Antipodes Oladra vs. K50

VerdantAudio

VIP/Donor
Jul 2, 2020
51
60
350
46
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 am looking forward to the return of my Playback MPD-6.

I setup the Oladra just like my K50, running Roon Core on the Server and Squeeze Lite on the Player all being controlled by Roon on my phone. I am connected to the Weiss via AES. As a side note, the packaging on the Oladra is MUCH better than that of the K50. You have two boxes in the outer carton with a 3 inch foam layer surrounding an inner box. This is much more durable than the K50, K41, K30 etc... packaging.

Even though this is fresh out of the box, my immediate impression is that everything is cleaner and clearer while remaining organic and musical. It is not getting colder or crisper. Just better, more natural separation. I use the same five test tracks for all digital evaluations. For consistency, all of these are streamed off of Tidal:

In a Sentimental Mood - Duke Ellington and John Coltrane
Be Still My Beating Heart - Sting
Liberty - Anette Askvik
Duende - Bozzio Levin Stevens
Mozart String Quartet No.17 in B Flat Major - Alan Berg Quartet

Each track was noticeably cleaner and clearer than on the K50. This shows up most in the air around cymbals and clarity of the drum rolls in In a Sentimental Mood. The 44..1 track sounded as good as a 24/192 track streamed from Qobuz. Truly surprising how much detail is improved.

On Be Still My Beating Heart, it showed up mostly in the bells you hear in the background. Those frequently sort of roll together. I was hearing separation and notes I have not heard previously.

The sound effects in Liberty were cleaner and clearer and if seemed like the horn was clearer and more realistic.

Duende which is an impossibly complex track to reproduce was clearer in virtually every part and somehow the scale of the bigger moments of that song toward the end seemed bigger.

Berg is Berg. Brilliantly recorded. Well sized with incredible separation. In some ways this track seemed to benefit the least from the Oladra. in some ways, this is simpler than the others

It is going to be interesting to test this unit with other DACs through time, especially as it burns in. But straight out of the box, this unit seems pretty special compared to what was already a pretty awesome server with the K50. Not sure how it will stand up to the Pink Faun or Taiko, but it is easily a step forward vs. their prior best unit.

oladra1-2048x1353.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:

divertiti

Well-Known Member
Jan 12, 2021
208
188
113
Interestingly the new Oladra at nearly 50% higher price uses a switching power supply vs. the dual transformer linear power supply in the K50
 

matthias

Well-Known Member
Mar 14, 2019
1,226
545
213
Germany
There is a very good review of Oladra (in German):

HIFISTATEMENT | netmagazine - Antipodes Audio Oladra

The result:
While the Oladra is excellent there is a big difference in SQ between I2S, AES, SPDIF (which are reclocked) and USB (which is not).
So it is not the best server for USB DACs.

Matt
 

ICUToo

Member
Sep 20, 2021
92
94
23
46
There is a very good review of Oladra (in German):

HIFISTATEMENT | netmagazine - Antipodes Audio Oladra

The result:
While the Oladra is excellent there is a big difference in SQ between I2S, AES, SPDIF (which are reclocked) and USB (which is not).
So it is not the best server for USB DACs.

Matt
Matt, your statements of fact are fine, but your interpretation is not.
Yes, the review seems to say that the USB is less excellent than the other formats on the DACs they used. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t better than other servers’ USB outputs.
I use OLADRA USB- it is fantastic
 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: GuyB and OLADRA

divertiti

Well-Known Member
Jan 12, 2021
208
188
113
There is a very good review of Oladra (in German):

HIFISTATEMENT | netmagazine - Antipodes Audio Oladra

The result:
While the Oladra is excellent there is a big difference in SQ between I2S, AES, SPDIF (which are reclocked) and USB (which is not).
So it is not the best server for USB DACs.

Matt
Matt, your statements of fact are fine, but your interpretation is not.
Yes, the review seems to say that the USB is less excellent than the other formats on the DACs they used. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t better than other servers’ USB outputs.
I use OLADRA USB- it is fantastic

+1, AES/Spidif output relies on the source clock in the Oladra, USB output relies on the clock in the recipient DAC, so quality of the USB output will be DAC dependent.
 

matthias

Well-Known Member
Mar 14, 2019
1,226
545
213
Germany
Matt, your statements of fact are fine, but your interpretation is not.
Yes, the review seems to say that the USB is less excellent than the other formats on the DACs they used. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t better than other servers’ USB outputs.
I use OLADRA USB- it is fantastic
At least the reviewer had to use a PhoenixUSB with Oladra to get nearly the same SQ as with the reclocked outputs.
There are servers/streamers with excellent USB outputs like Taiko, Innuos and Ideon.
So the question remains if Oladra can outperform for example a Taiko with USB.

