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

[Audio Addict]

I have been looking at the Baach4Mac and the best method was to replace the Innous Zen with the Mac mini as the Roon endpoint. I was on the phone last evening with Jason and Edgar discussing this.

I've ordered Baach4Mac and the M2Pro Mac mini to run it and Roon. In a call with Jason and Edgar they suggested just going directly from the Mac mini to the DAC and I shouldn't experience any degradation.

 

[The Knife]

I do have a lot of videos already on the Bacch. Right now I just have the Bacch4Mac, but it's been upgraded to the full pro status that includes the headphone and many other additions.

I know someone asked about the headphone module and it's impressive. Really freaky in a good way. You theoretically can bring the sound signature of your home system anywhere with headphones. I may bring mine to Axpona where you can get a flavor from headphones of what it's like to be in my room.

The only downside I found with the headphone module is that it replicates the ear pinna impact in both the measurements and then again in playing it through headphones. Thus, I noticed a slight change in tonal balance attributed to that fact, but Edgar already has the fix in the works and embedded in the program. There is a headphone measurement tool you can use with the binaural mics and negate that ear pinna impact... He's just not ready to 100% release it yet as it's still in testing, but it's already in the software/product to try in the "beta" version now.

Obviously, you can't get 100% replication with headphones of being in a room, but it does fool almost everyone into thinking they aren't listening to headphones. For those that don't like headphones imaging inside your head, this will be a module/option to buy... But it's not required.

As for the standard Bacch product that most people rave about, it's better not to describe it and just bake in the cost to come listen for yourself. I'm in Houston, but it will be at Axpona too.

For those that can't do either, I've shared 3rd party comments and have more coming, but it's an easy thing to notice the difference and improvement. Blind testing in ENCOURAGED... You won't strain to hear the difference and nobody has preferred it off as a whole.

One thing it will uncover is certain poor recording techniques... Especially cardioid mics set up improperly. Occasionally an EDM track with wonky panning gimmicks will sound less attractive with those gimmicks revealed more precisely. Bubbles is the only example though I've found to date, and I play a lot of EDM but I'm sure there are more like Bubbles. From my playlists, there's only Bubbles I prefer it off....and that's on over 400 tracks of classical, EDM, rap, pop, Audiophile, etc... Thus the percentage is less than 1%

A few people find the spatial cues so different from their thousands of hours of conditioning listening to a heavily dense center image between speakers that is created by crosstalk. It doesn't take long to realize that eliminating crosstalk is better and that if you always had those spatial cues, you'd never go back to adding crosstalk to get a denser and crammed center image. Nevertheless, I guess it may impact 1% of people that way. Almost nobody has returned the Bacch once installing it despite the money back guarantee.

Ironically, I had an EDM artist to my house with recordings on Tidal so we played them for him. He was blown away and said it made him rethink everything he's heard and done in the past. He and his coworker also work for a home theater and home automation company with 20+years experience and over 2000 clients, so they've heard a lot more than most "reviewers".

Another guy said he got goosebumps for the first time.... Another analog purist placed an order immediately... Those are anecdotal reports you rarely see.

All that being said, words don't replicate the experience of hearing it... Then you can benchmark the improvement to virtually any other piece you've ever bought in the hobby... I doubt there's another piece of electronics or tweak that comes close.

For those that wamnt to get in the weeds, Edgar has content all over the internet from Ted Talks over 10 years ago to recent interviews over an hour long on various channels. I will be visiting his lab in Princeton on Monday and have further content to share.

Those who are members of my site can also get a taste of what it's like by sending me their favorite WAV file and distance between the speakers as well as listening distance to your head. I can create a standard filter based on those dimensions and basic room and gear assumptions that will at least give you a percentage of what you can expect from the full product with binaural in-ear measurements and head tracking. It's basically the same as buying the $900 intro version for a taste.

I'll have the ADIO soon with DAC that is actually multi channel capable for using with active crossovers/speakers and quite a few people have sold their mega dollar DACs in comparison, but you aren't required to buy the version with the DAC if you are married to what you own.

