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mpaulson2001

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  1. Glad you were able to isolate your issue with Amarra skipping. How do you like the sound of 2.3.3?
  2. mpaulson2001

    Amarra 2.3

    Graeme, make sure spotlight is disabled in Lion. I had horribly sluggish performance with Amarra 2.3.3 until I realized I had re-enabled Spotlight to use the App Store. You may also want to reduce you memory allocated to cache from 4gb to 2gb. Good luck.
  3. mpaulson2001

    Amarra 2.3

    A couple of comments: 1. Playlist Mode - on my system BEST SOUND of any computer playback software. This includes current versions of Pure Music, BitPerfect, and Audirvana. Playlist mode supports Gapless Playback. In practical reality this mode requires a full computer system or a headless system with VNC. If you want the best sound and have the hardware, this is the software to get. 2. Amarra Mode - works with Apple Remote App and sounds to my ears still better than the other players mentioned above. The SQ is not as good as playback mode which squeezes the last bit of sq goodness from Amarra. This mode works great with the Apple Remote App. Does not support gapless playback. I am using a setup with a second computer that allows me to use Playlist mode with VNC. Hopefully version 2.4 can focus on filling the gap of using the Apple Remote app to control Amarra Playlist mode. I too was a beta test user and the "Playlist Follows Itunes" functionality was so f**d up that Sonic wisely removed this function until it can work properly. I am sometimes surprised by the negative responses posted about Amarra. Other players may function better or have a more seamless interface with Itunes and/or gapless playback but I do not think any others sound as good. Amarra may never be all things to all people. But some audiophiles don't mind fussing with tube rolling/tweaking/speaker placement/etc. to get the best possible sound. In this context, Amarra Mini as a component is much less costly than what many audiophiles would spend on interconnects and will likely have a far more significant benefit. Posted by a satisfied audiophile who uses Amarra.
  4. As odd as it may seem, I seem to get the best performance overall using Amarra with my 8gb Mac Mini with the cache set to 512mb. I played 2.3.2 yesterday for about 6 hours straight as background music while I worked on a slide presentation (on another computer by the way) and no hiccups. I also noticed a post yesterday that said 2.3.2 does not sound as good as 2.3.1 and critically compared. 2.3.1 did sound better for some crazy reason but 2.3.2 eliminated most of the track starting problems. Sonic Studios has to know they have the best sounding player on the market - let's hope they can get it right. PS - you will be glad you upgraded your memory.
  5. mpaulson2001

    Amarra 2.3

    I found a site that has it posted: http://mac.softpedia.com/get/Audio/Amarra.shtml Get it while it lasts.
  6. mpaulson2001

    Amarra 2.3

    Avi, I think you are correct. I reinstalled 2.3.1 and it does sound better. Very subtle change but depth, soundstage, texture all seem better with 2.3.1. I'm glad I kept the download copy. By the way, I downloaded right over the top of 2.3.2 without deleting preferences and no request for authentication. Maybe this is the ultimate upgrade. Reinstall 2.3.1 over 2.3.2. Agreed that there are some goofy problems going on that hopefully Sonic Studios can fix without adversely affecting the sound. Good catch and glad I compared.
  7. mpaulson2001

    Amarra 2.3

    Seems to have cured the stutter problem when starting a playlist. Appreciate the tutorial video which is above and beyond the norm. More videos would be appreciated (by at least me). I would appreciate a better understanding of the difference between "Use Itunes to Control Playlist" and "Add Tracks from Playlist". I am very happy overall with this release (especially the sound and the UI) and not sure why there is such a negative reaction overall on this thread. I am an audiophile first and foremost and simply use a computer to play digital music through my stereo. I think this version of Amarra has set the sonic bar very high for which Sonic Studios should be rightfully proud. I am elated with the sound and I guess fortunate to not have as many problems as other users. This is likely due to the manner in which I use Amarra. I use a headless mac mini and operate Amarra via Jolly Fast VNC hardwired from another computer in the back of my listening room. The VNC connection is very quick and does not seem to effect the sound. I have followed all of the other Amarra/Pure Music optimization suggestions such as disabling spotlight etc. I use a renice script to start Amarra and Itunes. I use a firewire external HD music library and a USB dac interface (Halide Bridge). I do not use the Mac Mini for anything function when I am critically listening. All of this effort and tweaks have made a difference and a significant improvement in my listening experience. I do appreciate the feedback from this forum both positive and critical. However, this is one damn fine sounding piece of software and by telling others not to buy it or support Sonic Studios is depriving yourself and others of what now appears to be the audio gold standard to which other developers should be judged. "Solas Sonus"
  8. mpaulson2001

