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Forum Discussion
squeezebox set up for audiophiles
After researching a bit and reading up on the forum, I would like to set up my squeezebox touch as follows and any input, criticism, guidance, etc to help all of us get on the right path would help. I will post back my experience so others can learn as well:
Current Setup:
1) Do not have an option to run wired ethernet as NAS is in another room and wiring is not convenient. Besides I would like to keep the fan noise out of my listening room
2) Running Squeezecenter on a Readynas NV+ and will upgrade to Netgear Pro very soon. Have a dedicated router that is only used for streaming using WLAN to the touch, duet and SB3 in 3 different rooms. Router is a Cisco Linksys 610N. Have around 2 TB of music and using a laptop with a hiface and a itunes / hard disk / Mac, just does not cut it for me due to my LARGE music library
3) Touch analog outputs are not used and the SPDIF out put goes into the Audio Research Dac 8. Sound is OK but not on par with my Ayre C5XE MP CD Player even using good cables: stereovox xv ultra coax digital cable, kimber palladian power cord and kimber 1120 balanced interconnects on the Audio Research dac 8
4) All the equipment including the Touch is plugged into a Shunyata Hydra 8
Planned Setup:
1) Perform Soundcheck mods as posted on his tutorial
2) Plug the NAS and the router into a conditioner / filter. Thinking of Shunyata Hydra 2. If I use a UPS, the hydra will go into the APC 1000 on line UPS. Use an audiophile cable from the outlet to the Hydra 2. Not decided on the UPS as yet as I usually put the NAS off when not using it.
3) Change the power cable on the NAS to a decent audiophile cable like the KIMBER PK 10 gold
4) Change the power supply on the router and the touch to a linear power supply
5) Buy a bridge like WET 610N or use another router as a bridge (use ddwrt) and change the power supply to linear as well. Connect the touch to the Ethernet port of the bridge
6) Stream using wlan from the router connected to the NAS to the router connected to the touch
Audiophiles may like the setup as it theoretically should isolate all the noise and result in a good / hopefully bit perfect output on the SPDIF output of the touch. The NAS will be in another room and the fan noise will not interrupt with the sound but we need the technically adept members of the forum to give us their input to see if the above will result in a better / bit perfect signal on the touch SPDIF output. Computer Audiophile in its review of the touch claims that the SPDIF output of the touch is bit perfect but I have my doubts as my ears are not HAPPY!
Do not want to be in a situation where I go and buy the power supplies, etc only to find out that its of no use as my ears will still not be happy.
Request everyone that is interested in getting a good sound using WLAN to study the above and give input. Or is there no way to get good sound using WLAN? This is a mystery to me!
Thanks
Current Setup:
1) Do not have an option to run wired ethernet as NAS is in another room and wiring is not convenient. Besides I would like to keep the fan noise out of my listening room
2) Running Squeezecenter on a Readynas NV+ and will upgrade to Netgear Pro very soon. Have a dedicated router that is only used for streaming using WLAN to the touch, duet and SB3 in 3 different rooms. Router is a Cisco Linksys 610N. Have around 2 TB of music and using a laptop with a hiface and a itunes / hard disk / Mac, just does not cut it for me due to my LARGE music library
3) Touch analog outputs are not used and the SPDIF out put goes into the Audio Research Dac 8. Sound is OK but not on par with my Ayre C5XE MP CD Player even using good cables: stereovox xv ultra coax digital cable, kimber palladian power cord and kimber 1120 balanced interconnects on the Audio Research dac 8
4) All the equipment including the Touch is plugged into a Shunyata Hydra 8
Planned Setup:
1) Perform Soundcheck mods as posted on his tutorial
2) Plug the NAS and the router into a conditioner / filter. Thinking of Shunyata Hydra 2. If I use a UPS, the hydra will go into the APC 1000 on line UPS. Use an audiophile cable from the outlet to the Hydra 2. Not decided on the UPS as yet as I usually put the NAS off when not using it.
3) Change the power cable on the NAS to a decent audiophile cable like the KIMBER PK 10 gold
4) Change the power supply on the router and the touch to a linear power supply
5) Buy a bridge like WET 610N or use another router as a bridge (use ddwrt) and change the power supply to linear as well. Connect the touch to the Ethernet port of the bridge
6) Stream using wlan from the router connected to the NAS to the router connected to the touch
Audiophiles may like the setup as it theoretically should isolate all the noise and result in a good / hopefully bit perfect output on the SPDIF output of the touch. The NAS will be in another room and the fan noise will not interrupt with the sound but we need the technically adept members of the forum to give us their input to see if the above will result in a better / bit perfect signal on the touch SPDIF output. Computer Audiophile in its review of the touch claims that the SPDIF output of the touch is bit perfect but I have my doubts as my ears are not HAPPY!
Do not want to be in a situation where I go and buy the power supplies, etc only to find out that its of no use as my ears will still not be happy.
Request everyone that is interested in getting a good sound using WLAN to study the above and give input. Or is there no way to get good sound using WLAN? This is a mystery to me!
Thanks
46 Replies
Replies have been turned off for this discussion
- Thanks dhinesh. I am looking for good (may be linear) PS for my switch/hub and the router, my Touch will soon have Bolder PS. Any suggestions for switch/hub/router PS?. I tried using Parts Express PS on my Linksys router - IT DOES MADE A LOT OF DIFFERENCE, extended highs and bottom end. SO I wanted to know if anything better than PE PS is a better option.
- Have not changed power supply for router yet. Streaming wirelessly to touch (wifi). Since its not a wired connection, did not pay much attention to the power supply on the router as i assumed wifi jitter is unmeasurable so should not be a problem. Is yours a wired or wireless connecrion between touch and router?
I must say the linear power supply made a huge difference.
Just finished another project: 2010 mac mini modded with an external custom built power supply. Beats the sound from the touch and can play 24/192 music.
Something to consider for the future...... Think boulder does a mod for the mac mini as well. - Mine is wired, thinking of having a hub before the touch. I use analog outs. What linear PS you use on the touch.
- the PS for the touch was custom built by an audiophile friend using very high quality components: Black Gate Capacitors (New Old Stock as the factory has closed down), Audio Note and some other audiophile components. Black Gate are famous in audiophile circles, even though the factory closed down, you can still find New Old Stock around. Using the digital out into a DAC. You may want to try a wifi connection between the touch and the router, may sound better
You may want to try a wifi connection between the touch and the router, may sound better
I have disable WLAN on touch. I cannot make this wireless connection as WLAN in SB is a source of noise. I have now setup a hub before the touch. The switch (se2500) is wired to Touch. Switch get internet from the wired router connection. Iam thinking this wired connection could get some noise in to Touch, as router is connnected along with other noisy PSs.- wlan is the best of the two evils according to me. You are going to get noise in from the power supply of the switch / router as well. These power supply units are usually switching power supplies. If you connect a linear power supply to the touch and use wlan, the results may be better. I am happy with this set up. The other option is to get a linear power supply for the switch as well. Something not too expensive, perhaps. That way everything is with a linear power supply and this should reduce the noise associated with switching power supplies!
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