Squeezebox Touch DAC Upgrade?

[Ambrose]

So, I am wondering what changes (improvements) people have had by using seperate DACs with their SBT and if upgrading to more expensive DAC (£300,£500,£1000) yielded a little, significant or major improvements in SQ?
If my sig appears, can see I use Dacmagic 1. Just added this at last 🙂

I have used most of Soundchecks mods + just got SBooster switching power supply upgrade (£29).
I use WLAN currently, but will take a look at LAN mode and also considering upgrade to Linear PSU as well as DAC upgrade.

If there are still further (cost effective) improvements to find then, I would consider spending more.

Any advice on this would be great help to me!
Cheers
Ambrose

 

[spockfish]

Although not owing a SB Touch but the SB Classic I can confirm that at least for me the SQ improvement was rather impressive. Up to the stage that even my wife could hear the difference. Major improvement was in the bass section.

But the issue is that this is not an exact science (although some still think it is ;-)), so the only real good advice to you is just simple: listen. listen and listen again.

Regards

 

[nads]

Used to use a DacMagic Mk2 with my old SB3 but could not hear any difference with the Touch so sold it.

So you will have to spend a lot to get better.

 

[acalex]

Used to use a DacMagic Mk2 with my old SB3 but could not hear any difference with the Touch so sold it.

So you will have to spend a lot to get better.

Hope to try soon a DacMagic Plus and an Audiolab M-DAC with the SBT

 

[Fisherking 145]

I have mine plugged into my CDQ via coax, a definite improvement over the Touch itself and optical. IMHO the Touch was very good on it's own though.

 

[Ambrose]

Hi acelex.

Will be very interested what you think. Both the Dacmagic plus and Audiolab M-DAC are on my list to demo, along with Rega Dac.

Spending time listening and finetuning still. DAC purchase for next year, but looks like I will need to save about £500 to make a decent step up from Dacmagic 1 I am using now from other comments.

Have you tried the full blown Soundcheck Toolbox 3.0 yet?

These along with the SBooster power supply filter have made a very noticable improvement over stock SBT. Apart from detail, the dynamics & timing are spot on now and music really flows well. The SBooster I found really took the unpleasant hardness from the sound I was getting and now is much more natural sounding.

Ambrose

 

[AlmaataKZ]

see some comparison experience in my 'my system' thread page 12 - SB Touch (gbp 250) vs Benchmark DAC1 HDR (gbp 1,800).

 

[paradiziac]

Hope to try soon a DacMagic Plus and an Audiolab M-DAC with the SBT

Hi Acalex,

I'm looking forward to your results!

Considering how much you intend to spend on an amp, I think you also have to look carefully at the source DAC.

I've yet to hear an M-DAC but I can't imagine the DacMagic--even the "plus"--will do justice to those amps.

I think you should have a listen to any high quality DAC (or CD players--for reference) with the (old) TDA1541 or PCM 1704 chips in them, as used most notably by companies like Naim (Naim used TDA1541 on their older CD players, the Naim DAC uses PCM 1704). If a DAC like that isn't vastly more musical sounding to you than an rDac/DacMagic, I'll be amazed!

 

[acalex]

Hope to try soon a DacMagic Plus and an Audiolab M-DAC with the SBT

Hi Acalex,

I'm looking forward to your results!

Considering how much you intend to spend on an amp, I think you also have to look carefully at the source DAC.

I've yet to hear an M-DAC but I can't imagine the DacMagic--even the "plus"--will do justice to those amps.

I think you should have a listen to any high quality DAC (or CD players--for reference) with the (old) TDA1541 or PCM 1704 chips in them, as used most notably by companies like Naim (Naim used TDA1541 on their older CD players, the Naim DAC uses PCM 1704). If a DAC like that isn't vastly more musical sounding to you than an rDac/DacMagic, I'll be amazed!

I know, this will be an interesting research...in a way picking up a good amp is more straightforward...picking up a DAC which improves the sound over the built in SBT DAC is not an easy one. I was also looking at the M2Tech Young but I need a phono input...

 

[acalex]

Hi acelex.

Will be very interested what you think. Both the Dacmagic plus and Audiolab M-DAC are on my list to demo, along with Rega Dac.

Spending time listening and finetuning still. DAC purchase for next year, but looks like I will need to save about £500 to make a decent step up from Dacmagic 1 I am using now from other comments.

