Buying Logitech Squeezebox touch in india

[GeorgeO]

I have connected it via a DAC so I dont really know how it sounds with out it.

 

[Mubeen]

I have connected it via a DAC so I dont really know how it sounds with out it.

So how does it sound via external DAC? Did you ever compare it with previous version of SB? Also, did you try playing high res files?

Sorry for too many questions just curious to know. Thanks.

 

[Kevian]

I have connected my SB touch to my denon 1910 through digital coaxial only which was my primary requirement for SB along with a display and USB storage medium. So SB touch fulfills all of these my requirements. I have not yet compared analogue out to digital out and when i will do so , i will post my observation.
I think music quality is good and I use my Galaxy S as its remote which is very cool i think.
But to be a perfect product I think SB should have a. bigger screen so text and album art is legible from a distance of 12-15 feet and b. Its remote should have a color display on the remote itself. They can remove the touch factor which is of no use according to me. these are must modifications to make it a good, convenient and practical transport.
On the other hand these limitations can be overcome using my Rs. 28000 Samsung Galaxy S or other such phones

Adding to that in my opinion, SBT should have the ability to handle 2TB music library via USB. I hope some firmware update or custom ROM in future would address this issue.

cheers!!
Kevian

 

[Mubeen]

Thanks for the info Neeraj0272. Please do compare the SQ between optical out through your Denon receiver and the SB's own analog out. I have a feeling that SB's analog might have better SQ given its high quality DAC and the DA conversion taking place inside the player itself. Just my guess, it may as well not be the case. Would be interesting to find out.

I completely agree with you with respect to the screen. Though about the remote, i think they do have a separate remote with color display, jog dial etc. Its sold separately so as not to increase the cost of the SB basic package.

@Kevian - Providing support for 2TB of storage via plug-in USB port may not be possible due to limited memory and processing power available inside the SQ touch. In my understanding, it will take a good amount of memory and processor to scan and index a 2TB storage to be used as plug and play. Thats probably the reason they have the Server application that runs and provides the back end support for the player. I might be wrong though, but i have never seen any product supporting such a large storage via a plug n play type USB port (except computers of course).

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

i think they do have a separate remote with color display, jog dial etc. Its sold separately ...

Is the Duet controller sold separately?*

I have the Duet, so I have its controller. It is cute, but I wouldn't pay for it if I had one of the other models. I prefer to use the PC to control the player. I don't have any tablet or big-screen smart-phone, but I can imagine that being the best method of all.

My biggest use of the Duet remote is that, just occasionally, when I'm fed up with a sleepless night in front of the PC, I can take to bed with the earphones, and listen to internet radio --- because it is a player in its own right, not just a remote. That is the cutest thing about it!



*EDIT... yes, it must be, or how would I know that it is the most expensive part of the duet kit.

 

[GeorgeO]

Thad

The Duet receiver and controller are available separately, though perhaps not from Logitech.

 

[ajay124]

Thanks for the info Neeraj0272. Please do compare the SQ between optical out through your Denon receiver and the SB's own analog out. I have a feeling that SB's analog might have better SQ given its high quality DAC and the DA conversion taking place inside the player itself. Just my guess, it may as well not be the case. Would be interesting to find out.

I completely agree with you with respect to the screen. Though about the remote, i think they do have a separate remote with color display, jog dial etc. Its sold separately so as not to increase the cost of the SB basic package.

@Kevian - Providing support for 2TB of storage via plug-in USB port may not be possible due to limited memory and processing power available inside the SQ touch. In my understanding, it will take a good amount of memory and processor to scan and index a 2TB storage to be used as plug and play. Thats probably the reason they have the Server application that runs and provides the back end support for the player. I might be wrong though, but i have never seen any product supporting such a large storage via a plug n play type USB port (except computers of course).

mubeen

Your Benchmark dac would probably output better sound than the analogue out from the Touch, but even on it's own, the AKM 4420 dac inside the Touch is excellent. SQ through it's analogue out would be better than most entry level electronics. The 'mini' server inside the Touch can be used with an external HDD or SD card. I found the SQ through the USB connection to be superior to that of a wireless connection. How big a storage the in built server can handle needs to be experimented with. For SD cards Logitech suggests a maximum of 32 GB. For an external HDD one would need to experiment. It is essential that the drive should have a single partition, that it should have a FAT32 format, that it should hold only audio files, that it should be powered through an independent power adaptor.

For cooking good food or for setting up a good hifi system it is essential to keep things simple. The end product of too many ingredients in a dish is usually an overspiced, greasy and inedible slop. The end product of too many electronics in a hifi set up may be a muddy, distorted and uninvolving sound.

Some of the results achieved by audiophiles with various esoteric combination of sources and amps are ultimately a travesty of clean, neutral sound. Audiophiles tend to borrow from the heady words of reviewers and fondly label their systems as 'warm' 'creamy' 'analogue sounding' . But what they are listening to may be far removed from what the original recording was intended to sound like. You can't capture and hold on to the sound of music. It's there in the air, it lingers a while and it fades away. What we are left with are fading memories of that event. Memories which get colored and embellished by our pride in the brands we chose, and the money we paid for them.

