I've had a Squeezebox for years. Recently I installed the Soundcheck toolbox as was amazed by the SQ improvements which means that a high quality streamer will probably improve thing a bit more. However at often huge amounts of $$.
I don't understand that there has no development over the last decade on a secure digital audio transfer protocol that also deals with error correction that is as international adopted standard. In data networks the TCP protocols takes care of error checking and re-transmits when a network package was not received in good state. A digital audio stream only transmits the stream without any checksums what so ever. The receiver cannot determine whether there were errors. It all comes down to limiting jitter and trying to sync clocks as good as possible. We're now in 2015 and didn't make any progress... strange
So in my believe, expensive streamers provide a better sound but will never guarantee bit perfectness. AIR does. But AIR is unstable.
I'll put my money (only $300) on the Dialog which will solve the AIR issues and deliver bit perfect streaming that other high end streamers (a few $1000) still will not be able to.
I hope at the end of 2015 we will have a Dialog and a stable accompanying Spark app that provides Tidal, Qobuz, Deezer and Spotify
BTW Today I installed AIR as was amazed by the quality. I use a Lenovo Windows 7 laptop. Configured it for 24/192, 1000ms buffer. No drop outs. I must be one of the few reading all the Air issues and poll results. I praise myself lucky. AIR is nice but usability sucks in comparison with e.g. the squeezebox interface. I assume the Spark app will address this too in the future making it a (near) perfect solution.
I don't understand that there has no development over the last decade on a secure digital audio transfer protocol that also deals with error correction that is as international adopted standard. In data networks the TCP protocols takes care of error checking and re-transmits when a network package was not received in good state. A digital audio stream only transmits the stream without any checksums what so ever. The receiver cannot determine whether there were errors. It all comes down to limiting jitter and trying to sync clocks as good as possible. We're now in 2015 and didn't make any progress... strange
So in my believe, expensive streamers provide a better sound but will never guarantee bit perfectness. AIR does. But AIR is unstable.
I'll put my money (only $300) on the Dialog which will solve the AIR issues and deliver bit perfect streaming that other high end streamers (a few $1000) still will not be able to.
I hope at the end of 2015 we will have a Dialog and a stable accompanying Spark app that provides Tidal, Qobuz, Deezer and Spotify
BTW Today I installed AIR as was amazed by the quality. I use a Lenovo Windows 7 laptop. Configured it for 24/192, 1000ms buffer. No drop outs. I must be one of the few reading all the Air issues and poll results. I praise myself lucky. AIR is nice but usability sucks in comparison with e.g. the squeezebox interface. I assume the Spark app will address this too in the future making it a (near) perfect solution.
Devialet 220 Expert Pro CI | Sonus Faber Olympica II | Crystal cable speaker cables, interlink and power cables | ROON Rock on Intel NUC | Netherlands
