Squeezebox Touch Power Supply Upgrade

[mwb]

I'm looking to upgrade the power supply for my Squeezebox Touch. I think the stock PS is 5V 3A.

 

Any recommendations? I'm totally clueless when it comes to this topic. Not even sure what the price range might be.

[firedog]

I'm looking to upgrade the power supply for my Squeezebox Touch. I think the stock PS is 5V 3A.

 

Any recommendations? I'm totally clueless when it comes to this topic. Not even sure what the price range might be.

 

The simple inexpensive answer is the iFi iPower. There are units up to $1200 you can get, but I think the iFi will be as good or almost as good for not much money.

 

If you want to spend money, get this: TTouch - PSU for Logitech Touch | Power Supplies | TeddyPardo

[Albrecht]

I'm looking to upgrade the power supply for my Squeezebox Touch. I think the stock PS is 5V 3A.

 

Any recommendations? I'm totally clueless when it comes to this topic. Not even sure what the price range might be.

 

TeraDak, about $140

 

Teddy Pardo about $370

 

ZeroZone about $80

 

RMSVolt formerly Wellbourne Labs (Unknown price)

 

SBooster: about $350

 

iFI audio makes two, the iPower wall wart for about $50 and the iUSB Power for $229

 

Cheers,

[2string1]

Beware of RMSVolt formerly Wellbourne Labs (Unknown price) Probably the same guy. Scammer...probably had to change the name. Google Wellbourne Labs.... Teddy Pardo is built very good but pricey.... has a good return policy.

[Albrecht]

Beware of RMSVolt formerly Wellbourne Labs (Unknown price) Probably the same guy. Scammer...probably had to change the name. Google Wellbourne Labs.... Teddy Pardo is built very good but pricey.... has a good return policy.

 

Thanks for that great information on Welbourne: I'll make sure that I stay away...

[John Mason]

I don't have the Teddy Pardo for Squeezebox but I do have 2 of his PSUs powering my Naim DAC and amp. Very solid build quality indeed and completely trouble free to do business with.

[mwb]

That Teddy Pardo unit looks awfully nice, and the reviews I read are almost universally good.

 

It's so tempting, but when I look at the price, I wonder if it's worth it to invest that kind of $$ into my SlimDevices/Logitech ecosystem. Could I re-use this with another device, assuming I found the proper cable and the volts/amps matches up?

 

Here's a question I came up with while reading up on streamers and power supplies:

 

Since I posted this, I found out about the Auralic Aries Mini, and I'm intrigued by it. In my reading here on CA, I've come to understand that the Auralic power supply upgrade isn't as valuable if you are using it as a streaming transport and not using the internal DAC. Is that generally true for any type of streaming device?

 

To put it another way, will I really get a ton of value from a $400 power supply if I'm just using it as a transport?

[maximum kahuna]

Since a SB Touch is $800 on eBay, maybe an expensive PS is not so weird any more[emoji3]

[WilCox]

That Teddy Pardo unit looks awfully nice, and the reviews I read are almost universally good.

 

It's so tempting, but when I look at the price, I wonder if it's worth it to invest that kind of $$ into my SlimDevices/Logitech ecosystem. Could I re-use this with another device, assuming I found the proper cable and the volts/amps matches up?

 

Here's a question I came up with while reading up on streamers and power supplies:

 

Since I posted this, I found out about the Auralic Aries Mini, and I'm intrigued by it. In my reading here on CA, I've come to understand that the Auralic power supply upgrade isn't as valuable if you are using it as a streaming transport and not using the internal DAC. Is that generally true for any type of streaming device?

 

To put it another way, will I really get a ton of value from a $400 power supply if I'm just using it as a transport?

 

I can't hear any improvement when using a linear power supply with the Touch into an external DAC. Same with the Aries Mini.

[sandyk]

I'm looking to upgrade the power supply for my Squeezebox Touch. I think the stock PS is 5V 3A.

 

Any recommendations? I'm totally clueless when it comes to this topic. Not even sure what the price range might be.

 

If you were a DIY person, you could construct the very good +5V PSU specially designed for it by our own E.E. John Swenson, and as seen in DIY Audio.

