logitech transporter vs. Squeezebox+PS Audio DLIII

I have the SB3 and a Lavry DA-10 DAC which I settled on a couple of years back. I also auditioned a Transporter at that time. The choice of the SB3/Lavry was mainly cost driven; it was about $1,000 cheaper since I already had the SB3. However, there was very little difference between the two approaches.

Right now it's not too hard to find Transporters new for about $1300. Had they been at that price a couple of years ago I would have likely gone with a Transporter.

However, there is a third option upcoming. The Slimdevices "Touch" is due out in about a month and a lot of reports from the beta testers have been extremely complimentary about the analog output of this unit. I've got one on order with the intention of comparing it against the SB3/Lavry combo to see if they are in the same ballpark soundwise.

I thought the combination of the SB+DL-III sounded better than the Transporter when playing standard 16/44. Keep in mind though, that your SB device is limited to 24/48, while the Transporter will support up to 24/96. The new "Touch" will support up to 24/96.

If it were me, I would get the Touch ($590) and the DL-III (for $500) and save a few bucks over the Transporter. The Transporter sounded a bit thin compared to the DL-III and the DL-III displayed a bigger soundstage

I would get the Touch ($590)

Not sure where you got your price. My understanding the official price is $299.

Not sure where you got your price. My understanding the official price is $299.

Wow! That's the way to go then...$800 and you'll have a killer server. I wasn't sure how much the Touch cost, so I went to the SB website - I saw $590 listed at the top of the page near the "Touch".....I just assumed.

The Transporter is a really cool device and it does sound great (comparatively speaking). The fact that you'll be able to get at least the same sonic fidelity (and to my ears, even better fidelity) via the DL-III/Touch at a considerable savings makes this a no-brainer (and you'll have hi-rez capability up to 24/96). With the savings that you'll enjoy, you might want to look for a used Stage IV-Cullen-Modded-DL-III (it sounds even better than the stock DL-III, and you can easily hear the difference between it and the Transporter). You should be able to get the Stage-IV DL-III and Touch for roughly the same price you could find a used Transporter (maybe less - $1,100 range….).
Let us know what you end up doing.
Happy New Year

Guys, thanks for the posts.

Since I will get my yearly premium only in march I have time to wait for the SB Touch. ;)

Maybe the Modded Digital link with a Touch.

My only fear with the modded DLIII that since it's a modificated unit it can be hard to sell it later.

Does anyone heard the LAvry D10 and the stage IV DLIII on the same system?

Thanks.

Does anyone heard the LAvry D10 and the stage IV DLIII on the same system?

While it isn't real hard to find people who have heard one or the other, it can be difficult at times to find a person who has heard two specific units back-to-back in the same system. And, even if you find that person, it can be a bit difficult to know what to do with their recommendations if you're not familiar with how they think about audio.

I haven't heard the DLIII but have owned the Lavry DA-10 for about two years. It is an excellent DAC - very natural sounding. They have a new model, the DA-11, but I'm not sure if it replaces or augments that DA-10. (The DA-11 some added features that may be of interest to some.)

Dan Lavry started at the recording studio end of things and is pretty well known for speaking his mind on the subject of audio. You might find his web site interesting; it is http://www.lavryengineering.com/. The users forum is excellent and there are many very detailed discussions that involve Dan himself.

I've not heard the Lavry, but have gone through the following DAC progression with my Logitech Duet: stock DL3, Cullen Stage 4 modded DL3 and currently PS Audio Perfect Wave DAC.

The difference between the stock and Cullen Stage 4 DL3's were significant: more natural sounding (dare I say musical?!?), better defined soundstage (placing of musicians in space) and more dynamic.

The PWD provides more of the same but the differences are less. I guess it's the point of diminishing returns as you get higher up the ladder...

With that said, I have my Stage 4 DL3 collecting dust, so I should sell it. Shoot me an email if you are interested.

Mike