I've used both DABBar and WinDAB and both work fine (on a Win98SE base) - up to now I've used DABBar as I much prefer the interface and navigation (maybe because it was there first and I just got used to it...). However I think WinDab works slightly better for streaming to RioPlay, as changing stations across multiplexes works much more cleanly - you don't have to stop and then re-select to avoid the annoying jingle.

Haven't noticed the crackle being worse on one channel than the other - both seem the same to me - fairly low level and proportional to the signal strength (ie when there is silence on the station then there is no crackle, when the program material is loud then the crackle is more noticeable).

I saw the post before about the sample rate being "fixed in hardware", but I'm curious as to exactly *how* this is fixed, and whether it's beyond all hope of modification without a complete hardware re-design. If it was possible to (say...) replace one chip and modify the client to drive it, or mount a small daughterboard, then I'd be interested - not sure how much the warranty's worth now the box has gone EOL.

Brgds
Phil