Aqua Formula - new upgrade, retrofittable!
- Thread starter asiufy
- Start date
I heard that there is also a usb firmware upgrade available, but required to send the usb board back to Italy which is very inconvenience...
Any idea what the firmware upgrade fixes? Sometimes my Mac Mini will not allow me to select the Formula in the Settings/Sound window. If I turn off the DAC and unplug and re-plug the USB cable, I can fix it.
Had anybody else seen this problem?
Well done Larry, you’re quick off the mark. Let members know how it performs over the old board in your system.
Cheers
Will do. You know, I think it’s great that we have someone who is willing to upgrade existing units.
How are other people driving the Formula? At the moment, I’m streaming Tidal and Qobuz integrated under Roon, through the USB connection from a Mac Mini. Qobuz seems to have more higher resolution CDs than Tidal.
Any thoughts of how else I could best use my Formula? It has so many other inputs and supports a dizzying number of resolutions.
Hi Larry,
You can use the other digital inputs to hook up a CD transport (SPDIF), for instance, or perhaps even a television/cable box (Toslink).
For the USB, you can get a nice upgrade in performance if you go for a dedicated server, such as the Innuos products or even Roon Nucleus. They unequivocally sound better than a Mac mini.
You can use the other digital inputs to hook up a CD transport (SPDIF), for instance, or perhaps even a television/cable box (Toslink).
For the USB, you can get a nice upgrade in performance if you go for a dedicated server, such as the Innuos products or even Roon Nucleus. They unequivocally sound better than a Mac mini.
I don’t have cable TV, as hard as that is to believe, lol. I stream some things from Apple TV but usually listen to music or play guitar or piano.
As for the replacing the Mac Mini, I will look into it. It’s all about time and money, of course. Also, I like being able to stream from anything on the Mac Mini, including the Naxos Music Library, and I don’t like the idea of dealing with a Windows box. Plus, I ripped all 3000 of my CDs to Apple Lossless and Roon is set up to read that metadata in order to suggest new CDs. What would I do about all of that if I switched to a different computer frontend?
Oh, the boards showed up from Italy. Wow, what service! I’ll try to get it installed in the next few days. I just set up a Niagara 5000 to protect all of my components and I’m listening to that.
Larry,
If your Apple TV is old enough, it will have a Toslink output, which will allow you to plug it into the Aqua! Unfortunately the newer ones only have HDMI...
The servers I've suggested do not use Windows, and they're basically appliances, so you won't use them like a computer, but like a dedicated, music-playing, Roon-running device.
I know you're not going to like this, but I suggest re-ripping your CDs again, this time in WAV or AIFF, for best sound quality
The Innuos has built-in storage and a CD ripper, so it'll make that job easier...
You can copy the files from your Mac mini to the new server, and use them, but as I said above, it'd be best to re-rip them for optimal SQ.
cheers,
Alex
If your Apple TV is old enough, it will have a Toslink output, which will allow you to plug it into the Aqua! Unfortunately the newer ones only have HDMI...
The servers I've suggested do not use Windows, and they're basically appliances, so you won't use them like a computer, but like a dedicated, music-playing, Roon-running device.
I know you're not going to like this, but I suggest re-ripping your CDs again, this time in WAV or AIFF, for best sound quality
The Innuos has built-in storage and a CD ripper, so it'll make that job easier...You can copy the files from your Mac mini to the new server, and use them, but as I said above, it'd be best to re-rip them for optimal SQ.
cheers,
Alex
Larry,
If your Apple TV is old enough, it will have a Toslink output, which will allow you to plug it into the Aqua! Unfortunately the newer ones only have HDMI...
The servers I've suggested do not use Windows, and they're basically appliances, so you won't use them like a computer, but like a dedicated, music-playing, Roon-running device.
I know you're not going to like this, but I suggest re-ripping your CDs again, this time in WAV or AIFF, for best sound quality
You can copy the files from your Mac mini to the new server, and use them, but as I said above, it'd be best to re-rip them for optimal SQ.
cheers,
Alex
Well, AIFF is just uncompressed ALAC, which is what I ripped to, so I don’t think there is any difference in sound quality. WAV is too big.
No, I don’t really want to rip everything over again. I want to go back into the past and take back all my CD purchases. That would give me another $50k to spend on audio gear.
