Lampizator Komputer vs. Aurender N10

[Blizzard]

Me too,this is one of reasons I bought Aurender W20

How does the sound compare with the La Fontaine?

 

[marslo]

Aurender is only server / transport of files, La Fontaine can be used both as usb DAC or cd/sacd player. In my setup and for my ears files - especially qood quality hires - outperform cd/sacd by a significant margin , sacd having the edge over redbook in classical music.

 

[Blizzard]

Aurender is only server / transport of files, La Fontaine can be used both as usb DAC or cd/sacd player. In my setup and for my ears files - especially qood quality hires - outperform cd/sacd by a significant margin , sacd having the edge over redbook in classical music.

What I mean is if the same track is compared between from Aurender and SACD/CD on La Fontaine.

 

[marslo]

Still prefer files, the sound is cristal clear , more sharp which is the result of darker background.

 

[Blizzard]

Still prefer files, the sound is cristal clear , more sharp which is the result of darker background.

Ahh ok. So the Aurender as a transport outpreforms the La Fontaine as a transport. Too bad you couldn't compare with the SDtrans384 with DSD128/256 files.

 

[Brian Walsh]

Anyone looking for a La Fontaine (black) can contact me.

 

[wisnon]

Hi Andrew,

Thanks for your post! I read the Stereophile review on the Antipodes DX and it sounds pretty impressive for a music server. I like the fact that you have an option to have entirely solid state memory in the unit. I do not want spinning discs for a hard drive and it surprises me that Aurender still uses them in all their units. It's icing on the cake if someone is saying they prefer the Antipodes DX to the Aurender W20. If I go the music server route, the Antipodes DX would most likely be my first choice.

For computers, the possible options I'm interested in are the Lampizator Komputer, Core Audio Technology modified Mac Mini and the Uptone modified Mac Mini. With the positive feedback from Mike on his Caps computer (essentially the same as the Lampi Komputer), the Lampi is definitely right at the top of my wish list. I corresponded with Caelin Gabriel of Shunyata Research and he said he's very happy with his Core Audio Technology modified Mac Mini. I have another friend who is currently in the process of getting the Uptone modified Mac Mini so we'll have to see how he likes it.

It's nice to have choices!

Best,
Ken

If you get a Core Audio Tech. (Mac - Core Audio engine) or Linux computer...you are essentially limited to DSD128. Only Exasound has a Mac driver (Steinberg based) for DSD256. Everything else is PC (Asio) for higher rate DSD. Pity, as I too use Mac almost exclusively at home and would have loved to have the same flexibility as Windows. In addion, PCs are cheaper for "Gucci" parts than Mac which is a relatively closed system.

 

[Alpinist]

If you get a Core Audio Tech. (Mac - Core Audio engine) or Linux computer...you are essentially limited to DSD128. Only Exasound has a Mac driver (Steinberg based) for DSD256. Everything else is PC (Asio) for higher rate DSD. Pity, as I too use Mac almost exclusively at home and would have loved to have the same flexibility as Windows. In addion, PCs are cheaper for "Gucci" parts than Mac which is a relatively closed system.

Hi Norman,

Thanks for that information/explanation!

Best,
Ken

 

[andrew_stenhouse]

I am fairly sure Vortexbox, which is a version of Linux Fedora 16, (eg Antipodes) supports 32bit/384KHz and DSD256 audio playback, thanks to Jesus of Sonore.

It does so over DoP. Usefully it also (optionally) converts DSD to PCM if you have a PCM dac. I have found that my .dsf 64fs files convert to 24/172 if I use the internal dac in my Gato. To my ears, I find the Loki better with DSD, however.

 

[wisnon]

it may be downsampling tp dsd128 for playback.

 

[andrew_stenhouse]

it may be downsampling tp dsd128 for playback.

I'm guessing the important word there is "may". - not meaning to be inflammatory of course.

 

[wisnon]

Andrew, that is why I use "may". Not 100% sure how the Vortexbox manages high rate DSD, native or downsampling.

To do 256 on Linux you need a Driver to bypass the default Linux audio engine (like Core Audio in mac). I know of none so far, and as Linux is open source, there is no real incentives for volunteers to develop this. So unless there is something I am missing, its likely a downsampling thing.

BTW, this is why the SoTM SMS-100 is limited to DSD128...LINUX!

 

[andrew_stenhouse]

Well that makes perfect sense. Thanks.

 

[wisnon]

Unfortunately, PCs are effectively the only game in town for 256 and above...except for one current exception in Mac, but there you are limited to using ONLY the Exasound Dac (which has its own proprietary driver (based on Steinberg) which bypasses Core Audio). So even though Exa is reportedly a very good Dac, unless you have that...then Mac is not a good option either.

