Great review! However, it appears that Chris hasn’t explored the potential of combining Squeeze + Squeeze on the K50 yet. In my opinion, and possibly yours too, he might be overlooking a significant audio quality improvement, as the SQ of this configuration could likely surpass the MPD + Minimserver combination he previously praised. Right after reading his review on AS I teased him to reconsider and give it a listen, hoping to sway his opinion. With the caliber of audio equipment he possesses, any improvement in sound quality should be quite discernible.
It’s intriguing that Chris mentions a Squeeze allergy and seems willing to compromise SQ for a better interface, favoring JPLAY. Neither did Christiaan Punter push it any further in his recent review of the G4 Oladra:
The Oladra will be listened to mostly using Roon, although I should mention that Antipodes are a big fan of using Squeeze, either with Squeeze Server or as an endpoint combined with Roon.
Perhaps it’s time for someone to address the Squeeze GUI comprehensively. While AMSv5 may not have tackled this issue, considering its focus on different aspects of music playback, companies like Antipodes heavily rely on Squeeze for top performance and an upscaled Material, with GUI design elements like we got used to in JPLAY and ROON could be a priority in the near future, whether it’s from Antipodes, JPLAY, or other innovative developers.