Pale Rider
1000+ Head-Fier
Before I even get started, yes, I know there will always be something bigger/better/badder coming down the pike, but sometimes you hear something that allows you to relax and not worry about what else may be out there. [In the homebrew hobby, we say RDWHAHB.] Remember, this is an impressionistic hobby. Your ears don’t hear like mine, your systems are different from mine, and as always, this is all IMHO, and YMMV. And preliminary.
I’ve been using a Mivera Superstream to “Roonify” my MSB Select II DAC for some time. It is a very impressive streamer, another functional version of what the microRendu does, but I like the way Mivera does it a little better. The built-in fiber network was a big selling point. Mivera and its head honcho, Mike Davis, are a bit of an iconoclast, but Mike’s customer service is obsessive, second-to-none and very informative. I like him and what he is building. I paid retail for all the items discussed in this review, though I occasionally received discounts through promotions not related to the vendor [i.e., an Amazon promo or similar coupon code not offered by the equipment maker; some items were acquired using trade-ins on upgrades; I received no renumeration or other incentive for this review].
This past week, I received my version of the Mivera Audio SuperStack. [Links are copies of public links to the Mivera store, with no hidden tags. I provide these links solely for convenience. I have no relationship with Mivera other than as customer, and I receive no remuneration or discount for the links or this review, or for anything, for that matter.] The Superstack consists of:
1. The Mivera Superstream transport
2. The Mivera Purestream 256 DAC with lowest jitter clock & Weiss OP2-BP Discrete Class A opamp
3. The Mivera Purevolume passive preamp. This is an Autoformer Volume Control, using 4 Slagleformer devices.
4. The Mivera Superserve with both local storage and NAS storage
The Superserve can be a Roon or Daphile server. Listening tests suggest that Daphile upsamples to 256 better than Roon, though I am hopeful that future Roon releases will close that gap. So, I ordered the server with both, but set to default on Daphile.
The Purestream is capable of driving many dynamic headphones directly. I am testing it with my Focal Utopia. I am hopeful this rig can provide a dynamic experience competitive with my Stax rig. I plan to test the rig as follows:
1. Directly comparing the Lumin A1/HeadAmp GS-X Mk2 combo driving the Utopia to the all-Mivera rig driving the Utopia;
2. Comparing the Mivera Purevolume to the HeadAmp behind the Mivera Superstream/Purestream;
3. Comparing the all-Mivera/Utopia rig to the MSB Select/Carbon CC Stax rig.
I make no pretense that these comparisons are scientific, or any sort of A/B, let alone A/B/X evaluation. There are multiple differences between these systems. But I know what they sound like, and so I think I can observe the differences between them.
Of my three main dynamic headphones [Senn HD800, Audez’e LCD-4, and Focal Utopia], the Utopia is my preferred set [BTW, I did not expect that, but it is what it is]. I enjoy all three, but the Utopia for me edges out the LCD-4 in SQ, and is significantly better from a comfort perspective. The HeadAmp GS-X Mk2 drives all three very well. Nothing about this comparison will cause me to give it up. I still need a separate dynamic amp/preamp in listening station #2.
The Mivera stack arrived about the same time as my custom Mapleshade Samson 5 rack. Mapleshade did a beautiful black-on-black, 4-level unit, customized to the space where I used to have a Tech-Art glass and steel [nice, but not audio quality] rack. All components are placed on PS Audio Powerbases or Stillpoints. Power is supplied by a PS Audio P5 power regenerator. ICs are Belden ICONOCLAST balanced UPOCC. Power cords are a mix of Cerious Technologies graphene and PS Audio AC-12.
