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  1. VerdantAudio

    BACCH-SP: The future of high-end audio? Yes.

    I don’t know yet. When my unit comes in I will test different units I have here. I don’t have Taiko, so I will test with my Antipodes Oladra, Ethernet direct and via the clocked outputs on it, will use an Innuos Pulsar and Roon Nucleus. When I do that I will report back results.
  2. VerdantAudio

    BACCH-SP: The future of high-end audio? Yes.

    BACCH units serve as Roon, HQ Player or UPnP endpoints. I am suggesting the Antipodes K41 as a server to pair with it to leverage the built in endpoint and then you connect via Ethernet with my customers. That said there are a bunch of digital inputs so Taiko being windows based should not...
  3. VerdantAudio

    Playback Designs MPD-8

    At this time I do not believe there is a plan to introduce a Merlot replacement. I was aware of MPD6 about 6-8 months before it was released. The Meitner MA3 or Bricasti M3 and M1 are best options IMO at a lower price if you like Playback. Periodically Merlots do end up on the used market...
  4. VerdantAudio

    BACCH-SP: The future of high-end audio? Yes.

    Thank you Craig! I am immensely excited about this. Both as a listener and as a dealer. I think this is going to be a wonderful line to be working on and an excuse to go back and relisten to all those DACs paired with this.
  5. VerdantAudio

    BACCH-SP: The future of high-end audio? Yes.

    My expectation is ORC will be a few weeks behind my initial delivery. Sounds like it will be available in June.
  6. VerdantAudio

    BACCH-SP: The future of high-end audio? Yes.

    That is great to hear that the DAC character remains. It will be fascinating to see how this interacts with these other units.
  7. VerdantAudio

    BACCH-SP: The future of high-end audio? Yes.

    At a request of a customer I went to audition the BACCH-SP unit. I had the opportunity to spend about two hours speaking with Edgar and enjoyed the demo. At first, he played tracks that really show off the extreme imaging capabilities of the unit. I literally listened to a fly buzz in circles...
  8. VerdantAudio

    Fraudulent Retail Websites

    Thought I would share with you guys there are at least two fraudulent retail websites peddling high end gear at ridiculous prices. Unfortunately, one of my customers actually tried to buy something from them and is dealing with the replacement of his credit cards, etc... These are scams that...
  9. VerdantAudio

    Playback Designs MPD-8

    I am one of the US Dealers for Playback. This is straightforward. At this time, demand for Playback products are so high that each production batch is sold out before it is produced. Based on parts availability, the brand is at max production. Going to Munich and other shows would create...
  10. VerdantAudio

    AGD Gran Vivace & Adante deep dive

    @Rumpole Regarding preamp, whether the Andante is right for you very much depends on your taste and how you intend to get a signal to it. The Andante sounds a lot like the MPD-6 from Playback designs. Playback has a very musical and engaging sound but it is not the most dynamic or energetic...
  11. VerdantAudio

    Weiss Helios - POV on sound

    @Carlos269 I will post some videos and will listen to your videos. I have been busy and also have a set of Spatial X3s in the room that I was testing and need to get them out of the room so I can get back to my base setup. @matthias I have not compared to the Ideon. I have compared to...
  12. VerdantAudio

    Weiss Helios - POV on sound

    I recently received my demo of the Weiss Helios. If you aren't familiar, I have tested dozens of DACs using the same 5 songs and offer a comparison of their sound profile. I find this to be most comparable to the Playback MPD-8, Aries Cerat Helene and EMM Labs DA2 V2. I have had this unit...
  13. VerdantAudio

    Rockna Wavelight Server Finally Available

    Just want to make you guys aware that the Rockna Wavelight Server is finally shipping. We have been waiting for more than two years for this product and thought I would share that it is physically on its way to the US. I am sure there will not be tons of them at first but it is good to know...
  14. VerdantAudio

    Oh my, oh my - Aries Cerat Helene DAC

    So this was an interesting as the impact was different between my flagship amps (Canor Virtus M1s) and my secondary amps (AGD Tempo). I have a switch that allows me to swap between two amps and I hooked one up in phase and the other out of phase. I reversed phase on my tube amps and left it...
  15. VerdantAudio

    Oh my, oh my - Aries Cerat Helene DAC

    I will reverse the phase and report back tomorrow. I know more hours make better but since this is tube based, I don't like just leaving it on for 500 hours. That said, it is impressive as is.
  16. VerdantAudio

    Oh my, oh my - Aries Cerat Helene DAC

    Sorry for reviving an old thread but I just got an Aries Cerat Helene in as a demo (I am a new dealer in NJ) and did a compare to the Playback Designs MPS-6. I have done comparisons testing of dozens of DACs using the same five songs, Duke Ellington and John Coltrane's In A Sentimental Mood...
  17. VerdantAudio