 

[mwb]

I can't hear any improvement when using a linear power supply with the Touch into an external DAC. Same with the Aries Mini.

 

I tend to agree with your sentiment, especially after all of the reading I've done here at CA. The Teddy Pardo seems really nice, but with the level of my system (not super hifi) and the way I use my players, I'm just not sure if I'd get the performance for the $$.

 

As a transport, how would you compare your Auralic Mini units to the SB Touch? The small size is right up my alley and I can't help but wonder, for my main system at least, if investing in a UPnP based solution like that might be the best way forward.

[mwb]

Since a SB Touch is $800 on eBay, maybe an expensive PS is not so weird any more[emoji3]

 

Maybe I should try and sell my 3 Touches (one brand new, unopened), and put that toward an AURALiC. They are just so hard to give up though. I really like the LMS ecosystem and the Touch players. They're like an old, comfortable, broken in pair of jeans.

 

I'm torn between the old and the new....

[2string1]

I have an AURALiC and still can't give up my Touch. It is pack away in the box. The Auralic is way better though...

[2string1]

Seems like a pretty good deal to me....https://www.audiogon.com/listings/media-servers-logitech-squeezebox-touch-with-teddy-pardo-power-supply-2016-04-21-computer-audio-60007-elk-grove-villag-il

[ismarketing]

I also have a touch and and a mini. I use both as digital transports only.

 

I bought the Channel Islands Audio PSU for the touch a few years back and heard/hear no difference over the stock supply into a fairly resolving system. Oddly, a similar PS upgrade on an older SB classic in the same system was audible. Not by a lot, but cleaner sounding.

 

On the Aires Mini (which really does slay the touch on SQ, but the user experience is quite lagging), the Auralic upgrade PSU made a noticeable difference. Much better soundstaging, sense of space and openness, and cleaner bass. Worth the money (and less expensive than the CIA PSU for the touch).

 

Good luck.

[Albrecht]

That Teddy Pardo unit looks awfully nice, and the reviews I read are almost universally good.

 

It's so tempting, but when I look at the price, I wonder if it's worth it to invest that kind of $$ into my SlimDevices/Logitech ecosystem. Could I re-use this with another device, assuming I found the proper cable and the volts/amps matches up?

 

Here's a question I came up with while reading up on streamers and power supplies:

 

Since I posted this, I found out about the Auralic Aries Mini, and I'm intrigued by it. In my reading here on CA, I've come to understand that the Auralic power supply upgrade isn't as valuable if you are using it as a streaming transport and not using the internal DAC. Is that generally true for any type of streaming device?

 

To put it another way, will I really get a ton of value from a $400 power supply if I'm just using it as a transport?

 

IMO, the power supply is important for both, - but it makes a bigger difference if you're running analog. Now that the microRendu is imminent, - or if one would choose a SonicOrbiter, - one can easily stay in the LMS/Squeezebox world. And now that LMS works with Roon... What I would do, - and likely will do with my bedroom system is get a Wyrd4Sound remedy reclocker for that Touch and a cheaper LPS from EBay. Although I will likely buy Uptone Audio's new PSU no matter how much it costs, - it'll go with the microRendu. I have 3 other Squeezeboxes running throughout the building and will buy a $150 LPS for one only.

 

If you're running SPDIF, - I would buy a remedy reclocker and a good SPDIF cable FIRST. See what kind of improvement that would make. (IMO, the AA Mini is a bust).

[Albrecht]

aside.....

 

If you want to sell the unopened touch, - I'd be very interested....

[Albrecht]

With the Sonic Orbiter, microRendu, Sim Audio Mind, Bryston, Bel Canto, they all show up as just another Squeezebox Touch on your Ipad/iphone/Android LMS controller app, once Squeeze2UPnP is installed. IMO, there are too many people and too many stories of "issues" with Auralic for me to even consider them as a legitimate contender to ever compare favorably with the LMS paradigm. I also think that Tidal is total Shite, and it's a big stone in Auralic's coffin. For me, there are way too many apologists looking past a number of fatal flaws...