I listened to a variety of music of varying sample rates from Redbook to 256DSD, classical to jazz, rock, pop, EDM, New Age. I primarily listened to the following [i.e., I listened more than once], because I know them well:
1. SACD rip of Pink Floyd DSOTM [my go to for testing cables and small changes in my speaker system];
2. SACD rip of Pink Floyd’s WYWH;
3. SACD rip of Mobile Fidelity’s Dead Can Dance box set;
4. Telarc’s Redbook of the Robert Shaw/Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s Verdi Requiem [my favorite of this recording];
5. DSD 256 download of Fiona Joy's Into The Mist [Blue Coast];
6. DSD 256 download of Robert Jones’ Run With Me [Blue Coast];
7. DSD 256 download of Knoa’s A Selection Of [DSDFile];
8. Telarc’s Redbook of Ozawa/BSO of Vivaldi's Four Seasons;
9. Telarc’s Redbook of John O'Conor’s Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas;
10. Redbook of Trixie Whitley’s Porta Bohemica;
11. Redbook of Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories.
I listened primarily through network streaming, but also through local storage, and I connected the MSB UMT as well [though when not connected to the MSB Select, we lose the best of I2S]. My preferred method is network playback. My network is optimized for audio playback, with the high-end audio subnet isolated by fiber, and QoS optimized for audio. I try to avoid USB wherever possible, but it is required to use the Superstream with the MSB Select and the Mivera Superstream [I have a separate Superstream for each one].
Initial Impressions
The Mivera equipment was run constantly for 72 hours before I started listening closely. These are just preliminary assessments. I wanted to get some of these thoughts written, while I continue to listen:
1. The Mivera units surprise some people by their smaller size. In a greener age, this is not a bad thing. And in a headphone rig, it affords some flexibility. They are solid and well-made. Mike takes pride in his work, and offers gear of nice appearance and feel, but without frills.
2. The Mivera stack is dead quiet. I think dead quiet has become table stakes, but I have heard high end systems that are not.
3. The Mivera stack can drive the Utopia to [for me] near-ear bleed levels while still in its completely passive mode, i.e., unity or below, while remaining at 0 ohm impedance. This is what the designer refers to as its “no compromise” range.
4. Daphile is no Roon. It’s good, but Roon is ahead on the UI game. Roon is also fully integrated, not reliant on third party [in this case, iPeng for Daphile] software or plugins. But Daphile and iPeng together are no slouch. The web interface for Daphile is more like Web 1.x, while Roon feels like Web 3.0. Roon 1.3 makes it easier to access files on an NAS, but Daphile only required a couple of extra minutes and an additional configuration on my Synology NAS to enable file access. Once configured, NFS worked great. I could not get CIFS to work; I suspect that was my shortcoming. I have yet to get Daphile integrated with my squeezebox.com.
5. The Purestream DAC is extremely musical. While I think that the MSB Select is slightly more engaging, the reality is that I did not do an actual A/B, let alone A/B/X comparison. Too much switching of equipment was required in order to preserve any sense of objectivity. But I did listen to the Utopia on the MSB Select’s balanced outputs. [My Utopia is still SE; I am using an adapter built with UPOCC wire to attach it to the Purevolume and the Select.
Comparative Listening
1. Mivera Superstack vs. Lumin/HeadAmp Combo. This is sort of a dual comparison: can the PureStream/PureVolume combo deliver realistic listening levels so as to compete with the HeadAmp? And if so, how does the Purestream compare with the Lumin? I love the HeadAmp, and the way it sounds with all the large cans. Justin makes a superb, gorgeous Dynalo, and I think it bests most amps I have heard. It’s not leaving my home any time soon, and I will continue to listen to it every day as I use my office. [The office has a headphone rack with the Lumin A1, the HeadAmp, and Carbon; I can listen to any of my headphones there, and the “ceiling,” such as it might be, is probably the Lumin. I have had my Lumin for 4 years this month, and I admit I never get tired of it. it is very musical. I think it established a new bar back in 2013 for network playback. And I love the company, because they make a great product, and then support it consistently. Now, if they could just get it working with Roon…….]
The real comparison here is between DACs: PureStream vs. Lumin. All that the Purevolume offers is a wonderful volume control for the Purestream. I hate to say this, but it’s no contest with the Utopia. With the LCD-4, the HeadAmp has more headroom to offer. But on the Utopia, the Superstack is simply better. I suspect the differentiator here is the PureStream DAC. It’s a much more modern design than the Lumin; it should sound better. It does. More air. The Lumin’s musicality is revealed to be veiled. The soundstage [such as it is with headphones] doesn’t get any wider, but it does seem to go “deeper,” if that makes sense. Like the difference of looking through glass vs. crystal. Like an excellent DSLR zoom, vs. a superb prime lens. The Lumin is excellent. the Purestream is just better.