    CHORD 2 GO WIRELESS STREAMER

    I have two of these. One on my Hugo 2 which I use for a lot of my headphone listening and one paired with a 2Yu that serves as a roving wired and wireless access point for my system. In wireless mode the treble is a touch rolled off but wired, this rivals most Roon end-points I have heard...
  18. VerdantAudio

    AGD Gran Vivace & Adante deep dive

    I have been spending more and more time on this comparison and it is fascinating exercise in equipment matching. Certainly, I don't need to tell anyone here that matching is critical but it has been an interesting reminder. On the Wilson Benesch Discovery 3s, you have no crossover on the...
  19. VerdantAudio

    AGD Gran Vivace & Adante deep dive

    So, after a little less than a year of working with AGD, I finally have in their flagship Gran Vivace monos and Adante preamp. I was very pleasantly surprised by what I heard with the Tempos and the Alto preamp. Items that rarely come back once loaned out. Given the excellence of these two...
  20. VerdantAudio

    Antipodes Oladra vs. K50

    Hey Chris, I am glad you are enjoying it. I am missing it a bit. Fortunately I have the Jadis and Playback to sooth me along with an Oppo Modwright I am playing with at the moment. The Modwright may not be in the same league as these others, but there is something quite satisfying about it.
  21. VerdantAudio

    Antipodes Oladra vs. K50

    Okay...so I now have had extensive time switching back and forth between the K50 and Oladra with four different DACs. Two of which are now either sold or on demo. The Weiss 501 4Ch MK2, the Rockna Wavedream Signature XLR, Jadis JS1 MKV and the Playback Designs MPD6. I used an Inakustik AES...
  22. VerdantAudio

    Antipodes Oladra vs. K50

    @Terry0 This unit went off to a customer for a few weeks for a demo almost immeidately after I posted this. It just came back and I have not taken it out of the box yet. It is now completely burnt in so I will be able to do a fresh listen without being colored by the slow change through...
  23. VerdantAudio

    Jadis JS1 MK V vs Lampizator Pacfic. Anyone compared this two dacs?

    I have the JS1 MKV here and have compared it to the Rockna Wavedream Signature XLR, dCS Rossini w/ Clock and the Playback Designs Edelweiss and Dream DACs along with a bunch of others that are not in the same league. I have not had a Lampizator product in my system. The Jadis is quite...
  24. VerdantAudio

    Antipodes Oladra vs. K50

    So...my new Antipodes Oladra arrived last night and it will be replacing the K50. I spent this morning with an intense listening session focused on my five test tracks with the new Weiss 501 4ch DAC on the K50 and then on the Oladra. The Weiss is the best DAC I have here at the moment, and I...
  25. VerdantAudio

    Moving from Spendor,ATC,Graham....to??

    I am unfamiliar with The Curve. The Vectors go deeper than the Discovery II in terms of frequency response and my hunch is, can be had close to your budget. The Discovery II midrange is similar while implements a dual driver, isobaric bass system. This will be extremely precise but rolls off...
  26. VerdantAudio

    Moving from Spendor,ATC,Graham....to??

    I would consider looking for a pair of used Wilson Benesch Vectors. They are a small floor-standing speaker that will deliver an elevated level of clarity and detail while also remaining relatively neutral. These might be above your budget but that would be a speaker I would consider...
  27. VerdantAudio

    Bricasti M3 DAC

    I have on currently out at a customer who is waiting on delivery of their new unit. The M3 is musical first. It has a massive soundstage and is incredibly engaging but is not the be all, end all in terms of detail. I would rather listen to Black Sabbath on this DAC than any other I have ever...
  28. VerdantAudio

    Delta Sigma Versus R2R Ladder

    I just went through rather exhaustive testing of about 14 DACs with the bulk being delta sigma split between FPGA and traditional chips along with three R2Rs. Admittedly two of those R2Rs were from the same company, Rockna. I think generalizations around R2R vs delta sigma are poor. In...
  29. VerdantAudio

    What Types of Digital Components and Gadgets have made the Biggest Positive Impact in Your System?

    I have not tried Lumin. I do hear good things about the brand and the volume control. The X1 is impressive. I was sour on delta-sigma DACs for a stretch after a bit of an FPGA indoctrination with Chord. I have since spent tons of time with some R2Rs (Rockna), other FPGA (Audiobyte &...
  30. VerdantAudio

    What Types of Digital Components and Gadgets have made the Biggest Positive Impact in Your System?

    I will have to give fuses a try at some point. So much stuff I want to experiment with it is difficult to choose what is next. I am mostly digging into DAC comparisons, renderer and server comparisons at the moment. Maybe fuses later this year.

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