[mtkversion]

Some people have more dollars than sense.
 

 

[adamlau]

Using it. Love it. Definitely an improvement over iTunes without it. 

 

[dallan]

I wouldn't use computer audio without it myself.

 

[dallan]

Quote:

with 1500$ there are a lot of hi-end amplifier to buy in the market,than a audio software that merely play better than a well setup-ped foobar...
come on....people really go nuts sometimes,or i have to assume some ear 1500$ a day while some else need to work a whole month to earn the same amount.

$695. not $1500. , I actually got it on special during an upgrade push and got it for considerably less than that too.  Luck and timing.

 

[MayaTlab]

I've tried since yesterday a few softwares including Decibels, Fidelia, and Amarra, and I've got a few questions about the later, mostly related to its stupid quirks.
 
The setup : 
MacBook Air - Amarra (mostly in Cache + Playlist mode) - TTVJ Slim (cheap USB DAC, not asynchronous) - HD650.
My entry-level Stax setup isn't available at the moment.
 
1 - When using for the first time the space bar of the keyboard to stop the music while iTunes is in the foreground (not Amarra), the music doesn't stop but reverts to the beginning of the track. If I then press for a second time the space bar, the music stops. It doesn't happen this way if : a) I use the space bar while Amarra is in the foreground, or b) I use the play / stop button of the keyboard. 
2 - Amarra doesn't remember that I set iTunes to be the playlist manager. Every time I open the application, I have to tell it again and again that I want iTunes to manage the playlist.
3 - When quitting and reopening in Playlist mode, the window doesn't remember where it used to be (and usually appears in a very inconvenient place, like half-masked by the screen border).
Question : have you experienced the same small quirks with your version ?
PS : I've tried both Amarra and Mini, and they both (logically) produce the same issues.
 
4 - Is it possible to make Amarra load less than 10 songs or 512 Mb of memory when the playlist is in automatic loading mode ? I'd like to try using my external hard drive on wireless and I don't want to wait for a century before a track plays. I only need Amarra to load the next song.
 
5 - I've read that Amarra seems to interact with the hardware at a rather low level and interferes with Core Audio for example. Is there any risk of an incompatibility if I use an asynchronous USB DAC with its own drivers installed on the Mac ?

 

[dallan]

Has anyone downloaded the 2012 new software?
 
 
Oh sorry i don't have answers to your questions.  I just use it on itunes and use the Amarra interface or i drag flac files to the playlist box and basically don't worry about it from there on.   But that is weird about the itunes issue as the playlist, my Amarra just opens itunes and uses it unless i open the playlist after it is open and choose to drag things there.

 

[santacore]

Quote:

Has anyone downloaded the 2012 new software?

Nope, still on original 2.3. It sounds great and seems stable. Let me know if you try the new version.
 

 

[dallan]

I am always kind of iffy to download updates of things that work.  If it aint broke don't fix it sort of stuff.

 

[AVU]

agreed, amarra 2.3 sounds much better than Fidelia, Audirvana, Decibal, Play, and Pure Music, to say nothing of itunes.  It's also easier for me to switch sources than Pure, since I can usually switch between optical and usb without having to reboot.  I always use it in cached Playlist mode and don't open itunes unless it's necessary.  But it sounds fine using itunes as well, maybe just a hair worse.

 

[Team]

Quote:

agreed, amarra 2.3 sounds much better than Fidelia, Audirvana, Decibal, Play, and Pure Music, to say nothing of itunes.

 
For $695 you, too, can convince yourself that Amarra sounds better than any other music player app (and more importantly - that your ears can tell the difference). Of course, if Amarra sold for less than $50 like most of its competitors (i.e. Fidelia and Decibel), people might compare the programs objectively, rather than blindly following the premise that price = quality. Alas, that is not the case. Looking at the Press page of the Amarra website, I can't help but wonder how much of that $695 is spent on R&D to improve their software, and how much is spent on advertising and event sponsorships.

 

[pigmode]

Quote:

 
For $695 you, too, can convince yourself that Amarra sounds better than any other music player app (and more importantly - that your ears can tell the difference). Of course, if Amarra sold for less than $50 like most of its competitors (i.e. Fidelia and Decibel), people might compare the programs objectively, rather than blindly following the premise that price = quality. Alas, that is not the case. Looking at the Press page of the Amarra website, I can't help but wonder how much of that $695 is spent on R&D to improve their software, and how much is spent on advertising and event sponsorships.

 
Looking at your equipment set up, Amarra would be a complete waste. Its appropriate you have that perspective.

 

[Jaywalk3r]

For $695 you, too, can convince yourself that Amarra sounds better than any other music player app (and more importantly - that your ears can tell the difference). Of course, if Amarra sold for less than $50 like most of its competitors (i.e. Fidelia and Decibel), people might compare the programs objectively, rather than blindly following the premise that price = quality. Alas, that is not the case. Looking at the Press page of the Amarra website, I can't help but wonder how much of that $695 is spent on R&D to improve their software, and how much is spent on advertising and event sponsorships.

More Expensive Placebos Bring More Relief

There's no reason to believe the same concept would not apply to audiophiles.

 

[Silent One]

Quote:

agreed, amarra 2.3 sounds much better than Fidelia, Audirvana, Decibal, Play, and Pure Music, to say nothing of itunes.  It's also easier for me to switch sources than Pure, since I can usually switch between optical and usb without having to reboot.  I always use it in cached Playlist mode and don't open itunes unless it's necessary.  But it sounds fine using itunes as well, maybe just a hair worse.

x2! I have all of the other players on my Mac mini as well; using the MHDT USBridge with both Coax and Optical into my W4S box and E-MU USB Interface. In my view, Amarra is overpriced and out of step with today's Market. And does sound better in my system. Due to system changes, I asked and received two trials in six weeks for extended evaluations. That said, music is entertainment - how often do we spend premiums to entertain ourselves? How 'bout a Night out on the town? Vacation? Entertaining guests?

 
I'd also add that the purchasing of some of these players and the additional steps taken (needed?) to reduce system overhead and/or isolate processes, has led me to pursue Linux with dedicated audio in mind.

 

[KingStyles]

So without trying it, you are saying the whole audio community has been doped....... that all these golden ears in both the speaker world and headphone world arent actually hearing anything .....

If the other players sounded as good as amarra, people would love to pay 2x to 12x less for it. The fact is that amarra has had a little better quality in sound, not in operation, that people that need that extra 1% are willing to pay for. $695 isnt a lot when the same people are dropping $5000 a pop on interconnects and power cords on there $100000 dollar speaker rigs. They see that $695 as a drop in the bucket cheap tweak that gets them a step closer to audio nirvana. Now in that perspective, it is the cheapest tweak they can do to there system and it makes to them a large improvment. Your theory does not apply.

Also, there is a free trial to test it and jr only cost $99. I guess that extra $50 can swing someones .......

 

[Jaywalk3r]

So without trying it, you are saying the whole audio community has been doped....... that all these golden ears in both the speaker world and headphone world arent actually hearing anything .....

Golden eared audiophiles used to claim that Audion sounded better than SoundJam, only to find that there was no logical reason that the should any different from each other at all. Even golden ears are subject to the placebo effect.

Of course, I'm always willing to read studies utilizing scientifically valid comparisons performed by unbiased researchers who make the data available for peer review. Short of that, I see zero reason to reject the null hypothesis of placebo effect.