Antipodes

ricjor1

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Oct 13, 2012
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I recently went from a Bryston BDP2 to the Antipodes DS GT. The differences aren't subtle. I'm just curious why Antipodes isn't talked about as much as some of the other music servers. I never heard of them and only decided to listen on the advice of a friend. I can honestly say, this has been one of my best purchases ever!
 

limniscate

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Jul 16, 2016
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I've read that the Antipodes DX 2 is the best standalone server out there, so I'd say that Antipodes is talked about.
 

ricjor1

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Oct 13, 2012
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I enjoy reading the different forums and I've read almost nothing about Antipodes. I'm not a dealer and have no affiliation with Antipodes. My friend has the Antipodes DX and has compared it to the top of the line Aurender and prefers the Antipodes. I've heard his DX 2, but I've never compared it to anything else. I have compared the Antipodes DS GT to the BDP2 and it's almost sad how much better the DS GT sounds to my ears...every parameter of the music is better.
 

ricjor1

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ricjor1

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Oct 13, 2012
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I love the Antipodes DS GT so much, I'm thinking about getting the DX...I think I need counseling! When does it end?
 

ricjor1

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Oct 13, 2012
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I finally had the opportunity to compare the Antipodes DS GT to DX in my system. I used a Wireworld Platinum USB cable into my Jeff Rowland Aeris DAC, The rest of my system consists of the Jeff Rowland(JR) 625 S2 amp, JR Corus pre-amp. Monitor Audio PL500 II speakers. I was expecting a pretty significant difference, but here are my findings:

1) bass was slightly more articulate through the DX
2) details were slightly better and a slightly darker background with the DX
3) singers with the DS GT appears in front of the speakers, creating an illusion of a deeper soundstage compared to the DX
4) soundstage is wider with the DS GT
5) more of a three dimensional sound with the DS GT(slightly, not night and day difference)

Overall I prefered the DS GT in "my system"...especially when I already have the DS GT and would loose money if I purchased the DX. Three days ago I reached out to Antipodes to make sure nothing was wrong with the DX or there weren't any updates. I haven't received any feedback. Of course these results were in my system, my wife and I preferred the DS GT, others may prefer the DX.
 

abeidrov

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How long have you been using DX before doing critical listening? In my case the server reached its peak performance after 7 days of continuous use. Also, you must keep both units powered on at all times, even when you are not listening to a particular model.
 

ricjor1

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Oct 13, 2012
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How long have you been using DX before doing critical listening? In my case the server reached its peak performance after 7 days of continuous use. Also, you must keep both units powered on at all times, even when you are not listening to a particular model.

I had the DX for six days and it seemed to settle down after 72 hours. Antipodes did respond to my email today. Mark told me that I may have had an earlier version that didn't include the updated USB output. I'll follow-up to make sure the DX I listened to represented the most current DX version. I will post my findings shortly.

Abeidrov, do you have a DX? If so, have you compared it to other music servers? In general what are thoughts on the DX?
 

abeidrov

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Yes, I have the latest model with the custom USB card, built by Antipodes. So far, I compared it to the Lampizator Superkomputer. To my ears Antipodes is better, although they are quite close.
 

ricjor1

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Oct 13, 2012
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Yes, I have the latest model with the custom USB card, built by Antipodes. So far, I compared it to the Lampizator Superkomputer. To my ears Antipodes is better, although they are quite close.

I personally have decided to stop using "better" and instead I use "preferred" when describing my preference for one component over another. I'm not suggesting you or anyone else should do as I have. That being said, why do you say the Antipodes DX is better than the Lampizator Superkomputer? Have you compared the DX to the DS GT?
 

abeidrov

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I am not good at describing subtle differences in sound. All I can say, Antipodes seems to have a lower noise floor comparing to the other server. I have not had a chance to compare it to any other model.
 

ricjor1

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Oct 13, 2012
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Thanks.
 

Barry

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I heard the Antipodes DX Gen 3 Music Server 2 weeks ago. It's scheduled to be released in October. I haven't heard any servers I've ever liked, but this one is very organic and tonally beautiful with exceptional immediacy and dynamics. The system was all TIDAL Audio so plenty of resolution.
 

ricjor1

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Oct 13, 2012
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I heard the Antipodes DX Gen 3 Music Server 2 weeks ago. It's scheduled to be released in October. I haven't heard any servers I've ever liked, but this one is very organic and tonally beautiful with exceptional immediacy and dynamics. The system was all TIDAL Audio so plenty of resolution.

