[Bob in St. Louis]

Hey all,
I've been going back and forth on whether I should sell my Bolder modded SB3 and (stock) Duet. I hate to sell them, but haven't used them on a regular basis in a long time. I almost started a thread in the classified section looking for interest, but it seemed the wrong place to start a chat about whether there's interest or not.

Honestly, I'm not sure what I'm even asking here. What's one worth now-a-days?  There's a modded SB3 that's been on page one since May for $125. 
I mean for a hundred bucks, I'll just keep mine in a box, in a drawer. 

Thoughts?

Bob

[mcgsxr]

I took a bath on the fully modded Bolder SB3 I sold 2 years ago.  I recall (with the power supply) I netted around $250 or $300.

Should not have sold it frankly.

While I have moved to using a modded Pogoplug (thanks again for the help in procurement!) I would not have had to do so with a functional SB3 around.

My brother has lent me an NIB Touch.  I have yet to remove it from the box.

Waiting for my Grant Fidelity DAC to arrive to determine what "streamer" to use.

Seems that the value of the older Logitech gear has dropped - no real surprise, digital tech moves quickly - though frankly if you are not going DSD, I am doubtful that any other streamer offers much benefit.

Why have you stopped using yours?

Could it be Abbie's source now?

[Phil A]

I think there is love left.  I'll probably list my Touch in a few weeks along with a Bolder modded PS.  I have the Touch in a secondary system with a Teac DSD DAC.  I have not tried the beta LMS 7.9 for DSD for now but did download the Teac HR Audio player on an old laptop (and it sounds great) but not as convenient as an interface.  Debating what to do now with the main system music server (upgrade or get another) and then have one in the secondary system with JRiver.  I probably could find use for the Touch perhaps down the road (if I get a DAC for another secondary system) but I think I'm going to sell it and cross that bridge if and when I come to it (I'm using files, including DSD on a hard drive attached to an Oppo 103D for now).

[gadfly]

I've been streaming Tidal via the ickStream app to the touch.  With my Salk/Ava system
the sq is far better than Spotify.  Noticeable improvment of imaging and dynamics.  Access
to 25 million tracks is awesome.  My Jazz jones is placated.  Still lovin my little squeeze.

gad-

[Bob in St. Louis]

Mark, there's some good points there, thank you.

I stopped using mine for a number of reasons. The biggest is that I don't do much critical listening anymore. So the need for FLAC, linear power supplies, Cardas solder joints, and gnat's ass perfection just....gathers dust. Besides. I tend to fall asleep when I listen and not performing other tasks. 

As far as Abbie goes, she's got a YouTube account that I've added tunes she likes to playlists. That, she can take anywhere, anytime. The SB3 isn't mobile. She fine with the sound quality Youtube provides, and frankly, so am I.

I didn't know the SB3 could do DSD, as it appears Phil is alluding to?
But with folks selling there Logitec Touch units, the "old" tech like Duets and SB3's are even less desirable.

I've never heard of Tidal or ickStream, so I'll check into that (to see if the SB3 is compatible).

Thanks fellas!
Bob

I love the units, but just can't find a way to implement them into my life. I also hate to sell what was $1000 for $100.

Bob

[aldcoll]

I do have MUCH love for my SB3 that I have only had less then a year.   As a Newbie and budget constrained listener I couldn't live with out it.  I would love to upgrade mine and will as they fall out of favor.

The first time I saw one was at Daedalus Audio's shop.  Lou handed me the remote for the pre amp and this funky remote and left the room to load my tracks.

Since I am starting to build my budget system we find the ease of scrolling the phone or cheap tablet I have dedicated to the squeeze box helpful and even more so for my teck challenged wife.

I just upgraded all my cables and the power cord (thanks Groovy Base) was an e mediate improvement.  But all you pro's knew this and I just budgeted it. 

I don't belive I will get into the High Rez till some of the equipment comes across the used side.  I have heard some and look forward to that upgrade.

