|
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
75.119.250.81
In Reply to: RE: Agree, I am a Bluesound owner posted by bullethead on August 20, 2014 at 16:28:34
Just to clarify anything I may have said about the SBT: I was assuming people just use it as a "terminal". IOW they don't use the built-in display or DAC or accompanying remote/PS etc.
So I'm only comparing it to other player-boxes that don't even have a DAC/display/smart remote and assume you provide that to taste. That is the SBT world I've been in for some years so I sometimes forget there's another SBT world of people using the device pretty much as-is. That wouldn't be good enough for me either.
Follow Ups:
"I sometimes forget there's another SBT world of people using the device pretty much as-is. That wouldn't be good enough for me either."
I wonder what vintage SBT you had. I bought one and wasn't satisfied with the sound and returned it. Later I decide to tackle it as a project (rather than as a solution) and bought another just before the availability got bad.
When I listened to it as a baseline before ripping into it I found that it actually sounded very good. An inmate said that they had gone to another DAC or something and apparently whatever it was did the trick. I have been using it pure stock ever since to listen to streaming audio and am very happy. For a while my local station had an improved stream, maybe 320K AAC or something like that and it was just beautiful using the internal DAC. With 128K streams I suspect the SBT is not having much sonic impact...
Rick
I didn't know they changed anything, Logitech generally seems very unwilling to do that in an existing model, usually change = new model/device. IOW I don't know what "version" I have. :)When I said "not good enough", I just meant not close enough to my CDP into the same external DAC to "replace" it for more attentive listening, though via S/PDIF for the SBT vs the CDP's AES/EBU. Attaining closeness was my goal.
I later came to the conclusion through lots of screwing around that it's the AES/EBU interface with this particular DAC that's giving me the little bit "better" with the CDP, so I settled down and admitted the SBT as a source was pretty good. And I use it waaay more than the CDP, but the CDP has much more sonic flexibility due to its various interfaces and even its analog output is pretty decent.
So it's not like the SBT replaced anything, it's a convenient option and I hate to say that I seem to be choosing convenience a lot more these days than I used to...
Edit: as to if the "cloud"/remote server went away, it wouldn't affect my main/most important SBT use much AFAIK. I would only lose my external streaming capability, and not my internal (home) ability, right??
As to the external streaming, I think there are probably enough plugins (that I don't use now) to cover the few sources I do use. Being in Canada, half (or more) of the decent stuff is already unavailable to me without some jiggery-poke to spoof my location and payment.
Edits: 08/23/14
"it's [an SBT] a convenient option and I hate to say that I seem to be choosing convenience a lot more these days than I used to..."
That's simply a sign of maturity and honed judgement!
"So it's not like the SBT replaced anything"
Oh no, of course not, it's an addition, an enhancement to one's system. I still have three players and a DAC in mine. The main thing I wanted in the short term was streaming audio with no fan and that latter clause eliminates almost everything in the way of GP computers.
I do have a bunch of records and tapes I'd like to hear again someday but digital media is so painless compared to the LP's that I may never 'rip' them.
Regards, Rick
Exactly my state: should I or shouldn't I rip my LPs? I've been following Abe's comments about how he did his.
So far, I have mostly been taking the easy way out and buying as many as possible on the best CDs I can find (almost all from the UK/Europe). i.e. throwing money at the problem.
I think that "editing" the digitized LP tracks, whatever needs to be done including tagging, would try my patience [see "convenience" :)]. You see, the vast majority of my LPs are Canadian pressings, and the ones that aren't are mostly rather obscure titles, and like for just about all my Canadian-version CDs, they don't match up with what's in the online databases. Luckily I don't have that many of those CDs, but the less-fussy online DB I used to use is no longer in operation, and the ones that are are much more particular about "matching" i.e. you get all or nothing, no fuzzy logic.
It is no real effort to throw on an LP. I still do it regulalrly. After the SBT just getting off my ass seems like a real inconvenience...
I messed around with the logitech unofficial plugin which allows USB audio output, I have that into a Yaqin DAC and it sounds really good.
Understanding that the power supply and no screen and shutting off the wifi make a huge difference, it is very good. Maybe it is time to sell mine as it will be useless for me when their cloud shuts down.
"Maybe it is time to sell mine as it will be useless for me when their cloud shuts down."
I'm concerned about that too. I bought an RPi to use as a local server but haven't finished the project since there hasn't been much need. But like you I figure it's just a matter of time. While I'm enjoying the device I think that the advantages of the thin client paradigm are long gone yet the liabilities linger. Fortunately their server has only been down once for any significant time since I've been using it.
I pretty-much only listen to classical music from public radio sources so I don't need an intermediary service which may be the main remaining advantage of their topology.
I REALLY like the convenience of local control and haven't noticed any sonic improvement turning off the display. Maybe that's not sufficient? Unfortunately the volume control does seem to degrade the sound which is a bummer as I could use it since I'm not currently using my remote control preamp. I've already used it enough to way amortize it's cost so whatever happens in the future I've no regrets...
Rick
I also use the SBT with separate power supply, Separate DAC, the Screen does not run... etc.
It is really LMS that makes the SBT Special also the guys that are writing special Pluggins for the SBT.
Cut-Throat
That sounds crazy to me. Get an embedded Linux solution then. $500 mobo Linux kernal custom compiled and there you go. I don't know why you would waste money and time trying to improve SBT. There are much better ways to go about it than tinkering with a toy.
nt
Cut-Throat
they no longer make it! I'm afraid once mysqueezebox.com goes down it'll be useless for me. I don't have the resources to run a perl script 24/7 so I guess I will have to sell it before it becomes a paperweight.
nt
Cut-Throat
Post a Followup:
FAQ |
Post a Message! |
Forgot Password? |
|
||||||||||||||
|
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors: