Does The Squeezebox Touch Have a Worthy Successor?

Android based multimedia devices in general perhaps.

Browsers, Tablets and smartphones provide the portable remote control interfaces people want and need. I use all these with my SB Touches much more frequently than the built in touch screen itself.

High quality (audiophile quality) sound is the other SB Touch feature to replace. A good DAC connected to digital out from any device properly equipped provides that, similar to SB TOuch.

SB TOuch built in DAC is reputably not bad, but I have never even tried to use that since I had my preferred DACs prior.

SB Touch was a great device but highly specialized with limited market. Sonos covers that mostly these days.

But remote control of general purpose multimedia computers with digital output capabilities is where its at in terms of providing the best product needed for minimal cost.

OF course for most homes, a good quality modern Wifi network is the other piece of the puzzle needed.

This way hi fi sound is just another multimedia service you set up and use on your home network along with the rest. VEry little specialized or proprietary hardware is needed.

This is where I will be looking to go most likley when the need arises next. Hopefully, my 3 SB devices (2 touch and one radio) continue on for a while though.....

A fair degree of computer literacy definitely helps with Squeezebox. Its easy for the "system administration" aspects of computer audio to become a big sideshow, drawing away from listening time.

I'm a computer systems/software engineer, so I thrive on this stuff! But I can understand that its not for everyone quite yet. Things continue to progress. Usability of computer entertainment devices in general is still evolutionary, way more so than home audio sound quality these days.

My wife is an old fashioned girl and would be happy for the most part if things went back to the way they were in the 50's. She hates all my fancy gadgets and controls, which I love! NEver complains about the sound quality though. :^)

I'm starting to look at Amazon Fire device + Skifta perhaps if needed.

This looks like a nice fit, especially for Amazon Prime customers that might also be interested in video/tv streaming.

PLEX is advetised to be on Fire TV device at launch and might be worth a look.

Fire TV appears to have both optical and usb outputs that could support using an external DAC, a key feature for good sound quality out of an inexpensive source device.

Anyone tried any of this yet?

Bluesound....that's a new one for me that on paper appears to be a viable candidate, depending on cost.

I see a local dealer for Bluesound....will have to check it out.

I have an Amazon Fire TV box in house now. Using it to replace a cable service box for TV only at present, but I am seeing the Plex app available there. Might have to give that a try on my hifi system at some point soon. Everything appears to indicate that should work. Then, how will it sound? I would be using the same DAC as I use with SB TOuch currently, so should be able to compare.

Anyone tried Amazon Fire and Plex app yet on their system?

Plex does cost a few bucks. There are a few other free apps I have dabbled with a bit that are able to interface to my remote music library on my wifi networked laptop and play .wav files on my TV. That's as far as I have gotten with this so far.