[kgturner]

I was an adopter of the SB system. I had an SB3 with linear power supply. Then I moved to the Touch. I finally ended up with a Transporter. But once Logitech announced it was killing the line, I dumped the Transporter and luckily got much of what I paid back out of it. I was already hooked on streaming from a network connected drive so took the money from the Transporter sale and built a dedicated computer which uses JRiver controlled via my iPhone. The computer is totally passive cooled so it's absolutely silent. I figure I can always upgrade computer components and software when the need arises. I do kind of miss the ease of the SB remote compared to navigating with an iPhone. That's really about it though. Now all I need is a nice DAC to round out the system.

Kevin T

[aldcoll]

While this original post asked about the SB line of products won't this also apply to all the products related to the ever changing Digital world we are moving into?  At Least the SB is still supported.  It was scrubbed because they didn't sale the zillion units the brand holder needed.

The DAC you bought that was top of the heap a few years ago is now out of date

What closet did I put that Beta Max in any way

[Phil A]

I didn't know the SB3 could do DSD, as it appears Phil is alluding to?
But with folks selling there Logitec Touch units, the "old" tech like Duets and SB3's are even less desirable.


Bob

I love the units, but just can't find a way to implement them into my life. I also hate to sell what was $1000 for $100.

Bob

Bob - I've been following this thread - http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?101641-LMS-7-9-and-DSD/page12

I have the Touch in one of my secondary systems (main audio system back-up - pic below).  I have not tried it yet.  There was another hack with a Foobar plug-in (http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=119364.msg1255293;topicseen#new).  I tried that one a couple of times briefly and got the Touch to use the USB output and I could not find any of the things the Audio Circle thread posted about.  I downloaded the Teac HR Audio player on an old Laptop for my Teac DAC in that secondary system and it sounds great (including DSD files) but the user interface is not as convenient as either the Touch which is not as convenient as  Music Server (HAL MS-2 - Hollis Audio Labs - Rich Hollis posts here as HAL) I have in the main system where I use JRiver and JRemote on an iPad Mini.

Right now I am leaning towards selling the Touch and one of the upgraded power supplies (I have 3 as ones for the Touch as I formerly used on HDMI audio de-embedders using the same power supply types taking SACD out of Oppo Players into DACs as 24/88.2 PCM) and getting a HAL MS-3 (which is just in beta at this point) for the secondary system.  With the all the changes in digital there are DACs which will soon (if not already) do 768kHz PCM or quadruple DSD and I'm sure we'll see more DACs with i2S inputs.  Meridian just announced this - https://www.youtube.com/embed/2xpeEn1Mjtk?0=list%3DUU4dc2QuyrYR942yLMhvjBOg

So while I think the Touch is great and love it, it may be more appropriate for someone not quite as die hard as I am.  When there are more i2S DACs (perhaps 2-3 yrs. down the road), it might be appropriate for me to rotate to the two DACs I have to the second and third systems, get a new DAC and something like http://www.rendu.sonore.us/signature-series-rendu.html  along with Synology NAS.  For me, I have two 3TB Oyen Digital hard drives on the music server and on one I think I have about 200GB left and more space on the other (with more SACDs on the way to rip, and perhaps 30-60 DVD-As to rip this winter) but it won't be terribly long before the available space becomes less so I'm thinking about two 4TB Oyen Digital Drives - http://oyendigital.com/hard-drives/store/TQM12H-72-4000-S.html  so I'll have enough space until I'm ready to make the jump to the next level.

My original plan was to use the Touch for the outdoor speakers wired to the master bedroom system as I have connections outside for audio and video. It does not get used often but I can hook remote extenders up and an old monitor (to view what is playing and the artwork by connecting it to composite video wired to the Oppo) and create a playlist with the Oppo BDP-93 (with about 10,000 songs CD quality or better on an attached hard drive)  in the master bedroom and see what is playing.  Oppo also has an iPhone App which I downloaded a couple of weeks back but have not yet tried.  If I had a DAC in the third system (which is more of a daytime HT/TV system although it has an Oppo 103D (with hi-rez including DSD files on a hard drive) along withe a Sherbourn preamp with HT Bypass and an Emotiva amp.  I'm still contemplating a speaker upgrade in that third system at some point, getting a wider shelf and swapping out the 55 inch TV in there with a 50 inch in another system so the TV is at a better eye height (as the current one is too high to my liking).

