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Improving a Squeezebox Duet

Dark Lord

pfm Member
Hi everyone,

In my office system, I have a LP12/Aro/Geddon/Prefix/HiCAp, Nait 2, Kan 2/Kan Stands (or IBL, depends on the mood). All on Phase 4 Mana (it is my home office, so some Mana allowed). I also have an elderly Meridian 203 DAC and a recently acquired Squeezebox Duet (wirelessly pulling off music off my NAS that my HDX in the main system is ripping to).

I would appreciate some advice on how to improve the Squeezebox. The Squeezebox is connected to DAC with a QED digital cable and then with a RCA to DIN cable into the NAit 2. The Nait 2 has been freshly serviced.

I have tried plugging the wall-wart adapter to a Music Works block (that the rest of the system is plugged into) which was an improvement. I am focussing my attention on a linear power supply for the squeezebox. Is this is a good area to focus on, and would I get a significant improvement. I would categorise the Squeezebox sound at present as okay, but lacking insight and resolution.

I would appreciate any specific recommendations on improvements.

Kind regards, Dev
 
Better speakers.

I'm using a duet into a pair of SHL5 Harbeths and it certainly isn't lacking insight or resolution.
 
Hi Basil,

I'm happy with the speakers as they sound brilliant with the LP12.

Any further thoughts?

Regards Dev
 
I have used Meridian 203 DACs with squeezebox(es), it is quite a soft DAC by todays standards and fits well with Naim amplification.

Is the OP using the Duet Volume control or the Nait 2 volume control, as if the former then he may well be suffering a resolution loss the Duet should be set at max volume and the volume controlled on the Nait,

Next Question, can you set it up wired (just to ensure that your wireless functions ok)
 
Surely when used with a DAC the Squeezebox doesn't have a 'sound' at all; that will be a result of the DAC.

I have a pretty good linear PSU for my SB3; this certainly improved the analogue out but has no effect I can discern on the digital out. As has been suggested, try a different DAC. The Meridian 203 was, and remains, a nice DAC but it certainly does have, to some degree, the traits you're finding to be a problem.

How much do you want to spend? An MF M1 DAC may be worth trying out ~ around £400 new and roughly half that used. Or for less money a Beresford or even a CA Dacmagic.
 
Better speakers.

I'm using a duet into a pair of SHL5 Harbeths and it certainly isn't lacking insight or resolution.

It really does improve with a decent DAC such as the dacmagic or rega dac. Further improvements on both analogue and digital outputs with the SB touch.
 
Better speakers.

I'm using a duet into a pair of SHL5 Harbeths and it certainly isn't lacking insight or resolution.

Yes Basil, owning a set of Harbeth SHL5's does bring about a certain smugness. Having only had mine for a couple of months, I must say I am quite delighted.
 
Hi there Dark Lord

not too good on nom de plumes me

are you the bloke in Rochdale?

If it's not a personal quesiton

I have a duet myself and have a way of improving it greatly for £101

:)

Dave
 
If I bypass the Squeeze Duet and go straight to the Rega Dac there is no noticeable difference. When I first bought the Duet along with the DacMagic I thought that the sound had completly gone off the boil. This was down to using the Duet volume control. As someone has stated, leave the Duet volume at 100% or you will get a significant reduction in sound quality.
 
First, check that you aren't compressing the music to be sent to the player - there are settings in squeezecentre for each player specifying a maximum data rate, and your player could be set to re-encoding everything to 128k mp3 or something daft like that.

Next, as suggested, make sure the player is on 100% volume as the attenuation in the digital domain will loose you bits as i'm not sure the 203 can handle >16bit data (the SB will output 24 bits I believe so if your DAC can handle it).

Next, try taking the audio straight from the SB and bypass the DAC to see if the weakness is the DAC. The SB dacs are pretty decent as a starting point, and the technology is way ahead of the 203 which is an early bitstream DAC, so should be smooth and forgiving.

Cesare
 
have found that this Maplins PSU improves the sound quality considerably. Well worth it for £20.

So is the logitech psu so rubbish that replacing it with a no-name improves it? What's the science behind that? (I'm not doubting what you say, it just seems to be the reverse of the cheap Naim NAPSC wall wart alternative).
 
Hi there Dark Lord

not too good on nom de plumes me

are you the bloke in Rochdale?

If it's not a personal quesiton

I have a duet myself and have a way of improving it greatly for £101

:)

Dave

Hi Dave,

It's Dev from London - would be grateful if you could let me know how I could improve it for £101. Please let me know here or by email [email protected].

Kind regards

Dev

ps. do you still have briks?
 
So is the logitech psu so rubbish that replacing it with a no-name improves it? What's the science behind that? (I'm not doubting what you say, it just seems to be the reverse of the cheap Naim NAPSC wall wart alternative).

I'm no expert, but I presume that swapping a cheap switching PSU to a fairly chunky regulated PSU is what accounts for the improvement.
 
Hello all

All's well up here

Moved the bricks on once I found that I preferred the sound of the JM Labs 705s from the AV system

The bricks always always sounded lovely but simply got in the way of the music

Now using JM Labs 927Bes on the main system but would love a pair of Tannoys (Definitions)

Wrt the upgrade, I bought a Duet and two booms

Then I bought a Apple TV (or two)

Not only is the remote for iPhone / iPad a dream by comparison, through my Elgar it sounds a load better

Of course the Verdi is much better still

If I'm listening it's still CD but the Apple TV does get more use

If anyone wants the Duet (used for about a week and now back in it's (very lovely) packaging, it's yours for a ton.

Dave
 


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