Squeezebox 2 vs. Audio PC vs. others...

konut · « **Reply #20 on:** 10 Aug 2005, 07:29 pm »

dogberry- Very curious as to your impressions between your friend's Benchmark and your CI as those are 2 DACs I am considering. Sorry for the diversion off topic.

Paul_Bui · « **Reply #21 on:** 10 Aug 2005, 07:48 pm »

Jim et al,

Somehow the FLAC didn't start in the background as I expected. I downloaded and installed all software: EAC, FLAC, LAME, FLAC front-end, and configured as instructed. What was I missing?

jhenderson010759 · « **Reply #22 on:** 12 Aug 2005, 11:26 pm »

My EAC configuration is available at (http://innovative-dsp.com/ftp/Work/DenPc.CFG). Though it will probably not be usable without change since my hardware configuration differs from yours, you should be able to extract the FLAC writer settings. This will allow you to write FLACs directly from within EAC.

Jim

Tubo · « **Reply #23 on:** 13 Aug 2005, 12:16 am »

Quote

Has anyone used an Apple airport express to transmit music? How'd that work out?

I have been using 2 Airport Express units for several months now, one for my living room stereo and one for my bedroom stereo. I use an Apple iMac as my music server, located in my home office. I use iTunes and Apple Lossless Compression files. Results are great!

For the living room I take the optical digital output from the AE, convert it to coaxial with a Monarchy DIP, into an Ack! Dack! non-oversampling DAC, into my conrad-johnson preamp which drives a Red Wine Audio Teac, which powers a pair of LS3/5A's. I also have subwoofers. Sound is superb, very detailed.

For the bedroom I take the analogue ouput of the AE directly into a pair of ASL Wave-8's which drive another pair of LS3/5A's (no subwoofers). I control the volume with iTunes using a Palm E2 as a remote. Sound is very good, though not quite as good as using the digital out.

Very cost effective (each AE is $129), and VERY convenient.

Have fun!

Al Lau

JoshK · « **Reply #24 on:** 13 Aug 2005, 12:20 am »

Tubo,

also a very viable solution, but I know nothing about it. I am not a mac guy, more of a unix/windows guy.

mizzuno · « **Reply #25 on:** 13 Aug 2005, 12:54 am »

Quote from: JoshK

Tubo,

also a very viable solution, but I know nothing about it. I am not a mac guy, more of a unix/windows guy.

mac os X is very similar to linux/UNIX as its foundation is the BeOS.

Brad · « **Reply #26 on:** 13 Aug 2005, 03:31 am »

FreeBSD and Next were the foundations of OSX, not BeOS. (I was a huge BeOS fan though)

The Airport Express will work with a PC running iTunes too

Marbles · « **Reply #27 on:** 13 Aug 2005, 03:45 am »

Can SB2 owners confirm it will not work with Foobar2K, and it will not pass 24/96 to an external DAC?

Thanks

mizzuno · « **Reply #28 on:** 13 Aug 2005, 10:42 am »

Quote from: Brad

FreeBSD and Next were the foundations of OSX, not BeOS. (I was a huge BeOS fan though)

The Airport Express will work with a PC running iTunes too

I meant freeBSd , thanks for the correction.

zybar · « **Reply #29 on:** 13 Aug 2005, 10:51 am »

Quote from: Marbles

Can SB2 owners confirm it will not work with Foobar2K, and it will not pass 24/96 to an external DAC?

Thanks

It doesn't pass 24/96 and I see no mention of it working with Foobar2k on their website.

Just thinking out loud...if the stock and/or modified SB2 is better than the S-7700 you are using now, why would it matter?

George

jhenderson010759 · « **Reply #30 on:** 13 Aug 2005, 12:41 pm »

To my knowledge, there is no software capable of sourcing audio streams to Squeezeboxes other than SlimServer. SB has no provision for source signals other than ethernet, and I have never seen a Foobar plug-in designed for such a purpose.

Foobar is a great product, and prior to purchasing SBs, I used it extensively. At one point, I considered writing a SlimServer adapter to allow use of Foobar plug-ins. However, after using the SB extensively over the last six months I lost interest, since the combination of SlimServer plus Telcanto so nicely meets my needs.

Carlman · « **Reply #31 on:** 13 Aug 2005, 12:47 pm »

Sorry for the dumb question but... How do you access your music from the Squeezebox?

For instance, in Foobar, I look through categories of music I have stored on my hard drive... So, I see 'Jazz', 'Funk', 'Alt. Rock', etc. as folders.. And I think hmmm.. Maybe some Jazz... Then I see 'Carmen McRae' and other artists as subfolders... then all of her albums under that... I can then load the album into the playlist and listen... and then add more, subtract ones I don't want to hear, etc.

