Wired vs. Wireless audio differences

[sleepysurf]

I've been running my SB2 via Wireless B with SPDIF out to a Yamaha RX-V1000 (as Pre-amp, using it's native DAC), feeding a Sunfire Cinema Grand powering Martin-Logan Aerius speakers. Overall, I thought I'd achieved near CD quality, and was going to trial a Benchmark DAC1 for further improvement. On a whim, I hardwired the SB2 to my network, and was surprised to hear quite an audible improvement... tighter bass, more crystalline highs, and better imaging. Has anybody else compared Wireless B (or G), vs. hardwired Ethernet, in a higher-end system. I was quite surprised to hear such a difference. I have 2.4 Ghz wireless phones all around, and wonder if that might account for the difference. Guess I'll hafta unplug them late one evening and conduct another test. Of note, I felt the SB2 native DAC was giving me less dynamic sound vs. the Yamaha DAC, which is why I stuck with SPDIF output.

[pfarrell]

On Sun, 2005-06-26 at 19:16 -0700, sleepysurf wrote:
> On a whim, I hardwired the SB2 to my network, and
> was surprised to hear quite an audible improvement...

Verify that your server configuration was not changing things.
I don't speak SB2, but on a SB1, my server
automagically downconverts FLAC to MP3 to send
to my wireless unit, but leaves it alone to my
wired one.

On 802.11b, I never got good sound, or reliable connections.
The WAP was 12 feet or so from the Squeezebox


--
Pat
http://www.pfarrell.com/music/slimse...msoftware.html

[sleepysurf]

I am streaming only FLAC files. Wireless signal strength is ~60%, with SB2 located ~75 ft from my (Linksys) Wireless B router.

I am now totally flabbergasted by the improvement when listening via wired ethernet. I just finished listening again to a demo playlist of favorite tracks, it's like night and day! Fortunately, I have USTec structured wiring running to my media wall, and can swap out an unused connector to Cat5. If the audio quality was 9/10 via wireless, it's now 10+/10 with hardwiring!

[pfarrell]

On Sun, 2005-06-26 at 21:01 -0700, sleepysurf wrote:
> I am streaming only FLAC files. Wireless signal strength is ~60%, with
> SB2 located ~75 ft from my (Linksys) Wireless B router.

Then it should not be doing anything, but I'd check just
to be sure.


--
Pat Farrell
http://www.pfarrell.com/

[radish]

There must be some downsampling going on...TCP/IP is TCP/IP regardless of the transmission medium.

[Patrick Dixon]

Check that Player Settings->Audio->Bitrate Limiting is set to 'No Limit'

[Fifer]

but on a SB1, my server
automagically downconverts FLAC to MP3 to send
to my wireless unit, but leaves it alone to my
wired one.

Pat, you can tell Slimserver not to transcode in the file preferences page.

[pfarrell]

On Mon, 2005-06-27 at 00:45 -0700, Fifer wrote:
> > but on a SB1, my server
> > automagically downconverts FLAC to MP3 to send
> > to my wireless unit, but leaves it alone to my
> > wired one.
> Pat, you can tell Slimserver not to transcode in the file preferences
> page.

Oh, I knew that, I was just suggesting to OP that
he check. Patrick gave the correct thing to check

I've found that I have to transcode to make the wireless one
work. It has non-audiophile speakers (self powered),
so it is OK that it not be bit perfect.

The only downside I've found is that syncing between
the wired and wireless doesn't work perfectly,
but I can live with that until the budget allows
me to buy a couple of SB2s


--
Pat
http://www.pfarrell.com/music/slimse...msoftware.html

[PhilNYC]

At some point, I'm going to try out using a wired connection (am currently using SB2 via 802.11g). But it does make sense that the wired connection will work better than the wireless connection if SB2 powers down the wireless circuitry when ethernet is plugged in. I would assume that the RF generated by the SB2 wireless stuff would impart some noise into the audio signal...

[radish]

At some point, I'm going to try out using a wired connection (am currently using SB2 via 802.11g). But it does make sense that the wired connection will work better than the wireless connection if SB2 powers down the wireless circuitry when ethernet is plugged in. I would assume that the RF generated by the SB2 wireless stuff would impart some noise into the audio signal...

Yes that's a potential issue, however the OP stated he was using the digital outs. Unless his DAC/amp isn't properly shielded that shouldn't have an effect (and anyway, there's a metric f***load of RF floating around most peoples houses, I'm sure the SB2 makes little overall difference!).