Around the beginning of August '22 I started on a journey to upgrade my near field system which at that time consisted of a pair of PSI Audio A17-M studio monitors, Topping DX7PRO DAC and a Bluesound NODE streamer. That combination produced a very satisfying sound, but as many of us audiophiles know all too well, the "how much better could it get?" question emerged. Since the PSI Audio A17s are considered by many as the pinnacle of professional near field monitors, I turned my sights to upgrading the DAC. After much digging around the net, including here on Audiogon, I pulled the trigger on the HOLO Audio May DAC KTE version and WOW, just WOW, not surprisingly that was a huge upgrade.
Still one component remained that could be holding things back and that was the value priced Bluesound NODE. So I started my search for the best streamer/server under 10k. I eventually read about the 432EVO reference music servers, but unfortunately, there was very little in the way of multiple professional reviews or user feedback, but what I did read was very positive and the idea of trying out the optional 432hz tuning was also intriguing, so I pulled the trigger on the 432EVO Aeon III at the end of August and ordered one from Dave Lalin of Audio Intellect who is the US importer for 432EVO. It did take a while to get in because of the global parts supply chain issue that has affected many manufacturers, but I finally received it near the end of December. Yay!
As the saying goes; "Good things come to those that wait" couldn't be more true in the case of finally getting the 432EVO Aeon III! It's been in my system for about a week, playing continuously and I'm sure it's still breaking in. But the sound improvement so far over the Bluesound NODE is staggering! The improvement is just about equal to what I heard in going from the Topping DX7PRO DAC to the HOLO May KTE! The sound became even more organic and relaxed with less congestion. There was more detail, air and 3D space between instruments and performers. So yes, music servers absolutely make a difference! And the question was answered, yes, it can get much better! I have not heard any of the other high end contenders, so I cannot comment directly on those, but I can say with confidence that the 432EVO Aeon is a fantastic sounding machine. A big thanks to Dave Lalin for all his excellent customer support and for helping to promote this great machine in the U.S..
