A .wav or .flac player for hi-fi system

Paradox2701

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Dear all,

Currently my hifi setup comprises a basic pioneer dvd player attached to a supernait and a pair of maggie 1.7s. I mainly listen to classical music. I would like to play .flac and .wav files that are not supported by the dvd player. I have been wondering if anyone have listened to the Naim NDX or HDX and compared with Logitech Squeezebox. Are there any other recommendations? The price of the NDX and HDX will get my wife to kill me...but would using the squeezebox be non-hifi? Any opinions? Thanks!
 
I'm very happy with the performance of the SB Touch.

Wouldn't describe it as 'Non HiFi' at all, and I've been listening to HiFi since the mid-1970s. The quality of your source files will have more of an impact than the sound of the SB.

In order to play your FLAC or WAV files, you'll need them in one of the following places;

On a USB drive that you attach directly to the SB
On a Network-access Storage medium (NAS) within your home network
In a folder shared on your network

You can access your network wirelessly or through ethernet cable, whichever is convenient for you.
 
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Naim have announced the ND5 XS streamer at a lower price point than the NDX - about £2K. The Linn Majik DS would also be on my list to audition.

Many of the streamers still have problems with gapless playback, which is show-stopper for classical music.

Streamer forum - http://www.avforums.com/forums/streamers-network-music-players/
 
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SB touch either with internal or external DAC?

OR a bog standard laptop with a USB DAC?
 
... but would using the squeezebox be non-hifi?

No less than using the DVD player. Call it New Age Hi Fi if you like.

It plays or should i say streams music in the most or all of the best formats that digitized music can be heard in. Can be as good as a cd or vinyl, provided that the recording which it was ripped from is of good SQ . It also plays crap too - again recording dependant or ripped to low bit rated compressed mp3 files.

I do not have a touch but the SB3 Classic V3. while it does not have the functionality of the Touch, it plays the same formats as the touch (i think) and music is a delight to listen to.
For the price of it, i would expect the Naim to be much better.
 
The touch with a good DAC will probably outclass a similarly priced CD player. Pretty much all the touch would be doing is decoding the flac files, then the DAC does all the hifi business. Supposedly the internal one is not half bad though.
 
ok..so can i say that if i want to get a hifi sound touch has to be added with an outboard DAC? and if that is the case the outlay of cash is the same as a naim hdx or ndx?
 
Paradox2701 said:
ok..so can i say that if i want to get a hifi sound touch has to be added with an outboard DAC? and if that is the case the outlay of cash is the same as a naim hdx or ndx?

I would say no the cash outlay would be a lot less. You could pickup a touch for £160ish and even a rdac £250ish second hand.
So 4-500 ish is nowhere near a ndx?
 
Heh I guess...but just another thing. Don't the Supernait comes in with an onboard DAC? Is tt sufficient for the squeezebox? or is an outboard DAC necessary? I guess if that is the case I can alway look at this as an upgrade option? Get the squeezebox first..and when I think I need a better sound/have money to spend then get the rDAC?
 
It sounds perfectly acceptable without an extra DAC, but if you want to go the extra mile.....
 

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