    Amarra 2.3

    Don't you already own a MacBook? You can already control the playlist. Just have to get up and walk to it.
  9. mpaulson2001

    Amarra 2.3

    Maybe Amarra will hire us to help explain how their own software works! Good Listening.
  10. mpaulson2001

    Amarra 2.3

    Apple Remote would not work as I described but you can always access the computer via VNC. This is what I am using with an Imac from the back of my listening room. VNC on an Iphone is not so much fun but an IPad would probably work great. I think Playlist mode is pretty much limited to direct keyboard access or VNC. However, the standard Amarra/Itunes mode also sounds very very good. I played in this mode for 7 hours today as background music in shuffle mode through my entire library and didn't have any problems. I am using cache mode but set at only at 512mb and I do have 8mb of ram in my mac mini. I am thinking that some of the UI problems reported are more related to poor documentation on some of the features. Once some of the major bugs are eliminated, Amarra may want to think about creating some tutorials to eliminate some of the confusion. I am trying to look at the positive side of this whole thing, I have been doing crazy stereo stuff for the last 30+ years and have done far more effort playing an LP on my LP12 than clicking a couple of buttons in sequence. 1. Select album or tracks in Itunes 2. Select "Use Itunes to Control Playlist" icon in Amarra 3. Get ready for a possible burp or two when starting 4. Deselect "Use Itunes to Control Playlist" icon 5. Select "Clear Playlist" from Playlist Menu 6. Go back to #1 The sound is so good (at least to my ears) that this seems like a pretty small price to pay. I may be in the minority, but using Amarra like this and in my system, I actually like the UI. Best Wishes
  11. mpaulson2001

    Amarra 2.3

    Richard, I think you have the single most beneficial post on this entire thread. Thank You! I initially made the mistake of selecting a single track from an album and thought Amarra would play the rest of the album in consecutive order if I also selected "Load consecutive tracks from Artist". I also found if I just simply select the entire album or highlight individual tracks it will play in perfect order just as you have described. I now use the "Use Itunes to Control Playlist" more as a toggle and am perfectly fine with that. I do get an occasional stutter when starting just like everyone else. I have not restarted Amarra for the last two days and have no other problems as described. I do have a headless Mac Mini and only use it for media.
  12. mpaulson2001

    Amarra 2.3

    Amarra 2.3 has given me "the best digital replay I have ever heard from my system".
  13. mpaulson2001

    Amarra 2.3

    Richard, I agree with your take on 2.3. I am using playlist mode using the "Itunes to control Playlist" button rather than loading files into the playlist window. This seems to be a much cleaner and easier way to use playlist mode than 2.2's horrible UI. I have done a little comparison with Pure Music 1.8. It seems Sonic Studios has really paid attention to the feedback from this site. It still retains the "analog" sound that has long been a trademark of Amarra but the soundstage, ambience, and detail on my meager system is vastly improved over 2.2. I also feel as if PRAT has also been improved. I'm anxious for other users with better resolving systems to post some feedback because I think this may be a very special product. Very happy at the moment and having fun enjoying the music.
  14. mpaulson2001

    Amarra 2.3

    Sonic responded very quickly to my problem via a phone call and remote access to my mac mini. Problem is apparently very similar to 2.2 permission problem. It was fixed so quickly I'm not quite sure about everything that was done but they said they are posting the fix at this site. Very quick response and excellent customer service. Look for the post from Sonic Studios. PS - quick listen b4 bed - seems to sound very very good. Also seems to be a big improvement with imaging and ambience compared with 2.2. Don't give up on this release because of a stupid installation glitch.
  15. mpaulson2001

    Amarra 2.3

    Ditto here with activating. I checked softworkz and no 2.3 licensing info for me. Maybe they are a little behind schedule adding licensing info?
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