Antipodes Audio - Updated Range and Upgrade Program - July 2023

[OLADRA]

Antipodes Audio Press Release 30 June 2023

Antipodes Audio is proud to announce its updated server/streamer line-up for 2023, with updates to the existing flagship OLADRA and the K Series range.

Coupled with the release of the updated range is the Antipodes Audio Upgrade Program for all existing OLADRA and K Series owners, which brings their units up to the corresponding new model specification. An upgraded unit will be identical in all respects to the new models and receive a fresh warranty.

The S Series has been discontinued due to Intel no longer making the CPUs required by these models, but we retain ample parts to support these models going forward.

Product Updates 2023

The Changes
Changes to the OLADRA and the K Series are due to four key developments that we have been working on over several months.

1. Installing the OLADRA’s triple-cascade power supply technology in the K Series models.
2. Installing our proprietary high-quality isolation footers on the K Series models.
3. Upgrading K50 and K41 Server engines with innovations used in the OLADRA.
4. Upgrading the Player engines for the OLADRA, K50, K22 & K21.
5. Installing new USB outputs for the OLADRA, K50, K22 & K21.

The benefits are mainly in improved sound quality for all models, and the K Series makes a step up towards the sound quality of the OLADRA. For many audiophiles, the most significant change is that the new USB output lifts the USB sound quality up to match the sound quality of the S/PDIF, AES3, and I2S outputs.
Other benefits include an increase of 200% to 400% in system resources to improve system responsiveness, and enterprise-level OS resilience against data loss in unusual AC power events.
The new models and the upgrade program will go live early in August 2023.

Pricing
Prices do not include the impact of duties and taxes that might be levied in your country

1. OLADRA
   New Price: USD29,000
   Old Price: USD25,000
   Upgrade: USD4,000
2. K50 Revised
   New Price: USD19,000
   Old Price: USD17,500
   Upgrade: USD4,000
3. K50 Original
   New Price: USD19,000
   Old Price: USD15,000
   Upgrade: USD6,000
4. K41
   New Price: USD10,000
   Old Price: USD10,000
   Upgrade: USD2,000
5. K40
   New Price: USD10,000
   Old Price: USD9,000
   Upgrade: USD4,000
6. K30
   Upgrade: USD3,000
7. K22
   K22 New Price: USD9,000
   Old Price: USD9,000
   Upgrade: USD2,000
8. K21
   New Price: USD7,000
   Old Price: USD6,500
   Upgrade: USD2,000

Isolation Footers on the K50 (G4)

 

[WAVE High Fidelity]

Well, after 24 hours of thinking about this I have placed an order with the UK dealer Elite Audio to have my Oladra updated as soon as they start doing the upgrades. The upgraded USB output is of currently of little interest to me at the moment due to that not being the best implemented input on the DAC but after reading what Antipodes think the upgrade does to the overall sound of the Oladra I am hopeful that the upgrade will give a useful uptick in the sound. Every little thing counts in this game.

 

[matthias]

Installing new USB outputs for the OLADRA, K50, K22 & K21.

Please, can you shed some light on the new USB output?
What is now different to the former USB output?
Thank you

Matt

 

[7ryder]

There are more details here https://antipodes.audio/announcements.php

 

[matthias]

There are more details here https://antipodes.audio/announcements.php

Sorry, but I found zero additional info to post #1. I mean for an OLADRA upgrade of 4k there should be some info about. At least they claim the new USB output lifts the USB sound quality up to match the sound quality of the S/PDIF, AES3, and I2S outputs.

Matt

 

[OLADRA]

The new USB output is Isolated, Clocked and Re-generated and offers a very high-quality 5v out

 

[rspyder]

The new USB output is Isolated, Clocked and Re-generated and offers a very high-quality 5v out

Thank you Mark and other Antipode's "Industry experts" for the additional details on the USB Output upgrade available for what is now the first generation Oladra, which I have and I really like btw.

I thought the Oladra (and K50 for that matter) uses asynchronous mode transmission from its USB outputs allowing the user's DAC to manage the clocking (i.e. 'pulled' from the Oladra under control of the DAC, not 'pushed' to the DAC under control of the Oladra). Is my understanding correct?

If my understanding is correct, then what benefits are there from isolating, clocking and regenerating data in the new USB output when the clocking (e.g. regenerating and batching is done by the DAC?

One additional related question. Many modern DACs, such as the Horizon, do not use the 5+ V to perform the "handshake", so what benefit is provided by the better 5V out in such cases?

