Getting a Squeezebox Touch and have a few questions...

[clydeselsor]

Hello all,
I am going to be getting a SB Touch and I am completely new at this sort of thing. I am going to primarily use it for internet streaming and was wondering how the built-in DAC sounds. I noticed that the SBT has a USB on the back and I was wondering if I could use my HRT Musicstreamer USB DAC with the SB.
Also, how does the SBT go about playing files that I have on my PC?

Thanks in advance!

 

[ronaldw441]

Start here:

http://www.logitech.com/en-us/439/5745

 

[BostonDave]

I have the Roku Soundbridge but they are similar enough. While I can't speak for the Squeezebox DAC, I have a couple of different generations of Soundbridges running together. The older ones are supposed to have better DACs. I found a basic Grant Fidelity Tube DAC-09 makes a pretty noticable improvement though for any system that is discerning enough to be able to tell the difference.

The streaming of your personal music collection is achieved by running an application call Squeezebox Server on the PC where your music is stored. The Squeezebox connects to the Squeezebox Server App which has all of your music indexed. You can run the internet radio or other internet services without a PC involved, just access to the internet through a home network. The sorting is probably done using tagged data in your digital files so a good tag editor is a huge asset. Mp3tag is the name of the free one I use.

The Squeezebox Server is open source and I believe the OS for the Squeezebox devices are also. There are probably lots of free apps available. I have an app for the Roku that allows me to control any Roku in the house from my iPhone. I can be sitting anywhere on my property, turn on the nearest stereo and stream anything from my digital library using my iPhone as a wireless remote.

The first problem you might have after getting the Squeezebox is that you'll want more than one. I have five Rokus now and I'm probably going to have to pick up another soon.

 

[clydeselsor]

Thanks guys!

 

[elgato8905]

Squeezeboxes are really easy to set up. I don't know the first thing about computers and I had no problem setting up either of my Classics. I'm willing to bet they are more difficult to set up than the Touch. I doubt you'll have any problems.

You're gonna love it by the way.

 

[TejasRichard]

I have the Roku Soundbridge but they are similar enough. While I can't speak for the Squeezebox DAC, I have a couple of different generations of Soundbridges running together. The older ones are supposed to have better DACs. I found a basic Grant Fidelity Tube DAC-09 makes a pretty noticable improvement though for any system that is discerning enough to be able to tell the difference.

The streaming of your personal music collection is achieved by running an application call Squeezebox Server on the PC where your music is stored. The Squeezebox connects to the Squeezebox Server App which has all of your music indexed. You can run the internet radio or other internet services without a PC involved, just access to the internet through a home network. The sorting is probably done using tagged data in your digital files so a good tag editor is a huge asset. Mp3tag is the name of the free one I use.

The Squeezebox Server is open source and I believe the OS for the Squeezebox devices are also. There are probably lots of free apps available. I have an app for the Roku that allows me to control any Roku in the house from my iPhone. I can be sitting anywhere on my property, turn on the nearest stereo and stream anything from my digital library using my iPhone as a wireless remote.

The first problem you might have after getting the Squeezebox is that you'll want more than one. I have five Rokus now and I'm probably going to have to pick up another soon.

Yep, the same thing is available for the squeezebox, both for the iphone and android devices. The internet radio works well and will even locate the online streams of your local radio stations automagically. I can't speak for the touch, but the dac in my squeezebox was bettered by both the dacmagic and the MH 25.2....but is good enough that I haven't HAD to replace it, yet. I plan on it, but it isn't like the squeezebox is unenjoyable without it.

 

[Raynald]

I have the Touch and the internal DACs are quite good. Very listenable and enjoyable even in my main system. I think some of the reviews might have over rated them a bit, saying that they were as good as many affordable outboard DACs. My good but hardly state of the art Yamaha CDX-1120 sounds a bit better. But unless you do a direct comparison with something better in a very good system you should be very pleased with the stock Touch.

I'm not sure, but I think the USB is just for hooking up your hard drive if you want a local source. Stock it does not function as a digital out but there may be a mod or hack for that.