Squeezebox Touch

Mikey081057

I picked up a used Squeezebox Touch and interfaced it with my Marantz SA 8004DAC input via toslink... Thing was a breeze to install and setup. I specifically wanted a network device to listen to network content and after reading in this and other forums that users find them to be just fine for that purpose.

I listen mostly to Spotify, Pandora, SiriusXM etc.

I like the sound quality through the Marantz SACD dac, which was one of the reasons I selected the SA8004... Right now I am connected wirelessly, and seem to get vg throughput as my wireless router is maybe 6' away through a wall.

I have seen a lot of threads here about squeezeboxes, and would like to understand it better... I know this thing has a lot of different ways to connect, and even saw a usb to dac hack to improve sound quality... Would appreciate any easy to apply tips any of you Polk Squeezers can point me to.

Thanks!

tonyb

Start burning your cd's to your computer so you have a variety of the music you like at your finger tips. Use a good burning program like DBpoweramp....into flac files and put those cd's in the closet.

SCompRacer

I’ve done an I2S out mod on my Touch. I2S is the serial communication a CD player uses from transport to DAC chip; clock is separate of data unlike S/PDIF which embeds clock with data stream and the DAC must sort it out. To do an I2S out mod, your DAC must have I2S input though. I use a device called a Teleporter to send and receive signal in DAC. I2S signals are meant for a short path, not long cables. I can use up to 100 feet of Cat cable using the Teleporters but just need a 3 footer. I use a Blue Jeans Cat6a cable to connect.





http://www.twistedpearaudio.com/digital/teleporter.aspx

http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/data-cables/

tonyb

Oh for God's sake Rich.....I suppose your not allergic to Kryptonite either.

Very nice pal...very very nice.

SCompRacer

Tony, as the eyesight fades I doubt any more Touch mods will be attempted....

Rubinson at sterophile used the USB out mod on a Touch for a review on a usb input Ayre DAC. The good thing about that mod is it is an easily reversible third party app. The skinny is at slimdevices forum.

http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?94512-Announce-Enhanced-Digital-Output-app-USB-Dac-and-192k-Digital-Ouput

Mikey081057

I am enjoying the snit out of this thing for now.... When i succumb to boredom I will look to add the 22' rims and the supercharger...Rich what does your's do the 1/4 mile in?

Why did they stop making this thing? Everybody just using pc/mac based media servers? This is very convenient & decent sound quality.

AsSiMiLaTeD

Part of the reason is likely because this functionality is being added to more and more universal players. My Touch became immediately obsolete when I bought the Oppo

Mikey081057

AsSiMiLaTeD wrote: »

Part of the reason is likely because this functionality is being added to more and more universal players. My Touch became immediately obsolete when I bought the Oppo

Is there any way to do Sirius and Spotify on the Oppo now? my older BDP 93 doesn't and I would like to have those.

SCompRacer

Logitech never gave an official why when they discontinued the Touch. They expressed support for past products and here is our new product, blah, blah.

If we drag 'em out, my Touch will be slower than yours due to the added weight so I'd need a Touch or two head start, or give me the bust.....

nspindel

I think Logitech grew tired of having to support the server side software of the Squeezebox platform, and figured that having to be a bit on the tech savvy side to deal with the server was constricting their customer base to more of a niche sector of the market. So they took what was the Squeezebox Radio, slapped an Ultimate Ears brand name onto it, and did away with the server side component and released it as a pure internet streaming device with no internal server component. This makes it far easier for the average person to get working, but of course it is then no longer used for streaming your personal music collection from your hard drive. It's a bit sad to me that Logitech bought a great little company that was perfectly suited to serve a niche market, then killed the product. But it is true, streaming functionality is being built into more and more devices, so that the standalone streamer is becoming redundant. I still have my Touch, which I really can't see myself ever parting with, particularly because of how well it pairs with the iPeng app for my phone, and the sound quality is top notch. I also have two Squeezebox Radios.

Right now, I also use the Touch with a Marantz 8004, and agree with you that the sound quality is excellent. Great sounding dac, well worth the cost of the unit, with an SACD player for free!