[Bob in St. Louis]

It may not be a replacement for the SqueezeBox, but for $80, it's worth a look.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833124056

Thoughts?

Bob

[bbaker6212]

even cheaper on Ebay.

[Scott F.]

Hiya Bob,

I tried one about 2 years ago and....well....it sucks. The interface is crappy and the worst CD player on the planet sounds better.



BTW, mine for sale 

It is a wonderful piece of technology. It has a spiffy gray case and this little black antenna that sort of reminds one of an old cell phone. The power supply is a cutting edge technology SMPS that they must have spend at least ten or twelve dollars in research on. Even better yet the computer only interface doesn't absorb more than about 1m of memory as it stays resident and doesn't cause too many conflicts with other programs. No box or manual, I'm not even sure I have the 3 1/2" installation floppies anymore but hell, who needs them anyway. Look at it as an adventure in less than mediocre sound. Oh, it also has these lights that ...uh...light up! I forget what they mean. Anyway, how can you go wrong with a product from Lynkwhiz?

PRICE $150 FIRM

No PayPal, no checks or money orders, cash only (I prefer nickels). Local pickup only in St Louis....and you better bring me some single malt scotch of my choosing to introduce yourself or I might change my mind and keep it.


 

[Bob in St. Louis]

Scott, you're being a little vague and I'm not sure what you mean.
Can you tell me how you REALLY feel about the devise?

Thanks.

Bob   

p.s. Would it make an acceptable wheel chock for a small tractor?

[bbaker6212]

I'd say that guy's "review" of the Linksys product was at best incomplete and possibly highly biased from the language he used.  For example, he says it sounds worse than a bad CD player.  Does that mean he used the analog outputs?  If he used the digital outs, what DAC did he use?  Still it may very well sound bad, but I'd like a little more info, and maybe from someone else.  I have heard the setup of that particular device is a be-awch.

Sooo, now what of the USB server(s)? hmmmmm?

[woodsyi]

Hello Brad Baker,

I thought you couldn't go wireless in your house.  Have you knocked down a couple of concrete blocks?  You can just drill holes and run ethernet cable you know.   

What USB server(s) do you mean? 

[bbaker6212]

Sorry, I posted my response to the wrong link    it's over here...

Correct, I cannot use WiFi or ethernet very easily.  That is why I've been researching, and talking about, the
potential of powerline networking alternatives.  I don't see why someone would want to go to the expense and large amount of time to run ethernet cables if they don't have to.  Granted that remains to be seen - since I don't know yet if the current crop of PLC devices are up to the task (actually work with our various audio gear, and don't screw up the sound!).  I'm betting they are since their designation "Powerline AV" shows they are directly marketing towards audio.  Now is it *high quality* audio?

[Scott F.]

Brad,

Although I was extremely short, rather pointed and satirical in my post, what I said holds true for my experience with the Linksys. In my estimation a product that performs as bad as this one does (in the realm of audiophilia) doesn't deserve more than a sentence or two warning people not to consider buying it. So you are aware, my reviews are typically in excess of 3000 words, most push 4000 words.

The one thing I failed to mention, if you look at the back of the device, notice just how tight the outer casing is to the female RCA jacks.



The only interconnects or SPDIF cables you can use are the extremely cheap, plastic cables. Yet another strike against the product (in the audiophile realm). When it comes to the DAC I used, I fed it directly into my Arcam AVR100. Not the best DAC on the planet but not bad either....and yes, it still sounded like a bag of smashed assholes.

Biased? Not hardly. I use several Linksys products around the house and have no problem with them at all. To reiterate, if you couldn't tell from my original post, I was serious but making a funny at the same time. When it comes to sound, I am quite serious.

If you are looking for something that actually performs reasonably well, have a look at the AudioMagus.com website. The PopPusle SPII PC Link USB/network interface works and sounds very good as does the USB Pro DAC 707. Both of those when outfitted with a good power supply are well worthy of discussion.

Now, if you are only concerned with a cheap way streaming audio from your computer and could care less how it sounds, the Linksys product might be right up your alley. It does work as designed but most certainly isn't an audiophile product on any level.

[Bob in St. Louis]

Sorry for dragging you in a discussion where you're forced to defend your position Scott. That wasn't my intention. 
By the way - Often times while I'm a work having a phone conversation with a customer who's rambling useless drivel, I tend to read forum posts. That being said, I think you've taught me a lesson not to EVER do that again. Your comment about sounding like a bag of smashed assholes had me giggling uncontrollably like a small child sitting in church.
I hate it when that happens. 

Bob

[Scott F.]

Sorry for dragging you in a discussion where you're forced to defend your position Scott. That wasn't my intention. 

No worries mate  I guess my original post was off kilter enough that Brad didn't make the connection I was serious about the sound and performance of the Linksys. Thats OK though, I understand how someone looking too seriously at my post would misinterpret what I wrote.

Your comment about sounding like a bag of smashed assholes had me giggling uncontrollably like a small child sitting in church.
I hate it when that happens. 

I'm glad somebody gets my humor 


Ooou. I've got an idea. Maybe at the GAS Bash in September I could give it away as a door prize! That way who ever gets it can write nasty things about it too!  It still may involve single malts though....... I may have to think about this one for a while ..... 

[Bob in St. Louis]

Um......

Possible Correction.........?:

It still may involve single malts though....... I may have to think about this one for a while ..... 

I may have to drink about this one for a while .....

