Touch or Transporter?

[Jeff_G]

As I've not found a good network player to replace my SB3, I've decided to go for the Touch or possibly Transporter.
I am not into building stuff, so it's between these two.

Does anybody own both? I'd like to know whether there would be an advantage paying extra for the Transporter.
I like the look of the Transporter, it would look better with the rest of the Hi-Fi, I like the idea of bigger screen, but if that's all what I'm gaining, I think the Touch would be more sensible choice?

[garym]

As I've not found a good network player to replace my SB3, I've decided to go for the Touch or possibly Transporter.
I am not into building stuff, so it's between these two.

Does anybody own both? I'd like to know whether there would be an advantage paying extra for the Transporter.
I like the look of the Transporter, it would look better with the rest of the Hi-Fi, I like the idea of bigger screen, but if that's all what I'm gaining, I think the Touch would be more sensible choice?

Touch is probably more sensible choice. I have and really like both. You can see a good discussion of this here (and there are many other threads on this same question). But all lead to the same conclusion. Really personal preference and cost difference.

http://forums.slimdevices.com/showth...us+transporter

to summarize a couple of thoughts I have. I like the balanced analog outputs of the Transporter. But I can achieve the same thing with my Touch feeding the Benchmark DAC I that I have (which has balanced analog outs). And other than that, I'm not sure an external DAC really needed for the TOUCH, as it is a nice unit/DAC by itself. The Transporter does look cool but .......

[Julf]

I like the balanced analog outputs of the Transporter.

Balanced outputs are nice, but nowhere as important as balanced inputs. You get most of the benefits of a balanced connection with an unbalanced output driving a balanced (differential) input, by using a converter cable that is balanced, but with a RCA at the other end.

[garym]

Balanced outputs are nice, but nowhere as important as balanced inputs. You get most of the benefits of a balanced connection with an unbalanced output driving a balanced (differential) input, by using a converter cable that is balanced, but with a RCA at the other end.

interesting. didn't know that. Not relevant on my end at the moment as I have balanced out (from transporter or Benchmark DAC) to balanced inputs to Preamp (and then balanced outputs from preamp to balanced input to Amp)

[Julf]

I have balanced out (from transporter or Benchmark DAC) to balanced inputs to Preamp (and then balanced outputs from preamp to balanced input to Amp)

That is of course the ideal solution. It is a pity that audiophiles tend to frown at the "pro" approach of using balanced connections, and instead worry about if their cables have been cryogenically treated or not...

[callesoroe]

As I've not found a good network player to replace my SB3, I've decided to go for the Touch or possibly Transporter.
I am not into building stuff, so it's between these two.

Does anybody own both? I'd like to know whether there would be an advantage paying extra for the Transporter.
I like the look of the Transporter, it would look better with the rest of the Hi-Fi, I like the idea of bigger screen, but if that's all what I'm gaining, I think the Touch would be more sensible choice?

If you have a very good setup, you will need a DAC to the touch. You do not with Transporter, as it has a very very fine sounding DAC. And it really look muchs much better.

[dafiend]

If you have a very good setup, you will need a DAC to the touch. You do not with Transporter, as it has a very very fine sounding DAC.

Can you present any evidence to support this claim?

---

German computer magazine measured the Touch's audio output some time ago (2012, issue 12) along with some competing devices. Their figures for the Touch: 0.001% THD, 97.9 dBA dynamic range.

[Jeff_G]

If you have a very good setup, you will need a DAC to the touch. You do not with Transporter, as it has a very very fine sounding DAC. And it really look muchs much better.

It's a decent set up. Bi-amped Roksan Kandy K2.
I've tried tried Arcam and Audiolab DACs with my current SB3 and could not hear any difference at all, not one bit. Hence I am a bit sceptical since and I doubt I would notice any difference between the Transporter and the Touch.
I can only get the Transporter from the USA on eBay and I guess they will add tax. I contacted the seller and will see what they come back with.

[garym]

It's a decent set up. Bi-amped Roksan Kandy K2.
I've tried tried Arcam and Audiolab DACs with my current SB3 and could not hear any difference at all, not one bit. Hence I am a bit sceptical since and I doubt I would notice any difference between the Transporter and the Touch.
I can only get the Transporter from the USA on eBay and I guess they will add tax. I contacted the seller and will see what they come back with.

I've not been able to detect a difference between my TOUCH vs TOUCH > Benchmark DAC I (connected via S/PDIF coax). It was only a single blind test, but my indentification of what I was listening to turned out to be random. And I have a decent setup.

[Mnyb]

Lets introduce the blasphemous idea of going with the specs Transporter has very good data better than Touch (but Touch is not bad either ).

Even if a component can't be singled out in a listening test it can still add noise and distortion to the whole .

Said player/dac will be connected to a preamp and a power amp , you want each component so good that transparency is maintained , and that chain begins in the studio so it cant be good to add more errors.
When connecting components other aspect can become important as input/output levels gain ,input and output impedances etc . Mismatches can happen .

Another interesting aspect is the adjustable attenuators available on the single ended analog outputs . You can adjust the output level to a god fit for driving and amp directly without preamp or just for adjustment in general (as everything has to much gain ).
Or drive active speakers directly . Even if the Squeezeboxes digital volume is decent you still want to use it on a somewhat high level to maintain good fidelity so built in attenuators is a bonus .

You could ofcourse add a DAC with better performance to a Touch , but that adds an interface like spdiff optical or USB (with Triodes app for USB and 24/192 khz digital out ) . These interfaces can add sligthly to the jitter (or is asynchronous USB considered jitter free ) , not that you going to hear that on any decent equipment but anyway ...

When the data to a squeezebox arrives the network interface and protocoll used is much better than spdiff or toslink ever can bee totally asynchronous with a typical buffer of 30 seconds for CD material