Joined the SB brigade

amey01 · Apr 22, 2007

Bought myself a little present over the weekend - an SB3! Running it analogue out (with Apple Lossless) at the moment, but will be adding my Musical Fidelity X-DAC shortly.

While this configuration doesn't even come close to my Marantz 8300 (less detail, laid back, less definition) I must stay it is one convenient toy!

Time will tell how much I listen to it (because of convenience) over original CDs / SACDs.

kcl · Apr 22, 2007

You're going to love it! Aside from SACD and DVD-A disks, almost 100% of my music listening is off of my ReadyNAS server via the SB3.

Also, just for the record, I'm running the coax digital out from the SB3 through a CIAudio DAC.

Jeff Zaret · Apr 22, 2007

Ken,
We (you & I) already know how great that sounds running it coax out.

Jeff

sleepysurf · Apr 22, 2007

Welcome to the MLOC SB sub-section! Once you're feeding digital out to your MF X-DAC, you'll be hooked!

ralflar · Apr 22, 2007

Jeff Zaret said:
Ken,
We (you & I) already know how great that sounds running it coax out.

Jeff

You two and me too

.

Joey_V · Apr 22, 2007

Welcome to our sub-group... the SqueezeBox cult!

Joey

Jeff Zaret · Apr 22, 2007

I guess I need to clarify a few things for me here. I no longer have my DAC. I sold it to Ken (KCL)

I do not own a Squeezebox, I have a Roku which is very similar but was cheaper. I only use it for internet radio.

Jeff

discocarp · Apr 23, 2007

Uh oh its a cult now?

Seriously though, you'll absolutely love it, especially once you have it running into a dac. I love my SB3s (and the new transporter)!!!

TomDac · Apr 23, 2007

congrats on the SB addition.. The convenience of it is awesome.

Try some experiments with different bitrates including some lossless ones. They really do make a difference.

amey01 · Apr 23, 2007

TomDac said:
congrats on the SB addition.. The convenience of it is awesome.

Try some experiments with different bitrates including some lossless ones. They really do make a difference.

I'm running Apple Lossless for just about everything (except some really bad recordings that I figured I couldn't be bothered wasting the space - I just encoded them as 392K AAC or MP3). The Lossless files are of course way better. I'll have to get this DAC connected - that is the problem with having a cabinet instead of a rack - things like this are hard!

Joey_V · Apr 24, 2007

amey01 said:
I'm running Apple Lossless for just about everything (except some really bad recordings that I figured I couldn't be bothered wasting the space - I just encoded them as 392K AAC or MP3). The Lossless files are of course way better. I'll have to get this DAC connected - that is the problem with having a cabinet instead of a rack - things like this are hard!

Ya gotta get this into a DAC!

David Prall · Apr 25, 2007

Cult?

Wow..... I've never been part of a "cult" before.

kcl · Apr 25, 2007

David Prall said:
Wow..... I've never been part of a "cult" before.

Well, welcome aboard. Please note that the secret handshake is very similar to the one for the Summits. (See Joey_V for details.

)

Also, I agree with Joey. You've really need to run the SB3 out through a good DAC. You'll be amazed at the results.

amey01 · Apr 25, 2007

Well, we had a public holiday yesterday (ANZAC Day) so I pulled everything out and got the Squeezebox into the X-DAC.....wow, huge improvement! This thing is amazing, but still not quite up to the standards of the 8300 (I expected that anyway). Maybe I just need to get a dCS DAC and modify the Squeezebox for master clock input.......haha.

discocarp · Apr 25, 2007

The transporter has a word clock connection.

David Prall · Apr 26, 2007

Alright! I finally get a "secret handshake"

I love my Vantage's, but don't think I'd EVER get the wife willing to go for Summit's

Too many other things in life competing for the money for that. I would like to have another SB3 or 2 though.... <grin> The idea of an external DAC to improve the sound of my SB3 is intrigueing (sp?) though. What might I reasonable be able to get a decent one for, price wise that is?

kcl · Apr 26, 2007

David Prall said:
The idea of an external DAC to improve the sound of my SB3 is intriguing though. What might I reasonable be able to get a decent one for, price wise that is?

Well, the CIAudio VDA-2 (the one I have) is $600 new (and I would suggest the VAC-1 power supply at $150 rather than the wallwart supplied), while the golden child of the audiophile world right now, the Benchmark DAC-1, runs $975 new. IMO each of these is excellent for processing the SB3 digital output stream.

If you want one of these used, they crop up on Audiogon regularly, but expect to pay 70% to 80% of retail as DACs don't devalue much with age (at least the good ones don't).

sleepysurf · Apr 26, 2007

FYI, if interested in the Benchmark, there happen to be some good deals on used ones now, since Benchmark announced their new model which includes USB input. In fact, there is a listing on A'gon right now for a fairly new black "audiophile" model DAC-1 (no rack mount ears) for $750. I paid $975 for mine.

Joey_V · Apr 26, 2007

David Prall said:
Alright! I finally get a "secret handshake" I love my Vantage's, but don't think I'd EVER get the wife willing to go for Summit's Too many other things in life competing for the money for that. I would like to have another SB3 or 2 though.... <grin> The idea of an external DAC to improve the sound of my SB3 is intrigueing (sp?) though. What might I reasonable be able to get a decent one for, price wise that is?

*Secret handshake*

David Prall · Apr 27, 2007

Dac

Thanks for the replies guys..... I will check the Gon, but if the prices are about 80 percent of retail for used, I may opt for "new with warranty". Unfortunately, I can't check these from work, so it will have to wait til I get home.

Joined the SB brigade

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