the SQ of our content?
That view does not make me happy.

 

[MrPanda]

After a couple of months using it, I'm really delighted with the Bifrost 2 - it doesn't really seem to get the attention here it deserves though. It really shines with complex orchestral passages, really low bass, vocals, really everything I've thrown at it. Also, the USB issues I had with my Intel NUC and iPad sources are gone..... I'm even thinking I should upgrade my THX-789 now to something better. Main headphones these days are Focal Clears and Focal Stellias...

 

[Juan_R]

Sure. I'm comparing 4 different digital sources I used with my Yggdrasil A2. Each source is specified as "device > connection". So, "Auralic Aries Femto > AES" means an Auralic Aries Femto streamer connected via AES to the Yggdrasil. The sources are listed from left to right in descending order of perceived sound quality for the Yggdrasil, all used as Roon endpoints with appropriate software (Ropieee for the Pi2AES, DietPi for the Allo USBridge, proprietary software for the Aries). "LPS" == Sbooster linear power supply.

Great info. Thanks for taking the time

 

[Les Strat]

Aha. I thought Tidal was one of the big ones.
So we will be condemned to Amazon who than controls the SQ of our content?
That view does not make me happy.

It does not make me happy either!
Unfortunately, Amazon has the financial muscle to destroy all online streaming competition, from the likes of TIDAL and Qobuz.
The day that happens will be the day I stop streaming.

 

[ev666il]

It does not make me happy either!
Unfortunately, Amazon has the financial muscle to destroy all online streaming competition, from the likes of TIDAL and Qobuz.
The day that happens will be the day I stop streaming.

Likely my case too, but hopefully we won't get there.

 

[Les Strat]

Likely my case too, but hopefully we won't get there.

If Amazon became the only online streaming option available, I would just go back to playing ripped CDs and maybe get a CD transport.
They won't be getting my business, that's for sure!

 

[dwest1023]

anyone have any opinions as to whether I should add the USB unison upgrade? (the windows limitation is not an issue)

The Union upgrade did not work for me. In MY system the Gen card worked best. Like most things in hi-end audio, you just have to try it in YOUR system. I will say, it is not a night and day difference. In my System, it was just too bright. I’m using a Pass 60 intergrated and dyn audio speakers. If in US PM, if interested. Im looking to unload cheap.

 

[PolarBehr]

I don't know how any of these streaming services make any money with how little they charge.

The do not pay much for the “rights” nor much for royalties.

 

[Roy G. Biv]

The do not pay much for the “rights” nor much for royalties.

Peter Frampton said he got paid $1700 for 55 million streams of "Baby I Love Your Way".

https://twitter.com/peterframpton/status/1025584924609400832?lang=en

 

[rkw]

Aha. I thought Tidal was one of the big ones.
So we will be condemned to Amazon who than controls the SQ of our content?

The big music streamers are Spotify, Apple, Amazon, Tencent (China), and Google.
Smaller streamers (5%-10% market share in number of subscribers) include Deezer and Pandora.

Tidal and Qobuz are in the noise. They are usually not even listed in charts of music streaming market share, and thrown to the "others" category. Tidal doesn't disclose number of subscribers and industry analysts estimate Tidal at about 1% market share. Qobuz is a small fraction of the size of Tidal.

 

[ipeverywhere]

The big music streamers are Spotify, Apple, Amazon, Tencent (China), and Google.
Smaller streamers (5%-10% market share in number of subscribers) include Deezer and Pandora.

As much as it pains me... One reason Google is so large is because a lot of people use YouTube as a primary streaming service and Google uses counts of music video plays to boost their Google "Play Music" subscriber base. Yes, there are people in my office who load YouTube playlists and minimize the video <shudder>

I think Pandora jumps around in the list if you include the SiriusXM subs (34+ million) as they are the same company now.