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bhobba Grand Champion

bhobba

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Hi Guys

 

Got sick and tired of driver issues with my windows source and got a reconditioned Apple:

https://renewd.com.au/collections/apple/products/apple-macbook-air-13-3-mjve2ll-a-301310

 

I got I think its the pro version with 8gb for $100 extra - but I don't think you need it - its not using anywhere near its responses.   For example it can buffer an entrie CD into 700mb 

 

Audirvarna costs $79.00 if its new or $39.00 if you have purchased a previous version as I have.

 

It integrates MQA, Tidal and normal stuff ripped to disks.  Also will act as a streamer - well you can read all its features. 

 

Sounds fantastic - equally as good IMHO as HQPlayer.   Perfect Auralic replacement which are hard to get right now.   I used an ISO Regen with a curious ISO Regen cable and a piece of rubbish 5m USB cable to feed it so I can operate it from where I listen.  The ordering I have found is:

 

1.  MQA via Tidal - very analogue like - as others have noted with MQA its slighly ethereal, thin is another word I have seen used - but I find it very easy and natural.   Still some do not like it.

 

2.  High Definition ripped to disk - hard to say if its better or worse than MQA - I would have to say about the same.

 

3.  44.1/16 ripped to disk - not as good as the other 2 - not as natural or analogue like.

 

4. 44.1/16 Tidal.   Veiled is the only word I can come up with - but of course you have a huge catalogue to chose from.

 

I have not tried DSD - not a big fan - I have tried DSD up-sampling in the past and simply cant tell the difference.  I convert any DSD I have to PCM to take up less space.  Audirvana will play DSD and up-sample to DSD if you want it.

 

Will be doing more critical listening tomorrow and further comparing to HQPlayer.

 

Stay tuned.

 

Thanks

Bill 

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BATMAQN
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I've been using Audirvana as well as Macs for many years can't see any reason for changing its a fine music player.  I find it unbelievable that people persevere with Windows no I'm not getting i

davm
davm

You can fit an SSD to the 2011 Mac Mini yourself if you're up for it. I fitted a 500GB SSD and it made a big difference. If you haven't already, you should also max out the RAM.   Doing thos

was_a
was_a

USB can be problematic for reasons of noise, but most USB users have rectified this with filters or rearranging offending components (computer, amp etc).    In my experience, optical outputs

Black Label Proficient

Black Label

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Audirvana user here. I use a Mac Mini with a NAS and MicroRendu feeding my DAC. Upsample everything to DSD128 simply because it can - have never taken time to compare vs PCM ?
For anyone out there on PC it will soon be coming to Windows...
 

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jamesg11 Experienced

jamesg11

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Well, A+ won't upsample dsd64 to dsd128. Waiting on that one ... but I like dsf files, at 64 in addition to 128, 256.

 

/& yes I'm finding A+ particularly good with the latest version 3.1.7.

Using both Roon & HQP, but have gone back to A+ just about full time. Great thru an ultraRendu.

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Black Label Proficient

Black Label

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3 hours ago, jamesg11 said:

Well, A+ won't upsample dsd64 to dsd128. Waiting on that one ... but I like dsf files, at 64 in addition to 128, 256.

 

/& yes I'm finding A+ particularly good with the latest version 3.1.7.

Using both Roon & HQP, but have gone back to A+ just about full time. Great thru an ultraRendu.

Yes true I neglected to say that it doesn't upsample native DSD 64, ya got me ?

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bhobba Grand Champion

bhobba

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Hi Guys

 

Yes I prefer it to HQ player now - plus it does Tidal/MQA - nice stuff.

 

People have not had the SOX up-sampling long now and the best settings are not written up much.  Some have posted a few ideas eg one prefers the pre-ringing to at 46, but later increased it to 60 - I tried both but eventually went back to the default of 73.  One guy thinks 0 is the best settting:

https://www.computeraudiophile.com/forums/topic/33766-upsampling-mqa-files-to-original-resolution-with-sox-will-sound-like-the-original-resolution/

 

Tried that - stil preferred the 73 setting.   

 

I also did an experiment where I put my Explorer 2 in my system - Mac to iso-regen to the Explorer 2 dac, then MiKe Lenehans new Curious RCA cable to my amp.   God it was close to my Direct stream - on 73 - gee they were hard to tell apart.   That Explorer 2 DAC is an incredible bargain but to get this kind of performance out oif it you need some other expensive gear like the Iso-Regen (with one of Geisner Audio's Linear supplies powering it) and Curious Explorer 2 cable (yes Mike who makes the Curious cables these days makes a USB cable specifically for the Explorer 2) and good RCA cables. The dac is $300 these days - but each of all the other stuff costs nearly as much or more - and for a $300.00 DAC - we Audiophiles have got rocks in our heads.  All up I would say it added up to about $1000.00 excluding the DAC of course.

 

Thanks

Bill

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Jventer Grand Champion

Jventer

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Hi @bhobba

I still have my macmini and Audirvana, just switched to Auralic Aries femto recently. 

Anyway what Lenehan RCA cable are you talking about, please?

