"Squeezebox Transporter Mods"

[Cotlake]

Hi Marco,

Thanks for your response to my out burst. The trouble is I don't buy your arguement. I've always been a bit suspicious of your ears. The trouble with your personal situation is that you are completely dependent on others to modify or upgrade your kit. That of course includes quality scratch builds such as your amp. Therefore you are always vulnerable to the influence the trader would seek to bring upon you. You should get wise in this situation. Your trade connections will not generally deliberately intend to pull the wool over your eyes, but they will be entrenched in their own belief that what they offer you is best. In contrast, I'm totally confident in the ears of someone like NRG because he does it all for himself and furthermore, we've held numerous listening sessions where our individual opinions seem to correspond. In consequence, I know if Neal thinks it's right, there is a significant likelyhood I will also.

I don't doubt that Audiocom produce some good stuff. I had a really bad ordering experience with them before, hense my negative views to be associated with my scepticism over this product. I won't buy into Bybee technology (as it's apparently a mystic secret) or cryo'd sockets. It's Snake Oil coupled to auto-suggestion readily used by the trader. The trader themselves will be oblivious to this and not recognise it. They are too engulfed in their business practice and are blinkered to the truth. I don't blame them for that. After all, they are sellers of Hi-Fi.

I appear to have challenged your credibility here. Will I get banned?

Regards,

Greg

[Marco]

Hi Greg,

Thanks for your response to my out burst.

LOL - I'm glad you seen it as an "out burst", too!

The trouble is I don't buy your arguement. I've always been a bit suspicious of your ears. The trouble with your personal situation is that you are completely dependent on others to modify or upgrade your kit. That of course includes quality scratch builds such as your amp. Therefore you are always vulnerable to the influence the trader would seek to bring upon you.

Well, you're entitled to your opinion. No doubt, no matter what I say it won't change your mind, and that's fine. Nevertheless, I can assure you the only thing that influences me these days is what my ears tell me. I'm sorry, but people who know me well would laugh at your assertion. Therefore, perhaps one day if you find yourself in my neck of the woods you could pop round and get to know both me and what my system is about rather better than you do now

You would be most welcome.

You should get wise in this situation. Your trade connections will not generally deliberately intend to pull the wool over your eyes...

I'm sorry, but you're way off-beam there - perish the thought!

Maybe that was the case in the ‘bad old days’, but most definitely not now. Like I said, if that's what you think then you really don't know me at all.

In contrast, I'm totally confident in the ears of someone like NRG because he does it all for himself and furthermore, we've held numerous listening sessions where our individual opinions seem to correspond. In consequence, I know if Neal thinks it's right, there is a significant likelyhood I will also.

I'm not necessarily disagreeing with Neal (who incidentally is someone whose opinion I respect). I haven't heard the effect of cryo-treated IEC sockets, which I believe was his main bone of contention in reference to Mark's ‘advertorial’, so I've got no idea what effect they have or not. However, what I will never do is prejudge anything, no matter how seemingly 'ridiculous' it is without first having listened myself. I remain open-minded at all to times to all possibilities with hi-fi.

With regard to Neal, as I say I do respect his opinion, having heard some of his kit a few times at Owston, especially at the last one where both the PL-71 and SP10 he brought sounded fabulous. However, I'd like to think that the feeling was mutual, as I'm sure he would agree that my modified SL-1210 sounded none too shabby compared to either, or even Will's superb Garrard 401...

I may not build my own kit, Greg, but I use the Owston fests to test my gear against some of the best D.I.Y builds one can find. The very fact that this time, all the kit I brought with me (T/T, preamp/phonostage) matched the performance of what was there should prove that I know what I'm doing to achieve a good sound. Nick G commented this time that everyone's kit (mine included) sounded remarkably similar - just different 'flavours' rather than anything being intrinsically superior.

The fact is my Audiocom-modified Sony DAC was always one of the top performers everytime I brought it with me. Likewise, I'm confident that had I brought my Copper amp or Tannoys to the last meeting, they'd also have more than held their own with the excellent designs produced from scratch by the D.I.Y-ers

I don't doubt that Audiocom produce some good stuff. I had a really bad ordering experience with them before, hense my negative views to be associated with my scepticism over this product.

Well, like I said, I can't comment on that as I know nothing about it. All I can say is that all the dealings I've had with Mark have been first-class, and I can also say the same for a few of my friends who've bought his products.

I won't buy into Bybee technology (as it's apparently a mystic secret) or cryo'd sockets. It's Snake Oil coupled to auto-suggestion readily used by the trader. The trader themselves will be oblivious to this and not recognise it. They are too engulfed in their business practice and are blinkered to the truth. I don't blame them for that. After all, they are sellers of Hi-Fi.

