Any experience with Magna Mano Ultra MkIII streamer

I haven’t heard this component either but owner feedback and word of mouth praise is very positive. Hans Beekhuyzen owns and greatly admires his Grimm MU1 music server. In his review of the Magna Mano Ultra MK III he enthusiastically said it’s at least 80% of his MU1.

This is an exceptional compliment for a audio streamer that is priced at roughly 1300 USD. Quite flattering. This price includes an external LPS the Farad Super 3. Very nice!

Charles

The mano's $1300 USD is still more than I want to spend.

I wish there was a $500 USD streamer with i2s for my Denafrips Ares II 12th anniversary DAC.

The Kitsune Holo Red has I2S and is quite good. Given its price I’m quite happy with it.

I purchased the Mano-Ultra Mk-lll about 3 months ago, as the new PS DirectSteam

Mk-ll does not have the network bridge as the DS-1

The Mano-Ultra Mk-lll is simply an outstanding music streamer…it out performed the install network bridge in the DS-1 in transparency, resolution, and sound stage 

depth and width

In fact playing a track on the PS Audio DirectStream Memory Player Mk-Il, then switching to the same track on Qobuz through the Mano-Ultra Mk-lll is almost impossible to tell the difference..it’s that great

I am using I2S connection, but I installed a custom made 110 ohm digital cable made from Mogami AES-EBU Cable and difference is hard to hear…

If have the knowledge the Mano-Ultra Mk-lll  can be set up for YouTube as an app to be controlled by the Mano-Ultra Mk-lll same as Quboz or Tidal bypassing AIRPLAY…

The Guys at Mano HiFi are great for technical support…Rob especially help me understand how to setup the Mano-Ultra Mk-lll

THE MANO-ULTRA MK-lll is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 

THE MANO-ULTRA MK-lll is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 

@tubeguy45 

Appreciate your input and listening impressions. How simple is it to set up and navigate Qobuz and Tidal? Word of mouth feedback regarding sound quality is very positive. I’m curious about the app implementation and ease of use.

Charles

I was thinking the same thing, I also have little interest in going back to using Roon even though I have a lifetime subscription, I was an early adapter but out grew it. 

In response to Charles…if have you basic computer knowledge the Mano-Ultra Mk-lll is like installing most software’s on a computer 

The manual is great the way it guides you during the setup…

The guys at Mano HIFI are great as my computer knowledge lesson over my retirement years, but will the support of Rob my understanding of the installation become much easier 

If fact I was able to setup the Mano-Ultra Mk- lll to allow YOUTUBE to work directly as an app…without AIRPLAY

Great Streamer

@tubeguy45 

Thank you.

Charles

I have had the Denafrips Venus Dac for a few months and now that it’s burned and  sounds great it’s time to get a streamer, I have been looking at the Mano Ultra, do you guys still think it’s a great streamer and have you been using Is2 …

I would love to hear more about the Mano Ultra mkIII from those who have used it or compared it to the HoloAudio Red. 

Looks interesting and the reviews are positive. I personally have no use for just a streamer. 

I'm also curious about this network streamer. I'm looking for something I can run Squeezebox LMS on. I wonder if it's an upgrade from Raspberry pi with Allo digione signature card.?

I’m looking for something I can run Squeezebox LMS on.

Both the Holo Audio Red Streamer and the SOtM SMS200 Ultra Neo (and the lessor model SMS200) have LMS support built in.

The Red is a $850 streamer, the SMS200 Ultra Neo is $1,200.

The SMS streamers only output USB, the Red has a full compliment of outputs USB, BNC, AES-EBU, Toslink and I2S.

Neither of these have an associated music App and would have to be used with an outboard front end like ROON, etc.

@creativepart , thanks so much I'll look into the Halo Red.

The Magna Ultra Mk III is a great streamer! Set up was easy with Ropieee and Bubble UPnP. Streaming with Qobuz.

The sound quality is superior to any streamer I’ve owned which I believe is attributable to the Farad power supply. I would describe the sound as having a velvety richness.

About the Magna Ultra Mk III, does anyone know if it can play DSD files and put out DoP?

As I just bought this streamer recently, thought I'd add my thoughts for those doing their research on this component to this thread despite its age (though you may also find it originally posted in another streamer related thread).. 

I stream music via Tidal Connect and my existing chain consists of a third gen Bluesound Node (which, for the $350 price, cannot be faulted) connected via USB to a Holo Cyan 2 which then connects via XLR’s to my Hegel H390 and then onwards to a set of Boenicke W8SE speakers through Veritas’ Apurta speaker cables (great performers for the money). 

I gave myself a $2K budget for a new streamer and settled on Holland based Magna Hi Fi’s Mano MKIII.5 streamer with its separate matching Farad 3 LPS.  Magna Hi Fi offers several optional upgrades and, after bathing in snake oil, I opted for their offered upgrades on the connecting cable for the two boxes, a fancy pants fuse and LAN isolator from Synergistic  Research.  I think their base case unit retails somewhere around $1,200 and can be upgraded down the road, if curiosity gets the better of you.

The two boxes are matched and diminutive in size but once plugged into my system, and now connected via I2s I can say without question, it makes a difference. 

I don’t know why or how, but am really quite stunned at the improvement in sound quality.  Everything I stream sounds much cleaner, quieter and more detailed.  Am now a big believer in the benefits of a separate linear power supply. Also, I'd note their Level 2 silver cable works really well in a system like mine, which already has plenty of warmth.  Honestly, I would not have thought a streamer could make such a contribution to my overall sound quality but it's clearly a step forward. 

I’m using the Volumio software (Magna HiFi offer several options) which is proving a solid platform for me. One downside, if you like to stream Tidal Connect natively (as I do) the optimal way to do so requires Volumio’s subscription service.  Note you can stream Tidal via the Volumio software without the subscription, but to do so natively, via the Tidal Connect app, you need to pay the piper.

I'd also add that Magna HiFi was very responsive to my pre purchase questions re software. Overall, a really great sounding bit of kit that punches above its weight. Highly recommended As always, YMMV