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Have you had a chance to put it through its paces? I'm a little behind inside the listening room - this morning is only my second session since 20 December, due to personal issues. But, I'm slowly working it out.
It seems that Audirvana+ wins the glorius battle of the OSX music players
Folks, what do you think about the forthcoming release of Mac version of JRiver Media Center? I'm personally curious about it.
I am having a difficult time deciding on which player I want to purchase. I am mostly basing my decision on sound quality, but I have to be practical and factor in price as well. Currently I have trials of the following: Amara 2.4, Pure Music, Audirvana Plus, and Amara HiFi. I also bought BitPerfect from the App Store using a gift card. However, BitPerfect is not on the same level as the other players, but noticeably better than just iTunes. I quickly eliminated Amara HiFi, because I actually found it sounded harsh. It's not smooth like Amara 2.4, and it's less organic, has less depth and dynamics, and generally I found myself less involved with the music. I would say it is above the level of BitPerfect, but not by much. This leaves me with three very good sounding players, and each having a different presentation of the sound.
Amara 2.4 is the most different from all the others. It sounds the most organic and smooth. The notes stand out very distinctly from the darkness or blackness of the background. It's like the notes have the most depth and dimensionality out of all the players. The sound is very engaging. Because it is so smooth, there is no edge to the notes at all. It's like the software ran a comb over each note and took out the harshness. I never felt my ears fatigue listening to it. This smoothness does not sacrifice details at all, it's still there. However, I keep thinking the smoothness is slightly more than what is a natural presentation. It sounds incredibly nice, but I have a nagging feeling this is sacrificing accuracy of a real presentation.
Audirvana Plus is a pleasant sounding player. It sounds like the most forward of the players, with Amara 2.4 following close behind. For instance, it places me within the front row rather than the second row like Amara 2.4, and further back like Pure Music. It also sounds a tad clearer than the other two, and I might say the one with the most natural presentation. I'm not sure there's a big weakness with this player. If I could point to one thing, the forward nature and the not as smooth presentation of the sound may not work with all music. Sometimes I want to observe the music from the middle row, and not be constantly exposed to it from up close.
Finally, Pure Music brings together many of the qualities of both the Audirvana Plus and the Amara 2.4, yet not to the same degree. For instance, it was not as smooth as the Amara, but it was smoother than the Audirvana. It lacked the forwardness of the other two. It still portrays good depth, clarity, and soundstage. It may be the most analytical. I find it does not engage me as much as the other two, possibly because it lacked the distinctive presentation that the other two have.
So that's where I stand with these excellent players. The differences are subtle to microscopic in some aspects. I've been switching feverishly between these three over the past two day that I have auditioned them. I sometimes think I hear differences from memory, but then they are so small that it's hard to know if I am making them up in my mind. Perhaps, I should just spend one day with each one and enjoy the music rather than look to spot where they differ from each other.
Any thoughts on what could help me make my decision?
Any thoughts on what could help me make my decision?
I am having a difficult time deciding on which player I want to purchase. I am mostly basing my decision on sound quality, but I have to be practical and factor in price as well. Currently I have trials of the following: Amara 2.4, Pure Music, Audirvana Plus, and Amara HiFi. I also bought BitPerfect from the App Store using a gift card. However, BitPerfect is not on the same level as the other players, but noticeably better than just iTunes. I quickly eliminated Amara HiFi, because I actually found it sounded harsh. It's not smooth like Amara 2.4, and it's less organic, has less depth and dynamics, and generally I found myself less involved with the music. I would say it is above the level of BitPerfect, but not by much. This leaves me with three very good sounding players, and each having a different presentation of the sound.
Amara 2.4 is the most different from all the others. It sounds the most organic and smooth. The notes stand out very distinctly from the darkness or blackness of the background. It's like the notes have the most depth and dimensionality out of all the players. The sound is very engaging. Because it is so smooth, there is no edge to the notes at all. It's like the software ran a comb over each note and took out the harshness. I never felt my ears fatigue listening to it. This smoothness does not sacrifice details at all, it's still there. However, I keep thinking the smoothness is slightly more than what is a natural presentation. It sounds incredibly nice, but I have a nagging feeling this is sacrificing accuracy of a real presentation.