I’m not sold on these appliances because they’re running some operating system underneath, and, like I said, I like being able to stream anything to the Formula, Naxos from a web browser running Flash, yuck, but that’s what they force you to use, YouTube videos, whatever. I’m skeptical of special purpose boxes. I’ll look again and scratch my head about it.
Your Mac has an operating system running underneath Any reasonably complex device will need an operating system. Whether it's a simple, pared down one (Linux) or a complex (Windows/MacOS) is up for debate, but you do need one.
Most people, including myself, has been able to hear a difference between AIFF/WAV and FLAC (which is compressed). And ALAC just the same. There will likely be a difference, but I get it if you don't want to go to the trouble of ripping everything again. I'm talking out of experience, as I did the same thing. I had ripped a good 1000 of my CDs in ALAC when I moved to AIFF, and don't regret it.
BTW WAV and AIFF files are about the same size. ALAC/FLAC can be much smaller, depending on how much compression is applied. But again, I believe the file size increase is worth it, given the better SQ.
cheers,
alex
Any reasonably complex device will need an operating system. Whether it's a simple, pared down one (Linux) or a complex (Windows/MacOS) is up for debate, but you do need one.Most people, including myself, has been able to hear a difference between AIFF/WAV and FLAC (which is compressed). And ALAC just the same. There will likely be a difference, but I get it if you don't want to go to the trouble of ripping everything again. I'm talking out of experience, as I did the same thing. I had ripped a good 1000 of my CDs in ALAC when I moved to AIFF, and don't regret it.
BTW WAV and AIFF files are about the same size. ALAC/FLAC can be much smaller, depending on how much compression is applied. But again, I believe the file size increase is worth it, given the better SQ.
cheers,
alex
Your Mac has an operating system running underneath
Most people, including myself, has been able to hear a difference between AIFF/WAV and FLAC (which is compressed). And ALAC just the same. There will likely be a difference, but I get it if you don't want to go to the trouble of ripping everything again. I'm talking out of experience, as I did the same thing. I had ripped a good 1000 of my CDs in ALAC when I moved to AIFF, and don't regret it.
BTW WAV and AIFF files are about the same size. ALAC/FLAC can be much smaller, depending on how much compression is applied. But again, I believe the file size increase is worth it, given the better SQ.
cheers,
alex
Yes, everything has an operating system, I just like the openness of running OS X and the ability to stream anything to the USB connection to the Formula.
So many of my CDs are in the streaming libraries, I wonder how many of them I actually need to have ripped. It’s nice to have them all ripped because I downsampled all to 192kbps and they all fit on my IPhone with room to spare.
Best,
Larry
The bass sounding better and deeper is a very good news. And RCA sounding better is nice for me, a SET user.
Mark, can’t wait to get my new board!
Hopefully this month.
Today, I installed the new analog boards in the DAC. The operation was fairly simple, although I think it requires patience to line up the two connectors, one on each board. As has been mentioned, you just have to remove and replace two bolts. I didn't upgrade the fuse, as others have mentioned. What fuse are people using as a replacement?
As for the difference in sound quality, right away, I noticed a a sparkle, crispness, and clarity in the percussion instruments that was a big improvement over the old boards. I streamed Yann Tiersen's The Waltz of the Monsters CD before and after the board swap. His toy pianos sounded better than with the old boards, lol. Overall, I think the sound was clearer. I'm happy with the improvement in the sound.
As for the difference in sound quality, right away, I noticed a a sparkle, crispness, and clarity in the percussion instruments that was a big improvement over the old boards. I streamed Yann Tiersen's The Waltz of the Monsters CD before and after the board swap. His toy pianos sounded better than with the old boards, lol. Overall, I think the sound was clearer. I'm happy with the improvement in the sound.
Great to hear the new upgrade is yielding good results. When I had my Formula upgraded to xHD I included a Synergistic Research Blue Quantum Fuse to replace the stock fuse.
Thanks for that information. I suppose it's simple but I don't feel like taking it apart again right now, I want to listen to it for a while.
Actually, I took some pictures when the lid was off and I don't see a fuse near the IEC. Where is it it in relation to the IEC socket? Do you have to open some cover? I only photographed the unit from above so maybe I missed it.
Re: WAV vs FLAC/ALAC: no need to re-rip, just uncompress in place if your experience is that the WAV container sounds better. From an engineering perspective this shouldn't matter, but I respect your experience. If it does matter I'd like to understand why.
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