Thank you for your help with this. Always appreciated.

Regards,

Ray

 

[kennyb123]

If my understanding is correct, then what benefits are there from isolating, clocking and regenerating data in the new USB output when the clocking (e.g. regenerating and batching is done by the DAC?

The clocking that DACs perform is at rate that is synchronous to the sample rate of the music. This ensures accurate digital to analog conversion.

USB operates at a fixed frequency that’s in the megahertz range - I believe 24 MHz. Reclocking tends to bring about lower noise and higher signal integrity. Many DACs can benefit from this. If it’s done really well I suspect most DACs will benefit.

 

[OLADRA]

Thank you Mark and other Antipode's "Industry experts" for the additional details on the USB Output upgrade available for what is now the first generation Oladra, which I have and I really like btw.

I thought the Oladra (and K50 for that matter) uses asynchronous mode transmission from its USB outputs allowing the user's DAC to manage the clocking (i.e. 'pulled' from the Oladra under control of the DAC, not 'pushed' to the DAC under control of the Oladra). Is my understanding correct?

If my understanding is correct, then what benefits are there from isolating, clocking and regenerating data in the new USB output when the clocking (e.g. regenerating and batching is done by the DAC?

One additional related question. Many modern DACs, such as the Horizon, do not use the 5+ V to perform the "handshake", so what benefit is provided by the better 5V out in such cases?

Thank you for your help with this. Always appreciated.

Regards,

Ray

Hi Ray,

For the first Gen K50, we not only upgrade the USB output but also the re-clocker, the server, and player engines, giving from 200-400% extra system resources, add isolation footers, and last but not least the power supply trickle down from the OLADRA, all these upgrades significantly lift the performance of a first gen K50 on all outputs.

Essentially, by isolating/generating/reclocking in the server you give the DAC the best possible signal to work with. Output is a function of the input.

To ensure universal DAC compatibility having 5V on is desirable, if for example, you used a Pro-USB module from MSB having it powered from a very clean high quality 5V is beneficial.

 

[7ryder]

Hi Ray,

For the first Gen K50, we not only upgrade the USB output but also the re-clocker, the server, and player engines, giving from 200-400% extra system resources, and last but not least the power supply trickle down from the OLADRA, all these upgrades significantly lift the performance of a first gen K50 on all outputs.

Essentially, by isolating/generating/reclocking in the server you give the DAC the best possible signal to work with. Output is a function of the input.

To ensure universal DAC compatibility having 5V on is desirable, if for example, if you used a Pro-USB module from MSB having it powered from a very clean nice 5V is beneficial.

hmmmm....

 

[Ron Resnick]

Please enjoy this interview with Mark Jenkins, CEO of Antipodes Audio:

And please kindly subscribe to the WBF YouTube channel!

 

[rspyder]

Much thanks required after the last 3 posts. Thanks kennyb for you helpful input (no pun intended), which was supported by Oladra's Industry Expert. Thank you Antipodes for helping me better understand the merits of improved clocking even with a USB/asynchronous output.

Thanks Ron for the link to the WBF YouTube interview with Mark Jenkins.

I've had Antipodes servers from the DX to the K50 and now the Oladra because of Mark and his team's restless spirit driving their pursuit of excellence. As Mark explained, they are not fixed in their design approach and remain open to switching (again, no pun intended) direction if it will bring about better results. That is not always the case with some other manufacturers.

 

[F208Frank]

remain open to switching

^ pure gold

 

[JJJS]

This is my first review. Also posted it on HFA. I am not an experienced reviewer, so some of the descriptions I give may not be how people usually describe what they hear. I am curious for your comments, as I went to listen with the clear conviction that I would buy the Oladra. And I had (and have) problems why I did not hear what other people are hearing and what may cause my experience. I am now also doubtful to go on the update path.

I am the happy owner of a K50 (mark1) and following all positive reviews of the Oladra everywhere, I decided to have a 1 on 1 comparison with the K50 at the importer, expecting to be sold at the spot. Or the leave the K50 for an upgrade. But that did not happen.

Yes, I heard more detail and more distinct detail due to the overall very quiet background of the Oladra. And its soundstage was broader than that of the K50. And on technically perfect recordings, like the bass intro of Nils Lofgren live, the bass sounded more like a real bass on the Oladra, more natural and it was easy to conclude that the Oladra was the technically superior streamer.

