Transporter 4 Dual Audio 1080p
Lili Sysyn
I have been chasing my tail here in audio land, trying to find a sweet spot for digital playback. Most recently, I have been using an Antipodes DX-3 and am still experimenting with their new software updates and different DDCs.
Today, the Transporter hardware is not supportable. That is the risk I take on by acquiring it. For future reference, I would like to know if one can obtain parts or if the community can fix a failed unit.
We are fortunate due to the long chain of events that allows the community to repair and update the software Slim Devices built so long ago. Their extensible design and software protocols have truly stood the test of time. The plug-in architecture of the software has enabled the ability to adapt the user interface to more modern standards. There are control point APPs for iOS and Android that brings the experience and playback to the palm of your hand.
In LMS, there are quite a few buttons you can push and values you can change to make the system your own. Support from the community is excellent, including a wiki and a very active user and developer forum. This is more complex than the single smartphone APP to control and operate a WiiM Mini. Forum Wiki
In my custom server and streamer construction, I have found LMS, aka Squeeze Server and Squeezelite streamer software, to be the most consistent operationally and sonically. The community has been updating the system regularly over the years. There is also an active group developing extensions for the system. We can play from multiple streaming sources alongside our local music library. There is even an interface for album and artist info along with lyrics.
Today LMS 8.4 (beta) runs natively on my M1 Mac Mini and has a friendly config tool in the System Preferences. That computer is the core of my music computing, with a QNAP NAS storing the music. This server STILL supports the ModWright Transporter Streamer. The Core Infrastructure for the Transporter is ready for 2022 and beyond.
Control and operation are done with an application on your smartphone or tablet. The user interface is easy to navigate and operate. The app has access to most streaming services and can be customized to only show what you have configured. There is a section for local servers that works well with MinimServer on my NAS. Navigating my extensive library is problematic, with lots of scrolling. There are some oddities with playlists and playlist creation that are bothersome. I know that the current community of users has been asking them for improvements and bug fixes. Time will tell.
The WiiM Home app is biased toward the streaming world with a reasonable accommodation for local music playback. Local music playback is a second cousin in the WiiM Home system. It does not search index the local files, and creating playlists could be better. With 60,000 tracks in my library, I may be asking it too much!
I want to rewind a few months to a listening experience with my system using the Holo May DAC Kitsune version. That DAC took the prize on my system. Stunning, and It spoiled me a bit. Since then, I have been messing around to see how I could get closer. I have been trying different DDC devices and a couple of DACS. Nothing stood out.
I recently listened to the Lumin U2 mini with the Sbooster power supply with my friend Rich. With the Sbooster, there is no way to A/B with the original power supply to understand the value of the upgrade. So we compared my Antipodes DX-3 and a DDC vs. the U2 AES to the speakers. The U2 mini performed very well. We did have some off-center feeling in some vocals, and the bottom end was not quite as tight as I am used to.
Then we compared the Lumin to the WiiM Mini, and the Lumin did a fair bit better, not as harsh up top, a bit tighter all over, but the WiiM did rather well, considering. Then since the Lumin was running with an external power supply, we tried an Allo Shanti supply on the WiiM Mini. The harsher-sounding top end disappeared, and as a whole, the WiiM sounded very close to the U2. This is a fascinating study on diminishing returns.
It was hard for me to remember my music world in 2007. CDs, a few records. Did I put an iPod on the system? I am not sure I can say what I had running 15 years ago. Thiel CS3 speakers, Bryston 3B, Threshold FET-9. Interlink Reference A and Music Hose cables. Yep, that was it! I knew next to nothing about the local streaming of music. I was playing with portable DACs, headphones, and iPods. Too busy with other stuff. Yet the Digital Music Streaming revolution was exploding, hiding in plain sight.
My exposure to things like Squeezebox only happened well after the Logitech days. I had no real experience until after I started playing with a Melco Server, which led to learning about MPD, MinimServer, Twonky, Squeezebox, and many more. A computer guy's dream come true: Computer-based Music Playback. Heck, I just discovered this forum in about 2018.
When my local dealer took in a Modwright Transporter, I had to grab it! Part of the attraction is the look, the displays, and the tubes; they are so cool to my eye. But the best is yet to come. The Sound; flip that little switch on the back to turn on the tube output stage, and give them a little time to warm up to let the music flow. Ok, a bit more drama than needed.
So many audiophile cliches come to mind, so I will try hard to avoid them. The combination of the original electronics, software, and the tube output stage does something unique; it produces a smooth, rich, detailed sound that I can listen to forever. While editing this article, I am listening to a few of my favorite albums.
While the WiiM mini is impressive, limiting the user interface to a smartphone/tablet and the less-than-stellar support for local music libraries is disappointing. I am gob-smacked by the sound quality with an outboard power supply. Yet it falls behind in the magic.
Thanks for this happy memory, Bob. I had the first prototype (and then actual production version) of Dan's modded Transporter back then, and was referenced in Srajan's review (yellow sidebar box on page two). Ah, those were the days. We'd go back and forth on tube ideas, rectifier sizes, etc. It had a special place on the top of my rack, and visitors would oggle. I called it my Flash Gordon machine! Wow, fifteen years ago!! Neal then swapped me out the production version. Happy thoughts. :)
The WiiM pro is basically the same, faster processor and more memory I think. The extra interfaces are nice for some of us. I like Ethernet for some use cases. COAX is interesting. I am sure someone around here will grab one and start playing with it.
That is a Shakti Stone, an older audiophile accessory that sold itself as an electromagnetic stabilizer (EMI absorber). I put it over the Transporter's power supply. Later I had it cover my subpanel (attached to subpanel door) and swear it lowered the noise floor and calmed the soundstage down overall. Who knows. :)
It is more proof that Schiit Audio has been on the right track. (My opinion). Think about how easy it would be to add this to an older stereo or the like. In some ways they are out-doing both Sonos and Bluesound. They are a killer front end for a basic headphone DAC/amp. Which reminds me I need to find a tube headphone amp for my Modwright transporter. Talk about KILLER!
The Transporter was a really good design in its day and I thoroughly enjoyed mine while I had it. However, it was limited to 24/96 by it's receiver chip. The SBT, once the digital out mode was enabled allowed 24/192 and sounded just as good as the Transporter functioning as just a transport into a good outboard DAC. I used one of my many SBT's this way into an NAD M51 for many years until the advent of Roon, the USBridge and better DACs. Since Roon supports squeezeboxen as endpoints and is a much better interface than LMS, I moved on. I haven't looked back. There was much to praise about the Transporter, in it's day. That day has passed. It isn't a classic set of Tannoys or a Marantz 10b. It is fine to enjoy clasic hardware, but good to keep perspective. I would much rather have an Allo bridge or an SBT connected to a Topping D90 or another roll your own DAC than a Transporter these days if I was setting up a system in that budget bracket. Although I do enjoy the colorations that a tube voltage stage can deliver, that added output stage really negated what the Transporter did best: an ultra-low noise floor better than almost everything else on the market in 2007. So to me, that just makes zero sense...
7fc3f7cf58