Wow, it’s been a long time since I posted anything interesting on this site! Not that there haven’t been interesting things to post, I’ve just been rather busy. The normal excuse!
Anyhoo, I’ve posted before about SlimDevices, makers of the rather fabulous Squeezebox Network Audio Player. This is the tiny $300 wireless box which gives you instant access to every CD you own with comparable sound quality to CD players costing 10 times as much, as well as internet radio streaming, weather & sports scores, and more. So what would Slim come up with when given a larger budget? Say $2000? Something very much like the picture above. Read on for my thoughts…
The Transporter is billed as “the first audiophile network music player” and is designed to compare well to any digital transport or DAC you care to pit it against. We’re talking Super Regulators in the power supply, the new AK4396 “Miracle DAC”, balanced outputs, word clock input, and even a set of digital ins so you can use the Transporters internal DAC with your existing CD player or other devices. How good is that analog output? They quote a SNR of 120dB but I’ve seen measurements closer to 130, and a THD of -106dB. The digital outs are improved too – with jitter (StdDev) measured at 35ps on the S/PDIF.
So other than awesome sound, what else does your extra $1700 buy? Well this thing is much bigger than the regular Squeezebox and fits better into a typical audio rack. The case is all metal and very nicely finished, and the front has a number of buttons for easier access to functions without using the remote. Also evident on the front is a large knob, which is more exciting than it sounds! This “TransNav” controller has software controlled haptic feedback. What does all that mean? It means that as you turn the knob in a menu you feel it click each time the menu option changes, and it will even stop turning when you reach the end of the menu. But – switch to volume control and suddely it’s free spinning! Magic (or maybe magnetism) allows the “feel” of the knob to be controlled and adjusted all the time. It’s hard to explain, but always brings a smile when someone tries it for the first time.
The other notable difference is that the Transporter has not one but two of the high res VFD displays found on the Squeezebox. This allows for display of more information at one time, for example showing the name of the current track on the right whilst browsing menus on the left.
So is it worth it? Well, if you have the cash, and the audio system to do it justice, yes. If you’re an existing Squeezebox user like myself then it’s almost a required upgrade (these things are addictive). If you’re looking at something like the Sonos then you need to decide if the snazzy UI of the Sonos remote is worth more to you than ultimate sound quality.
Me? I just like the knob.
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