Is the Squeezebox a bottleneck?

[blessingx]

I've often commented on how undervalued the Squeezebox 3/Classic is as a DAC. I've really thought, and still do, that it performs quite nicely for its price even if you forget it's streaming capabilities. Part of that conclusion though was based on DAC comparisons when fed through the SB3. In fact I sold my Lavry DA10, when after a comparison, I could no longer justify its cost. Before boxing for shipment though I decided to give it one last go fed optically from a MacBook, recreating what I lived with for a year - a DAC/amp single-box combo with balanced HD580s out the back. It sounded wonderful, but so many variables I didn't even think about the Squeezebox (after all bit-perfect 0s and 1s in to bit-perfect 0s and 1s out...).

However recently I've picked up a couple Aeolus magiDACs and again I much prefer them fed USB to coaxial from the Squeezebox. In fact I prefer the Squeezebox solo to the magiDAC fed, but magiDAC to either if run off USB (there's a volume adjustment to compensate for, but that's easy enough to correct).

Which of course has me thinking back to the Lavry scenerio which I never did, but should have, A/Bed w/wo the Squeezebox in the chain.

Although I have a couple Squeezeboxes, a USB relay or USB thru CAT5 extender are possibilities to get everywhere in my housing situation. So I'm thinking about that, but wanted to ask - has anyone else found the Squeezebox to be a bottleneck?

[deepak]

Bottleneck as a digital transport or as a digital to analog converter? Sorry just slightly confused by the setups you used, this part in particular:

However recently I've picked up a couple Aeolus magiDACs and again I much prefer them fed USB to coaxial from the Squeezebox. In fact I prefer the Squeezebox solo to the magiDAC fed, but magiDAC to either if run off USB (there's a volume adjustment to compensate for, but that's easy enough to correct).

If I'm reading this right you prefer the magiDAC when run off USB to the Squeezebox3 as a DAC. But you prefer the Squeezebox3 as a DAC when the magiDAC is connected through the SB3's digital out?

I have only tried my Squeezebox 3 as a digital transport, and I have A/B'ed it against my M-Audio Transit (very easy to do since the Transit is bit perfect without any tom foolery) and the two sound exactly the same.

[tkam]

As a transport the SB is fantastic but as a full out source, yes it's definitely a bottleneck.

[n_maher]

As a transport the SB is fantastic but as a full out source, yes it's definitely a bottleneck.

I'm with Todd here, the SB3 is great as a transport but just average as a source. So depending on the rest of your rig it may or may not be the bottleneck.

[jp11801]

Ric if you come to the mini meet at Dan's 8/9 we can put this to the test. The SB to me equals good transport and so so source.

[blessingx]

Sorry for confusing post. I should keep pre-6am posts to a minimum. Yes, I mean a bottleneck as a transport. The Stax 007t has a couple inputs so it's easy to compare the SB3 (as source) to the SB3 fed magicDAC or SB3 (as source) to the magicDAC off USB. I have a couple magiDACs and Squeezeboxes so perhaps I'll do a SB3 fed magiDAC v. magiDAC off USB test too. I should wait to post as these are only very initial impressions, but I've barely been around my house the last three weeks and my 1 hour impressions (after burn-in) were magiDAC USB > Squeezebox as source > magiDAC fed by Squeezebox. I may change my mind over time, or this could be problem with coaxial processing, but the fact that I had that previous Lavry experience, where I seemed to prefer the DA10 fed optically from the MacBook to fed optically from the Squeezebox (though there were a ton of variables there, including memory) made me wonder. None of this is remotely definitive, hence my question mark in the title.

And for those wondering the SB3s volume is max, using the most recent firmware, using decent cables, etc.

In the end this may become moot for me as the Pico beats them all, but at the magiDACs current price, and especially for its pre-order price that put it even $70 cheaper, the magiDAC off USB competed favorably with the Pico if cost is considered. The Pico does offer superior detail, soundstage width and overall balance though... at least in my 1 hour test.

JP, I may make it to the meet, but I've been away so long I'm just craving a weekend of nothingness and that weekend looks the best possibility. It seems crazy to say I prefer sleep/vegetation to a meet, but that's how I'm feeling.

[luvdunhill]

the SB3 as a transport can be significantly upgraded if modded to directly tap the i2s output. I had the chance to A/B these configurations and it was quite impressive.

[blessingx]

Weeeeellll, ignore this whole thread. I'm just getting back to testing and it seems there was a bit of a bleed between inputs on the srm-007t. Just retested with an Extreme Platinum, which had a larger bleed, thus more noticeable, which showed the problem. I'd place the SB3 fed magiDAC over the Squeezebox solo now.

Will give more time (I've been insanely busy) for more detailed analysis of the magiDAC, but for now forget the whole Squeezebox bottleneck theory.

[Gabe Logan]

the SB3 as a transport can be significantly upgraded if modded to directly tap the i2s output. I had the chance to A/B these configurations and it was quite impressive.

Does Boulder offer this in their mods?