Have you tried the full blown Soundcheck Toolbox 3.0 yet?

These along with the SBooster power supply filter have made a very noticable improvement over stock SBT. Apart from detail, the dynamics & timing are spot on now and music really flows well. The SBooster I found really took the unpleasant hardness from the sound I was getting and now is much more natural sounding.

Ambrose

No yet, did you find any sensible difference over the "out of the box" SBT?

 

[Anonymous]

I would recomend the M-dac.

I've just upgraded from the DacMagic and the M-dac is in a different league. I have an SB3 but have also heard the SB touch and would put that at about the same level as the DacMagic.

The m-dac is much more detailed revealing more of the transient edges of notes and has more realistic sounding bass.

 

[Ambrose]

Hi Adrian,

I agree the SBT is similar level to Dac Magic. I have a Dac Magic 1 and to me had a "little" more. Plus I am using some mods that lock out the Analogue out.

What kind of house sound is the M Dac OR compared to the Dac Magic please?

Thanks

Ambrose

 

[Ambrose]

hell yeah!

If serious about getting best from SBT you should try these out and do as much as possible. If don't like then do a power reset to factory settings and nothing lost. You may well be surprised.

Some of the noticable changes came from decoding FLAC on server rather than touch, Applying the main toolbox, changing the SPDIF priority. I believe power supply can have a dramatic impact also. I got a Tacima mains filter which added detail and more soundstage, but at cost of Dynamics. I had to stop using. However the SBooster filter really helped smooth out hardness and much easier to listen to now and still sounds dynamic and more real.

I am currently having to run upstairs to PC to change setting / select music and come back down to listen :exmark:

Will need to get remote (android etc) or think there is some software to run from any pc, or in my case laptop might be good.

I will be resetting box and starting again applying mods to include the LAN rather than WLAN mode and will be good to see how much improvement achieved. I'll post update on this.

Let us know if you take plunge or need any help.

Ambrose

 

[Crocodile]

I am currently having to run upstairs to PC to change setting / select music and come back down to listen :exmark:

Will need to get remote (android etc) or think there is some software to run from any pc, or in my case laptop might be good.

You do know that you can connect to the server from any web enabled device with http://your.server's.ip.address:9000?

Or you can use either Squeezeplay to emulate the Controller/Touch screen or Moose for music only.

http://downloads.slimdevices.com/nightly/7.7/sp/9563/SqueezePlay-setup.exe

http://www.rusticrhino.com/drlovegrove/

I bought a cheap iPod Touch 2nd gen just to use with iPeng.

 

[acalex]

hell yeah!

If serious about getting best from SBT you should try these out and do as much as possible. If don't like then do a power reset to factory settings and nothing lost. You may well be surprised.

Some of the noticable changes came from decoding FLAC on server rather than touch, Applying the main toolbox, changing the SPDIF priority. I believe power supply can have a dramatic impact also. I got a Tacima mains filter which added detail and more soundstage, but at cost of Dynamics. I had to stop using. However the SBooster filter really helped smooth out hardness and much easier to listen to now and still sounds dynamic and more real.

I am currently having to run upstairs to PC to change setting / select music and come back down to listen :exmark:

Will need to get remote (android etc) or think there is some software to run from any pc, or in my case laptop might be good.

I will be resetting box and starting again applying mods to include the LAN rather than WLAN mode and will be good to see how much improvement achieved. I'll post update on this.

Let us know if you take plunge or need any help.

Ambrose

I actually changed already all the config, only step missing is installing the TB3 on the SBT. I think I will play with that this weekend.

Regarding DAC, I am more interested in the Dac Magic Plus vs the M-DAC, I can imagine the M-DAC is another league compared to the "simple" Dac Magic. No plunge before next year...a lot of listening though 😉

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Ambrose

I'm not particularly good at describing hi-fi, but I would say the DacMagic has more of an upfront presentation with a kind of a mild trebble shene layer on top of everything (typical of its price category IMO) and a more monotonic bass, where as the m-dac is more neutral and a lot more detailed throughout the range. The m-dac is lot more capable with complex passages where the listener is able to pick out and follow all the insturments separately, where as the Dac Magic seems to pick a winner and present it at the forefront.

Just my opinion, obviously compare the two yourself.

Adrian