Matt
 

matthias

Well-Known Member
Mar 14, 2019
1,226
545
213
Germany
+1, AES/Spidif output relies on the source clock in the Oladra, USB output relies on the clock in the recipient DAC, so quality of the USB output will be DAC dependent.
Yes, but USB reclocking upstream to the DAC seems to be beneficial according to the experiences with USB reclockers.

Matt
 

matthias

Well-Known Member
Mar 14, 2019
1,226
545
213
Germany
Interestingly the new Oladra at nearly 50% higher price uses a switching power supply vs. the dual transformer linear power supply in the K50
According to the designer the SMPSs of Oladra are both more expensive and also superior to the PSs of K50, the reviewers found Oladra clearly outperforming K50 so I appreciate the complete move to SMPSs with Oladra.
Even Taiko seem to leave LPSs with the next generation of the Extreme.

Matt
 
Last edited:

divertiti

Well-Known Member
Jan 12, 2021
208
188
113
According to the designer the SMPSs of Oladra are both more expensive and also superior to the PSs of K50, the reviewers found Oladra clearly outperforming K50 so I appreciate the complete move to SMPSs with Oladra.
Even Taiko seem to leave LPSs with the next generation of the Extreme.

Matt

What would make it more expensive? SMPS is universally known to be cheaper than LPS, especially considering the K50 LPS was built to a very high spec.
 

matthias

Well-Known Member
Mar 14, 2019
1,226
545
213
Germany
What would make it more expensive? SMPS is universally known to be cheaper than LPS, especially considering the K50 LPS was built to a very high spec.
Maybe @OLADRA can answer this question?

Matt
 

7ryder

Well-Known Member
Jan 31, 2015
197
161
275
According to the designer the SMPSs of Oladra are both more expensive and also superior to the PSs of K50, the reviewers found Oladra clearly outperforming K50 so I appreciate the complete move to SMPSs with Oladra.
Even Taiko seem to leave LPSs with the next generation of the Extreme.

Matt
Linn has been using SMPSs with great success for years.
 
  • Like
Reactions: matthias

kennyb123

Well-Known Member
Nov 30, 2012
856
796
1,155
Kirkland, WA
What would make it more expensive? SMPS is universally known to be cheaper than LPS, especially considering the K50 LPS was built to a very high spec.
I don’t have any particular insight on what Antipodes did, but as far as SMPS, a few years ago there was a really interesting series of posts from Emile in the Taiko’s forum pertaining to SMPS. I was able to find one of them with search. I think he had a few other responses after this one, but I thought the paragraph that follows was notable. This could give us ins into why the higher price. I’m guessing part of it has to do with the tiny market for an SMPS with such a noise profile.

“So anyway, there are definitely merits in exploring Switch Mode Power Supplies for audiophile applications, the benefits over Linear Power Supplies are obvious, if implemented correctly, it can be much lower noise then a Linear Power Supply for higher current applications, have a much smaller footprint and no massive heatsinking requirements, BUT they should be designed to not have any switching "noise" anywhere near the audio frequency range, or even better yet no measurable residual whatsoever.”

 

7ryder

Well-Known Member
Jan 31, 2015
197
161
275
What would make it more expensive? SMPS is universally known to be cheaper than LPS, especially considering the K50 LPS was built to a very high spec.
I don't know the cost of a well designed SMPS power supply versus a well designed LPS, but I do know that the aluminum bling of the Oladra case is much more expensive than the K50 case.
 

7ryder

Well-Known Member
Jan 31, 2015
197
161
275
Yep, as you probably know, they've been doing this for years with their Klimax electronics
 

OLADRA

Industry Expert
Aug 9, 2022
67
116
40
58
New Zealand
antipodes.audio
Maybe @OLADRA can answer this question?

Matt
The power supply inside the OLADRA is more expensive to produce than the power supply inside the K50.
As mentioned above in this thread, a correctly implemented SMPS can reap rewards in an audiophile application.
 

Terry0

New Member
May 21, 2022
4
5
3
Gold Coast Australia
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 am looking forward to the return of my Playback MPD-6.