 

Finally, - the Squeezebox "eco-system" is not so much the hardware sitting on the rack, but the LMS software running on your Server. LMS is excellent, constantly updated, watched over with a labor of love by enthusiasts who are not going away anytime soon: seemlessly integrating tons of apps, internet radio, streaming services, great NAS playback support, and now Roon capable endpoints. Even though we're all doing "digital file processing," - the hardware at the end of the chain is what's most important for SQ, (in its quality of internal components, and its flexibility in ability to work with different DBs & software services, & large libraries).

[2string1]

Roon...$119 per year to manage you music. Not me

[Albrecht]

Likely me too....

But it's nice to know that it's there if wanted, - and, - it works with large libraries.

[JLVenter]

I could clearly hear a difference when I used a linear power supply.

Prices for Squeezebox Touch are dropping - if you know where to look.

Just sold mine for Aus $250

[mwb]

The simple inexpensive answer is the iFi iPower. There are units up to $1200 you can get, but I think the iFi will be as good or almost as good for not much money.

 

If you want to spend money, get this: TTouch - PSU for Logitech Touch | Power Supplies | TeddyPardo

 

I just ordered the Teddy Pardo. $369 + $29 shipping.

 

My stock SqueezeBox Touch + Schiit Gungnir Multibit just can't compete with my Marantz SA8005 in terms of SQ. I thought my Gumby upgrade would get me there, but that plus the SBT just doesn't have the punch, detail, and space that my SA8005 has. By far, most of my listening is FLAC files streamed from Logitech Media Server, so I really want to get my streaming sounding better. I looked at things the the Auralic Mini and a couple of other higher end streamers, but that would cost quite a bit more and I figure I'd have to move to UPnP and I really like the LMS ecosystem.

 

I'll report back when I get the PS and have time to listen to it.

 

Thanks to everyone for the advice. Great community here at CA.

[Bootzilla]

Congrats on ordering the Pardo TTouch, it looks really nice and I would be very interested to learn how you like it compared to the stock PSU. I am running my SBT as a streaming transport (EDO mod installed) with an old Bolder-modded ELPAC WM220-1950 linear PSU that was intended originally for a Squeezebox 3 (Classic). The ELPAC is rated at 5VDC and 2.0A. I am on the fence about throwing more money at the SBT, which I use almost exclusively for streaming TIDAL HiFi to my PS Audio DirectStream DAC. The reason I am on the fence is that I am eyeing the Auralic streamers as well as the microRendu as possible SBT replacements. And yet, the SBT just flat-out works and sounds great doing it. Looking forward to your report on the Teddy Pardo TTouch, thanks.

[Cebolla]

I am on the fence about throwing more money at the SBT, which I use almost exclusively for streaming TIDAL HiFi to my PS Audio DirectStream DAC. The reason I am on the fence is that I am eyeing the Auralic streamers as well as the microRendu as possible SBT replacements. And yet, the SBT just flat-out works and sounds great doing it. Looking forward to your report on the Teddy Pardo TTouch, thanks.

Given that your PS Audio DirectStream DAC has got the ideal option of a built-in network audio file player/renderer/streamer that outputs directly to its internal I2S bus, the Bridge II module, why are you considering an external streamer to tether to your DAC, like those from Auralic or the microRendu?

[Bootzilla]

Given that your PS Audio DirectStream DAC has got the ideal option of a built-in network audio file player/renderer/streamer that outputs directly to its internal I2S bus, the Bridge II module, why are you considering an external streamer to tether to your DAC, like those from Auralic or the microRendu?

 

Hi, good question. I am aware of the Bridge II but I ruled it out originally because I do not have an Ethernet connection in my listening room (my SBT accesses TIDAL via Wi-Fi through MySqueezebox.com). I understand the Auralic streamers have a Wi-Fi option, so that gave them the leg up over the BII given my Ethernet constraints. Then, I learned about the microRendu and read in the Sonore forum that it could 'borrow' my MacBook Pro's Wi-Fi Internet connection via an Ethernet cable running from the MBP to the mR. Hence, I added the mR to the list of potential SBT replacements. If the BII could do the same (i.e., use the MBP's Wi-Fi connection via an Ethernet cable from the MBP to the BII), then I suppose I should reconsider the BII. But what I would prefer to do is get rid of the MBP, which leaves me with the Auralic devices, as I gather that I could not only use Wi-Fi but also connect my external hard drive to them via USB.