Network Attached DAC?

Well, I would disagree with all three parts :)

USB never been a consumer format, and Ethernet with all due respect cannot be considered not as premium, nor as office oriented product, especially these days. USB will never replace Ethernet just because they are designed for totally different purposes. I agree that in consumer electronics Ethernet is still rare, which is, I guess, a matter of time.

As for using Squeezebox as a DAC,.. well you have Tri Vista DAC in your system, do you really believe in this option, to use Squeezebox instead ;) ?

"Ethernet has always been a premium product aimed at the office/enterprise market."

I completely disagree. Ethernet is ubiquitous, simple, plug and play, and very inexpensive. It is also wirelessly supported via 802.11 in a way than USB is not. Try to find a PC that comes without either wired ethernet or 802.11, and if you do add a NIC for about $20.

There's a chap over at www.pinkfishmedia.net in the UK who builds audiophile squeezeboxes. Lots of talk over on that sight about modding the SB with low jitter clocks, and better output stages also.

http://www.at-tunes.co.uk/

If it were me I'd probably buy a vanilla SB and experiment with an external DAC, like a lavry.

Good.

So, getting back to the subject, there are few mass market options of getting the data over Ethernet and passing it via SPDIF: Squeezebox, Roku, XBox, some AV receivers. I know some can be modded, but...

There are few relatively hi end options, usually music servers with own hard drives, such as Olive music server, etc.

I'm looking for something in between: device up to audiophile level of requirements that can do just data => SPDIF conversion, or even better - combined with DAC.

Any ideas?

Well guys - sorry to miss the fun but I've been away.

USB is a consumer format. Intel and the rest of the gang invented it for precisely that function. That's why so many manufacturers adopted it so quickly. This is not a matter of debate, its history. Ethernet, a much older format is simple to use, much more flexible but not all that common in a consumer environment.

To answer your question - A modded SB offers a modded TriVista a good run for the money. In lesser systems the results are probably indistinguishable. When you start comparing the list prices, its 1/4 the cost. It's much better then that.

I have been posting to these boards for several years. I always make the same point. This is all about lifestyle and where you want to listen to your music. If you are going to have a computer in your listening space, USB is a viable option. If you are not, Ethernet and some device with remote control capability is the better option. I use both kinds of solutions and am happy with each - mostly because each lets me listen to music where and how I want to.

There are no doubt new devices on the drawing boards or being introduced. As with any technology purchase, you have to weigh the immediate need for a solution against the certainty that it will be obsolete the second you buy it. It is always the same story - go now or wait for the latest and greatest.

Posts like yours show up pretty much every week. Each poster acts as though they are the only person who has considered whether or not these technologies actually provide a satisfactory solution. Much ink is used speculating about how to improve on a solution, before the poster ever experiences the current state of technology firsthand. Herte is an important clue - no one ever writes back to say how disappointed they are...

The truth is that this stuff is startlingly good - and no doubt it will get better. There is no one saying that Olive sounds any better - just that it's more convenient for someone not comfortable with computers. Some smart guys got together and created an integrated solution - you will see more and more of them.

All this stuff sounds good for pretty much the same reasons - it uses a hard drive instead of a traditional CD transport. That is where the quantum leap occurs. Additional improvements come with lossless ripping and eliminating SPDIF from the chain - everything else is a minimal contributor to quality.

Buy an SB for $250 and hook it to a DAC if you have one you like. Buy a Roku. Just do it.

Mr. Ckorody

I love music, and I like audio. I think it's absolutely normal for Audiogon to ask about alternatives to seemingly obvious solution. I do not think arrogant tone is much helpful here. If you feel very much concerned about "ink", and if my question sounds boring or stupid to you, please feel free to simply ignore it.
Otherwise I would suggest that serious question deserves serious and respectful answer.

Now, back to business.

1. I'd prefer to eliminate SPDIF from the chain, and this is why did I ask about Ethernet enabled DAC. Well, ain't such a thing.

2. Although most of SB similar boxes may sound good, I don't believe they sound equal: they, at least, introduce different amount of jitter during data => SPDIF conversion

3. I cite: "In lesser systems the results are probably indistinguishable". May I ask if you can distinguish sonic signatures of two good CD players?

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