2. Purestream/Purevolume vs. MSB Select DAC. The MSB contains its own superb preamp. It is capable of driving headphones directly, and it does so superbly. Nearly $100k of electronics ought to get you the best headphone experience possible. And I think it does. Listening to the Utopia on the MSB directly sounds a bit more liquid, a bit more like that perfect breeze that neither cools nor warms you in the sun. On the Mivera combo, the Utopia sound a tad brighter, but not harshly so, just like the detail of a photograph has been slightly boosted without, of course, actually revealing more detail, etched perhaps, though I know some hear that word as negative, and I do not mean it as a black mark.
I am not a huge fan of the analog-vs.-digital debate [c’mon, we all know the world is really digital, not analog; see Jack Chalker’s Well World series, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Well_World_series, which really influenced me as a kid; this is all meant in good humor], but to borrow some terminology, the MSB seems slightly smoother, but only by the smallest of margins. I listened to the above tracks repeatedly, and asked family members to casually try on the headphones and listen to the differences between the two. They would ask: “Is this the same one? It sounds the same. Did you switch them?” These are the same family members who could discern the difference the ICONOCLAST cables made in my speaker system. They’re not deaf; they just had trouble discerning a difference, suggesting the differences are extremely subtle.
The good news for me here is that I don’t have to choose one or the other. The MSB has a specific role in my rig: drive the Mjölnir Carbon CC that powers my Stax headphones. The PureStream drives the Utopia. I just have to decide which headphone I want to hear.
3. Mivera Superstack/Utopia vs. MSB/Carbon/Stax. I have a weakness for my electrostats. My favorites are my two Stax SR-007 Mk1, with the modded Mk2 next, and the SR-009 in third place. But I love them all. there is a sweetness to these headphones that for me is very seductive. Additionally, every one of them is more comfortable for extended listening than all of the other large cans I own except the Senn HD800.
What engages me with the electrostats is what floored me the first time I heard the Quad in 1975: resolution, detail, the speed, the midrange, the sparkle, the air. The Utopia lacks that last bit of air. But it does have a bass presence the Stax do not have. While I like to think that one should not choose headphones based on one’s musical preferences, the reality is that the differences between these cans illustrates why one might have to make such a decision. There is a roundness and fullness on the Pink Floyd and Daft Punk recordings with the Utopia, that is traded off for layers of air and transparency with the Stax.
Conclusion . . . for now
The upshot of all this is that I finally have a dynamic headphone playback system that can compete with my MSB/Stax rig. And that is pretty amazing. The Utopia is a very impressive headphone. After my LCD-2, LCD-4, the Senn, several custom IEMs, etc., I went through a phase of “upgrade/side-grade fatigue.” When the Utopia first appeared, I was not receptive to another high sticker can. But when I finally tried one, I bought one. Headphones represent very personal choices. I was an early Audez’e adopter, and I still love the LCD-4 [though I miss my LCD-2, mostly due to ergonomics]. But, and I know that opinions differ here, I like the Utopia better. I think for me, that comfort is such an integral part of the headphone experience, that I cannot just factor it out. The Utopia sound slightly better to me, and the comfort factor seals the deal.
No surprise that I love the HeadAmp, because it excels at resolution, speed, detail, air. If a dynamic headphone can offer some of those characteristics, I think the HeadAmp is as good as one can power it. And I will continue to use it to drive the LCD-4 and the HD800; it’s excellent in that role, and since I have a role for it in my secondary headphone station, I have no reason to let it go. But the combo of the Purestream DAC and Purevolume pre is sublime. The two together are a veritable bargain. I did not mention earlier that the PV has a nice, solid remote control. It makes a big difference. I know some headphone users won’t care, but I sit just far enough away from my rig that a remote is a very nice convenience.