Reason I am asking is that I want to go either BNC to BNC or RCA to RCA(which is really spdif to spdif). I can actually go AES or BNC to RCA. So whilst I am at it what do you recommend.

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bhobba Grand Champion

bhobba

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7 hours ago, Jventer said:

what Lenehan RCA cable are you talking about, please?

There are a lot of good cables out there, but we know Mikes are above average and he basically sells direct so is a good, although not generally cheap, solution.

 

He now builds the Curious USB cables that have a good reputation - many saying its the best there is.  Probably for marketing reasons Mike now calls all his cables Curious - and I have his Curious RCA cables.   I got one of the first made and compared it to the Ribbonflex I had - I was with another Audiophile and we were about to go to dinner so didn't have much time.  We changed it over - chalk and cheese straight away.  Went to dinner and have left them in since.  Should really sell my old cables - but as I have said in other posts I have a lot of gear to sell - it came about in similar ways to the above.   You hear something better - change it over but never seem to get around to selling it.  I have to stop that - my money is not limitless.

 

Thanks

Bill

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Jventer Grand Champion

Jventer

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On 28/05/2018 at 2:09 AM, bhobba said:

There are a lot of good cables out there, but we know Mikes are above average and he basically sells direct so is a good, although not generally cheap, solution.

 

He now builds the Curious USB cables that have a good reputation - many saying its the best there is.  Probably for marketing reasons Mike now calls all his cables Curious - and I have his Curious RCA cables.   I got one of the first made and compared it to the Ribbonflex I had - I was with another Audiophile and we were about to go to dinner so didn't have much time.  We changed it over - chalk and cheese straight away.  Went to dinner and have left them in since.  Should really sell my old cables - but as I have said in other posts I have a lot of gear to sell - it came about in similar ways to the above.   You hear something better - change it over but never seem to get around to selling it.  I have to stop that - my money is not limitless.

 

Thanks

Bill

Thanks Bill

Is that RCA for "normal" Rca as I am looking for a SPDIF cable , please?

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Upgrayed Proficient

Upgrayed

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Once your upgrade bug is scratched when next Audirvana update is released you will forget cables and Dac upgrades, it's that good. I've been using the same Dac for last 4 Years and keeps getting better with every upgrade . Saved me a lot of money.

Audirvana uses the 64 bit processor in the Mac to bypass most of your Dac functions so the Dac is irrelevant.  

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BATMAQN Champion

BATMAQN

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I've been using Audirvana as well as Macs for many years can't see any reason for changing its a fine music player. 

I find it unbelievable that people persevere with Windows no I'm not getting into a war of words with anyone this is just my opinion.

I used Windows for many years before the Mac I will NEVER EVER go back.

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bhobba Grand Champion

bhobba

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On 29/05/2018 at 7:59 PM, Jventer said:

Thanks Bill

Is that RCA for "normal" Rca as I am looking for a SPDIF cable , please?

 

Sure Mike builds SPDIF cables but I think Keiths is better:

https://kleinnovations.com/kle-innovations-klei-products/klei-gzseries-cables/klei-gzero-digital/klei-gzero2d-spdif-ic/

 

Its slightly more expensive but I have compared the two and its definitely better - by a fair margin actually.

 

Thanks

Bill

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Tobes Experienced

Tobes

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If you are talking about the 'similar artists' feature in A+, that doesn't appear to work for me either - though I think it used to(?). Broken with one of the updates?

 

I'm back listening with Roon/Hqplayer and find the SQ (poly-sinc/NS9) to be superior to A+3 using SoX (default settings).

Nonetheless I would recommend A+ as SQ is still excellent and it's a fraction of the price of Roon/HQP - and in some ways slicker to use.

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Tobes Experienced

Tobes

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On 08/09/2018 at 8:43 PM, Munce31 said:

Is anyone having issues with Suggested Artists and Tidal integration? 

 

I get no suggested artists though the Tidal integration and it's seriously hampering my new artist discovery... 

I posted this issue on the Audirvana forum and also Computer Audiophile - Damien has now released A+ 3.2.14 which fixes the issue. 

Great service from Damien too, there's generally a much faster response to issues than with the lumbering Roon mob.

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davm Rising Star

davm

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On 18/12/2018 at 8:12 AM, sdepass said:

I use a Mac Mini from 2011 with A+ and love it although my Mini is on its last legs. I wonder if its worth getting the the new Mac Mini as it has a SSD...?

You can fit an SSD to the 2011 Mac Mini yourself if you're up for it. I fitted a 500GB SSD and it made a big difference. If you haven't already, you should also max out the RAM.

 

Doing those two things makes the 2011 Mac Mini a great platform for Audirvana (still).

 

I've looked at the specs for the 2018 models and they're a significant step forward, but they come at a much bigger price (I wouldn't consider the base model with the i3 processor).

 

 

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JB82 Proficient

JB82

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Once downloaded & setup can you use Audirvana without an internet connection to play your local files?

Also is there a difference in sound quality between using the Windows versions vs the Mac version?

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