Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems music servers (squeeze box ect) Vs M???

I was thinking of upgrading my SQ of my system, which is a 598 into via MHR a 568.2mm.

how does a music server, sqeeze box ect, digitaly feeding my 568.2mm compare to the 598 as the source or possibly the g98hd as a source.

Also does anyone know how the squeeze box feeds the sugnal to the 568.2mm and can that input be upsampled b y the 568.2mm

thanks for the info

SK

SB3 compares well to a lot of high-end transports including 598, G9x and 800.*

Do a search for "squeezebox" in the 2006 forum. There are quite a few threads.

Output is 44.1kHz PCM which can be upsampled by any of Meridian's recent processors.

* Edit: As long as the CD rip is a good one.

hi again VK
so as a 'transport' they campare well to M stuff.

im vey intrested as the price is so good but im finding it hard to belive that a few hundred � can compare to a few thousand ��

SK

SMac770
not realy conserned with anything other than SQ

problem is its not realy an item u can demo and compare therefore the question how does it stack up against 598/g98 into 568.2mm

SK

As VK suggests, do a search of recent threads.

I don't know of anyone who's not happy with the sound quality of the SB. My G98 only spins DVDs these days.

Cliff

I have a Squeezebox 3 into a G91 using the SPDIF coax connection. G91 goes in analog stero only into a G57 into B&W Nautilus 804 speakers. For CDs ripped using WMA lossless there is no difference in sound quality vs the G91 playing the disk directly. G91 upsamples the PCM from the Squeezebox to 192 KhZ/24 bit for the analog outs of the G91.

Squeezebox does not deal with DVD-A, and ripping DVD-A tracks involves tracking down decryption software that was removed from the INternet by the RIAA's court injucntion and going through a dozen complicated steps and 3-4 other programs even if you could find it. So practically there is no DVD-A audio solution. BUt CDs are great.

It is the best $300 you will ever spend on you audio system. Just do it.

Sanjay

I've just retired my Squeezebox in favour of yet another Mac' Mini. This feeds my 568.2 via optical - the Mini 'can' output 24-bit stereo and 44.1-192 kHz (if you can get hold of the higher rate source material to output of course...).

I've been experimenting with playback of audio from the Mini's own HD, from a NAS and over wireless from another Mac'. It all sounds pretty much the same to me - that is pretty damn good.

The benefit of the Mini over a Squeezbox IMHO is a much more user friendly interface and display - a 50" HD and Crystalio in my case as opposed to the small vacuum fluorescent on the SB!

This excercise has raised a philosophical question however. I have c. 1,200 CDs and do I really want to spend the time converting them to whatever file format when I could be listening to them and having a life.

I kinda enjoy perusing my shelves of discs, looking at the CD artwork and the notes before choosing something that fits my listening mood. Simply grabbing the first disc that comes to hand is as good a 'random' play mode as one can get too!

In all honesty my Squeezebox had an enforced retirement as I found myself not really listening to the music but grazing through tracks as I do with Sky channels. Choosing, opening and putting a disc in the 598's drive is a much more considered act.

Why a Mac' Mini? It's not really used for music per se other than background - its prime use is viewing HD still images and home video - all with accompanying audio via Meridian DSP!!

SK, apart from looking on this forum, you might try searching some of the hifi press, too. John Atkinson of Stereophile uses Mark Levinson transport and DAC as part of his reference and wrote that the Squeezebox into the ML DAC is as good as the ML transport in every day use and only determined listening would highlight any preference in the transports favour. The SB gets high praise here and elsewhere.

The only reservation I've seen is the amount of time it takes to rip CDs and concerns about back up. For the first issue, I'm wondering if a device like the Olive Symphony would cut time as it has a copy of the Graceland database on board.

Regards,
Steve

Steve H have read all i can find on this board and it seem that for the price of a SB it could be worth ago though the Olive is more expensive BTW what is the 'Graceland database'

SK

Hi SK. Graceland is the name for one of the databases that holds meta data about CDs - composer, performer, publisher, etc. Depending on the software you use to rip CDs, one of those databases will be accessed and the available data used. The Olive Symphony has a copy of such a database on board and I've been wondering how much time local access to it would save in copying CDs. Hopefully it's clear that I do not have a SB but I'm thinking about making that general step.

Steve

The company is Gracenote, not Graceland:

http://www.gracenote.com/music/

Steve H
thank for the info
i might stat rippig move CD just i case.

wat do you think is the best format and method
SK