CD transport vs streamer?

I have not heard the Weiss Medea DAC you're using so can't comment directly on it though it does have a good reputation.

However, I run my Squeezebox through a Lavry DA-10 DAC and am very pleased with my system. I settled on this combo 2 1/2 years ago after going through quite a bit of equipment (including a Transporter) for several years preceding that. I've had no urge to change anything at the source end since.

Also, double-check your settings in the Squeezecenter. There are a bunch of possible configurations and some (such as streaming and decoding formats and volume normalization, for example) can adversely affect the sound quality.

Just out of curiosity, what file format are you using to store the files for the Squeezebox?

Thanks for the link to the other thread, Rich. It was an interesting read.

No, I did not directly compare the SB3/Lavry with the Transporter/Lavry as I didn't have them in-house at the same time. While the Transporter was very good, I do agree with those who say its DAC is a bit on the clinical side.

However, from a budget standpoint, spending $2K to use the Transporter as a transport only is out of whack for my system.

I'm quite pleased with the performance of my system right now, so I guess I'm revealing the modest limits of my audiophileness. I've been far more focused on the conversion of my LP and open reel music collection to digital than chasing equipment changes the past few years.

Jglim, I'm still curious about the file format you're using for the Squeezebox. Some formats are not native to the device. While they will play they require transcoding by the server software, so that could be an issue for you.

I am using apple lossless.

That could be one factor. ALAC is not native to the Squeezebox so has to be transcoded by the Squeezecenter software and streamed to the Squeezebox in a different format.

Check your settings to see which format is being used to stream from Squeezecenter to the box. That could explain the situation, particularly if a setting is off.

And, for an experiment, take a CD where you've noticed a quality difference between your CD player and the Squeezebox and rip that CD to either wave or FLAC format. Both of those are natively decoded. It would be interesting to see if that makes a difference for you.

I'm not sure what you mean by Apple Lossless is not a native format to the Squeezebox.

Check the Slimserver website:
http://wiki.slimdevices.com/index.php/CodecComparison

From the ALAC entry a shade over halfway down the page:
"- Must be transcoded (automatically) to play on SlimServer"

I had to install the Apple codec on my Squeezecenter in order to play any AAC/ALAC tracks.

I understand your enthusiasm for the Transporter. If I had spare cash to throw at my system I'd probably do the same. I did try it under their 30 day home trial. Sure, they took it back without trouble when I returned it but it is still a hassle to bring it in, return it and tie your credit card up for a couple of months.

OTOH, of the two things I suggested, one he should be doing anyway (double checking file streaming settings) no matter which machine he ends up with and the other might take an hour of time to settle the issue one way or the other.

...WAV and FLAC list similar transcoding statements as ALAC does,

No, that is a very different statement. It applies only to the original SliMP3 and the first generation Squeezebox 1. No one is talking about those models in this conversation.

Here's the WAV/FLAC statement: "- Must be transcoded (automatically) to play on SlimServer with older (SB1/SLIMP3) hardware"

Decoding for WAV/FLAC in all later Squeezeboxes (version 2 & 3/Classic; Duet and Transporter) takes place natively in the unit.

As to file streaming settings, there is a settings link at the bottom right of the Squeezecenter web page. Locate the "file types" settings for the server. The "convert.conf" file can also be directly edited.

There are a number of important settings in Squeezecenter that impact sound quality. As true open-source software, they give you as much rope as you need to fine tune things or really screw them up. ;-)