Amarra - anyone using it?

[endless402]

so consensus is that amarra mini is better than a properly setup foobar? wondering if i should jump in on the sale

 

[dallan]

I switched from foobar but do you have a mac, Amarra doesn't work on pc's and foobar doesn't work on macs from what i know(very little). So my comparisons are only from two different computers.

 

[endless402]

i've got both but my music system is on PC

 

[dallan]

Not for long, huh.

 

[iamoneagain]

Just to let you know Amarra Mini 2.0 just came out.  It's a free upgrade.  That added a few new features like preset eq, dither volume control, play flac directly from a folder.  It also seems more stable than last release.  I haven't made any sound comparisons.  I delete previous copy and don't plan to go back just to compare.
 
They also release a Jr version for $79.  It only does 44.1K and has no playlist feature as far as I can tell.  It's supposed to sound the same as other versions.  The full Amarra 2.0 won't be coming out until July 15th.
 
http://www.amarraaudio.com/

 

[Ridleyguy]

Amarra Mini 2.0 also plays MP3s.  

 

[dallan]

Who plays MP3s though.

 

[Ridleyguy]

This product seems to have been all but forgotten on Head-Fi. Likely explanation - no one seems to be able to explain precisely what it does. While I bought it, and consider it to noticeably improve the sound of my system, I can understand why people are more reluctant to spend money on software rather than on tangible products - DACs, headphones and amplifiers. I find some irony in this, however, as how many of us can open up those nice metal boxes and explain what is in them?

 

[dallan]

I always use my Amarra Mini, it is a key component in my audio system.  I will not listen to computer audio without it unless a stream of a video that i have absolutely no choice.  In that case I feed it thru the speakers.  Before my Amarra program I had a problem with fatigue.  About a month back I started getting fatigue and got a headache while listening and at one point realized that the Amarra had gotten turned off.

 

[santacore]

I'm with Dallan, I don't want to go back to straight iTunes, it's just not the same. Amarra sounds fantastic, and the auto hardware sample rate management is a feature I can't live without. Plus, the price is much lower now, which should be a draw for newcomers. 

 

[AVU]

Quote:

 is it worth the $1,495 price tag?!

I have not heard it myself, but my gut says "absolutely not." 
 
I do, however, highly recommend this alternative, which I downloaded on a free trial basis and became instantly hooked.  It's gorgeous.  Supposedly near same SQ, with some better features, and most importantly, 1/10 the price:
 

 

[Currawong]

Pure Music has more features, but IMO Amarra (Mini) sounds better to me.

 

[AVU]

there's even an amara junior, for $79!
 
When I get my new sparrow, I'll try them.   I think you can actually A/B Pure Music and Amarra for free by just downloading their limited trials.  I'd be curious for a bunch of people with different gear to try to tell what the sonic differences are between 

Amarra Junior $79
Pure Music $129
Amarra Mini $295
Amarra 2.0  $695 (new reduced price!)  

 

[Bones13]

I went with Pure Music.  The copy protection scheme on Amarra is too onerous for me.

 

[Currawong]

AVU: You probably wouldn't benefit at all with just a Sparrow.