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Adding a Squeezebox - Upgrading Path?

I am thinking of getting a Squeezebox for my source, cd's are being ripped to Apple Lossless. Would hooking this Squeezebox up to my used Theta Pro Progency DAC make a difference or is this technology surpassed by the stand alone Squeezebox

This is for a small living room system that I am slowly upgrading. Currently it is older Paradigm Titan Monitor speakers, powered by a 10 year old Onkyo receiver and fed by an Onkyo 6 disc changer which has an outboard DAC Theta Pro Progency that we picked up (used) several years ago.

Main system is Vandersteen 2ceSignatures, Classe CAP 151 integrated amp and Classe 1.5 cd player. Vandersteens are too big for the living room.
Can the paradigms handle some major upgrading or should I be looking at speakers as well? We have been listening to Dali Ikon 6's and we're also fond of Totems. Major issue here is that the speaker needs to be quite close to the wall in this room...pulling the Titans another 6 inches from the wall,now they are about 8" from the wall has actually been helpful.

Have been away from reading all the audio mags for a few years and am amazed by the changes such as pc audio........ah yes, the audio bug has bitten again!
Thanks for any and all suggestions..
audiowoman

Showing 7 responses by audiowoman

audiowoman OP
249 posts
 
Thanks for your comments Mlsstl, appreciate that.
No one else has any thoughts on this for me??
audiowoman OP
249 posts
 
Okay, this is probably perfectly obvious and perhaps I am just having a senior moment here, but I have a set up question. I will be hooking up a squeezebox to my amp, probably to the "disc" outputs or aux , cd is being used for cd player. Now I want to add my Theta DAC but to the squeezebox only. Where do I hook it up? I know that I will use digital coax cable between Theta and Squeezebox but where do the RCA connectors go on the amp as I do not want the Theta to interact with the Cd Player....?? or does it not connect to amp at all but everything just between the squeezebox and dac...
audiowoman OP
249 posts
 
Integrated amp will be used. So then I use the aux for between the Theta and the amp. then the Squeezebox goes into another line level....and it is connected to the Theta and so to play the Squeezebox with the Theta engaged I use the aux button on amp. Meaning that if i want to hear the Sqeezebox on its own I use the button for whatever I hooked the Sqeezebox too - for example there is a disc setting on this amp...
Thanks, Audiowoman
audiowoman OP
249 posts
 
Okay, just so I am clear, I hook the Theta to the amp say to aux 1, then the Theta to the Squeezebox with the digital coax and then when I use the aux input for the Theta to play through the amp, the Squeezebox will be a part of that?

thanks so much for your help on this.
audiowoman OP
249 posts
 
Okay, I think I may still be wired up wrong here! Originally I hooked the Theta to the integrated amp via Kimber Kable interconnect and then the Theta and the Squeezebox via digital coax. The result was no sound at all. Now I have the Squeezebox hooked to the Theta with the digital coax and the Squeezebox hooked into the integrated amp with the Kimber Kable interconnect. This works, but I can detect no difference between the Squeezebox alone and with the Theta hooked up......now either the Theta is not making a significant difference here or I have something hooked up wrong.....earlier responses suggested to hook the theta outputs to the amp but I got no sound at all......please help!
audiowoman OP
249 posts
 
With that set up there was no sound and the blue light on the Theta did not light up indicated that it was locked on.

with my current configuration both blue lights are lit up on the Theta.
I guess since it works all is well, just leaves a lingering doubt for me if the Theta is actually engaged here, since pulling the coax out of the Squeezebox makes no discernable difference to the sound.....
audiowoman OP
249 posts
 
Okay here is your Monday night laugh at the "girl"!!!

I took what Mapman had to say and checked everything out again when I got home tonight. I rehooked everything as he said it should be and still no sound....looked things over carefully again and "big red face now" found that my Theta was set on the toslink setting rather than the coax setting of the digital outputs......pressed that button in and voila great sound happening.......yes, the theta makes a very discernable difference to the sound, major impact...

you know that Squeezebox on its own is not half bad, but the Theta brings the grin back to my face, albeit my red face....
thanks mapman!

Happy Audiowoman.
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