So, where is the Senn in all this? Well, it is a comparative bargain for one. And it’s soundstage is still amazing. And comfort is the best of all my large headphones. But it has a dryness, even sterility, that makes it less enjoyable. If I had not heard the Audez’e line, the Stax line, or now the Utopia, I would be quite happy with it. But I have, so.
I’ve been using a Mivera Superstream to “Roonify” my MSB Select II DAC for some time. It is a very impressive streamer, another functional version of what the microRendu does, but I like the way Mivera does it a little better. The built-in fiber network was a big selling point. Mivera and its head honcho, Mike Davis, are a bit of an iconoclast, but Mike’s customer service is obsessive, second-to-none and very informative. I like him and what he is building. I paid retail for all the items discussed in this review, though I occasionally received discounts through promotions not related to the vendor [i.e., an Amazon promo or similar coupon code not offered by the equipment maker; some items were acquired using trade-ins on upgrades; I received no renumeration or other incentive for this review].
This past week, I received my version of the Mivera Audio SuperStack. [Links are copies of public links to the Mivera store, with no hidden tags. I provide these links solely for convenience. I have no relationship with Mivera other than as customer, and I receive no remuneration or discount for the links or this review, or for anything, for that matter.] The Superstack consists of:
1. The Mivera Superstream transport
2. The Mivera Purestream 256 DAC with lowest jitter clock & Weiss OP2-BP Discrete Class A opamp
3. The Mivera Purevolume passive preamp. This is an Autoformer Volume Control, using 4 Slagleformer devices.
4. The Mivera Superserve with both local storage and NAS storage
The Superserve can be a Roon or Daphile server. Listening tests suggest that Daphile upsamples to 256 better than Roon, though I am hopeful that future Roon releases will close that gap. So, I ordered the server with both, but set to default on Daphile.
The Purestream is capable of driving many dynamic headphones directly. I am testing it with my Focal Utopia. I am hopeful this rig can provide a dynamic experience competitive with my Stax rig. I plan to test the rig as follows:
1. Directly comparing the Lumin A1/HeadAmp GS-X Mk2 combo driving the Utopia to the all-Mivera rig driving the Utopia;
2. Comparing the Mivera Purevolume to the HeadAmp behind the Mivera Superstream/Purestream;
3. Comparing the all-Mivera/Utopia rig to the MSB Select/Carbon CC Stax rig.
I make no pretense that these comparisons are scientific, or any sort of A/B, let alone A/B/X evaluation. There are multiple differences between these systems. But I know what they sound like, and so I think I can observe the differences between them.
Of my three main dynamic headphones [Senn HD800, Audez’e LCD-4, and Focal Utopia], the Utopia is my preferred set [BTW, I did not expect that, but it is what it is]. I enjoy all three, but the Utopia for me edges out the LCD-4 in SQ, and is significantly better from a comfort perspective. The HeadAmp GS-X Mk2 drives all three very well. Nothing about this comparison will cause me to give it up. I still need a separate dynamic amp/preamp in listening station #2.
The Mivera stack arrived about the same time as my custom Mapleshade Samson 5 rack. Mapleshade did a beautiful black-on-black, 4-level unit, customized to the space where I used to have a Tech-Art glass and steel [nice, but not audio quality] rack. All components are placed on PS Audio Powerbases or Stillpoints. Power is supplied by a PS Audio P5 power regenerator. ICs are Belden ICONOCLAST balanced UPOCC. Power cords are a mix of Cerious Technologies graphene and PS Audio AC-12.
I listened to a variety of music of varying sample rates from Redbook to 256DSD, classical to jazz, rock, pop, EDM, New Age. I primarily listened to the following [i.e., I listened more than once], because I know them well:
1. SACD rip of Pink Floyd DSOTM [my go to for testing cables and small changes in my speaker system];
2. SACD rip of Pink Floyd’s WYWH;
3. SACD rip of Mobile Fidelity’s Dead Can Dance box set;
4. Telarc’s Redbook of the Robert Shaw/Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s Verdi Requiem [my favorite of this recording];