Audirvana Plus is a pleasant sounding player. It sounds like the most forward of the players, with Amara 2.4 following close behind. For instance, it places me within the front row rather than the second row like Amara 2.4, and further back like Pure Music. It also sounds a tad clearer than the other two, and I might say the one with the most natural presentation. I'm not sure there's a big weakness with this player. If I could point to one thing, the forward nature and the not as smooth presentation of the sound may not work with all music. Sometimes I want to observe the music from the middle row, and not be constantly exposed to it from up close.
Finally, Pure Music brings together many of the qualities of both the Audirvana Plus and the Amara 2.4, yet not to the same degree. For instance, it was not as smooth as the Amara, but it was smoother than the Audirvana. It lacked the forwardness of the other two. It still portrays good depth, clarity, and soundstage. It may be the most analytical. I find it does not engage me as much as the other two, possibly because it lacked the distinctive presentation that the other two have.
So that's where I stand with these excellent players. The differences are subtle to microscopic in some aspects. I've been switching feverishly between these three over the past two day that I have auditioned them. I sometimes think I hear differences from memory, but then they are so small that it's hard to know if I am making them up in my mind. Perhaps, I should just spend one day with each one and enjoy the music rather than look to spot where they differ from each other.
Any thoughts on what could help me make my decision?
I am having a difficult time deciding on which player I want to purchase. I am mostly basing my decision on sound quality, but I have to be practical and factor in price as well. Currently I have trials of the following: Amara 2.4, Pure Music, Audirvana Plus, and Amara HiFi. I also bought BitPerfect from the App Store using a gift card. However, BitPerfect is not on the same level as the other players, but noticeably better than just iTunes. I quickly eliminated Amara HiFi, because I actually found it sounded harsh. It's not smooth like Amara 2.4, and it's less organic, has less depth and dynamics, and generally I found myself less involved with the music. I would say it is above the level of BitPerfect, but not by much. This leaves me with three very good sounding players, and each having a different presentation of the sound.
Amara 2.4 is the most different from all the others. It sounds the most organic and smooth. The notes stand out very distinctly from the darkness or blackness of the background. It's like the notes have the most depth and dimensionality out of all the players. The sound is very engaging. Because it is so smooth, there is no edge to the notes at all. It's like the software ran a comb over each note and took out the harshness. I never felt my ears fatigue listening to it. This smoothness does not sacrifice details at all, it's still there. However, I keep thinking the smoothness is slightly more than what is a natural presentation. It sounds incredibly nice, but I have a nagging feeling this is sacrificing accuracy of a real presentation.
Audirvana Plus is a pleasant sounding player. It sounds like the most forward of the players, with Amara 2.4 following close behind. For instance, it places me within the front row rather than the second row like Amara 2.4, and further back like Pure Music. It also sounds a tad clearer than the other two, and I might say the one with the most natural presentation. I'm not sure there's a big weakness with this player. If I could point to one thing, the forward nature and the not as smooth presentation of the sound may not work with all music. Sometimes I want to observe the music from the middle row, and not be constantly exposed to it from up close.
Finally, Pure Music brings together many of the qualities of both the Audirvana Plus and the Amara 2.4, yet not to the same degree. For instance, it was not as smooth as the Amara, but it was smoother than the Audirvana. It lacked the forwardness of the other two. It still portrays good depth, clarity, and soundstage. It may be the most analytical. I find it does not engage me as much as the other two, possibly because it lacked the distinctive presentation that the other two have.
So that's where I stand with these excellent players. The differences are subtle to microscopic in some aspects. I've been switching feverishly between these three over the past two day that I have auditioned them. I sometimes think I hear differences from memory, but then they are so small that it's hard to know if I am making them up in my mind. Perhaps, I should just spend one day with each one and enjoy the music rather than look to spot where they differ from each other.
Any thoughts on what could help me make my decision?