Streamers have their own developed playback engines (like the Sonore Sig Rendu, so I think they can break the barrier), but you are stuck with their playback engine.

 

[caesar]

Thanks Audiocrack and Mike for your feedback! The deeper I dig, the more attractive the Lampi Komputer is becoming. I currently run a stock Mac Mini but I'm looking to get more performance and still retain flexibility. I just took delivery on an Esoteric K-01X yesterday and I'm really enjoying it in my system. I'd love to hear DSD 256 through the Lampi GG, it must be amazing. At some point in the future, I'm hoping to add a Lampi GG to my all solid-state system as an alternative to vinyl.

Best,
Ken

Hi Alpinist,

Congrats on the K01X!!! Any thoughts on K01 vs. K01x? Also, do you have an external clock? If not, adding it is a HUGE upgrade, almost as good as getting a new DAC up the chain.

Also, the better alternative to vinyl is high resolution digitized vinyl. When done well (or professionally), you get all benefits of digital and vinyl! But it's much more quiet due to elimination of stylus microphonics from the vinyl setup. In fact it's ASTOUNDING that so many folks who spend over $50K+ on speakers and listen to all that vinyl micro-phonic NOISE through their high fidelity system.

 

[wisnon]

Hi Alpinist,

Congrats on the K01X!!! Any thoughts on K01 vs. K01x? Also, do you have an external clock? If not, adding it is a HUGE upgrade, almost as good as getting a new DAC up the chain.

Also, the better alternative to vinyl is high resolution digitized vinyl. When done well (or professionally), you get all benefits of digital and vinyl! But it's much more quiet due to elimination of stylus microphonics from the vinyl setup. In fact it's ASTOUNDING that so many folks who spend over $50K+ on speakers and listen to all that vinyl micro-phonic NOISE through their high fidelity system.

Just take your best recorded digital file in any format, upsample to DSD256 in an AO core mode environment and feed BugHead Emperor. R2R type quality.

 

[Blizzard]

Hi Alpinist,

Congrats on the K01X!!! Any thoughts on K01 vs. K01x? Also, do you have an external clock? If not, adding it is a HUGE upgrade, almost as good as getting a new DAC up the chain.

Also, the better alternative to vinyl is high resolution digitized vinyl. When done well (or professionally), you get all benefits of digital and vinyl! But it's much more quiet due to elimination of stylus microphonics from the vinyl setup. In fact it's ASTOUNDING that so many folks who spend over $50K+ on speakers and listen to all that vinyl micro-phonic NOISE through their high fidelity system.

An even better alternative to high resolution digitized vinyl is high resolution digitized master tape. You can find several examples on websites like Acoustic sounds, HD tracks, Pono, nativedsd etc. Best part about is you don't even have to buy the gear and do it yourself!

 

[Blizzard]

Just take your best recorded digital file in any format, upsample to DSD256 in an AO core mode environment and feed BugHead Emperor. R2R type quality.

You sure have become a bughead head . I tried it out briefly. I'm just waiting for my analog volume control as I was relying on the digital one in HQ player for my new DAC. My amps are currently hardwired straight to the DAC output, so no longer have anything to plug the Mirus into.

 

[Alpinist]

Hi Alpinist,

Congrats on the K01X!!! Any thoughts on K01 vs. K01x? Also, do you have an external clock? If not, adding it is a HUGE upgrade, almost as good as getting a new DAC up the chain.

Also, the better alternative to vinyl is high resolution digitized vinyl. When done well (or professionally), you get all benefits of digital and vinyl! But it's much more quiet due to elimination of stylus microphonics from the vinyl setup. In fact it's ASTOUNDING that so many folks who spend over $50K+ on speakers and listen to all that vinyl micro-phonic NOISE through their high fidelity system.

Thanks Caesar! The K-01X provides a significantly larger soundstage while maintaining the same precise imaging, more air around instruments and vocalists, greater ease of presentation, more refinement and nuance, and a lower noise floor (the blacks are blacker). Same wonderful midrange density and bass and treble extension as the K-01.

I do not have the G-01 Master Clock but it will be the next component I purchase. I'm really looking forward to seeing what it will add to the K-01X's already great sound.

Best,
Ken

 

[wisnon]

You sure have become a bughead head . I tried it out briefly. I'm just waiting for my analog volume control as I was relying on the digital one in HQ player for my new DAC. My amps are currently hardwired straight to the DAC output, so no longer have anything to plug the Mirus into.

Blizz, all I can tell you is what I heard and it was certainly all i was lead to believe. Best thing to prepare me was that I had heard an outstanding R2R presentation a day and a half before (at the AV show- Warsaw), so I had a great frame of reference.

Get your BugHead on, posthaste!