dl.whitton

barrows: Of course you are completely right about the limitations af the Transporter. The software though is very friendly for my family. My kids each have a Squeezebox boom in their rooms and also know how to select music in the living/listeningroom. I am also looking for a better solution, but the transporter, at least in my system, is not as bad a many people say. Most of them haven't heard it themselves or have a mediocre system and are just repeating what they read on the internet. I know very well what music can sound like for I grew up with a grandpiano and a violin and am a regular visitor of the Concertgebouw, which is still regarded being the best acoustical environment in the world together with the Sofien Saal in Vienna. So I am very well aware of the limitations in musical reproduction and I know what real music sounds like. I know enough so called audiophiles who have never visited a real concert. So what the heck do they know about music. I am definitely going to try the Ayre, but I am waiting for the definitive confirmation that it will be able to handle 24/192 data. The Weiss is on my list and I would also like to try the Berkeley Dac. If I can have my way I would like to keep the Transporter for its ease of use, but connect it to a really good dac. No idea if that is technically possible, though. Ideas on that? Thank you for your reply. d.l whitton

BTW the Transporter can be used in Wifi mode, but Barrows is not properly informed. The Transporter is ment to be a part of your computernetwork and works flawlessly with its ethernet connection. No need for Wifi. dlw

Regarding the Transporter I am sorry to hear that you base your decisions upon other peoples opinions. Like relying on your parents to find the right girl to marry ;-)) Always learned ýou schould find out for yourself what works for you. I have a computernetwork at home consisting of two desktops, two laptops, one highend server and one small laptop being used as a remote near the music system. All music is stored on the server. Dvd's and Bluray are also played using the network. Images displayed via hdmi to the giant plasma in the livingroom (next to the office), audio through the Transporter to the set. The set consist of: highly modified Musical Fidelity KW550, Dynaudio Confidence C4, two (yes 2) Rel Studio III subsystems, cd-player Northstar Sapphire, highly modified Lenco turntable with all the tweeks and goodies available, all cables reference line of Hidiamond from Italy. I just tell you this so you know I seriously like and listen to music. Large orchestral classic work as well as opera, but also pop, reggae, female vocal, jazz and rock. In this system the Transporter really stands its ground and I hardly use the cd-player anymore. Maybe it's not the best of the best, but what is that anyway. Nothing beats a visit to the the Concertgebouw Orchestra playing Mahler or Bruckner in the Concertgebouw or a live popconcert in the Heineken Music Hall, both in Amsterdam. But here's reality for you: If you are not willing or able to spend money to build a dedicated listeningroom of 300 sqr mtrs with a 6 mtr high ceiling and spending more than a million euros on a custom made musicsystem (like a friend of mine did, because he does have that kind of money) all you create in your listening room is a nice but weak image of reality. Seems you have a nice audioset. Do yourself a favor and try the Transporter. Btw a friend of mine happens to be the distributor for de Ayre dac and I will try it. The only way to judge if a component works for you is by trying it in your system in your setting. That might mean you have to buy it. Forums will not enlighten you. If you don't like it you can always trade it in with your dealer or sell it in Audiogon. Best regards from Amsterdam - Holland