To me the Squeezebox products are wonderful and a shame they were discontinued.

[dlaloum]

We have three SB3's in addition to a squeezebox boom.

I tend to have one in the main lounge room system, because it is easier and simpler to use than powering up the MediaPC, although I sometimes run Softsqueeze on the PC...

The others have at various times lived in different rooms in the house... the Boom currently lives in the bedroom.

Interface is not an issue for us as we tend to use the Android remote app on our phones to control things via WiFi.

On the main system the SB3 feeds the receiver via optical and the sound is great, in other locations sound quality is not critical, but performance has always been excellent.

It is disappointing that Pandora only feeds the SB's 96k quality - they really should pull the finger out and provide subscribers with 192k streaming to their SB's.

Our SB's are not going anywhere, and we have found no reason to update them to date - nothing on the market currently provides a dramatic step up in utility or ease of use.

Logitech should go back, take this product they own, and leverage it. Others from Sonos to Denon are out there marketing alternatives, when SB the grandaddy of them all can do just as well and with much greater flexibility!

bye for now

David

[Phil A]

It is disappointing that Pandora only feeds the SB's 96k quality - they really should pull the finger out and provide subscribers with 192k streaming to their SB's.



David

I don't know about the SB3s (as I have not followed it since I don't own one and there's so much changes in digital I have a tough time keeping up) but for the Touch there is a 3rd party App known as EDO (Enhanced Digital Output).  It is one of the things noted in the old Audio Circle thread I have in my previous post.  It shows right up in the 3rd party Apps on my Touch.  In the attempt to do DSD I did the EDO but due to the problems (I tried it briefly) finding the other menu items/adjustments (for Linux) described in the Audio Circle thread (in my previous post) I just reverted the settings to factory defaults.

As I noted I find it easier with JRiver and an iPad mini with thumbnails of Albums and Artists to select the music and that's likely what I'll end up with next.  Of course, that's more than a used Touch and then you need hard drives for the music vs. streaming it from your computer to the Touch.  I noted previously with the Synology NAS, network storage now has faster and better delivery and I'd expect in a couple of years to see prices better and more changes in DACs.

[dlaloum]

My digital library is stored on a NAS too, it is then accessed in two ways, by the logitech server software feeding the SB3's and by Media Monkey on the PC.... (I tried JRIVER some years back, and at the time preferred MM - I probably should look at the current version of JRiver)

[kirch]

I use my touch everyday. Couldn't live without it. Not modded either. Just run the digital out  thru my audio note Dac 3.1. Sounds amazing.

[Bob in St. Louis]

You guys have nudged me to keeping the units. Seems there's a hundred dollars worth of fun left in them afterall. 
All I need now are more amps and speakers to go with them. 

Thanks for the words fellas (extra credit to Phil for all the typing). 

[mcgsxr]

Darn, that means there was an opening to convince you to sell one to me for less than market value?


AHHHHHHHHH   

[Bob in St. Louis]

It's a sweet unit too. Wayne at Bolder made it special, just for me.
You would have loved it. 

[Gopher]

Lots of love.  LampizatOr is still modding Squeezebox Duets and I'm still using one in my personal system.   

It really is a shame they discontinued the SBX line...

[eg1]

I still own several, two of which I am still using:

1. An SB Radio, which I use as an alarm clock/radio in the bedroom
2. An SB Touch which I have ported into the line-in of a Sonos Connect. Otherwise it serves primarily as a clock in the family room.

In addition to the unit on loan to my brother (mcgsxr) I also have another Touch and an SB Boom currently collecting dust in the basement.

I envision possible use of the SB Touch in the basement for an experiment in (relatively) high-end headphones in the next month or so.

[Bob in St. Louis]

my brother (mcgsxr)

Nice. Your Brother is a good man. 

[rajacat]

I'm still using my Bolder/SB3. It has the max full mods including the SPDIF output transformer. Works great as a transport to my DAC.
Very dependable.