[Grumpy_Git]

The rebate offered by slim devices has been around for a good while now, well ovr 6months, they often let the date run out and then whack another month or two on it.

They just want the sales I think and buying direct rather than through a reseller means they can make savings without upsetting the resellers...

Nick.

[boead]

I use an SB3 with upgraded regulated PS as a transport and I believe it is superior to 95% of all transports out there. I use a external DAC so I can't really comment on the analog section.

That’s a bold statement.

What transports have you listened too and/or owned?

What DAC’s have you listened too and/or owned?

[Papajin]

The rebate offered by slim devices has been around for a good while now, well ovr 6months, they often let the date run out and then whack another month or two on it.

They just want the sales I think and buying direct rather than through a reseller means they can make savings without upsetting the resellers...

Nick.

Just an FYI...  The last announcement email I got from Slimdevices on 4/27 said this at the bottom:

"Also, we will be disabling the 100off2 promo code at the end of this month (really this time!).  By entering this code on our order form, you will save $100 when purchasing two Squeezeboxes at the same time. If you want to buy along with a friend, or are thinking of adding more rooms to your system, please take advantage of this promo before the end of the month."

It's not clear if they meant April or May.

[mcgsxr]

I too already had a PC, so I simply bought a 250G external HD, and an SB3.  I did eventually have Bolder mod it, but even in stock form it sent me reeling - the sound is good, the convenience ridiculous.

After mods, and with better power supply, I am set.  Now all I do is long to buy more storage, and get more music.

I run the SB3 as my pre/source, direct into a gainclone amp, and into my open baffle speakers.  Done.

Sure, it takes some time to rip the tunes, but only once... after that, the discs are ornamental, to be stored away in boxes, in the basement.

Well worth exploring, if you seek a great combo of convenience and excellent sound - friends of mine have been playing with PC based audio for coming on 4 years now too, but this device finally offered the preservation of the sound, with the convenience factor.

In CDN$, the stock SB3 and HD ran me around $550.  The modded unit more than doubles that price, but in my mind, is more than worth it...

[Geoff-AU]

better you move away from creative cards - they resample, [yes even the latest audigy 2 series] to 48kHz... try using ASIO out, this helps a lot and bypasses the built in windows 'k-mixer' resampling software - a simple plug in for foobar2k and it is excellent.

yuck..  ah well, I mainly bought this card because my venerable old MX300 doesn't work under XP.  And in the budget price range there's not much besides creative, and really cheap shite.  Couldn't be bothered paying big money for a sound card, my computer makes a noise anyway for serious listening I'd turn it off and put a CD on.

[boead]

Anyone try a Scott Nixon USBTD? It’s a NOS tube output DAC with a USB input direct I2C.

It’s absolutely amazing!

It’s a standard USB Audio device and works with anything Windows or MAC. I use iTunes with Multi-plugin that allows for Foobar pass-through. I play WAV’s and MP3’s from my PC and although it not a detailed and doesn’t’ have the nuance as my Arcam FMJ CD Player, its extremely musical.

I considered the SB but its NOT a Windows device and can’t act as a sound card. I tried all sorts of USB cable combinations and since the device is self powered, it can easily handle 35+ feet of passive USB cable. That’s a BIG bonus and soon (if not already) wireless point-to-point USB ports will be available if that’s an issue for some.

[Seano]

Seano, aint you got a PC that you are typing on? there is nothing special required in terms of hardware to run slimserver and the CD rips aint that big ( about 100mb per CD on average for me). ..

100MB/CD would then exceed 1GB storage requirement......

As for the PC I'm typing on...it's a work laptop. I have a couple of old pentium 3's (ex-lease business desktops) at home that I could play with.  But the functionality afforded by internet connection is not available to me at home.....I have a typically Australian prehistoric wire dial-up connection at home and I live in a rural area.....typical connection speed is less than 10kbps.........that's k not m!!

Had a better look at the Cambridge Audio Music Server....which plays the role of SB and 'puter in one....and the local distributor has advised that external HDD can be added to the thing (up to three).  Sounds like a good solution to me. Even at two grand...