How does this method compare to picking and listening to music on the Squeeze?

-C

jhenderson010759 · « **Reply #32 on:** 13 Aug 2005, 01:26 pm »

Quote from: Carlman

Sorry for the dumb question but... How do you access your music from the Squeezebox?
...
How does this method compare to picking and listening to music on the Squeeze?

-C

I use Telcanto for Slimserver http://www.telcanto.com/ to randomly access my entire music collection. Very slick - even my kids think it's cool.

Telcanto brings the whole computer audio experience together for me. What's the point of ripping 1000 CDs to your hard disk if you can't slothfully access them from your listening chair?

Marbles · « **Reply #33 on:** 13 Aug 2005, 01:34 pm »

Quote from: zybar

Quote from: Marbles
Can SB2 owners confirm it will not work with Foobar2K, and it will not pass 24/96 to an external DAC?

Thanks

It doesn't pass 24/96 and I see no mention of it working with Foobar2k on their website.

Just thinking out loud...if the stock and/or modified SB2 is better than the S-7700 you are using now, why would it matter?

George

George,

So far I have been comparing my S7700 going to a Perp Tech P1a upsampling to 24/96, then to my P3a DAC VS PC using Foobar (which is set to upsample at 24/96) to the P3a.

I have not yet compared the P1a upsampler to the Foobar one.

So far everytime I've used 24/96 upsampling, I've liked it.

I still could use the SB2 and the P1a, but with Foobar, I can sell the P1a, and use digital room correction.

mgalusha · « **Reply #34 on:** 13 Aug 2005, 02:20 pm »

Quote from: Carlman

For instance, in Foobar, I look through categories of music I have stored on my hard drive... So, I see 'Jazz', 'Funk', 'Alt. Rock', etc. as folders.. And I think hmmm.. Maybe some Jazz... Then I see 'Carmen McRae' and other artists as subfolders... then all of her albums under that... I can then load the album into the playlist and listen... and then add more, subtract ones I don't want to hear, etc.

How does this method compare to picking and listening to music on the Squeeze?

Carl,

It's much the same as you describe but within a web UI. You can download their slimserver software and install it without having a Squeezebox and see what it looks like. Basically you can browse by artist, album, genre, years, by folder as they are on the disk and playlists. They have embeded mySQL into program so it stores everything in a database which can be searched. The nice thing is, the broswe and search functions are available via any broswer and via the SB2 itself using the remote.

I have the Slimserver running on the box with the drives and it sits in the basement. I put a short cut in both my wifes and my browsers to the server, so she can play anything she likes without any software installed.

I love foobar but the SB2 interface is pretty good. Now the Telcanto that jhenderson mentions would be even cooler but since I can use the SB2 remote to search and browse music from my listening chair, it's not high on my priority list. Still, if I come across a good deal on a pocket PC I might have to try it.

mike

Marbles · « **Reply #35 on:** 13 Aug 2005, 02:27 pm »

Can you use digital room correction software with the SB2?

JoshK · « **Reply #36 on:** 13 Aug 2005, 05:39 pm »

Quote from: Marbles

Can you use digital room correction software with the SB2?

Yes you can, but it isn't the SB2 that does it. The player, slimserver or Foobar or whatever can have a convolver added to it. However, you will need a mic and some measurement software to compute the convolution needed. I have some links on how to go about it bookmarked at work, I'll have to dig it up for you.

Marbles · « **Reply #37 on:** 13 Aug 2005, 05:54 pm »

Quote from: JoshK

Quote from: Marbles
Can you use digital room correction software with the SB2?

Yes you can, but it isn't the SB2 that does it. The player, slimserver or Foobar or whatever can have a convolver added to it. However, you will need a mic and some measurement software to compute the convolution needed. I have some links on how to go about it bookmarked at work, I'll have to dig it up for you.

SB2 doesn't work with Foobar

So it will have to work with slimserver.

JoshK · « **Reply #38 on:** 13 Aug 2005, 05:58 pm »

yeah i didn't read this whole thread before posting, I should have been more clear. I think I have seen some slimserver plugins for room correction. If you are curious, try starting with the slimdevice's site and look up third party software addins. It is an open source program much like linux so people can write their own addins and I am pretty sure I saw one for this purpose. Similar to foobar convolver.

Marbles · « **Reply #39 on:** 13 Aug 2005, 06:26 pm »

The more I listen to the Turbo Off Ramp, the more I like it.

Since my computer stays in my ref 2 channel room, a USB wired connection works just fine for me.

I have just made arrangements with Steve to buy one and get my P3a up to the latest and greatest version.

Looks like I'll be able to use Foobar2K, a PC based 24/96 upsampler, and a PC based room correction.....I will also get a Proximis Firefly for remote control.