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  3. 188623-126

DAC vs Music Server

I want to preface my comments by saying, this is my experience, I don’t know everything, and your results may vary. I’ve recently compared the Mola Mola Tambaqui, DCS Bartok, and DCS Rossini in my system to my Chord Dave. The most significant differences were between the Rossini and everything else, but the Rossini wasn’t a good fit in my system. A couple of dealers told me that the most significant differences will be found by replacing my DAC. After my experience comparing several DACs, I decided to purchase the Antipodes Oladra music server. I’ve been using the Antipodes K21 and K41. I received the Oladra and wow! The richness of instruments and naturalness of voices, the enveloping soundstage, dynamics, realism, detail while sounding relaxed. Everything across the entire audio spectrum has improved. In my system, the Oladra music server has more impact on the sound than any DAC I’ve tried. It’s a reminder that our own ears are the best tools to decide on what does or doesn’t work in our system.

ricred1
mclinnguy's avatar
mclinnguy
278 posts
 

@mgrif104 

Agreed, squeeze sounds much better than Roon on Antipodes as well. It is nice to have both, and it is so easy to switch back and forth.

You have other choices too: Roon server/Squeeze player, HQ player, Roon server HQ Player, MPD with Minimserver, MPD with miniDLNA, MPD with squeeze server, Shairport, and one fellow I know uses PGGB offline mastering stuff with it- I am not versed in it enough to explain what exactly that is, but other servers could not do it.

Not to mention user plugin 24TB of onboard storage is nice.  

audio_is_subjective
52 posts
 

Audio is subjective and if you are pleased with the net result then you have won!

audiotroy's avatar
audiotroy
3,607 posts
 

 

Roon can sound amazing it all depends on implementation, our 432Evo servers run Roon differently than most other servers we run roon in one of the CPU cores, while running back end server operations in another core, while caching files in yet another core, very difficult programming but the end results is Roon can sound like a good analog frontend, when combined with a great dac.

 

dave and Troy

Audio intellect NJ

US Importers 432EVO music servers

ricred1 OP
1,983 posts
 
audio_is_subjective,

"Audio is subjective and if you are pleased with the net result then you have won!"

I agree!

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