Information available at tera-player.com
This machine is not for everyone. Like cheese or wine it has its own flavor and unfortunately it also has its cost. My Galaxy S4 is cheaper and for some much more convenient. I try to listen to it for almost an hour per week and struggle.
On the other hand, I listen non-stop to Tera for 14 hour flights to Tokyo and forget its even on, like I'm just hanging out it a room with musicians playing. Its surreal.
I don't know the difference and cannot adequately explain why, but after an hour or two iPhone and Galaxy make me feel "packed in", whereas Tera disappears. That difference is particularly noticeable in acoustic music or when clapping is involved, but just generally sounds holographic. I guess I'm kinda hooked on that sort of holographic feeling by now.
If I have the chance to compare it to some of the luxury devices detailed here in HeadFi I would jump at the chance; for now though, I can only compare it to my telephones, but they are used as a musical playing devices as last resort when expecting a phone call.
The difference in sound quality would not seem striking to most people, and perhaps too lacking in visual interface. I actually love the screen less simplicity factor.. It is not the least bit fancy, yet performs flawlessly with the sort of ease that signals a bump-less decade of performance. I use Tera daily as if it were mil-spec job related machinery and my only concern is that a disc might fail. It will never need upgrading, either. Ever............... .
Given most readers' understandable skepticism, I can only present that this is a completely unique approach to digital decoding which is generally unavailable in portable form. Were I in the market for a home based system I might look for similarly designed decoders also. I believe everyone's chances are better auditioning equipment which is home stereo sized instead of portable. Even then, the equipment one might find using the older technology chip on which Tera is based is expensive and rare. How much one values that difference is brought to a crux right in the very existence of Tera.
Like cheese and wines, the differences are subtle... at least for the first hour or two. Most people,will find the latest cell phone far more interesting anyway. After all, all Tera does is play music!
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