Many thanks in advance to anyone who can reply! :D
Could any of you succinctly explain (or perhaps point me to a well-written link) how the new DS-style / Transporter / Squeezebox sources work? Not the detailed internal engineering, but rather the overall implications: what does a user need to do to set things up, what components are needed, how in practice does one access the music, and what do you gain (or lose) in comparison to traditional systems?
I've been reading through the Slim Devices forums, but besides detecting a considerable amount of anti-Linn animosity, I'm not really sure how things work out. The basics seem (more or less) clear: you use a computer to store the music; the PC connects to the DS/Squeezebox device; and then the DS/Squeezebox connects to a Preamp (just like any source component). But from that point onwards, it gets confusing. e.g.,...
* What is Twonky, and how is "ripping" the CD into the PC so problematic (e.g., can one just use iTunes or Windows Media)?
* Can a Squeezebox really sound as good as a Unidisk SC or a Majik CD, and if so, why does the DS cost so much more?
* Where is the magic?: in the PC-to-DAC conversion, or in the DAC itself? If a person already owns a DAC or a Linn component with a serviceable DAC (e.g., a 5103, UniSC, or Numerik), is it worth piping the output of an inexpensive Squeezebox through that DAC? Would that be a cheaper way of exploring this Brave New World?
* And why is there so much "Linn is a grossly-overpriced marketing-driven cult" hostility towards Linn? I'd be the first to concur that Linn componentry is pricey, but the price/performance ratio to Linn products doesn't seem all that bad -- are Squeezebox economics exceptional? Or are there some sour grapes at work here?
And as a background note: my interest here is entirely on the basis of sound quality -- the "convenience" of having all my music on a PC is not one that means that much to me, as I actually prefer popping a CD into a CD-player to scrolling through menus on my iPod. But if this Brave New World can help a person get Majik sound quality on a near-Classik budget (e.g., used 5103s and Numeriks are not very expensive at all!), then it might be nice to explore.
Thank you very much again! :D
- C
P.S. - my questions are general, but if it helps at all to have a specific example in mind: my system currently consists of a Classik Music feeding into a Klout (yes, yes, a violation of Source First!). Stereophile's review of the Majik CD claims that a PC + $300 Squeezebox combination would sound about as good as the Majik (and about as good as a Unidisk SC)....and eBay 5103s can often be found for well under $1000. Hence, as I have a very quiet Apple MacBook laptop, I could conceivably replace the Classik with a 5103 and Squeezebox (using the 5103 either as a preamp or as a preamp + DAC) without spending very much money. If Stereophile is to be believed, this would yield a big, big jump in sound quality -- but somehow I'm thinking there's got to be a catch somewhere!! Hence the questions to the community here (thanks!).
EDIT: - I'm terribly sorry! I mis-remembered the Stereophile review. It's not the Squeezebox at all they referred to, but a $1750 Wavelength Brick!
http://www.stereophile.com/cdplayers/30 ... ndex1.html
So I guess a lot of the magic is in the D/A Conversion -- i.e., this approach is not a way to get Majik sound for Classik money....
My apologies for the garbled questions.
Could someone please explain the Brave New World of Sources?
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