Squeezebox Touch

[mfsoa]

Does the Transporter downconvert 24/192 to 24/96 or does it pass the 24/192 natively?

I though I read that it did downconvert, if that's the right word.

Thanks

-Mike

[Deton Nation]

Rich, the Touch will do 24/96 natively which puts it on parr with the Transporter IMO.  I have seen posts that claim that the Touch DAC is substantially better than what is found in the SB3 or Receiver but who knows for sure.  Since I use an external DAC, that is not nearly as important.  It's also supposed to have better isolation that may potentially eliminate the need/benefit of a 3rd party linear PS.  

It'll be interesting for sure... But for under $300, if it's an improvement over the Duet or SB3, it's a steal.

I believe the touch will work with the CIAudio linear PS which I already have for the SB3.
M

[mdconnelly]

Does the Transporter downconvert 24/192 to 24/96 or does it pass the 24/192 natively?
-Mike

I'm pretty certain that the Transporter tops out at 24/96 and doubt anyone could stream 24/192 over today's wireless.

I believe the touch will work with the CIAudio linear PS which I already have for the SB3.
M

I also heard that the Touch uses the same power supply as the SB3 so hopefully all those linear PSs can be used for the Touch as well although I seem to remember seeing a thread on the logitech forums that indicated that it wouldn't be necessary given the new design of the Touch.  Time will tell.

[djbnh]

IMHO, a fully functioning remote IS available in a number of different flavors.   I'm sure from a marketing position, Logitech wanted to position the Touch as an SB3 replacement at essentially the same price.  That it is and a whole lot more (well, assuming they ever actually release it . 

If you want a full function remote that will work with ANY of the Squeezebox products, there are lots of options including....

Logitech Controller
iPhone
iPod Touch
iPad
any laptop, desktop or netbook computer

Logitech could certainly have packaged the Touch with an equally robust remote but it would have significantly increased the cost.  Or, they could have taken the Duet route and kept the Receiver and provided a substantially better Controller. 

But, as an owner of both an SB3 and a Duet, I personally think the Touch is exactly what I want.   Higher audiophile appeal than the SB3 or Duet, far lower cost than the Transporter.  Personally, I want a display on the unit attached to my system and I want a high functioning remote.  I most often use iPeng on my iPhone which makes for an excellent remote.  My take on the CNET article is that the author is not a Squeezebox owner.

A large vote of thanks in appreciation for your "fully featured" response.  I've been looking at the Transporter, too. I'd like to have the screen feature of the main unit somewhat replicated on a remote, for anticipated ease of use.

An aside: after getting our butts kicked on the home front in NH for a while coping with power outages and downed trees, it's nice to have a big serving of, "Here, let me help you out";  very much appreciated.

[Deton Nation]

Out today! YEah!

[mdconnelly]

I'll believe it when it's in hands but can't wait.  I've had one on order for awhile.

[Deton Nation]

Mine just shipped!
Yeah!

[richidoo]

http://www.logitech.com/en-us/speakers_audio/wireless_music_systems/devices/5745

[mfsoa]

Mine just shipped too

I'll race ya', Mike!

-Mike

[Deton Nation]

Ships ground. All depends on from where?

[mfsoa]

Just bought 2 of these:
Fantom G-Force 1 TB USB 2.0/eSATA Desktop External Hard Drive GF1000EU

and one of these: Plextor 8X Slim DVD+RW Black

for my laptop/Touch.

The Plextor has an internal battery so I could try totally battery powered rips, if it makes any difference.

I have nothing ripped yet so I have a lot of figuring out to do (EAC? DBPoweramp? WAV? FLAC? Both? filename structure ahhhh)

So we can plug the hard drive right into the Touch and avoid using the PC to play tunes? Way cool if I understand this right. Can you stream internet radio w/out the PC on if your home network is on, with the hard drive connected to the Touch?

-Mike the PC audio noob

[richidoo]

Hi Mike,
Sorry, but you still need a PC or some kind of processor outside the player to run the Logitech server software, "Squeezebox Server" I think they call it now. The Sonos system runs without external server.

I use dbPoweramp for ripping, and I send it to a NAS fileserver which is always on. I use FLAC at default setting 5. My file naming scheme is "[artist]\[album]\[track] - [title]" which allows me to browse my music by folder when the metadata fields are not adequate, like with classical tracks. dbpoweramp allows me to convert the flacs into mp3s or aac or apple lossless for my wife's ipod. I like it! But I haven't used EAC in a long time, so I don't know if it has improved. Hard to imagine that it has overcome dbpoweramp featires and ease of use.  Plextor is an awesome optical drive. Have fun!!!
Rich

[Deton Nation]

Dont upgrade to 7.5 (Slim Server) if you can help it. It doesnt play ALAC, which is most of my library.
Posted on Slim Forum. Hopefully someone will say something.

[mfsoa]

I thought I read somewhere that SlimServer also runs inside the Touch and that you could plug a drive right into it? Maybe too good to be true...

If I can find it I'll post a link.

Thanks

-Mike

[richidoo]

You may be right. From Logitech website:

Features:
"USB host connector for accessing music and photos via USB drive or USB key"
"SD card slot for music and photos"

Page 12 of the Feature Guide says this:

"Play Music from an SD card or USB Drive
To play your personal music collection from an SD card or USB drive:
Plug a USB drive into the connector on the back of Squeezebox Touch, or insert your SD card into the slot on the right 1. side of your Squeezebox.
Wait while the new device is installed on your Squeezebox.
2. You will see the messages “Attaching device” followed by “Starting Squeezebox Server”. When those processes are complete, an IMPORTANT NOTICE screen will inform you of the Eject option.
Tap the left arrow on your touchscreen to return to the Home menu.3.
From the Home menu, go to 4. My Music > Switch Library and select your device
Wait while you see the message “Connecting to <5. device-name>...”
At the 6. My Music > Artists, Albums menu, navigate to and select the music you want to hear.
From the My Music menu, access your music collection by artist, album, or genre. Or select new music, saved playlists; or a random mix of your songs, albums, or artists. You can even use My Music > Search to find a specific selection by artist, album, song, playlist, or recent searches.
Note: Only the media that has been attached first will be available. For example, if you insert an SD card and then attach a USB drive, only the SD card will be listed as an option when you go to My Music > Switch Library.
Note: Squeezebox Touch will access music on SD Cards and USB drives. It does not support other attachable USB devices (for example, iPhones or other cellular phones, iPods, PDAs, Cameras, and so forth).
Note: To ensure proper operation of a USB drive with Squeezebox Touch:
If your USB drive has an AC power connection, plug it in. •
If your USB drive does not connect to an AC power supply, plug it into an AC powered USB hub.•
Note: The maximum supported SD card size 32GB
If the music that you want is not accessible through My Music:
Go to • My Music > Music Folder and point Squeezebox Touch to the appropriate folder on your SD card or USB drive.
To eject an attached device:
From the Home menu, select 1. Eject Device
Remove the device from your Squeezebox Touch2."

It doesn't explicitly say that Squeezebox server is running inside the Touch. But it does say that it is running somewhere, because you have to tell it to look at the USB port for content.

If Touch is running the server software, that also means it is doing the flac decoding internally. I guess processor power and size has improved drastically since early Squeezebox 3 days, but SB3 could never handle that task without dropping out.

BIG news if this is true.  Good find Mike. Sorry for my previous rote answer. I hope it is wrong.