Usually done by garage modder/tinkerers . You could have your Squeezebox transporter ( excellent performance streamer for it's time ) destroyed by some modder and have tooobs sticking out of it
I still rock three Transporters which I "round robin" to ensure even wear.
Used as a digital transport (lower case) they are still fantastic sounding which I put down to the "do no harm/lightweight" design:
- DAC doesnt upsample or molest the signal in any way (44.1 in, 44.1 out)
- Lightweight custom software around the DAC that isnt Windows or Android based (as so many are today)
And to show how good the internal software is on it, the "latest" version is rev 87 from 2010... so while the Lyrion server software has changed dramatically over the last 14 years, the Transporters internal software chugs along not needing to be changed.
And extremely rare in any DAC/streamer is the digital loopback option so you can plug in your external DSP device of choice. Means your DSP needs can grow/change as needed and not get stuck with some poor/outdated software.
Only downsides as a transport is it is limited to 96k rate (but who needs more than that)
As a traditional DAC it's maybe not competitive today via it's analogue outputs when measured against the 120db+ SINAD DACs of today (but still has more than enough headroom to be transparent .. from memory Stereophile measured a SINAD of 110db)
But of course, the Transporter is nothing without the always developing Lyrion server software which supports way more "stuff" than most (all?) other streamers.
I paid a total of $US 3000 for my cache of Tranny's ("knobbed" original and two "no-knobs).... all brand new .... the best ROI ever on any device purchase I have made.
Peter