Streaming Media Servers - Sound Cards

[The_Burg]

I've just upgraded the sound card in my Vortexbox.
Previously i was never exactly blow away by the sound quality either via USB or Squeezbox to my Cambrige DAC.
I tried an experiment and connected directly to the optical output of the server and was absolutely staggered.

The sound quality was absolutely dire, bass missing, timing sounded all wrong, like a bad cassette.

At this point i decided to try another soundcard, ASUS Xonar DS. Very restricted by half height case and need for optical out.

Utterly staggered, all of a sudden the quality has come alive.

So my question is why? Surely the soundcard has nothing to do with streaming to Squeezbox or USB DAC?
Bits is bits surely? If it was using the analogue side of the soundcard then i could see it. I can now also get the 24/96 light on, never worked before. Downloaded a few samples and it really is stunning.
(Anyway that's another topic as the card has user replaceable OP amp so may try buying a 3.5mm to phone lead to see what it can do).

[nogsk]

That's odd. I'd have thought that as you are transferring data ( via squeezebox server? ), to the receiver, then the sound card of the device you're streaming from wouldn't come into the equation?

I have SB server running on two laptops to a receiver then dac to amp and haven't noticed a discernible difference in sound quality between the two libraries.

Mind you, I'm no expert, so will wait for someone who knows more about shifting data from source to source.

[The_Burg]

My thoughts exactly. Can't understand the difference.
Possibly some of the processing is done on the sound card?
Really is a huge difference. Only a cheapo £35 card, (or £45 via PC World).
Though looks like the emphasis is on sound quality.

PS have you tried streaming any 24/96 via Squeezbox? Mine works for a while then sound quality gets all distorted or just won't play at all and says buffer under run.

[nogsk]

Well the only time I tried, with a sacd version of DSOM the receiver/player just tripped out and had to be reset.

I stream mostly Flac files to an Audiocom modded duet receiver them to an external, up sampling Dac which is set to 192 and the quality is pretty good.

Might be worth checking out the Slim devices forum? I'll post a thread.

Edited by nogsk on Thursday 17th May 15:51

[nogsk]

And lo, an answer has appeared! make of it what you will, it would seem your vortex box is different to the way I do it.

" There is a software player included in the vortex box install .

So you can use the server hardware as a player in this way or install squeezeslave or squeeze play on the server.

But that is a little counter to whole idea of the squeezebox ? Which is as you realised to stuff away the server somewhere and use hardware squeezeboxes and avoid any computer related sq issue, And as an additional extra some soft players on your pc's .

If I were to put a computer with a good sound card as my player in my living room ( been there done that , prefer the squeezebox way ) I would certainly use a completely different set of software than LMS ?

And , just be real value the wisdom of forum audiophiles for what it is , cargo cult incantations ... "

[The_Burg]

Yep using the Vortexbox player via SPDIF to my DAC 24/96 streams without issue. Sounds damn good too.
So what they are actually saying is the Squeezbox is cr@p and can't do what it allegedly can, ie play 24/96.
Not a huge issue as the Vortexbox server sits in the rack with everything else.
Trouble is it's nice just to use the Squeezebox remote to control music rather than a laptop or phone.

Still don't understand how the sound card has made such a huge difference but i'm happy.
Cheap old P4 PC with a £40 sound card is now easily the equal of my Pioneer PDS903, which i still love with it's turntable like hefty platter.

Upgaditus has now got me wondering about a better PC with a high end soundcard........

Might be time to dig out my MF X-DAC and sample it's 24/96 goodness.