Squeezebox Touch vs Sonos ZP90 (vs PC via Coax)

[admin_exported]

I've been toying with getting a music streamer to compliment by hifi (per footer :read: ). I only need a pure streamer, no DAC or amplifer required. My CD collection is ripped to WMA lossless (to aid support with iTunes) but assume I can easily convert this to FLAC using dbpoweramp. I had thought about using my Sony BDP s470 player but (a) it doesn't support WMA lossless and (b) requires the TV to be on.

My PC is currently connected to the Wadia using a [digital] coax cable, and it sounds fine albeit a bit flat, however I question whether the PC is somehow pre-processing the signal, and of course the PC as to be on to play music, and it is not exactly silent. And I can't move the PC to another room.

I've looked at both the Squeezebox Touch and Sonos ZP90, both seem pretty similar but have slight differences in functionality (Note: I have an Android phone):

Sonos ZP90: Can be used with my phone as a remote, cannot use with USB disk directly, has to be either NAS (more £££) or connect to PC (noise). Has great flexibility to expand wirelessly to other rooms should the need arise.

Squeezebox: Has nice display with touchscreen, and supplied remote. Can use with USB disk directly (have a 750GB one) so not reliant on PC being on.

I'm veering towards the SB, which I would use with my existing USB drive having converted the WMA files to FLAC. Any other thoughts or views on alternative products welcome...and would love to know if there is any difference in SQ using digital out between these two.

 

[Anonymous]

I've been toying with getting a music streamer to compliment by hifi (per footer :read: ). I only need a pure streamer, no DAC or amplifer required. My CD collection is ripped to WMA lossless (to aid support with iTunes) but assume I can easily convert this to FLAC using dbpoweramp. I had thought about using my Sony BDP s470 player but (a) it doesn't support WMA lossless and (b) requires the TV to be on.

My PC is currently connected to the Wadia using a [digital] coax cable, and it sounds fine albeit a bit flat, however I question whether the PC is somehow pre-processing the signal, and of course the PC as to be on to play music, and it is not exactly silent. And I can't move the PC to another room.

I've looked at both the Squeezebox Touch and Sonos ZP90, both seem pretty similar but have slight differences in functionality (Note: I have an Android phone):

Sonos ZP90: Can be used with my phone as a remote, cannot use with USB disk directly, has to be either NAS (more £££) or connect to PC (noise). Has great flexibility to expand wirelessly to other rooms should the need arise.

Squeezebox: Has nice display with touchscreen, and supplied remote. Can use with USB disk directly (have a 750GB one) so not reliant on PC being on.

I'm veering towards the SB, which I would use with my existing USB drive having converted the WMA files to FLAC. Any other thoughts or views on alternative products welcome...and would love to know if there is any difference in SQ using digital out between these two.

I use squeezebox. My opinion is that the sound is exactly the same whether it be squeezebox, PC, CD player, PS3...into the same DAC ( I certainly can't tell them apart).

Squeezebox has a number of Android remotes too, the best being Squeeze Commander. You can also use Spotify on it if you have it.

If you're worried about the PC processing the signal...It depends which OS, but if all you are doing is playing music, and nothing else, it shouldn't be touching it.

 

[Anonymous]

I use squeezebox. My opinion is that the sound is exactly the same whether it be squeezebox, PC, CD player, PS3...into the same DAC ( I certainly can't tell them apart).

If that were true, there would be no benefit to SQ moving to a dedicated streamer, I might as well stick with sending the audio digitally from my PC to the Wadia (although I still have the PC fan noise to contend with)?

 

[Anonymous]

If that were true, there would be no benefit to SQ moving to a dedicated streamer

Not quite sure what you mean, but I don't see any advantage in spending silly money, no. Squeezebox, ATV, AEX, Sonos all have a perfectly capable digital out which to my ears sounds the same through the same external DAC.

, I might as well stick with sending the audio digitally from my PC to the Wadia (although I still have the PC fan noise to contend with)?

Or do as I do, and have the music stored on a NAS (Netgear Readynas ultra, in another room (the hall), next to the router)... You can either get wire to the squeezebox, or do as I do and go wireless...I have zero problems doing it this way, with no audible difference between wired and wireless (I've tried both, but SWMBO prefers wireless for obvious reasons).

 

[amcluesent]

TBH, using the Touch with a USB disk is still not working that reliably. Some models like WD MyBook are generally OK, but there's no certainty

>If that were true, there would be no benefit to SQ moving to a dedicated streamer,<

Depends on how you've configured the PC. It's not that simple to be sure of bit-perfect, low-jitter S/PDIF output from a PC

 

[domenn]

I have been waiting for new version of Squeezebox touch (maybe internal hard drive ) but....... maybe next year :? unfortunately , I can not find any information that logitech is working on Squeezebox 2 so far , Otherwise its great machine :clap:

 

[tino]

Squeezebox: Has nice display with touchscreen, and supplied remote. Can use with USB disk directly (have a 750GB one) so not reliant on PC being on.

The Touch has a version of the Squeezebox server embedded into the device, allowing the use of external USB drives / SD cards. However, I believe the scanning of the media library on external disks using the embedded server might be very slow/flaky especially if you have lots of music.

I just bought a Touch for £150 and am delighted with it ... remote and screen make a massive diffference to how I use and perceive it. My only concern is the need for a media server ... yet another box. I can use my PC for this at the moment which has its advantages and disadvantages, but I think the ideal solution would be a very small fanless discrete server with internal hard drive. A product which I like - albeit a little expensive for what it is - is the Excito B3. Looks like a bit of hifi too. Maybe something like this would be better than your noisy PC? And you could use it irrespective of which media player you finally decide on.

 

[stumpy66]

Cheers guys, sonos it is then

 

[stumpy66]

Cheers guys, sonos it is then

 

[nopiano]

Cheers guys, sonos it is then

Stumpy, I think you just responded in the other thread, not the one you started on the same topic!

At least you have got a way forward - hope it goes well.

 

[stumpy66]

Cheers guys, sonos it is then

Stumpy, I think you just responded in the other thread, not the one you started on the same topic!

At least you have got a way forward - hope it goes well.

Yeah, posted on wrong thread, i had the two forum messages opena the same time