Was using the following setup happily for a long time: Quiet PC > Trendsaudio UD10 USB transport > Vintage Pioneer Amp > Polk Audio RT35i w PSW250 sub. Controlled with an X10 RF remote Secondary location used older PC's and assorted old amps and speakers
Got a Slimdevices Duet for the bedroom to get a remote with a display using Softsqueeze in the main location when desired. The remote is useful but sluggish and limited of course compared to direct control of PC without going through Squeezecenter. The Pioneer amp died, music collection moved from MP3's to FLAC's and the budget expanded over time. Decided to upgrade everything in the main location. Since I do most of my listening while on the computer, the main location has to be PC-centric. Changed to PC > Benchmark DAC1 USB providing volume control > Balanced XLR output > PS Audio HCA-2 Power amp > Polk Audio RT35i w PSW250 sub (no change here) Subjective improvement in sound quality (using a laptop) about 30% over my old setup. Could be the amp, the DAC or more likely both. However, the Benchmark has buffering issues with my desktop which I prefer to using a laptop. Tried everything including switching devices around, IRQ's, changing priority and a dedicated PCI card w/o success. I could build a new quiet PC (painful) or use the old Trendsaudio USB transport connected via Toslink to the Benchmark. This is where the possibility of a Transporter comes in. I could use that instead of the Benchmark if I must use my old USB transport. Playback through Squeezecenter would be rare. 90% of the time it will just serve as a DAC to hear PC output. I do realize that this is not the main purpose of this device. Need help choosing between apples and oranges! Using a Transporter for direct PC playback in my setup seems a bit awkward. Attenuators inside should allow direct connection to the power amp using balanced outputs. Will the volume control work with the Toslink input? And will any improvement in quality over the Benchmark be limited by my amp or speakers making the whole effort futile? I'm forced to use on wall speakers with a sub because floor space is limited. Would welcome any suggestions for on-wall speakers too. Budget for the whole project is from 0 to 10000 as long as it produces a good bang for the buck. This forum is for audiophiles and I'm definitely not one but I need opinions of more knowledgeable people, that's why this forum. -- guptaas ------------------------------------------------------------------------ guptaas's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=21096 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=54951 _______________________________________________ audiophiles mailing list [email protected] http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