I have an entire video playlist on my channel with more information including two vinyl purists giving their rave review. I'm not going to speak for Fremer who hasn't visited me, but he called JR when JR of WallyTools was in my room. Anybody can ask him about his experience with it too. Stay tuned for Absolute Sound coverage as well soon.

BTW...The video linked above shows you more value added aspects of the measurements irrespective of the spatial cues that wow everyone.

I have the Bacch SP Adio installed in my system. The DAC is marvellous, but what is a true breakthrough is the X-talk eleminator or purifier as it is called. The results varies depending on recording but bottom line is, that I am never going back to the 2D sound of the past. The Bacch will stay or be replaced by any future improved iteration of it.

 

[rubinken]

I have the Bacch SP Adio installed in my system. The DAC is marvellous, but what is a true breakthrough is the X-talk eleminator or purifier as it is called. The results varies depending on recording but bottom line is, that I am never going back to the 2D sound of the past. The Bacch will stay or be replaced by any future improved iteration of it.

I'll be curious to read about Bacch SP impressions from Axpona 2023.

 

[speshal]

I'll be curious to read about Bacch SP impressions from Axpona 2023.

There was a lot from Capital Audio Fest, but be on the lookout for articles coming soon from The Absolute Sound. Andrew Quint I believe is now using the Bacch for all reviews going forward and Edgar will have a big article soon...plus reports from others like Robert Harley.

I have many anecdotal reviews on my channel in various YouTube shorts as well. I'll have a ton from Axpona 2023 though so stay tuned...

 

[VPN]

I understand that BACCH-SP now has a Mark II version. Any other changes besides a much faster processor? Does anybody know the prices of the Mark II version of the BACCH-SP ADIO and BACCH-SP DIO?

 

[Audio Addict]

I understand that BACCH-SP now has a Mark II version. Any other changes besides a much faster processor? Does anybody know the prices of the Mark II version of the BACCH-SP ADIO and BACCH-SP DIO?

The MK II is discontinued and being replaced by the MK III. You need to reach out to your nearest dealer.

Dealers | Theoretica Applied Physics

www.theoretica.us

 

[mieswall]

Hi, new in this forum. I’ve read every post in this very interesting thread.
I installed B4M in my system a couple of months ago. All I can say is that it has been the most amazing upgrade i have ever made to my system in my 40+ years of audiophilia; the realism i get with it in my rather modest setup I haven’t listened anywhere else, including gear costing 10 to 20 times more.
I still have to find a single stereo record which I prefer to listen *without* this awesome xtc. It is just impossible to go back to normal stereo.
I listen mostly to jazz, classical, some electronic and classic rock music.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Welcome to WBF, mieswall!

 

[Kingrex]

I found an Almond Brothers rip someone gave me. It is a really good recording. As I was listening, all the Bacch talk I hear on the Audiophile Junkie channel made me think to place my hands like a blade in front of my face. Right in the middle, vertically, touching my nose and oriented forward. I heard something. I then grabbed a magazine and experimented more. Sure enough, with a divider in front of my face, the stage is more delineated and the parts more clear. You really notice it when you remove the divider. The whole presentation seems to smear into a flat plane. It's much better with the magazine in front of my face.

What do you know. An all passive analog BACCH even a vinyl lover can use.

 

[thomask]

I may have to attend Axpona 2024 for demonstration of Bach SP.

In addtion, I would like to listen to MBL top model speakers and Scaena with 12 inch subwoofers over there.

 

[thomask]

Theoretica Applied Physics BACCH-SP adio 3D Sound Processor

This article made me more curious about Bach SP.

 

[Kingrex]

Bacch is the real deal. Anyone using digital should try it. It's the analog people that don't want to run vinyl through it. You don't have too. You can always just run a digital chain. I also hear there are a lot of people ditching very highly regarded DAC to use the internal one as it's indistinguishable in bypass or better.

