There ya go!
Glad you were able to work it out.
Glad you were able to work it out.
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..
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..
21 responses Add your response
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. |
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..... |
"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. |
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! |
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. |
The squeezebox should not be directly connected to the integrated amp. Always run it through the Theta. If you want to hear it without an outboard DAC remove the Theta from the chain. If you like you can make the connections as you suggested but i suspect you will pick up distortion and noise. Some network music servers disengage the analog out when the Digital is engaged; i am uncertain whether the squeezebox will do the same |
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 |
Just connect the Theta's RCA outs to the Aux in on your amp, assuming your CD player still occupies the CD in's on your amp. Quite honestly apart from Phono in and Tape out all the other RCA in's on your amp or preamp are fair game. You did not mention a pre or integrated amp so i assume you will be using the volume control on the Squeezebox |
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... |
I was a relatively early adopter of network music appliances such as the squeezebox. I started out with the Turtle beach music server and slowly migrated through the squeezebox releases. I currently use an Apple TVM( main listening room) and Express in the bedroom. Both are connected to external DAC's. I migrated away from the squeezebox appliances for the simple reason that the apple UI is significantly better than the Squeezebox UI. If you are planning on using a DAC i would recommend the Apple products. Not only is there better support but far better integration into a home network. For the same price as teh squeezebox the apple tv does video. Add an itouch for a remote and you have a front end thats about as good as it gets |
Go to 1) Internet Radio 2)Staff Picks 3)Most Popular 4) Radioparadise Then, add to favorites. This used to be harder, like I ha to have my computer on and the Gateway Modem connected to both slimdevices and my computer. Now, just the Gateway is all I need. Careful, this station has all but trivialized my 2,500+ itunes music library. |
I do not have a Squeezebox myself so I cannot give specific information. However, there are many threads that you should be able to find in the archives on computer based audio generally and the Squeezebox in particular. I follow these as I too am learning about computer based audio. Here is another site that is useful to learn about such things. http://www.computeraudiophile.com/ |
I have a Squeezebox that I use with an external DAC (Lavry DA-10) and find that a wonderful combination. The DAC that is built-in to the Squeezebox is good (especially for the money) but easily improved on. The Squeezebox is very receptive to an external DAC. I don't know anything about your Theta Pro but if you like it now, you should like it with a Squeezebox. If, perchance, you happen to prefer the SB's internal DAC, then all the better. You have a DAC you can sell to recoup some money. I don't have an opinion on the speakers you're suggesting as I'm not familiar enough with either them or your preferences. |
