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Replacement for Squeezebox Touch?

It's too soon to panic, but with Logitech's action to discontinue the Squeezebox Touch I'm looking ahead to a replacement.

I currently have my music library (in FLAC format) on an external hard drive attached to my PC. I then use the Logitech Media Server running on the PC to distribute the music files to the Touch through my home network. I'm using the digital output of the Touch into a Musical Fidelity M1DAC, and I can see and control the player through an app on my iPad. It all works great, even with hi-res 24/96 files. Additionally, Pandora and Internet Radio are all available through the Touch.

The Touch was an extremely cost effective way to get into this new (to me) mode of listening to my library. Now that I'm hooked I don't want to be left high and dry when and if the Touch goes belly up.

What reasonably priced options are out there? I know that the Mac Mini has been used by some, but I'm clueless on how to set up something like that. I'd rather not put a computer monitor in my audio rig. Could the Mini be controlled from the iPad? Also, since iTunes doesn't handle FLAC, how do I deal with that?

I know there must be other options as well, but price is very much an issue. Some of the media servers I see on Audiogon are $3K to $5K or more. They're unfortunately not in the cards.

Any responses would be appreciated. I'm sure I'm not alone with concerns on this topic.
bama214

Showing 2 responses by audioengr

audioengr
3,282 posts
 
Sonos is very reliable, but it requires reclocking if you are to use it in a high-end system. Will only do 44.1, not 96. The jitter is much higher than the Touch, which actually benefits from reclocking too, but not as much.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
Any of these devices can be used with a reclocker, using toslink or coax input to the reclocker. They will all improve and sound identical. Might as well get the cheapest device and spend the money on the thing that makes the biggest difference, the master clock (reclocker).

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
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