Computer Audio

Cressy Snr · Post by **Cressy Snr** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 9:52 am

Now that the amplifier shenanigans are sorted out, I've turned my attention to the sources.

Our Ant long ago took his Musical Fidelity X-Ray CD back and as a consequence, I have been bumbling along with a series of old CD players bought off market stalls and other places. Quite a few times recently the keen observer might have spotted a shadowy figure sneaking furtively out of our local Cash Convertors, shifty eyes flitting left and right, brown cardboard box underarm, hoping no one he knew had seen him commit such a shameful act. Thirty quid here, twenty quid there for a scruffy looking eighties Sony or Arcam multi-bit player long past its sell-by date.

I have to rotate three CD players at the moment. None of them work properly, so when one packs up for a bit, it gets replaced by another one until that packs up and gets replaced by the next one, which promptly packs up after a few weeks, then we are back to the first one. Well no more.

Last night I got to wondering what the blazes I was doing sneaking around in this twilight world when there is a superb 250GB iMac G5 upstairs containing a huge music library. Why make compilations then burn them to CD to play on somebody else's shagged out cast off?

So last night I bit the bullet and ordered a Logitech Squeezebox 3 off Amazon and a Beresford TC-7150 Mk-6 DAC from Stan Beresford.

In preparation I downloaded and installed the Slimserver software for Mac OSX. It was a breeze. The software installed itself and proceeded without any prompting to index my iTunes library. The Slimserver appears as a control panel in the system preferences with either web browser access or a set of simplified controls in the preference pane.

Now to the point of the post. I know that Ed, Andrew and Tony have extensive experience of the Squeezebox. So guys, are there any tips you could give me on setting up the device so as to get the best out of it?

Steve.

ed · Post by ed » Mon Sep 10, 2007 10:24 am

theres a line from keith emerson that I can't quite remember, something like 'welcome my friend..to the show that never ends'........bugger, don't I bang on sometimes...

power supply, power supply and power supply......having said that I still havn't changed mine, but I know it does make a difference.

I still can't believe how good mine sounds in standard mode. Its not a lot of good to you, but, I run mine from a modified linkstation NAS(£100 for your hard disc and computer) unit which, apart form a trip to Chesterfield hifi show and Steve Shiels' get-together has run continuously since last September(12 months non-stop) at some miniscule wattage. It really is better than having the pc switched on for music.

I've tried it with my DAC-AH and I can't tell the difference......

pre65 · Post by **pre65** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 10:32 am

Hi Ed-is this what you mean ?

http://linuxdevices.com/articles/AT9676199755.html

How reliable is hard disc storage for recorded music these days ?

Cressy Snr · Post by **Cressy Snr** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 10:42 am

Thanks Ed

I remember your Squeezebox sounding superb at Steve's through an active line-stage.
I only have an 80GB FireWire hard drive at the moment but the plan eventually is to get a NAS disk to hold all the music and free up the space on the computer.

Before deciding on the squeezebox I was (fanboy that I am

) looking at the AppleTV box. It caches the music files locally, has SPDIF coax and TosLink outputs and uses Apple's Front Row software but it is all but useless unless you have an HD capable TV with HDMI input or a DVI equipped widescreen display. A stupid decision by Apple not to allow connection to a CRT TV that must have put off more people than enough and severely limited the market for it.

ed · Post by ed » Mon Sep 10, 2007 11:15 am

Hi Philip, yes thats the machine.....IMO brill! there are many flavours but mine is an HS unit with 300gb. With 1000 albums loaded(FLAC lossless) I have used about 50% of the space.

Steve

If you're going to get a NAS then you may as well cut the apple out of the equation and just use it for periodically updating the library.....with the linkstations you have to rebuild the kernel to allow telnet access into the machine to configure for slimserver(squeezebox software). Standard machines come with sealed, no user serviceable parts type linux setup. The mods are no problem if you have a rudi understanding of linux but I wouldn't recommend for the non IT literate.

