But everyone who paid for Amarra still hears a difference...in sound stage...it's always sound stage...
Tim
While this was not an Apple/Amarra test, the soundstage issue is correct for what I heard when listening to a well done music server for the first time.
As I have stated elsewhere, a number of months ago, I was subjected to a blind test I did not know I was taking. There were four combinations I was listening too, but thought I was listening to three: Complete dCS Paganini Stack, complete dCS Scarlatti stack, my Qsonix music server into the Scarlatti DAC and (the unknown to me at the time), a Sound Science Music Vault Music Server (The Diamond) into the Scarlatti Stack. Between the three I thought I was listening to, I struggled to hear much, if any difference, but every once in a while, I would hear one of the combinations that not only had a larger sound stage but the spaces between the instruments was much more defined. I could tell every time when that combination played (though I had no idea what I was listening to). It turned out to be the Music Vault into the Scarlatti stack.
I'm not a believer in wire differences, power cord differences, nor any of the "crap" that is sold as high end audio (I have no strong feelings on this subject
). But I picked this combo out every time blind. (no, they may not have been level matched to within .000000001db -but then again they could have been). Was it a perfect blind test? Probably not. But I heard what I heard and I had no clue before the fact what I was listening to.
Thad said, the whole sound stage improvement of well done computer based music servers may be the real deal.
