Music server quality.

"the diff in sound quality may well be more about wireless vs wireline as opposed to PC based vs music server based etc. "

I'm not sure that a finding regarding the implementation of wireless in the MSB iPod product should be generalized to, say, laptop or desktop based systems.

"yes wireless can potentially always be an issue - very prone to interference and not much can be done about it. A wired approach will always be more robust."

My own wireless front end doesn't suffer from any robustness or interference issues, or sound quality issues, for that matter. It's Apple based: iMac G4 with external drives in the study functioning as the server, a wireless iBook in the living (music) room providing iTunes control, and an Airport Express providing AirTunes to S/PDIF conversion. Sounds as good as wired configurations (leaving out the AX) I am able to set up with my system.

I used to have an issue with occasional dropouts in the signal. But when I finally replaced my 801.11b router/wireless-access-point with an 801.11g unit (due to a free upgrade in my DSL service), that issue disappeared. I should have made that change earlier, but I really didn't think that bandwidth would be the limiting factor.

So, no doubt wireless is not going to be successful in all environments, but I don't think audiophiles who might be interested in the great convenience of wireless should automatically write it off.

Kana813: Nothing beats Sonus...I meant strictly the Remote and its user interface. Felxibility, easy interface, album covers...the works. Simply awesome. Set up is very easy. And you can expand and daisy chain thru out the house so it has mutli room capability. Using the remote u can even have each room playing different music at the same time! Sonic quality vs Mac....can't say as I personally have not used a MAC set up...but my hunch is that will be worse than MAC directly connected to a DAC (as well as Sonus) but better or similiar when using the
MAC wirelessly.

On Squeezebox, and especially the new Transporter...seems the value add here is that it has a very good internal DAC. But for those who already have excellent DACs like myself already, I find this redundant.

Jayboard,.,..guess you are right: but in that dealer demo room as well as my own exp at home, wireless has suffered: though still very listenable indeed...good for background relaxing music, parties etc...so far for me not more than yet (in terms of my own exp). But whether its music severs or the IPOD in docking station (or likely PC via Wavelength), directly connected systems I think are competitive in sound quality though perhaps suffering for the last mile of refinement (so far of what I have heard, I would be gladly pointed alernatives where this is sin't so) and have the flexibility that comes with digitally stored music which obviously CD players lack. As such, I want both!

>

Excuse me for jumping in here, but... HUH?
Are you having a lot of interference problems on your wifi setup generally? I'm not even sure what that means. If you're having reception problems, you should check your router or perhaps you need a booster.
I've had a Transporter now for about 3 months. I also have a big time Audio Research system that I love, with an Oracle 2500 CD player for a digital front end.
Head to head, the Oracle is beter. It's less congested and a bigger sound than the Transporter.
But, that's only if you listen head to head.
If you instead start out listening to the Transporter, and pump it through my Ref 3 pre-amp and then into the 2 tube power amps, the Transporter sounds great.
And what really is cool, is how much fun it is to go whirling through my music collection without getting out of my chair.
I usually use my laptop for this, cause it's nice to see a large selection of what's available at once, and choose from that. It also lets me look at reviews and articles about artists while I'm listening.
Then it's just touch and play for anything on my hard drive upstairs.
And with the Transporter, I can use iTunes to manage my music collection, which is very nice. Apple just keeps coming up with new ways to organize the GUI, to automatically supply album art, etc.
I use Apple lossless, which is just a conversion from WAV lossless (and you can go back again at some point in the future if you want to).
Make no mistake: I also have a large Vinyl habit, so I'm listening to three formats now and all three have their pluses. But the Transporter is a huge step in the evolution of high end playback. To ignore it or call it a $2000 squeezebox (which I also have) is simply ridiculous. It just means you haven't heard it.
If you hate all digital sources, you won't like it. If you love the sound from CD's, I'd say this matches all but the top of the high end, with fantastic convenience.
I also bought it at a major discount from a guy here on AG, who recently sent me an email saying he had a couple of new onces (I told him I want another for my second system). if you're interested and don't see him here, email me and I'll try to hook you up. I have no relationship or financial interest in this whatsoever - just sharing a good source.

Jmandell- you should check out mauimods.com's upgrade for the
Transporter.

>

Excuse me for jumping in here, but... HUH?
Are you having a lot of interference problems on your wifi setup generally? I'm not even sure what that means. If you're having reception problems, you should check your router or perhaps you need a booster.
I've had a Transporter now for about 3 months. I also have a big time Audio Research system that I love, with an Oracle 2500 CD player for a digital front end.
Head to head, the Oracle is beter. It's less congested and a bigger sound than the Transporter.
But, that's only if you listen head to head.
If you instead start out listening to the Transporter, and pump it through my Ref 3 pre-amp and then into the 2 tube power amps, the Transporter sounds great.
And what really is cool, is how much fun it is to go whirling through my music collection without getting out of my chair.
I usually use my laptop for this, cause it's nice to see a large selection of what's available at once, and choose from that. It also lets me look at reviews and articles about artists while I'm listening.
Then it's just touch and play for anything on my hard drive upstairs.
And with the Transporter, I can use iTunes to manage my music collection, which is very nice. Apple just keeps coming up with new ways to organize the GUI, to automatically supply album art, etc.
I use Apple lossless, which is just a conversion from WAV lossless (and you can go back again at some point in the future if you want to).
Make no mistake: I also have a large Vinyl habit, so I'm listening to three formats now and all three have their pluses. But the Transporter is a huge step in the evolution of high end playback. To ignore it or call it a $2000 squeezebox (which I also have) is simply ridiculous. It just means you haven't heard it.
If you hate all digital sources, you won't like it. If you love the sound from CD's, I'd say this matches all but the top of the high end, with fantastic convenience.
I also bought it at a major discount from a guy here on AG, who recently sent me an email saying he had a couple of new onces (I told him I want another for my second system). if you're interested and don't see him here, email me and I'll try to hook you up. I have no relationship or financial interest in this whatsoever - just sharing a good source.