The above was all true 12 months ago but things may have changed with buffalo as new machines may well allow user access.

Yes it is possible to be picky, it doesn't sound quite like Will's vinyl setup but it certainly whups all CD players I have owned and most that I've heard at other places as well...if memory serves its at least 150 times better than my old linn/ittok system..enough evangelism already!

Max N · Post by **Max N** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 9:55 pm

The Sonos system is also worth a look if you are going down the PC audio route. A bit expensive but very nice to use.

Regarding NAS drives, I went with Synology DS107e. As always with these things, no matter how much research you do, you always find something better after you've bought. With hindsight, the new Qnap TS-109 looks better.

Cressy Snr · Post by **Cressy Snr** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 7:17 pm

Hi Chaps

I received the Squeezebox this morning, so when I got home from work this afternoon I set it up. Within 5 minutes it had found my wireless network, asked for the password, obtained an IP address connected itself to the SlimServer on my iMac and we were away.

I'm currently running it off its own internal DAC as the Beresford DAC is sitting in the Royal Mail parcel depot until I retrieve it tomorrow morning.

The sound is natural, without a trace of the hardness that has plagued CD playback no matter how expensive the player.

This looks very promising. We'll see how it works out with the DAC.
Steve

Andrew · Post by **Andrew** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 7:47 pm

The top tip is to replace the crappy switched PSU with a decent linear one. Tony found a company selling the PCBs for the super reg that he suggests is the best way to build a linear PSU.

12v down to 8v-ish using our fave 3 legged reg then into the one on the PCB.

I can't recall the name Tony did write it down, its a variant of the Jung super reg. I'll look it up, need to get a PCB myself.

cheers,

-- Andrew

ed · Post by ed » Tue Sep 11, 2007 8:04 pm

I'm pretty sure this is the de-facto one...I'm not sure if it was Neil Gibbons or Tony Moore who sent this, either way I'm pretty sure neither will mind me putting it up.....

Andrew · Post by **Andrew** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 8:19 pm

Yes, Ed do that, but for set for about 8v then put teh super reg after it. You wouldn't believe the crap and noise the 317 et al. generates.

cheers,

-- Andrew

Cressy Snr · Post by **Cressy Snr** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 8:20 pm

Thanks for the tip Andrew
Thanks for the circuit for the regulated supply Ed

Building that with the super reg on the end will give me something different to do instead of messing with amps all the time

Steve

Andrew · Post by **Andrew** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 8:53 pm

Hi Steve,

The circuit ALW superReg PDF file available here:

http://www.alw.audio.dsl.pipex.com/Manu ... ss005s.pdf

PCB is at http://www.at-tunes.co.uk/

If someone is going to do an order I'd be very appreciative if they'd count me in; with all I've got going on at the moment I can't justify ordering but if someone was well going to buy one anyway...I know flawed logic I know I know but....but but...

-- Andrew

Mo · Post by Mo » Tue Sep 11, 2007 10:08 pm

Hi Steve,

How does the sound of the standard SB compare to the mac set up you had at eggborough?

Mo

Cressy Snr · Post by **Cressy Snr** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 10:24 pm

Hi Mo

The standard SB is better than the Mac. I have the base model MacBook Pro, which does not have as good a soundcard as the ones further up the range.

The DAC in the SB easily beats the Mac. However with these computers you are meant to use the digital output and an external processing rack for control room work. The analogue output which is what I used at Eggborough is according to the studio guys only really good enough for quick demo stuff.

Steve

ed · Post by ed » Wed Sep 12, 2007 9:38 am

heres a copy of Andrew Weekes 'pre tracking reg'

This was also sent by Neil Gibbons, whereby he suggested its worth a try as in his opinion its better vfm than the super reg. I have set up notes which I will mail to anybody that may be interested......I'm not sure how much more I should post without offending/infringing rights, so I'll leave it here.

edit : I have removed the copy...anybody interested please mail me and I will send it by email.

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