Both the Logitech Transporter and it's little brother, the Squeezebox, require Logitech software (either the older Squeezebox Server or current Logitech Media Server) on the host computer (free download). In addition to the supplied remote control, the system can be controlled thru an Ipad or smartphone using the Sqeezepad app. Communication and streaming can be via Ethernet cable or by wireless router.
For some inexplicable reason, Logitech discontinued both the Sqeezebox and Transporter some years ago but you can still find used ones and sometimes even NIB ones on Ebay. The Squeezebox's go cheap but Transporters are $$$. I had a Sqeezebox originally and it sounded so good that I don't know that I could tell the difference between it and the Transporter in a blind test.
Last but not least, both the Squeezebox and Transporter can control volume on both the analog outs and the digital outs as well. Whereas, all other every music streamers that I've looked at volume control only the analog outs (the digital outs being pass-thru's). I love this feature, as I can feed the digital outs directly thru the DEQ and DCX (without going thru a separate analog preamp) and then have only a single D/A conversion coming out of the DCX.
As for the DEQ and/or DCX 2496, in spite of their spotty reputation with pros and some hi-end buffs, they great in my home system. And it's worth noting that Roger Sanders' Model 10 ESL speakers, which use a DCX-2496 crossover, have won best in show honors more than once.
If I had bought the DCX first, I really would not have needed the DEQ, since the DCX has excellent parametric EQ's. Still, it's nice to have the DEQ's auto-EQ and limiters and GEQ's to boot. I found that setting the system to perfectly flat response doesn't sound as good to me as tuning by ear, though. This I believe, because I have a hyper sensitivity to frequencies around 2.5Khz and also a high frequency hearing loss.