Except there's something tangible about placing CDs in the player that I really like.......and I really don't like ferreting through files to find something I want to to.  Much prefer to ferret through the CDs.  So the problem for me may well be philosphical more than anything else

[AKSA]

Sean,

In a fast moving, digital world, the operational metaphors of almost everything we use now - and will in the future - is rapidly evolving.  Software is beginning to drive everything.  Do you know that the latest Lexus limousine has over 100 million lines of code in its computer systems?  The 7 series BMWs have even more than this!!  Your conundrum is universal, and is just the age-old human trait of bemusement and reluctance to change, but in the face of excellence, cheapness, and ubiquity, it will alter over time and in a year or two you'll come round.

Consider:  Rolls Royce would not go to disc brakes until the late sixties;  most manufacturers did not go to universal automotive fuel injection until the late nineties (Cadillac had a working fuel injection using vacuum tubes in 1953 called the 'Electrojector'), heck, my new stead, the ZRX1200 Kawasaki, has four semi flat slide carburettors and it was made in 2001!!  Many audiophiles did not move to CD until the mid-nineties (moot point that one!);  there remains huge loyalty to Class A in these Class AB and Class D times;  Audiophiles won't even consider the i-Pod in casual use;  in country Australia there is still to be found considerable tension between Catholic and Protestant - the beat goes on, all simply resistance to change and 'ways of thinking'.

You'll get used to it - and so will I;  I intend to move across in about six months.    

Cheers,

Hugh

[SamL]

What player do you used for CD ripping? DVD reader, DVD write, CD writer or pure CD reader?

[DSK]

What player do you used for CD ripping? DVD reader, DVD write, CD writer or pure CD reader?

Any of the above.

[bhobba]

FWIW, you probably don't need THAT much storage.  I'm storing about 320 CD's in about 95 GB using FLAC format which is compressed, but not as compressed as MP3 or similar lossy compression formats.  So a single one of your 400 GB drives would probably be enough for starters.  2 of them or perhaps something like 2 250-300 GB drives would probably set you up for quite some time.

It is even better than that.  What I tend to do is get my music from ALOFMP3 in MPC format which is transparent at 190K.  From my experience it is sometimes possible to tell the difference - but you really need to try.  Indeed some studies have shown people prefer the compressed stuff.  If I really like it I then buy the CD and rip it to Flac.  Although ALLOFMP3 allows downloading in Flac I have been told it is not as good as you own ripped stuff.

Thanks
Bill

[SamL]

What player do you used for CD ripping? DVD reader, DVD write, CD writer or pure CD reader?

Any of the above.

Well, a few years ago I did a little rip test using my PC where I have 1 CD reader and a CD write. Both are cheap brand and when using EAC to rip a music CD into APE format, they both end up with different size file. Tried the 2nd time they are the same size as test 1. One is slightly large than the other. I didn't do a listening test but the results clearly shows that the quality of reader still play a part.
What I like to know is  - anyone know a better/good CD ripping reader?

Sam

[DSK]

Well, a few years ago I did a little rip test using my PC where I have 1 CD reader and a CD write. Both are cheap brand and when using EAC to rip a music CD into APE format, they both end up with different size file. Tried the 2nd time they are the same size as test 1. One is slightly large than the other. I didn't do a listening test but the results clearly shows that the quality of reader still play a part.
What I like to know is  - anyone know a better/good CD ripping reader?

Sam

Sam, have a look around at http://www.accuraterip.com for further info.

[soitstarts]

Sean,

In a fast moving, digital world, the operational metaphors of almost everything we use now - and will in the future - is rapidly evolving.  Software is beginning to drive everything.  Do you know that the latest Lexus limousine has over 100 million lines of code in its computer systems?  The 7 series BMWs have even more than this!!  Your conundrum is universal, and is just the age-old human trait of bemusement and reluctance to change, but in the face of excellence, cheapness, and ubiquity, it will ...

Not to mention that some "performance" cars are still sold with pushrods..

I realy don't need this sort of info, now the whole source part of my system has become complicated

[Papajin]

in country Australia there is still to be found considerable tension between Catholic and Protestant - the beat goes on, all simply resistance to change and 'ways of thinking'.

You'll get used to it - and so will I; I intend to move across in about six months.

Are you going Catholic to Protestant, or the other way around?

[AKSA]

Either/or, Papa,

They are both brotherhoods, and while the suspicion is muted these days, you find it still has influence in the business, sporting and intellectual worlds.......

Hugh