[lcrim]

Levi:
The Soundcheck mods are based on the premise of relieving the Touch of as many tasks as possible because the little Alsa based system runs better and sounds better with less things to do.
The prevailing wisdom is that using a separate server based player and sending  ethernet packets to the Touch which then only has to do the minimum produces better quality sound.
No offense, but there's any number of online reports that a directly connected HDD produces sound that is distinctly inferior to using a separate server.
Larry

[Levi]

Thanks.  Point well taken. 

Levi:
The Soundcheck mods are based on the premise of relieving the Touch of as many tasks as possible because the little Alsa based system runs better and sounds better with less things to do.
The prevailing wisdom is that using a separate server based player and sending  ethernet packets to the Touch which then only has to do the minimum produces better quality sound.
No offense, but there's any number of online reports that a directly connected HDD produces sound that is distinctly inferior to using a separate server.
Larry

[BPT]

Been using a SB3 and and Touch for quite a long time. Always had my 1T music files stored on a PC for ease of use. As an experiment I had an external NAS (DNS-323) collecting dust and thought I would move my music files to it (took 12 hours which surprised me as all connections are 1000Mbps ) so they would be direct connected to my Linksys (n) via ethernet which WiFis them to another Linksys (n) connected to my Touch via ethernet. The sound improved quite a bit. My wife commented on the it immediately, without me even asking. YMMV
Chris H.

[Levi]

Hey Chris. I will eventually try the NAS solution.

[randytsuch]

Recently, I was thinking about swapping my duet for a touch, and read through much of the long DIY thread about the touch.

An interesting claim in the thread is that changing the cheap AC adapters that most routers/switches use, to a quieter linear PS makes an audible improvement.

At some point, I may try connecting Ethernet to my duet, and using putting together a linear supply to power whatever switch or router I use to feed it data, and see if it helps.

Randy

[mitch stl]

Perhaps it is just me, but I find the stock PS on my Touch a non-issue. I've never found it a source of either background noise or any interference when the music is playing.

But, I'm from the old days when tube equipment ruled and hum, hiss, noise and interference were a constant battle, whether in the studio, in concert or the home playback setting.

Seems a lot of people spend time chasing the small things (or even ghosts) these days. And then you see a photo of their setup and wonder how they could have possibly put their speakers in "that" spot....

(BTW, I still use a tube amp....)

[ctviggen]

Perhaps it is just me, but I find the stock PS on my Touch a non-issue. I've never found it a source of either background noise or any interference when the music is playing.

Have you compared the stock power supply with another power supply, such as a linear power supply? 

[mitch stl]

Have you compared the stock power supply with another power supply, such as a linear power supply?

Yes. I've been an electronic hobbyist for 40 years and have a basement full of test gear, including some pretty clean old-school power supplies. No difference in my case.

Of course, others, with different systems, better ears or who are searching for something I'm not, may get different results.

[NeilT]

Have you compared the stock power supply with another power supply, such as a linear power supply?

Please explain the differences heard with a "better" PS.

[HsvHeelFan]

I went with a computer due to it's added versatility.

I'm computer savvy while the SqueezeBox was to "black box" for me and I didn't know anybody with a SB system to go listen to or try out.

It took me a couple of hours to put the computer together. I ordered all of the parts online.

It took me a month to rip all of my music.  The computer is silent, except for when the CD/DVD drive is running to rip the CD. 

I ended up running the conversion to FLAC and then reviewing the conversion logs and listening to any tracks that had re-reads.

HsvHeelFan

[grantc79]

 

Here's my solution to digital audio:

Airtunes/iTunes streaming from a Mac, iPad, or iPhone + Apple TV -> Toslink -> Hifi =
Flawless performance, mucho convenience and wireless freedom.

Airtunes on the iPad and iPhone also streams Spotify and lots of other services, which makes it fantastic, because you have access to pretty much any music in the world. Unbelievable synergy between these various devices and technologies, one of the best things about the Apple ecosystem.

iPad is $499, Apple TV is $99. Add a Toslink cable ($5) and a Spotify premium account ($10/ month), and you're good to go listen to 20 million tracks at will, through your best gear. Plus you have the best tablet around, and access to all kinds of video content with the Apple TV.