mikemercer

The 7-inch pressing of Kid A sounds terrific. And you can get Tomorrow's Modern Boxes in FLAC - 44.1/24 - that's what I used to review the record for PFO and it sounds terrific. Just got the vinyl so I'm not sure how that sounds yet. I agree on the 24-bit King of Limbs release - sounds damn good. Radiohead released most of their studio albums in 44.1/24 a year or so ago briefly via their fan network. I don't remember how to sign up honestly - I signed up many years ago when I was at Atlantic Records and they used to share new tracks over AOL Instant Messenger!! But I'll back-track to see if I can post here about how to get on the list for the higher rez stuff.

GREAT job Brian. As always. Good to know we're both LOVIN the D3! I think it's Audioengine's greatest sonic achievement thus far. and YES!! @NOMBEDES maybe we can start to forget about those 10K DACs!!

I LOVE my RxMK3-B!! Gave it a Writers Choice Award last year in Positive Feedback. I couldn't agree with you more! I didn't think they could step it up from there, but The International is amazing! I do reach for my RxMK3-B often in the Sonic Satori Personal Audio Lab though! Great piece Brian

Chris! I was using my ALO RxMK3-B w/ the AK100 - KILLER combo. Now I'm using the ALO International - which is yet another step forward! Plus - it stacks beautifuly on the International. ALO International + AK100 - is now my portable reference of choice (still love my iPod Classic - but...). This combo just takes OFF w/ either Audeze LCD3's - or, JH Audio JH-13 Pro Freqphase IEMS. WOW Can't wait to hear your thoughts brotha

Great coverage. I just got my AK100 player for review, and loved it so much I just bought it. However, I do agree about the SDXD slot - its tough thinking I could have 2TB of storage! But, the user experience makes up for any of those oversights thus far, for me...

I thought it sounded terrific when my buddy Alex played it for me at CES (almost took it off this year - but a friend convinced me to take the new Mini on a Hunter. S Thompson journey Fri night) - sorry I missed you Chris!!! GREAT review as Always!! I'm psyched to get mine for review! Can't wait. Peace, Michael

I can't say more now, but my buddy Craig Kallman from Atlantic/Warner has been working w/ Neil for a long time on this. Admittedly, there's alot I think they may have gotten wrong - but his intentions are great. With Sony, Warner and possibly another big name (they're still negotiating) they could have approached Apple and finally got them to move on hi-rez support throughout the line. Craig made the right choice in going to Meridian - but who's going to want to put that thing in their pocket?? I'm afraid this will be screwed up like DVD-A (and I was at Atlantic/Warner when that got screwed up). They're making a product for computer audiophiles, but they didn't speak/consult with any. I wish I could have been involved, I would have asked for Chris's involvement, and Judes! I mean, they didn't even look at the high end personal audio market. You can't stack that Toblerone player on any flat headphone amp/DACs!!!! Well, it would be even more geeky than our portable pancakes are now!!

Chris - you ROCK! Just got a new 15" MacBook Pro Retina w/ SSD and was looking for something like this!! YES

I LOVE Amarra Hifi (and I have the full suite too). I think it's important to be able to show the average consumer electronics customer (who's using iTunes) how to enhance their existing playback system. I also use iTunes (w/ Amarra, and without occasionally) as it represents what many of the not-yet-converted are using, and I'm on a mission to spread great sound!!

BRAVO to Chris here! You're still killing it my friend. I've been rockin' the D2 for many months - and with it's closed Wifi network, I've NEVER heard this kind of definition from a 24-bit DAC before! Currently I use it to send the digital to my office system (where I take advantage of it's toslink output, and hook it up to my CEntrance DACmini PX). MOG NEVER sounded better!! I also use its own analog outputs as well. The guys at AE are great people, and the products are also great.

I wish I could offer a clue on the prototype device - but hopefully soon he'll be making it, and get one to Chris for review!!

