Ken Eis

I have Revel Studio speakers, the Ayre monoblocks, Ayre K5x pre and both the Ayre DSD (QB-9) and Codex DACs.

I find the ultraRendu vs sms 200 Ultra review situation frustrating like many others. One problem is how do reviewers keep up? Now the Neo version is out and in a few months it will be the opticalRendu. The only reveiw even close is the Sonore Statement vs the sotom triple set...and I'm not really interested in this level and why not through in a $3000 clock. Its endless. All my old go to publications like Stereophyle review last years model or just a bunch of $10K plus analague components. Additionally all the stereo stores in the Denver area are going vignal again and none of them have either of there brands to audition so I'm guying blind.

I am on the fence about buying an UltraRendu now or waiting for the optical. Will the ultra have an upgrade path to the optical? You will still need an external PS right?

I had the same problem. You never mentioned what software you are using to play music. When I used iTunes or JRiver I constantly had floating system problems. When I went to Roon everything was as I wanted.

This is a subject I know nothing about. Hear a speaker at the Denver Audio Fest talk about buying ethernet to optical to ethernet systems for a filter. The total costs were quoted around $100. I cant remember the brand but he indicated there were many and brand didn't matter. His pitch was the internet, routers etc have heaps of rf and other electron garbage that should be shielded from your music. So he recommended putting one of there optical isolators between your ethernet inputs on your computer/nas etc and your hi fi. I think the new optical Renue is a more expensive version of this. I'd love to hear if anyone uses such filters and what brand/models work.

Another question. My wife had a PhD and is a smart cookie. But I see here just using Napster to play music because she finds most apps like JRiver too messy and complicated. We computer audiophiles love to explore new DSD files and get off on complicated codexes and file managment. My wife on the other hand is a classical pianist and want to listen to our library of music without being hindered by too-feature rich GUIs. iTunes is OK but no Hi Res, JRiver is brital and I have to go down deep rabit wholes every time I introduce a new DSD format or a new DAC. She has NO patience for our insanity.

ITunes has lots of add ons like Bitperfect to play DSD files. That's good but I still have a problem since iTunes doesn't display these files. Is there a way to have iTunes include dsf and dff files in its Library? If I can't see these files when broosing in music it basically lost to my ear. BTW I have no problem with jRiver showing these files. I tried Vox and it plays the files fine but again it uses the iTunes library so DSD files are not displayed (but I can make a separate play list where the tracks show, but not the albums.

Not its not a loudness issue. I hear plenty of boom an bang and background music. The question is how do I discriminate the dialoge for the other sounds. I have a very good stereo (2.0 channels) and have no desire to add a video receiver to get 5.1. All I want is some devise to extract the center channel dialog and feed it to a center channel speaker while my stereo takes on all the non dialog stuff. I'm looking at a Polk Audio sound bar that is supposed to do this.

I appogize for a video/sound question but it might be on general interest for those who are concerned about sound associated with video. Here is my problem. I have a wife who is hearing impared. I just hit 70 so am losing some hearing also. Neither of us can follow the dialoge on many programs. I have a wonderful stereo (Ayre mostly with Revel speakers) but its totally 2 channel. I am not interested in overlaying another set of speakers and a 5.1 receiver. The solution I am looking for is probably a sound bar with 5.1 channel control where I can accentuate the center (dialoge) channel. So far I can't find one. Any other solutions short of an entire 5.1 sound system?

Yes I love Audio Alternative. They have Audeze which I've auditioned but didn't like. No other options. I've given them a lot of business but headphones seems to be out of most high end stores around here. Cresendo seems the best. They are getting in Mr Speakers Ethers in a few weeks. I can hardly wait.

I live in the Denver area. I have three hi end stores and between them they carry HD800, Nighthawks, and Audeze and that's all. I'd love to hear or buy locally the HiFiMan 560, Mr Speaker Ether and the Oppos. Most Denver stores don't carry headphones at all. I'm reluctant to spend more then $1000 on something I've never even heard. There threads are full of audiophiles talking up these brands. Do you all live in NYC?

I'm trying to make J River 21 (PC) play with my Ayre QB9 DSD. No matter what I play the QB9 displays 192. The default format in the Windows 7 Sound/Advanced under QB9 is set to 192/24 so that might be the problem. The question is what should it or J River be set to to have the QB9 reflect to actual bit rate of the files. It doesn't matter if I'm playing AIFF, DSD, wave, all with bit rates from 512 to 9600 the QB9 never changes. I'm also wondering what I need to set to get my dfd files to be recognized as DSD bitstream?

I'm thinking of purchasing a Melco server in the next few months but just had a thought. I currently EQ music via J River and with the Melco, or other servers, you don't go through a computer with J River so is there a way to apply EQ in the realtime runstream? I don't want to record it into files since the EQ is just for headphone listening. I just purchased a Ayre Codex so don't have a option of a headphone amp with EQ. The best solution world be software running inside the Melco runstream.