 

[sups]

the AKM 4420 dac inside the Touch is excellent. SQ through it's analogue out would be better than most entry level electronics.

Rcently I got to know from one of our forum members that SQ of touch is good, but that of Marantz CD 6003 player is far far better in comparison. Assuming CD 6003 as an entry level player, are there any otherwise opinion about it? Unfortunately, all these questions are popping up as there is no possibility of auditioning.

 

[ajay124]

Rcently I got to know from one of our forum members that SQ of touch is good, but that of Marantz CD 6003 player is far far better in comparison. Assuming CD 6003 as an entry level player, are there any otherwise opinion about it? Unfortunately, all these questions are popping up as there is no possibility of auditioning.

sups

Listening is a very subjective experience. You will hear a cacophony of opinions if you consult others. Which is why it is important to listen for yourself before reaching a decision. I am sure if you asked around, you would be able to audition both the Marantz and the Touch in Pune.

Personally I am not a fan of the Marantz/Nad/CA cdp's. I've heard a few and I was not impressed. You would need to spend 50-60K on midfi cdp brands like Arcam/Cyrus/Rega, or connect a MF/Benchmark/Arcam dac to lossless files on a computer/squeezebox to get better sound than a standalone Touch. If you want to spend less than 20K the answer (imo) is a no brainer. Buy a Touch and be done with it.

If you are really concerned about clean sound, buy an Emerson Leibert online UPS. That will do more to improve the SQ than the source you choose. But the UPS alone is the cost of an entry level cdp or dac, therefore budget options may kick in!

 

[Mubeen]

mubeen

Your Benchmark dac would probably output better sound than the analogue out from the Touch...

Hi Ajay, well of course BM DAC1 would output better sound, or else i would be damned having spent the money on BM DAC1 .

I never expected SB Touch to sound better than external high end DAC, i was just generally curious to know how it sounds compared to SB Classic. It sure should be an improvement, but not too significant i guess. Lets see, i would be getting mine soon, so might do an in-depth review. I have for plenty of high res files waiting to be played as the server on my NAS can not handle high res content currently. It chokes up

 

[ajay124]

mubeen

Your source and amplification seem to be pretty good. But speakers????
Don't you feel that is the area where change is most needed in your set up?

 

[Kevian]

I have for plenty of high res files waiting to be played

I guess 24/96khz and 24/192khz might do but choppy. And SBT does not support high resolution vinyl rips in 32/192Khz format.

Good luck(Me too waiting on my Touch to do a touchdown in Hyd:licklips
cheers!!
Kevian

 

[Mubeen]

mubeen

Your source and amplification seem to be pretty good. But speakers????
Don't you feel that is the area where change is most needed in your set up?

i know.. i know.

Well the explanation is that i am planning (read saving for ) to get a right kind of speaker and it may take sometime while i evaluate available alternatives and channels. In the mean time, i needed some temporary passive speakers to partner with EC gear i have. ADAM A7 actives, however good it is, can not compete with the sweet amplification of EC

So the WD 10.1 are only temporary, until the time i get my final choice of speaker.

Having said that, you would be surprised, i myself am, to hear how good 10.1s can sound with high quality source and amplification. Honestly, i can not find any obvious fault. Their strength it their open and detailed mid range and also smooth harshness free treble. Sure, bass is not one of their strengths. I have used all sort of speakers in the past, vintage JBL, PMC, Neat, ADAM passive etc etc. And i can tell from my personal experience that 10.1s can compete with some of the speakers costing even 10 times their price! 9.1s were not called 'giant killer' for no reason i think.

 

[Mubeen]

I guess 24/96khz and 24/192khz might do but choppy. And SBT does not support high resolution vinyl rips in 32/192Khz format.

Good luck(Me too waiting on my Touch to do a touchdown in Hyd:licklips
cheers!!
Kevian

All of the high res music, mostly vinyl rips, i have is in 24/96khz resolution. I understand that SB Touch should be able to play it without any issues and choppiness, as it natively supports high resolution decoding.

 

[ajay124]

neeraj

If you want to check out the analogue out of the Touch then use a decent interconnect. At the very least a Chord Crimson+ or a QED Quinex 2.

 

[Kevian]

I understand that SB Touch should be able to play it without any issues and choppiness

That might be true when music is fed via NAS or PC using SBS. But via USB, there are people with complaints about choppiness.. I'll experiment on this once I get my package.

 

[umapati]

At last got my SQ touch today..Started it playing Internet radio..Its amazing..Superb products..I have still not connected it to Sq sever on my PC..I think I will wait for few days to get stable server version..But I am unable to save my favorite stations independently..Do I need SQ server OR Mysqueezebox.com to be connected to save favorite stations ??

 

[prash2k01]

Use Touch to add your favorite stations............

 

[GeorgeO]

Umapati

AFAIK Yes

George

 

[umapati]

But when i use touch to save my fav station it shows its saving favorite but when i browse in Favorite menu it shows as "Empty"..my firmware version on SQ touch is 7.5.4 and i have not connected it to any PC thru SQ server..Do I need to run server either on PC or SD card to store my favorite stations? I have not upgraded to version 7.6 as its not stable..