After comparing the Antipodes DS GT to the second Gen DX, I knew they would come out with a new DX. To my ears, with the exception of bass, I preferred the DS GT over the DX Gen 2.
 

spiritofmusic

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Jun 13, 2013
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Guys, I'm a died in the wool analog man, but am looking at making my final final upgrade a digital one
I've spent a small fortune creating a really low noise power grid to my system incl isolated feed from the house, 8kVA balanced pwr, Oyaides dedicated lines into Furutech duplexes, Sablon Reservas Elite pwr cords and Entreq grndng to all components
This has supercharged my Eera cdp into analog territory, I'm really not joking
Finally I'm ready not to spend that valuable upgrade budget on yet another tt, but on a high performance server/dac
I have a reasonable shortlist of dacs incl the new Eera Meister, Aqua Formula in the €13k area.
Maybe even pricier GG.
It's the server that most concerns me.
I abs love the SGM 2015 having heard it over a dozen times, but at €16k it's a bit beyond me
The new flagship Antipodes DX at c€7k is more my reasonable maximum, and might compete for my money w the Computer Audio Design CAT
Of course there are cheaper server options like the Innuous Zenith and AudioAanZee nearer €3k
I'm looking for two things
A truly analog presentation, more tone and decay than uber detail or pin sharp precision
And a user friendly interface
It'll be in the home of someone who has no feel for computer audio
This is my final final upgrade in audio, I've already spent way too much in two decades of upgrading, I'd like to get a really expressive and vibrant streaming solution for reasonable but not stupid expense, and I like what I'm hearing about the DX at this price point
 
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abeidrov

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spiritofmusic, you must be joking about your final upgrade:) I just bought my Antipodes DX Gen2 and the Gen3 is already out, and I thought, that the Gen2 will last me at least a couple of years...
Anyway, in the 7K price range I would consider 2 options: Antipodes DX and Aurender N10. Both are excellent products with very reputable companies behind them with excellent support and the software that they keep constantly improving.
Here is a nice review of the Antipodes and comparison to the Aurender N10: http://www.hifi-advice.com/blog/rev...ork-player-reviews/antipodes-dx-music-server/
According to the author, Aurender has somewhat gentler and more analog presentation, than the Antipodes, but he still preferred the Antipodes in his system due to its lower noise floor and more dynamic sound.
Here is another excellent source of information about both servers in this Audiogon thread:
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/absolute-top-tier-dac-for-standard-res-redbook-cd?page=69. Matt was very thorough in comparing both servers and in the end chose the Aurender due to its more organic presentation in his system. Although, he was testing the Gen 2 model, as the Gen 3 was not yet available.
So, as usual in our hobby, the best thing is to try both servers in your system and decide based on your own preferences. But it will take a lot of your time as I know from personal experience, that the Antipodes needs at least two weeks to reach its top performance.
Several other points to consider:
  • Antipodes DX Gen 3 has USB output only, so if you need other output options, you have to go with the Gen 2 model.
  • Antipodes has several sofware options including Roon, Squeezebox, MPD, Hqplayer and several others. All sound different. I prefer Roon, but even with Roon there are 2 main sub-options and I prefer one, and the guy, who did the review liked the other one. Go figure. Aurender have developed their own software, which is apparently very user friendly, but there are rumors they will move to Roon in the nearest future.
  • Antipodes has a built in CD ripper. Aurender has not.
  • Antipodes supports DSD up to 512, Aurender goes only to DSD128.
  • Antipodes price rises rather steeply, when you add more SSD storage. I was unpleasantly surprised, when I found out a price of my 4TB model. So, make sure to get a quote for your chosen storage capacity in advance.
Good luck with your final upgrade!

Aziz
 

spiritofmusic

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Aziz, this is really a step and expense I don't want to undergo, but feel somewhat compelled to do
First, this is going to likely be my one and only server/dac purchase
I don't HAVE to have the next best thing
If I can get "lucky" first time out, I'll sit back pretty pleased w myself
I really am not a computer audio natural
That's no exaggeration, there are Japanese WW2 fighter pilots lost on an isolated Pacific island that have more computer skills than me
The complexities of computer audio really make my blood run cold
This is exaggerated by the situation that my current $12.5k cdp is truly making some great sounds, on hallowed analog turf, and I'm actually miffed that the world has gone to dump physical media so comprehensively
Otoh, my genres of choice, prog and fusion, are actually still v well served by cd, reflected in a 23-cd boxset of King Crimson in the offing
But 2018 is the year this happens for me, I need to expand my musical universe on Tidal/Roon, and I'd like to get this choice right
---
Interesting comment from you re maybe the Aurender being more organic, holistic, in effect more analog, than Antipodes
The HiFi-Advice review seemed to suggest the opposite
Btw, how many TB are standard on the DX, and how much for each extra TB?
 

abeidrov

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There is no standard configuration, you can go from 0 to 8TB of SSD storage. Not sure about the price per TB. I got mine with a discount, the retail price for a 4TB version is over $10K in the US. Better to contact your local dealer, there is one in the UK: http://antipodesaudio.com/buy.html.
Also, bear in mind, that the SSD disks in the Antipodes are not the standard ones. They modify a disk firmware, and apparently it improves the sound. So you can't just buy your own SSD disks and put them in the server. Well, you can, but it won't sound the same...
Another option is to get a model with 0 storage and put your music on a NAS drive. But, again, the sound quality in this case will be slightly worse comparing to the built in storage.
 

abeidrov

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The comment about the Aurender being more organic is based only on Matt's experience from the Audiogon. And he said, that the difference was subtle. I don't think, you really can go wrong with an either product. If you can't listen to both of them in your own system, just get the one that fits your budget and your other preferences, like ability to use Roon or CD ripper or higher DSD rate support etc.
 

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