But than I started to listen to the music I normally listen to. In when poets dreamed of angels (David Sylvian) all elements of the recording were presented more individually and more distinct on the Oladra, but I lacked the coherence which turns the various elements into music. The K50 on comparison brought a certain “energy” - I do not know how to describe it - which pulled the various elements together, creating a certain ambiance, which was in the end perhaps less detailed, less relaxed, less broad in its projection, but far more emotionally engaging to my ears. The voice of David Sylvian had that dark timbre again which I always loved so much. The same happened when I listed to War Baby (Tom Robinson twee meter sessies): his voice sounded far more desperate on the K50 than on the Oladra, giving this song its uniqueness. Ella on Round Midnight had that velvety layer attached to her voice which I missed on the Oladra. Same with the bite of Billie Holiday’s voice. This may be artifacts or a result of the power supplies, but the K50 created a certain energy, an ambiance, give it a name, which I felt lacking in the Oladra.

For me the most convincing thing was when I listed to Dark necessities (RHCP) and Smoke on the water live (Deep Purple). The Oladra presented these songs with detail, but it simply lacked oombh. It lacked punch. It lacked ambiance. Yes, I could hear the voice of Ian Gillan better on the Oladra, but the music did not grab me at all. Switching back to the K50, the energy in the music was back again and I was again taken by the music.

It remain obviously personal references, but for me it was clear that a technically superior apparatus does not mean that the end result is more enjoyable music to my ears. Nice to hear how a song is being recorded in all its detail, but I prefer to hear how it was meant to sound as a song. I remember the same feeling when I compared Naim to Linn ages ago.

So I am glad that I gave the Oladra - thanks to my wonderful importer - an extensive listening session and I am also glad that I this time did not automatically jump on the “this must be better, I need one” bandwagon. Listen to the music you normally listen to and let your belly speak I would say.

The K50 remains a wonderful apparatus to me and I am now doubtful to go on the upgrade path as I do not know what the various upgrades will do what with its sound.

 

[matthias]

@OLADRA
After the upgrade what are exactly the differences between the new Oladra and the new K50?
Is the 10k price difference mostly the very nice casework?
Thx

Matt

 

[kennyb123]

After the upgrade what are exactly the differences between the new Oladra and the new K50?
Is the 10k price difference mostly the very nice casework?

The Oladra has different internals. The server board is superior and I’d imagine the power supplies are too. I’m guessing Antipodes will respond with more specifics.

What ultimately matters though is the sound quality. The following was posted on the Antipodes support forum by Mark Jenkins:

Until you hear an Oladra, you do not realise that the K Series has a sense of strain and constriction. The Oladra diminishes that by a very large margin. The music flows more freely and thereby the music communicates significantly more. If you are a music lover, this is incredibly important, and it directly addresses an area that has been a major weakness of digital audio. Let’s call that change more ‘ease’.

The other notable difference is that the Oladra reveals significantly more detail, particularly in the high treble and the deep bass, so it simply communicates more of everything in a way that makes it more engaging than a K50. The detail in the deep bass is particularly impactful on musical enjoyment. Let’s call that more ‘detail’.

The big difference in sound quality from upgrading the K50 is that is gets the kind of ‘ease’ that the original Oladra gets. This transforms the K50. It becomes a whole new experience.
But, the upgraded K50 does NOT get the level of ‘detail’ that the original Oladra gets. It does get noticeably more ‘detail’ than before, and the detail is presented in a more natural way. By that I mean that the greater detail is not because anything is hyped, it is just there.

The rest of his post can be found here.

 

[matthias]

The rest of his post can be found here.

Thanks for the link. Very interesting to read about the new USB tech, it appears to me being somewhat different to the Taiko approach.

Matt

 

[kennyb123]

Thanks for the link. Very interesting to read about the new USB tech, it appears to me being somewhat different to the Taiko approach.

Matt

USB is the only choice for me given that I upscale to 16FS with PGGB. I was very happy to hear of the USB upgrade.

I do think Taiko is taking things to a much more extreme level with their upcoming new digital interface. It remains to be seen as to how well that’s supported on the DAC side.

 

[matthias]

I do think Taiko is taking things to a much more extreme level with their upcoming new digital interface.

The Antipodes USB solution seems not to be PCIe based, can you shed some light on this?
Thx

Matt

 

[kennyb123]

The Antipodes USB solution seems not to be PCIe based, can you shed some light on this?
Thx

Matt

I’ll have to leave that for @OLADRA to answer. Great question.