5. DSD 256 download of Fiona Joy's Into The Mist [Blue Coast];
6. DSD 256 download of Robert Jones’ Run With Me [Blue Coast];
7. DSD 256 download of Knoa’s A Selection Of [DSDFile];
8. Telarc’s Redbook of Ozawa/BSO of Vivaldi's Four Seasons;
9. Telarc’s Redbook of John O'Conor’s Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas;
10. Redbook of Trixie Whitley’s Porta Bohemica;
11. Redbook of Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories.
I listened primarily through network streaming, but also through local storage, and I connected the MSB UMT as well [though when not connected to the MSB Select, we lose the best of I2S]. My preferred method is network playback. My network is optimized for audio playback, with the high-end audio subnet isolated by fiber, and QoS optimized for audio. I try to avoid USB wherever possible, but it is required to use the Superstream with the MSB Select and the Mivera Superstream [I have a separate Superstream for each one].
Initial Impressions
The Mivera equipment was run constantly for 72 hours before I started listening closely. These are just preliminary assessments. I wanted to get some of these thoughts written, while I continue to listen:
1. The Mivera units surprise some people by their smaller size. In a greener age, this is not a bad thing. And in a headphone rig, it affords some flexibility. They are solid and well-made. Mike takes pride in his work, and offers gear of nice appearance and feel, but without frills.
2. The Mivera stack is dead quiet. I think dead quiet has become table stakes, but I have heard high end systems that are not.
3. The Mivera stack can drive the Utopia to [for me] near-ear bleed levels while still in its completely passive mode, i.e., unity or below, while remaining at 0 ohm impedance. This is what the designer refers to as its “no compromise” range.
4. Daphile is no Roon. It’s good, but Roon is ahead on the UI game. Roon is also fully integrated, not reliant on third party [in this case, iPeng for Daphile] software or plugins. But Daphile and iPeng together are no slouch. The web interface for Daphile is more like Web 1.x, while Roon feels like Web 3.0. Roon 1.3 makes it easier to access files on an NAS, but Daphile only required a couple of extra minutes and an additional configuration on my Synology NAS to enable file access. Once configured, NFS worked great. I could not get CIFS to work; I suspect that was my shortcoming. I have yet to get Daphile integrated with my squeezebox.com.
5. The Purestream DAC is extremely musical. While I think that the MSB Select is slightly more engaging, the reality is that I did not do an actual A/B, let alone A/B/X comparison. Too much switching of equipment was required in order to preserve any sense of objectivity. But I did listen to the Utopia on the MSB Select’s balanced outputs. [My Utopia is still SE; I am using an adapter built with UPOCC wire to attach it to the Purevolume and the Select.
Comparative Listening
1. Mivera Superstack vs. Lumin/HeadAmp Combo. This is sort of a dual comparison: can the PureStream/PureVolume combo deliver realistic listening levels so as to compete with the HeadAmp? And if so, how does the Purestream compare with the Lumin? I love the HeadAmp, and the way it sounds with all the large cans. Justin makes a superb, gorgeous Dynalo, and I think it bests most amps I have heard. It’s not leaving my home any time soon, and I will continue to listen to it every day as I use my office. [The office has a headphone rack with the Lumin A1, the HeadAmp, and Carbon; I can listen to any of my headphones there, and the “ceiling,” such as it might be, is probably the Lumin. I have had my Lumin for 4 years this month, and I admit I never get tired of it. it is very musical. I think it established a new bar back in 2013 for network playback. And I love the company, because they make a great product, and then support it consistently. Now, if they could just get it working with Roon…….]
The real comparison here is between DACs: PureStream vs. Lumin. All that the Purevolume offers is a wonderful volume control for the Purestream. I hate to say this, but it’s no contest with the Utopia. With the LCD-4, the HeadAmp has more headroom to offer. But on the Utopia, the Superstack is simply better. I suspect the differentiator here is the PureStream DAC. It’s a much more modern design than the Lumin; it should sound better. It does. More air. The Lumin’s musicality is revealed to be veiled. The soundstage [such as it is with headphones] doesn’t get any wider, but it does seem to go “deeper,” if that makes sense. Like the difference of looking through glass vs. crystal. Like an excellent DSLR zoom, vs. a superb prime lens. The Lumin is excellent. the Purestream is just better.