 

[wil]

I found an Almond Brothers rip someone gave me. It is a really good recording. As I was listening, all the Bacch talk I hear on the Audiophile Junkie channel made me think to place my hands like a blade in front of my face. Right in the middle, vertically, touching my nose and oriented forward. I heard something. I then grabbed a magazine and experimented more. Sure enough, with a divider in front of my face, the stage is more delineated and the parts more clear. You really notice it when you remove the divider. The whole presentation seems to smear into a flat plane. It's much better with the magazine in front of my face.

What do you know. An all passive analog BACCH even a vinyl lover can use.

This has me thinking about designing something to strap to my forehead.

Just what my wife needs to see to confirm her worst suspicions about me.

 

[Kingrex]

I kid you not. For a moment I was pondering a microphone stand holding a thin sheet of say 18 inch by 18 inch plywood.

Whats funny is it is a fairly evident sonic change when you block the cross talk in front of your face. I notice it more dropping the magazine into my lap. I really notice the stage fall back and sort of blend stuff together in the middle.

 

[Kingrex]

This has me thinking about designing something to strap to my forehead.

Just what my wife needs to see to confirm her worst suspicions about me.

Maybe a nice leather bound sheet custom cut for your face. You could even add ear cups on the head strap that adjust for additional high frequency tuning.
I bet it would piss people off that is actually worked and sounded good. Can you hear the spit and fire from the supporters and haters.

 

[wil]

Maybe a nice leather bound sheet custom cut for your face. You could even add ear cups on the head strap that adjust for additional high frequency tuning.
I bet it would piss people off that is actually worked and sounded good. Can you hear the spit and fire from the supporters and haters.

I wonder how much the effect would be compromised if the barrier is as much as 2-3 feet in front of your head? I have a 4 x 8’ sheet of foam core to experiment with.

 

[sbnx]

I found an Almond Brothers rip someone gave me. It is a really good recording. As I was listening, all the Bacch talk I hear on the Audiophile Junkie channel made me think to place my hands like a blade in front of my face. Right in the middle, vertically, touching my nose and oriented forward. I heard something. I then grabbed a magazine and experimented more. Sure enough, with a divider in front of my face, the stage is more delineated and the parts more clear. You really notice it when you remove the divider. The whole presentation seems to smear into a flat plane. It's much better with the magazine in front of my face.

What do you know. An all passive analog BACCH even a vinyl lover can use.

It is funny how things come and go and are re-learned. I met a hard core audiophile back in 2013. He was telling me how he used to hold a pice of cardboard in front of his face to listen as it made the sound so much more believable. Of course back then I thought this guy was totally crazy. It was a few years later that I experimented a little with this. But I am not going to hold a piece of cardbaord in front of my face to listen. Too lazy for that.

 

[Kingrex]

It is funny how things come and go and are re-learned. I met a hard core audiophile back in 2013. He was telling me how he used to hold a pice of cardboard in front of his face to listen as it made the sound so much more believable. Of course back then I thought this guy was totally crazy. It was a few years later that I experimented a little with this. But I am not going to hold a piece of cardbaord in front of my face to listen. Too lazy for that.

No, I am not going to hold something in front of my face either. I was just looking at the Mac Mini version. If my server keeps being an annoyance, I may spring for a BACCH for Mac + and the pre configured M2. Thats $7469. Less than most servers. I believe it says I can run Roon, Qobuz, Spotify on it. Thats all I need.

 

[Solypsa]

Maybe a nice leather bound sheet custom cut for your face. You could even add ear cups on the head strap that adjust for additional high frequency tuning.
I bet it would piss people off that is actually worked and sounded good. Can you hear the spit and fire from the supporters and haters.

Kinda like those hoods falcons wear before an event

 

[thomask]

Amazon.com

Sam Tellig used to tout big ears.

If you hold your hands around your ear, you can hear more clear.

I also ordered one five minutes ago for fun.

After trying it, I will give my impression of it.