New Amarra 4

[mneveux]

4 hours ago, Data said:

I Just don't get it why ammara or dirvana do not bring out a simular version of there own audio engine, basicly that would be the best way to go about it if you ask me when playing music on the mac .

 

Sonic Studio does have their sound engine in a stand alone product that work with iTunes and all other Mac audio sources. For me, using Amarra's sQ+ along with iTunes gives me the best sound and the best library management. sQ+ does not have all the bugs and problems of A4 and A4 Luxe. I use XLD to rip CD's directly to ALAC format and then use Metadatics to update all the metadata. I have tried every available Mac player and service and this combination provides the best sound and ease of use for me. Fidelia comes in at #2 in terms of SQ.

 

 

[DancingSea]

19 minutes ago, ddalmas said:

please help me my dancing friend and describe more detailed as you can what are youre impressions for saying that there is such a gap between A4 and BP ! I would not want that my ears are so damaged not to hear such glamorous differences you say there are!! 

yes A4 is still superior but in my advice not so much

 

For me, BitPerfect sounds about like iTunes. Sound is thin, at times shrill.  I'm allergic to harsh highs.  Soundstage is also a bit narrow.  Granted, before I found CA a year ago, iTunes is all I listened to in the post cd era, and was quite satisfied. 

 

A4 is very rich and full. Vinyl like. A nice balance between detail and musicality.  It feels "right", and organic.  Just wish it weren't such a mess. 

[DancingSea]

8 minutes ago, mneveux said:

 

 

According to Sonic Studios, the A3 and Amarra SQ sound engine is not the same as the A4 engine, which is the next step forward. 

[mneveux]

5 minutes ago, DancingSea said:

 

According to Sonic Studios, the A3 and Amarra SQ sound engine is not the same as the A4 engine, which is the next step forward. 

For me, sQ+ is much better sounding than A4L...SQ is a very subjective thing though.

[ddalmas]

To wish that we are both us 2! but it isn't so!Same for me iTunes seemed ok at the time. But do you really BP believe  sounds so shrilly on hi freq?I've found it removes that of iTunes hi freq bothering shrill,and iTunes we know it has a lot, but also removes that very annoying out of phase listening sensation of iTunes...carring it all at a decent status.....this does not mean that i say that it sounds like A4 obviously, but that it has quite surprised me ...and that can be used to play from iTunes something decent an possible to be heard

ciaociao and thks

[Data]

21 minutes ago, mneveux said:

 

 

 

Thanks for the info mneveux , i plan to go and try all of them so also your setup   , and i agree SQ is a very subjective thing :).

 

It might take some time before that is dan of course .

[foodfiend]

I think all is a process of exposure and education. How do you know how good wine is supposed to taste (and can taste), if all you have tasted is the wine that comes out of a box?

[DancingSea]

FYI, Wave Arts is having a 40% off sale for their tube plugins, lasts all month, I just an email.   Here is the coupon code....  CPN02425857065

[Data]

TY Dancingsea , if that was for me ,lol :).

[DancingSea]

6 hours ago, Data said:

TY Dancingsea , if that was for me ,lol :).

 

It was a post for the greater population, which includes, but is not exclusive to you

 

If you review our nearly year long Amarra 4 discussion - covering 800+ posts - there was a recent period in which we explored using Audirvana Plus as an alternative to A4, yet attempting to achieve a similar A4 sound in A+.  That discussion included various tube simulation plugins for A+.  One of the most liked were the ones created by Wave Arts, but they are expensive.  The one we experimented with cost $99.  Hence the posting of the 40% coupon....

[Data]

Great TY and yes ihave read through the whole threat :).

[Data]

To make it easy on myself, wich plugin is it that sounded good to most here ?

 

[DancingSea]

3 hours ago, Data said:

To make it easy on myself, wich plugin is it that sounded good to most here ?

 

 

http://www.pspaudioware.com/plugins/equalizers/psp_preqursor2/

 

http://wavearts.com/products/  (both the free tube saturator, and the one that costs $99, but on sale for 40% off, I just use the free one...)

[Data]

Great ,Thank you.

[Data]

The plugins only work with A+ and amara right , not with bit perfect .

[DancingSea]

58 minutes ago, Data said:

The plugins only work with A+ and amara right , not with bit perfect .

 

Only audirvana or Fidelia. Not Amarra, but not sure about bitperfect 

[Data]

ok ty

[Lio_B]

3 hours ago, DancingSea said:

 

Only audirvana or Fidelia. Not Amarra, but not sure about bitperfect 

Plugins also work with Pure Music

[Data]

Good to know :).

[DancingSea]

This is such a peculiar hobby.  Part science, part voodoo.

 

So I recently purchased some new AudioQuest MacKenzie XLR's which have now had a few weeks to break in.

 

Tiring of my Amarra 4 Luxe coping dance, I revisited Audirvana Plus 2.6.8 with the free Wave Arts Tube Saturator/ EQ.

 

Set the cutoff slope to 20 and pre-ringing at 0.7.  Did not use direct mode.

 

Anyway, this whole arrangement sounds pretty darn good.  Can use the Wave Arts plugin to adjust tone with 3 easy knobs (bass, mids, high) - as well as adjust the amount of tube-ness.

 

All of this in iTunes integrated mode worked, and sounded great.  All my ratings and playlists are there, easy breezy.  I'm finding A+ to be a tad more detailed than A4, with a wider soundstage.  Not massively wider, but a tad.  The tube saturator is doing a good job of taming the previously jagged edges of A+.

 

Was it the new cables?  Who knows!  But I've tried A+ many many times, I never quite fell in with it.  Going to give it a ride for the foreseeable future.... 

 

[Data]

Thanks for the feedback , i'm doing some work on my house and car at the moment so the audio part is on hold for a couple of weeks , so is my wallet so no 40% off the plugin unfortunatly, but i will first play around with the free one and if i realy like it i''l just buy it later :).

[quark]

Hi,

I've been using Amarra Luxe in browser mode for quite awhile now,  I haven't had any playback issues for ages. 

 However this morning all of a sudden everytime I try and play a track Amarra suddenly crashes. 

does anybody else have this problem, anybody been able to resolve this hopefully without deleting all my playlists that I've spent ages creating? 

Thanks 

[ddalmas]

yes i have a definitive  solution!....simply ....don't use Amarra 4 

[quark]

9 minutes ago, ddalmas said:

yes i have a definitive  solution!....simply ....don't use Amarra 4 

Yep

[quark]

53 minutes ago, quark said:

Hi,

I've been using Amarra Luxe in browser mode for quite awhile now,  I haven't had any playback issues for ages. 

 However this morning all of a sudden everytime I try and play a track Amarra suddenly crashes. 

does anybody else have this problem, anybody been able to resolve this hopefully without deleting all my playlists that I've spent ages creating? 

Thanks 

Inexplicably fixed it.

i uninstalled and reinstalled but still crashed.

Disconnected DAC but still crashed.

switched off every setting but still crashed.

But then I clicked on "manage license", clicked "ok" in the window that opened and inexplicably amarra Luxe works again?

WTF?