That's your decision. As far as I'm concerned the only "truth" is what your ears tell you, and I've heard enough of the 'Bybee effect' in my own system to be convinced of its efficacy.

I appear to have challenged your credibility here. Will I get banned?

Oh yes and with immediate effect, my boy. March tout-suite to the headmaster's office for 20 strokes of the cane!

Marco.

[Audiocom AV]

I won't buy into Bybee technology (as it's apparently a mystic secret) or cryo'd sockets. It's Snake Oil coupled to auto-suggestion readily used by the trader. The trader themselves will be oblivious to this and not recognise it. They are too engulfed in their business practice and are blinkered to the truth. I don't blame them for that. After all, they are sellers of Hi-Fi.

Greg

Greg

The details of the Bybee are not so mystic. The Purifier uses a combination of rare earth metal oxides in a ceramic form to absorb and dampen 1/f noise. The ceramic surrounds a low-value resistance (about 0.1 ohm).

The power of auto-suggestion is a strong argument. I personally was not satisfied to accept that bybee Technology worked because the next upgrade company, or DIYER had used it. After several lengthy and non committal trials with the Bybee product I concluded that not only do these products work, but they are quite remarkable, and would enable my company to markedly improve the performance gains in upgrade modifications.

[Tony Moore]

Group buy anyone? (Bybee that is) Get one (or whatever is needed for a trial) and each try it out and then send on to the next group member? Compare results at the end?

Is it practical?

Cheers,
Tony
ps. After having looked at some of the write-up on the Bybee website I have to say it all sounds just a bit far-fetched! Contamination residue anyone? Speeded up electrons? Hmmm. Still, I'd slap a fiver down to try it out, just to be open minded. That would mean a large group buy though...

(Sorry for the potential thread drift!)

[Audiocom AV]

Group buy anyone? (Bybee that is) Get one (or whatever is needed for a trial) and each try it out and then send on to the next group member? Compare results at the end?

Is it practical?

Cheers,
Tony

Hi Tony

Bybee products like the Large & Slipstream purifiers are for internal upgrades and would not be practical for group members to try and pass on.

However, the *new* RCA Interconnect Bullets would be. We currently only have one pair but will be ordering more in the near future. This product is aimed at Turntables and to be used at the RCA output phono plugs before the phono stage or amplifier input. I have used them on a DAC and CD player interconnect output with very good results.

I could get a pair, burn them in and then run a group trial?

[Covenant]

Personally I like to keep an open mind and like to think the majority of people on AOS dont have too blinkered a view just because there isnt a piece of authenticated research to back up a manufacturers claim.
I would welcome the chance to try the bullets on a digital output if they were made available for a group trial.
Love to hear from anyone who has had their Squeezebox modified by Audiocom.
Its all about what your ears tell you.

[Alex_UK]

In any other business, some of the so called "snake oil" would be called "marketing" - ok, maybe "marketing hyperbole", but "bigging up" the technology is by no means confined to the audio industry! I have no personal experience of Audiocom, so can't comment, but then I would also have thought sticking a bit of cork under a record was approaching shamanism...

[Audiocom AV]

Mark,

Thanks very much for the info on the Transporter. I suspect that's the route I'll go down when I'm in the market for a high-end music server.

Marco

I suggest you try a Squeezebox Duet or the classic to hear what potential these streaming players have when connected to the DAS-R1. The sound is rough around the edges and will not match your 777 as transport, but you will then be able to put some sort of guage on performance before considering the Transporter.

The SB Classic or Duet can be taken to great heights with a dedicated power supply like the Paul Hynes SR1, and the PaceCar reclocker from Empirical Audio; http://www.empiricalaudio.com/produc...-car-reclocker

[Marco]

Hi Mark,

I suggest you try a Squeezebox Duet or the classic to hear what potential these streaming players have when connected to the DAS-R1.

I've heard what those things do, albeit not connected up to my DAS-R1... I suspect though that when the time comes for me to go the streaming route I'll just bite the bullet and buy one of your modded SD Transporters - apart from anything else, I love the illuminated VU meters!!

Incidentally, you mentioned that you preferred the modded Transporter to the (truly awesome) Sony R1 transport, which is really what's piqued my interest in the former... So how would you define/sum-up the difference in their respective sonic characteristics and subsequent music presentation?

Marco.

[Ian Walker]

Marco...just stop being a dafteee(3'eees) and get yourself a PS3