[Triode User]

More news on the 3.1 upgrade. Take a look at the Upgrade page on the Antipodes site to get specific and detailed info on the upgrade. They are saying code will be completed this week and the roll out will commence early next week.

https://antipodes.audio/amsv3-1-upgrade/

 

[Whazzzup]

Still from those old computer days, updating OS always makes me nervous, good luck to us all….

 

[frankensmurf]

That sounds like a great addition.

Speaking of rack space as well, a new addition last night had me thinking I might need to add another shelf but fortunately I was able to get things onto a single shelf.

What you see on the shelf beneath my K30 is a Gustard x26 Pro DAC and a Gustard C18 master clock. The x26 Pro replaced my Chord TT2 a few weeks ago. It was a pretty big step up (when scaling with either PGGB or HQPlayer with the DAC running in NOS mode).

I was so impressed with the bang for the buck with the x26 Pro that I ordered their C18 master clock. That’s the smaller box sitting on top. This arrived yesterday as did a Purple fuse for the x26 Pro.

What a tremendous all around upgrade from the TT2 powered by a Farad Super3.

Congratulations. Immediate Additional Upgrades are either a sign of weakness or strength in a product, clearly here the latter. I have never heard any Gustard product sadly. And the TT2 is no slouch. Have you heard a Sean Jacobs DC4-powered DAVE?

 

[frankensmurf]

More news on the 3.1 upgrade. Take a look at the Upgrade page on the Antipodes site to get specific and detailed info on the upgrade. They are saying code will be completed this week and the roll out will commence early next week.

https://antipodes.audio/amsv3-1-upgrade/

Thanks for the updates. And yes, this is a big to-do for us but it is absolutely nonsensical to expect any OS to continue for years and years without 'overhaul' upgrades like this. I hope they are able to get the beta testing done largely by them and not by us. : D But anyway, I (vaguely) appreciate the amount of work going into this and will wait my turn. (Also I *still* haven't gotten HQP set up as a bit-perfect Roon output; I will definitely wait as it looks a lot simpler in 3.1)

Meanwhile, not sure if people here know about this, PS Audio is *still* working on the release of their totally ground-up music server and software. I am reminded of it since I am very impressed indeed by the SQ of the PST transport I've just been getting to know, and the Octave server is slated to have the same output stage guts (galvanic isolation between transport / computer bits and the digital output stage, separate power supplies etc). The stated goal is to sound better than Roon while maintaining a GUI UX. AFAIK Roon compatibility is 'if you must' and I'm sure HQP compatibility is 'TBD'.

 

[kennyb123]

And the TT2 is no slouch. Have you heard a Sean Jacobs DC4-powered DAVE?

I have heard at most a DC3-powered DAVE in a friend's system. It had been on my list as my next step after my TT2.

 

[Triode User]

Thanks for the updates. And yes, this is a big to-do for us but it is absolutely nonsensical to expect any OS to continue for years and years without 'overhaul' upgrades like this. I hope they are able to get the beta testing done largely by them and not by us. : D But anyway, I (vaguely) appreciate the amount of work going into this and will wait my turn. (Also I *still* haven't gotten HQP set up as a bit-perfect Roon output; I will definitely wait as it looks a lot simpler in 3.1)

Meanwhile, not sure if people here know about this, PS Audio is *still* working on the release of their totally ground-up music server and software. I am reminded of it since I am very impressed indeed by the SQ of the PST transport I've just been getting to know, and the Octave server is slated to have the same output stage guts (galvanic isolation between transport / computer bits and the digital output stage, separate power supplies etc). The stated goal is to sound better than Roon while maintaining a GUI UX. AFAIK Roon compatibility is 'if you must' and I'm sure HQP compatibility is 'TBD'.

It will be interesting to see how many bugs there are in 3.1. I have not heard any mention of it being out for beta testing outside the company but in any case we all know that there is no such thing as a bug free major software update no matter how much beta testing is done.

What you say about PS Audio and their goal is also interesting. Having used the new Innuos software for some time now in a different system I can appreciate how difficult it must be to get a Roon like feel but without the sound quality negative aspects.

 

[frankensmurf]

It will be interesting to see how many bugs there are in 3.1. I have not heard any mention of it being out for beta testing outside the company but in any case we all know that there is no such thing as a bug free major software update no matter how much beta testing is done.

What you say about PS Audio and their goal is also interesting. Having used the new Innuos software for some time now in a different system I can appreciate how difficult it must be to get a Roon like feel but without the sound quality negative aspects.

Roon has I think inspired a number of less-ambitious alternatives: Innuos seems one of the better polished entries, dCS have their, Auralic has something.. watch this space. Roon isn't standing still either.

 

[Triode User]

Roon has I think inspired a number of less-ambitious alternatives: Innuos seems one of the better polished entries, dCS have their, Auralic has something.. watch this space. Roon isn't standing still either.

Well I have a lifetime subscription so it would be nice if they ever get to a position of less harm to the sound quality but I doubt that is high on their agenda.

The Innuos app is pretty good from a user interface point of view but in back to back comparison with an iPeng driven Innuos it seemed to me that there was some penalty for the better Innuos interface. However it was not as great (by a long long way) as the Roon sound penalty.

 

[Progisus]

A lot of that roon sound penalty can be mitigated by using HQPlayer with roon but in bit perfect mode.

 

[Triode User]

A lot of that roon sound penalty can be mitigated by using HQPlayer with roon but in bit perfect mode.

Is the ‘bit perfect mode’ you mention a setting in Roon? Or are you meaning setting HQP to non upsampling ‘pass through’ settings?

 

[frankensmurf]

A lot of that roon sound penalty can be mitigated by using HQPlayer with roon but in bit perfect mode.

Yes, agreed this is the best of both worlds, I'm all over this as soon as 3.1 drops.

 

[kennyb123]

Yes, agreed this is the best of both worlds, I'm all over this as soon as 3.1 drops.

I’m eager to hear if there is a sound quality improvement from the latest version HQPlayer. Come to think of it, the new OS could end up bringing sound quality improvement. It’ll be interesting to see what people report.

 

[richardloh]

Hi,

Any worth in messing with Roon and/or HQ Player for the uninitiated ?

Started 2 yrs ago with Squeezelite and free Android Squeezer app until today being subscribed to Qobuz.

Search fine for any track with more than adequate GUI via Squeezer including across 2x 4TB SSDs, 2X 10TB NAS, Qobuz etc. and also read Squeezelite often sounds fine w.r.t. sound quality ?

Btw, nothing eventful with SW version 3.1 of oladra upgraded cx and ex stack in last 8 weeks.

Cheers.

Richard

 

[Progisus]

Is the ‘bit perfect mode’ you mention a setting in Roon? Or are you meaning setting HQP to non upsampling ‘pass through’ settings?

Sorry not too clear…. I meant setting HQPlayer to non upsampling pass through.

 

[Triode User]

Sorry not too clear…. I meant setting HQPlayer to non upsampling pass through.

No problem. I had in mind to revisit that option when I have the Antipodes 3.1 upgrade and therefore have access to the latest HQP.