Wow, You learned alot about me from Google (Jesus, really??). Why not just ask me? If you did I would have told you whatever you want to know. Chris also knows me, knows I pull no punches and one of the things I'm known for is my word and my dedication to helping Hifi grow - which I've been doing since I started at TAS when I was a teenager - and then being lucky enough to work for Arif Mardin at Atlantic Records - so I've learned from great men and I WOULD NEVER DISHONOR THEIR MEMORY by being dishonest! Do I run alot of Nordost cables? YES! I've known Joe Reynolds and the team at Nordost since 1996. They are friends. I'm not ashamed to admit that. I also run Black Cat Cables, Jorma, Furutech, Locus Design, Transparent, and a few other cables. I think other cables are better for certain things, but Nordost is my reference. i'm sorry I don't list all my cables all the time. I'm constantly changing them! and as for "he's close enough to the company to have been their setup man for a show." = YES! I was, I had just been through an accident where I broke six bones, and my wife and I had no health insurance at the time. It was a very low time for us (thanks for bringing that memory back btw) and Joe reached out and let me help as a favor, as a friend! He gave me the boost I needed, and I love him for that. Holy S___t! That's terrible isn't it? Get this: High end audio is a small family, but a global one. It's like the underground dance community (of which I've been a proud member of that tribe since Brooklyn S.T.O.R.M raves of the early 90's) - many of us know each other. It's the way it is. I've also , btw, since had my dear friend implement further upgrades to the AppleTV (like ones suggested here) and they helped with the sonic integrity even further! I would neve pretend to know how to do that myself. and they do far more indeed! no argument here I make no apology for saying what I did about the cable having an impact on the sound in that article. I heard it, and my wife remarked on the change in sound (she's my acid test sometimes, as she has GREAT ears) without ANY solicitation from me! That's how I see sometimes if I'm just imagining it - or if somebody else hears something too. Anway - you don't have to do the silly cyber bulls__t with me. Just ask me! If I don't respond for awhile, or not at all, I assure you it's not because I'm avoiding you. It's because I'm still busy trying to help this industry grow (like what I did w/ this woman on a plane, turning her onto the idea of headphone amps after she asked me about mine - like I mention in my recent Sonic Satori column in The Daily Swarm!! ) or when I spend time responding to readers emails, or the work I do in my 9-5. Here's that link: http://www.thedailyswarm.com/swarm/sonic-satori-turning-personal-audio-hi-fi-experience/ I'm dedicated to this because I love it with everything I have. I'm addicted to music and sound. I walk tall, and I walk proud - and I'm HONORED to have built many long-lasting relationships and friendships in this business. It warms my heart that a friend was there when I needed help (as I never asked for anything before - assumptions are just that btw). Sincerely, Michael Mercer

YUP!! I was working at Atlantic Records for Arif Mardin (producer - fellow music addicts know about this GREAT mans work - f__k I miss his wisdom) when Napster launched. Then, I was still around when Lars Ulrich and Metallica and Chuck D made it a HUGE legal battle. I decided to watch the SoundScan numbers of Metallica albums (its the database system for which record sales are tallied within the music business - and its numbers dictate what goes Gold or Platinum, etc.). I watched their sales actually go UP as file-sharing took off. NOW - this is JUST ME. and I'm in NO WAY REPRESENTING ANY OPINIONS OF ANY CURRENT EMPLOYEES OF ATLANTIC, OR FORMER EMPLOYEES) but I think people were getting samples of their music (tracks) and, when they really loved it, went out to buy the records. I mean, did the cassette tape destroy the industry (how many of us made our favorite mixed tapes for girlfriends off the radio or a CD, or even vinyl to look cool, and sound good of course)???? Bottom line: They (the majors) dropped the ball when digital downloading and file-sharing exploded. As opposed to innovating within it, and figuring out a way to monetize it - Steve Jobs came in and schwacked em across the grill!! Jusy my 2 cents

Right on! Thanks for that input. I've used the prototype device on my Sonos ZP-90 player - and it makes a HUGE difference across the frequency spectrum (not just in dynamics and soundstaging, things like this - but timbre). I think its VERY smart that Sonos provide the digital outputs on their players

Thanks for sharing my article! A friend just found it here. And - I have tried it (Mac mini vs. using the AppleTV that way) - IMO - as system synergy is EVERYTHING, and we all have different systems, I found the AppleTV/DAC combo to be the best. I've also got this prototype device (like a Sonicweld Diverter) that takes the optical output of my AppleTV, handles jitter, and gives me an SPDIF output from the device!! I'm loving it so far. Question: And I'm asking on the manufacturers part - Do you think there would be a market for this device (built for the AppleTV)??