Better?  aa

I'm liking the door prize idea Scott.
Not necessarily the Linksys unit, but maybe some of that other "junk" you have back there in your workshop. 
There's a couple neat little metal boxes with shiny glass things sticking up that look good.  aa
 

Bob

edit for typo: I just learned to spell the word "necessarily" a few days ago....... 

[bbaker6212]

Thanks for the info Scott. Exactly the explaination I was hoping for.  Sorry if I came off too critical of your critique
Your info has probably kept at least a few of us from spending good money on a "bag of smashed assholes"   Perhaps this is why the device can be had for as little as ~$50 on Ebay.

Oh, one more thing.  Did you try it connected via WiFi or Ethernet?

Oh, and those USB device you mention - sounds good, but I first have to find a USB Ethernet Server which actually works for remotely connecting a USB DAC via Powerline networking, my primary objective.

[richidoo]

The words "wireless" and "Linksys" together in the same sentence gives me shivers. Following that with the word "Music," well I guess Scott's specially chosen phrase sums it up. S'not for me.

Interesting observation about the RCA jacks Scott. I would not have noticed that!

Bob, did you finally narrow down your SB networking problem from 2 weeks ago to the Linksys router?
Rich

[bbaker6212]

That's interesting given the Linksys wireless products are usually priced higher than pretty much all the other brands.  Linksys (aka Cisco) is supposed to be the premium brand in networking, no?  I personally rarely buy their stuff because I a cheap base-tard when it comes to networking products.

[Bob in St. Louis]

Bob, did you finally narrow down your SB networking problem from 2 weeks ago to the Linksys router?

I didn't. Bryan ("bpape") did.
He's a stud. 

Bob

[richidoo]

   bpape            

[Scott F.]

Thanks for the info Scott. Exactly the explaination I was hoping for.  Sorry if I came off too critical of your critique

I'm not sure I would qualify what I wrote as a critique 

Oh, one more thing.  Did you try it connected via WiFi or Ethernet?

Just did the wifi thing. Not sure the ethernet would have helped much. As I played with it, I grew to really despise the interface. Foobar and SlimServer are head and shoulders better. Same could be said for Winamp and WMP.

Oh, and those USB device you mention - sounds good, but I first have to find a USB Ethernet Server which actually works for remotely connecting a USB DAC via Powerline networking, my primary objective.

Brad,

Here is something to ponder. Give a read to this article I wrote a few years ago about BPL. Essentially that Linksys PLC Kit is using the exact same technology. Scroll down past the Audio Note turntable to the Bandwidth heading.

Broadband over Power Lines - BPL

After reading the blurb I wrote, keep in mind that the mains you have in your house are unshielded. Install that product and you will unleash all kinds of EMF into your house and system. I don't have a clue if you will hear it or not but you won't find me signing up for that technology anytime soon. Of course YMMV.



You may have a tough time finding a USB extender that sounds decent. I know Steve at Empirical Audio and Gordon at Wavelength have both experimented with the ones on the market with no real success. They seem to work but tend to be noisy if I remember correctly. Who knows, maybe they have found something in recent months that shows promise. Steve has a Circle here. You may try posting over there. I'm sure Steve will chime in with a few ideas.

[bbaker6212]

Thanks for the info Scott.  I had read your post a while back.  Are you talking about PLC (powerline over ethernet in a home) or BPL (Broadband over powerlines/powerpoles in the street)?.  Given the frequency that the Powerline devices operate I find it hard to believe that one could hear any "noise" they create.  Though in audio I've learned nothing is impossible, and I suppose even at this frequency perhaps it could muck up the sound of your other audio gear.  Is it very difficult to filter this noise, I'm not an expert but I would think not.  Also, what is the level this EMF decays at a distance from the wires? ie, if the signal degrades *in* the wire after 800ft or so, it must be at least an order of magnitude more in the air, no? I'm no expert, just trying to apply some logic.

The powerline technology has changed quite a bit from what existed 3 years ago.  Speed as well as methods used; hence why the older Homeplug products won't interoperate with the "Powerline AV" products.  200Mbps (say 50Mbps real IP speed) products are commonplace and they are beginning to come out with 400Mbps Powerline products.  They are targeting the ability to stream HD video throughout the house without the need to run new wires.  The Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA.org) shows where the industry wants to go - completely networked/interconnected home consumer products.  And this will be done through a combination of WiFi and Powerline I am sure.  Some products will fail, but some will get it right eventually.

[bbaker6212]

I take it back. Some "Powerline AV" certified products apparently do report to co-exist with older 14Mbps and 85Mbps Home Plug devices.  For example, the Megaplug 200mbps Powerline AV product(s) say this in their spec's.  Oh, wait... co-exist does not mean "communicate" or inter-operate, maybe they just mean they don't interfere with each other - implying they use different frequencies and/or channels.

[andy_c]

I tried the Linksys WMB54G for a month or so.  It had a bad problem with dropouts that I never could fix.  I figured that since the data transfer was over the network, the error correction of TCP/IP would prevent such problems.  But what I found, looking at the software firewall on my server that lists all TCP/IP connections, was that the device never shows up on the connection list when music is being streamed.

I concluded from this that it doesn't actually use TCP/IP but possibly some ethernet hardware-level communication.  Whatever error correction they provide at the hardware level (if any) appears to be substandard or nonexistent.  My wireless network signal strength is very good, and I never had a problem with my Squeezebox dropping out at all.  I use a Linksys router (WRT54GL).  Of course, one does see TCP/IP connections from the server when using the web interface of the wireless music bridge, just not when streaming music.

I'd stay far away from this device.  For more horror stories, see the Linksys forum here:  http://forums.linksys.com/linksys/board?board.id=Media_Adapters