Squeezeboxes - how does the range compare as transports?

[Guest fordgtlover]

Hopefully, this post should not be particularly contentious.

 

We all know that Logitech has stopped making the squeezeboxes, but they continue to have a very keen following. Archimago over at the slimdevices forum had done a range of testing comparing the SB3, Touch and Transporter. I have been using the SB Duet (controller and receiver) as a transport for a while and I often wondered how the squeezebox range (particularly the SBT and Duet) compared to each other in terms of performance as transports so I sent my SB Duet over to Canada for him to test.

 

All of the analog comparisons can be found on his blog, which is quite an interesting read.

 

It is his latest post that I wanted to draw attention to in this thread; he compares the squeezebox range as transports.

 

http://archimago.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/measurements-do-bit-perfect-digital.html

 

 

Note to Nada, the blog post does contain a lot of graphs, so you may choose not to bother looking and just post a knee jerk response straight away

 

[empirical]

Hopefully, this post should not be particularly contentious.

 

We all know that Logitech has stopped making the squeezeboxes, but they continue to have a very keen following. Archimago over at the slimdevices forum had done a range of testing comparing the SB3, Touch and Transporter. I have been using the SB Duet (controller and receiver) as a transport for a while and I often wondered how the squeezebox range (particularly the SBT and Duet) compared to each other in terms of performance as transports so I sent my SB Duet over to Canada for him to test.

 

All of the analog comparisons can be found on his blog, which is quite an interesting read.

 

It is his latest post that I wanted to draw attention to in this thread; he compares the squeezebox range as transports.

 

http://archimago.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/measurements-do-bit-perfect-digital.html

 

 

Note to Nada, the blog post does contain a lot of graphs, so you may choose not to bother looking and just post a knee jerk response straight away

I've modded all of them and I can tell you with confidence that in a resolving system the Touch will sound the best.  However, they can all benefit from reclocking, or modding to improve the internal clock and power system.  The Touch is very fragile inside, so easily damaged.

 

Steve N.

[Guest fordgtlover]

I think that's a testament to how how good these devices really are. They sell for $400 and only need some work on the clock and power - that's a real credit to the original designers and engineers.Of course, they are not only transports, but DACs in their own right.

 

Great stuff.

[firedog]

The Touch definitely sounded better than the Duet it replaced

[Guest fordgtlover]

The Touch definitely sounded better than the Duet it replaced

 

As a DAC or as a Transport?

 

[firedog]

As a DAC or as a Transport?

 

 

Both

[New Sensations]

As standalone units using their own DACs: Touch > Classic > Duet.

[TP1]

I realise that this thread is about Logitech devices but I thought there may be interest in comparisons with other gear. Having said that I have only compared the SBT to the Opera consonance Reference 7 as a transport into the same DAC. The Ref 7 sounded quite a bit more dynamic and open in its presentation. When using their own DAC, the gap widened considerably.

I realize that the Ref 7 is in a different price bracket, but something like D-Linear 7 from the same company might be closer in price once you add the cost and hassle of mods to the SBT