I setup the Oladra just like my K50, running Roon Core on the Server and Squeeze Lite on the Player all being controlled by Roon on my phone. I am connected to the Weiss via AES. As a side note, the packaging on the Oladra is MUCH better than that of the K50. You have two boxes in the outer carton with a 3 inch foam layer surrounding an inner box. This is much more durable than the K50, K41, K30 etc... packaging.

Even though this is fresh out of the box, my immediate impression is that everything is cleaner and clearer while remaining organic and musical. It is not getting colder or crisper. Just better, more natural separation. I use the same five test tracks for all digital evaluations. For consistency, all of these are streamed off of Tidal:

In a Sentimental Mood - Duke Ellington and John Coltrane
Be Still My Beating Heart - Sting
Liberty - Anette Askvik
Duende - Bozzio Levin Stevens
Mozart String Quartet No.17 in B Flat Major - Alan Berg Quartet

Each track was noticeably cleaner and clearer than on the K50. This shows up most in the air around cymbals and clarity of the drum rolls in In a Sentimental Mood. The 44..1 track sounded as good as a 24/192 track streamed from Qobuz. Truly surprising how much detail is improved.

On Be Still My Beating Heart, it showed up mostly in the bells you hear in the background. Those frequently sort of roll together. I was hearing separation and notes I have not heard previously.

The sound effects in Liberty were cleaner and clearer and if seemed like the horn was clearer and more realistic.

Duende which is an impossibly complex track to reproduce was clearer in virtually every part and somehow the scale of the bigger moments of that song toward the end seemed bigger.

Berg is Berg. Brilliantly recorded. Well sized with incredible separation. In some ways this track seemed to benefit the least from the Oladra. in some ways, this is simpler than the others

It is going to be interesting to test this unit with other DACs through time, especially as it burns in. But straight out of the box, this unit seems pretty special compared to what was already a pretty awesome server with the K50. Not sure how it will stand up to the Pink Faun or Taiko, but it is easily a step forward vs. their prior best unit.

Hello,

If you don't mind I would be interested to hear your thoughts on the Oladra now it is run in.

Mine out of the box while incredibly impressive with its dynamic excitement and very high level of resolution delivered, still to my ears, took well over two hundred hours to fully settle in and then start to sound near its best, originally I had been quite impressed with how the Oladra sounded when new and not run. My thoughts are on reflection that the Oladra took nearly double the time to settle in that the K50 took from new.

When it comes to DACs in my main system I have run the Oladra with a Mola Mola Makua/Tambaqui and the AC Kassandra Reference, in general I mainly use an AES connection between the Antipodes and DAC's.

I look forward to your thoughts.

cheers
Terry
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: gentcan

VerdantAudio

VIP/Donor
Jul 2, 2020
51
60
350
46
@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 time. I will try and start that this afternoon.

Also, I have an open box Rockna Wavedream Signature here that just arrived. It needs to be tested as I have to validate it is working flawlessly upon return. It will be an opportunity to test AES vs. I2S in a decent DAC as both inputs clearly need to be tested.
 

kennyb123

Well-Known Member
Nov 30, 2012
856
796
1,155
Kirkland, WA
It is now completely burnt in so I will be able to do a fresh listen without being colored by the slow change through time. I will try and start that this afternoon.
I received a K50 demo that had a good number of hours put into it. It still needed a couple of weeks to blossom. I could tell based on my familiarity with my K30 that it still needed some time to cook after unpacking it. Early on I actually questioned if it was worth the higher price. After two weeks I was convinced it was.
 

About us

  • What’s Best Forum is THE forum for high end audio, product reviews, advice and sharing experiences on the best of everything else. This is THE place where audiophiles and audio companies discuss vintage, contemporary and new audio products, music servers, music streamers, computer audio, digital-to-analog converters, turntables, phono stages, cartridges, reel-to-reel tape machines, speakers, headphones and tube and solid-state amplification. Founded in 2010 What’s Best Forum invites intelligent and courteous people of all interests and backgrounds to describe and discuss the best of everything. From beginners to life-long hobbyists to industry professionals, we enjoy learning about new things and meeting new people, and participating in spirited debates.

Quick Navigation

User Menu

Steve Williams
Site Founder | Site Owner | Administrator
Ron Resnick
Site Co-Owner | Administrator
Julian (The Fixer)
Website Build | Marketing Managersing