OK, I'll try this one. > Can someone explain to me in non-audiophile terms what makes the > various features of the Transporter so desirable, because it's hard for > me to understand what people are getting (besides a knob).
Function: "plays better music": (I don't think this is very important yet, but we'll see) - Feature: 24/96. If you have program material in this format, Transporter will play it. And it should sound noticeably different from 16/44.1 (CD). Function "sounds better": (if your Squeezebox doesn't sound as good as your <vinyl, SACD, DAC, half-track master tapes, etc>, or your well-endowed friend's <xyz>, this will help). - Balanced analog stages and XLR out. If you have an amplifier with balanced inputs, you can go from here to there without getting unbalanced. The main rationale for balanced interconnects is to remove hum and noise, but balanced signal processing in the analog stages should also reduce nonlinearity (if done right). - Precision super-regulated power supplies. Super-low-jitter clocks to a wonder-DAC. If done right, this extracts signifcantly more music out of the same bits. Function "looks better": - Pro-grade shiny connectors, and more of them. - Handles so you can pull the unit out to show your friends the shiny connectors. - Two displays. A bigger remote. Lots of buttons. And a knob. - Swap that "Bang & Olufsen Thermostat" look for a "Bose Shiny Soyuz" look (http://www.niiao.ru/space/ids_soyuz_tma_en.htm) Personally I think it's a nice-looking unit. Can't afford one, but that's half the point; besides hoping to sell a few hundred units off the bat, it's aspirational too. I know someone who will buy one, and then they have me hooked. -- inguz ------------------------------------------------------------------------ inguz's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=1139 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=25927 _______________________________________________ discuss mailing list [email protected] http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
