let me elaborate a bit about my vision of how I think I want this to work.  
#1... my computer is not sitting next to my DAC or even in the same room and I don't intend to relocate it in proximity to my stereo system, nor run cat5 cable or something between the two.  
I also would like to maintain some degree of "separation" between the computer/internet side and the music server side if possible - thank you all the over achievers of the world living in your parents basements, wasting your talent on developing malware.

I went out to the Logitech site and tried to determine exactly how the SB works, but I'm still not 100% sure.  I think I could store my music on a NAS on my home network, or simply an external drive attached directly to my computer.  I think I could then sit the SB next to my DAC, the SB could then access the music wirelessly from my PC and spit out the digits to my DAC via spdif or USB - or even use the SB's dac and analog outputs.  And I could control the SB via its screen or it's remote.  But more ideally, control it wirelessly via an iPad app. which gets me my wireless GUI touchscreen interface that allows me to listen to any of my music at the touch of a finger without getting out of my chair!  Does anybody have this setup described above?  Am I all wet in my understanding of how to make this work?  Would it work?  How well does it work?
Well actually, I know it's possible.  I saw many setups like this in use, experienced it with me own eyes, and in some cases used their iPad app interface to select demo tracks in several rooms at RMAF last year.  But I failed to gather the details of any of their setups.

well.. this sounds like one direction to investigate further that meets all my objectives possibly.  Anybody ever heard of a SB being impacted by malware?  Do Squeezeboxes get regular updates/downloads off the www?  
and... I just tried to find the Squeezebox on logitechs website... something is going on - it's not even there.  You get redirected to some "ue" site that does not show the squeezebox as a product under the Products hyperlink.  Surely they are not discontinuing this product..??

I am willing to pay for performance - to a point.  I've been on the audiofool merry-go-round for about 30 years now.  I've been to Levinson-land and back more than once - I hate to admit!  Which, btw, is how I found Decware - trying to get off the train-to-nowhere for good this time.  

Anyway, I recently purchased the Wyred4Sound DAC2... which is the first DAC/player, at any price, that I've personally heard that exceeds the performance of my late 90's/early 2000's vintage Theta Digital gear which cost far more back then when I bought it than the Wyred DAC does now.  The Wyred was intentionally acquired with the intent to serve as a digital input hub, spdif, usb, etc.  In retrospect I think it might have been smarter to get a good pre/pro that could accept multi-channel digital audio in any format and a player like an Oppo for a silver disc spinner.  Which BTW, I just discovered the Oppp 93 & 95's models can have external hard drives attached to them and can network to a PC and music stored there.  I am definitely going to research this in more depth asap.  Here we go again already -  stepping back on the merry-go-round.

It has been my experience, in the past 3 years or so, that the gap between good to great digital playback/sound & the very best obtainable at any price has grown increasingly narrow - the 80/20 rule for digital might be more like 90/10 now.

I am a strong proponent of the PS Powerplants and their power cords and own both and consider them "essential" components at this point.  However, I  have never owned any of PSA's source gear, preamps or power amps.  I have heard the all PSA systems at RMAF numerous times in PSA's room, but have never auditioned any in my own room.  I have kindof kept an eye on the PW DAC for quite some time now.  But I have never had a chance to hear it since its availability in brick-n-mortar stores for demo seems to be very limited - at least within reasonable driving distance in my area per PSA's dealer locator webpage.  Also, and this is just my opinion, and it is just an "opinion"(no negativity intended or implied), it appears McGowan & Co. are trying to take the PW DAC and the entire PS line "uptown", as the MK.II version with bridge is now $4790.  At this point, I think it has far exceeded the "good value" point on the ladder.  And I just don't think it is necessary to spend this much $$$ to get great digital sound anymore.  Of course, each individuals mileage may vary on this point.

you wouldn't be bringing your PW DAC to Zenfest this year would you?  I'd bring my Wyred - would be great to hear and compare and contrast the two.

anybody have a Sonos system (the Sonos "Connect" component it looks like is what is needed) in use as a Music Server between their PC and DAC and controlling it wirelessly with an iPad, iPhone or Android device?

Anybody heard of or checked out Baetus Audio?  This looks like a pretty good system using JRiver software, and the website as a whole has a lot of good pointers on what to look for in an audio server when buying or building.

Home Page: http://baetisaudio.com/

Excellent Article: http://baetisaudio.com/PDF/WhybuyaWindows-basedaudiophilecomputer.pdf

The Beatis setup is not a full blown PC though, it is limited to A/V server type activities such as streaming Netflix, Rip, Store and Playback Blu-Rays and Music and stuff like that, but I don't think you could use it in place of a PC that you would want to check email, or write a Word document, etc.  In fact, I don't think it even has Hard Disk storage, but rather you would use it with an NAS or another type of external HDD.

But I still think think it is a pretty good value compared to a lot of other servers like Sooloos, Kaleidescape, Olive and others along that line.

Quote:


Donnie,

I agree, this is just something that is ready to go and specifically for use a Media Center.  Some things I like about it are that unlike a regular PC, it doesn't have alot of apps going in the background and there is no special sound or graphics cards. It let's the processor and ram do it's thing and passes DSP onto the DAC and/or Preamp Processor to do their things.

The specs are pretty simple if one were to build one themselves.  I have built a few PC's in my time and find it very easy to do.

Specifications (http://baetisaudio.com/ourproducts.html):

All of our machines are custom-built. Baetis Revolution™ has the following features:

• Case: all aluminum, 9.5” W x 10” D x 4.25” H, black or silver

• CPU: Intel Core i3 processor with Intel integrated audio and HD2000 integrated video (the faster Core ix processors and integrated video are not needed, and just generate more heat, when you are using a quality DAC and/or pre-pro)

• RAM:  8G DDR3 1300

• 128G Solid State Drive

• Blu-ray combo drive:  reads and writes CDs and DVDs; reads blu-ray discs  (note that we do NOT supply blu-ray playing software since we expect the user to rip the disc and store it before playing it).

• Ethernet port
  4 USB 2.0 outputs in the rear, 2 in the front
  2 USB3.0 outputs in the rear
  1 eSATA output in the rear
  1 HDMI (latest hi-def version) output in rear
  1 custom-built digital BNC audio out (see the cable types you will use in photo)
  1 Toslink optical digital audio out
  1 RCA digital audio out

 

• Windows 7 Professional (64-bit) – or Win 7 Ultimate

• JRiver Media Center 17.

It's just a standard machine, but they add some "Pulse™ isolation transformer" and a few other do-dads like isolated BNC S/PDIF outputs.  It's almost all passively cooled which I think is pretty important to reduce sound interference.

The only thing I would do differently is maybe add a few solid state drives for more space.

Donnie, thanks for the program Fedelizer, I'll check it out.

LOL, good eye on the bike!  I love me some sixties era Triumphs ... I have another Triumph that I'm building into a Bobber/Custom ... it's lovingly called "The Basket Case" since all of the parts to it at this point can fit in a shopping cart