Is the Squeezebox Touch complicated?

A month or two ago I was hot and heavy to get into being able to play hi res files from HD Tracks and such, so I got a squeezebox touch. Since having gotten the squeezebox, I've used it a LOT, just getting to know it.

These are some of my observations. In my system, it sounds no better or worse than my Sonos, when playing "standard" definition files. I've also found that there isn't a whole lot of hi res music that I'm interested in. So far, I have about a dozen albums in hi res format, but really have to wonder if it was all worth the expense of the hi res downloads.

The squeezebox is quirky. Sometimes is doesn't want to work and needs a reset. Sometimes it won't read my library and I'm running mine hard wired to my router and have my music on an NAS. The available software is also quirky. The Logitech software plain sucks and iPeng is rough around the edges.

Quite frankly, in terms of usability, the Sonos system is head and shoulders about the squeezebox. The Sonos always works and the software is refined.

Of course the downside to the Sonos is that it doesn't do hi res and you can't control it with an IR or RF remote (which is a biggie for me).

When I'm having a party or something and pass the ipad around so that guests can add to the play list and control the music, I use the Sonos. It's just plain fool proof. When I'm kicking back and just listening to music, I use the Touch because I can control it with my Harmony 900 via RF.

In the end I just kept both. The Sonos is reliable and the Touch was so cheap that keeping it isn't a big deal.

"I run my SBT through a Maverick Audio TubeMagic D2 and the sound quality is at times breathtaking, and never less than extremely pleasing."

My DACs are different but I would agree with this assessment in my case as well.

No doubt some SB software still has some rough edges, especially with certain configurations (there are MANY possible). I use Logitech Server running on a WIndows 7 laptop, 2 SB Touches, 1 SB Radio, Softqueeze on my other laptop, and the SB controller and player android apps on my tablet. A pretty mainstream scenario for SB users overall I would say. I also use the browser based controller on various laptops in the house and also even on a small Dell Windows Mobile device. Everything generally works without issue for weeks on end. Periodic reboot/recycle of any server type device (once A week or so) is almost always a good idea.

Periodic reboot/recycle of any server type device (once A week or so) is almost always a good idea.

My Linux (Fedora Core 12) music server has been up for 235 days straight. The last reboot was when I cleaned the dust out of the box. Didn't even reboot when I upgraded to LMS 7.7.1.

The Touch and SB3 have been on the entire time, too, without a reset. My SB Radio and the SB Controller are the only ones that periodically need a power reset - perhaps every other month or so.

I find the Squeezebox system, including the server software, remarkably stable. A lot of people use their music server PC for other tasks. That can complicate issues through no fault of the SB software.

"A lot of people use their music server PC for other tasks. That can complicate issues through no fault of the SB software. "

That's a good point. The less you do on the device where the server is running, the better from a reliability perspective in general.

IT also helps if you have a stable and reliable network, Wifi or otherwise, set up in your home.

SOmetimes, other activity on your network can also have detrimental effects like delays and re-buffering, but I have to say that this rarely if ever occurs in my setup despite often having two or even 3 other family members using the network concurrently. This was a significant problem with ROku SOundbridge, which is older technology. Of course, if your network is down, then you are typically out of business. Similarly if your internet connection or provider is down, no Internet radio. If your favorite internet radio station is down, then you are out of luck but just there.

No doubt there are a lot of moving parts at play. But I have to say that despite all the complexities and permutations possible, SB is a pretty mature technology and very reliable as a whole.

Have been using a SB classic and boom box for 3-4 years. One of the best investment made in audio ! I used an old laptop as server and put all my music on NAS (Dlink DNS323). The SB classic is connected to router with RJ45, whereas boom box connected wirelessly. Very few drop out with boom almost never with the wired connection of SB classic.