2. Purestream/Purevolume vs. MSB Select DAC. The MSB contains its own superb preamp. It is capable of driving headphones directly, and it does so superbly. Nearly $100k of electronics ought to get you the best headphone experience possible. And I think it does. Listening to the Utopia on the MSB directly sounds a bit more liquid, a bit more like that perfect breeze that neither cools nor warms you in the sun. On the Mivera combo, the Utopia sound a tad brighter, but not harshly so, just like the detail of a photograph has been slightly boosted without, of course, actually revealing more detail, etched perhaps, though I know some hear that word as negative, and I do not mean it as a black mark.
I am not a huge fan of the analog-vs.-digital debate [c’mon, we all know the world is really digital, not analog; see Jack Chalker’s Well World series, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Well_World_series, which really influenced me as a kid; this is all meant in good humor], but to borrow some terminology, the MSB seems slightly smoother, but only by the smallest of margins. I listened to the above tracks repeatedly, and asked family members to casually try on the headphones and listen to the differences between the two. They would ask: “Is this the same one? It sounds the same. Did you switch them?” These are the same family members who could discern the difference the ICONOCLAST cables made in my speaker system. They’re not deaf; they just had trouble discerning a difference, suggesting the differences are extremely subtle.
The good news for me here is that I don’t have to choose one or the other. The MSB has a specific role in my rig: drive the Mjölnir Carbon CC that powers my Stax headphones. The PureStream drives the Utopia. I just have to decide which headphone I want to hear.
3. Mivera Superstack/Utopia vs. MSB/Carbon/Stax. I have a weakness for my electrostats. My favorites are my two Stax SR-007 Mk1, with the modded Mk2 next, and the SR-009 in third place. But I love them all. there is a sweetness to these headphones that for me is very seductive. Additionally, every one of them is more comfortable for extended listening than all of the other large cans I own except the Senn HD800.
What engages me with the electrostats is what floored me the first time I heard the Quad in 1975: resolution, detail, the speed, the midrange, the sparkle, the air. The Utopia lacks that last bit of air. But it does have a bass presence the Stax do not have. While I like to think that one should not choose headphones based on one’s musical preferences, the reality is that the differences between these cans illustrates why one might have to make such a decision. There is a roundness and fullness on the Pink Floyd and Daft Punk recordings with the Utopia, that is traded off for layers of air and transparency with the Stax.
Conclusion . . . for now
The upshot of all this is that I finally have a dynamic headphone playback system that can compete with my MSB/Stax rig. And that is pretty amazing. The Utopia is a very impressive headphone. After my LCD-2, LCD-4, the Senn, several custom IEMs, etc., I went through a phase of “upgrade/side-grade fatigue.” When the Utopia first appeared, I was not receptive to another high sticker can. But when I finally tried one, I bought one. Headphones represent very personal choices. I was an early Audez’e adopter, and I still love the LCD-4 [though I miss my LCD-2, mostly due to ergonomics]. But, and I know that opinions differ here, I like the Utopia better. I think for me, that comfort is such an integral part of the headphone experience, that I cannot just factor it out. The Utopia sound slightly better to me, and the comfort factor seals the deal.
No surprise that I love the HeadAmp, because it excels at resolution, speed, detail, air. If a dynamic headphone can offer some of those characteristics, I think the HeadAmp is as good as one can power it. And I will continue to use it to drive the LCD-4 and the HD800; it’s excellent in that role, and since I have a role for it in my secondary headphone station, I have no reason to let it go. But the combo of the Purestream DAC and Purevolume pre is sublime. The two together are a veritable bargain. I did not mention earlier that the PV has a nice, solid remote control. It makes a big difference. I know some headphone users won’t care, but I sit just far enough away from my rig that a remote is a very nice convenience.
So, where is the Senn in all this? Well, it is a comparative bargain for one. And it’s soundstage is still amazing. And comfort is the best of all my large headphones. But it has a dryness, even sterility, that makes it less enjoyable. If I had not heard the Audez’e line, the Stax line, or now the Utopia, I would be quite happy with it. But I have, so.
Better to keep it than regret later!
