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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 3 responses by mapman

mapman's avatar
mapman
22,748 posts
 
I have a Roku Soundbridge, not Squeezebox.

Hooking that to a relatively low cost mhdt Paradisea tube DAC made a huge difference.

I suspect the same would be true for the Squeezebox using a good external DAC.

Try it with the DAC you have and listen. You have nothing to lose.

If the sound is still not what you're looking for, you can try other DACs. Benchmark and mhdt tube DACs are two radically different sounding ones that are both relatively affordable and would be a good indicator of what is possible with an external DAC.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,748 posts
 
"Originally I hooked the Theta to the integrated amp via Kimber Kable interconnect and then the Theta and the Squeezebox via digital coax."

This sounds like the right connections to get the squeezebox to feed the DAC.

Not sure why it didn't work though. Some sort of setup/configuration on Squeezebox and/or DAC I'm guessing.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,748 posts
 
There ya go!

Glad you were able to work it out.
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