Slim Devices Transporter high-end digital audio player

So what's new? The main improvement over the Squeezebox is the a audio DAC (Digital to Analogue Converter) which is very high quality using a delta-sigma conversion technique. The unit has optical, co-ax, BNC and XLR digital inputs and outputs. Other devices, such as a CD player, can be connected to the digital inputs and use the Transporter's high-quality DACs to convert the audio rather then the potentially poorer ones in the player itself. Analogue output is available from phono and balanced XLR connections.

There's an external clock input, however the internal oscillators are extremely accurate so clocking the unit internally can actually produce better results than using the clock signal from an external source, Slim Devices maintains.

The power supply has also been completely redesigned and uses linear units for the audio side of things and a regular switch-mode power supply to drive the digital circuitry, including the displays. One problem with linear (transformer) supplies is that they only operate at a fixed input voltage so switching between US 110V and European 220V is usually a manual operation - which tends to mean fried systems or at least blown fuses. Slim Devices gets around this by initially connecting the linear supply to the 220V inputs and then clever circuitry driven by the switch-mode supply monitors the output voltage - if it's too low then it switches the input mode of the linear supply to 110V. As a result, nothing blows and the Transporter will work anywhere when plugged in.

The remote control is also new. It's smaller and more stylish than the Squeezebox's remote and complements the new player's aesthetics nicely. The control also feels much more comfortable in the hand than its predecessor and other remotes do.