Introduction of my new Antipodes K50 Music Server
- Thread starter shakti
- Start date
Hi Kenny,
Can share your experience with Callisto USB compared to your recommended Shunyuta Omega USB cable or had not tired ? Callisto USB is seemingly recommended for cx and ex stack and with my oladra upgraded cx and ex together with ER+Afterdark double crown clock, I am looking at some further upgrade with usb cable from my current Oyaide Continental S with ifi iDefender 3.0.
On the clock of server, we have exchanged comments separately and I had shared that local Singapore DX owner found much improvement after SOTM clock upgrade ... he is using Mutec Ref10 130se in his system and no stranger to positive impact of high grade oxco clock used and ANY digital processing or transfer.
Yes, I am a sucker for technology and bias on using higher quality clock when possible to what I can budget from experience of my ERs and oxco clock between cx+ex and before cx to narrow the 80-90% gap of oladra upgraded cx+ex from K50 in the words of Mark .. also my experience from Denafrip T with femto clock to T+ with oxco clock to further clock upgrade of T+.
TIA and cheers.
Richard
Oladra upgrade to owners of previous statement cx+ex and dx products is really nice of Antipodes c/o Mark
Hi,
I recommend ER+oxco clock between cx and ex and also before cx if streaming.
Obvious improvement I had experienced even long before oladra upgraded and upgraded T+ with again better oxco clock etc.
Cheers.
I have tried many USB cables but never the Callisto. The USB cable that really impressed me as being a significant step above all the other USB cables I tried was the Shunyata Sigma. This let so much more of the music pass through that I found myself ordering one from my dealer right away. I figured I was done as far as USB cables go. But then the Omega came along and a couple friends who tried one surprised me by saying it was a big step above the Sigma. They were right.
The Omega improved over the Sigma by allowing more of the low frequencies to be passed. But even more astonishing was how much more transparent it was. It seemed to bring me right into the venue where the music was being performed. Up to that point I think it might have done so to a further degree than any other cable. What really surprised me was by how much further that quality was improved as I upgraded my power cords to the new V2 models from Shunyata. That new conductor material they are using is very special and seems to make the cable itself do less harm. Caelin from Shunyata has been on quite a roll lately.
Hi Kenny,
Tks ... rrp usd2k and usd3.2k for the sigma and omega .... cannot/will not go there.
Cheers.
Hi Richard,
Thanks for the recommendation. I’ve got a sotm switch in and after way too much mucking around am now happy with how far I’ve gone with my digital setup. At this stage my focus has switched across to getting gains in some tube and speaker upgrades and under way trialling out an open baffle subwoofer. This sport never ends lol it will likely take us all with it
Yeah crazy, isn’t it? I wouldn’t have gone there had my dealer not offered a good offer to trade up. I started with Alpha USB…then traded for Sigma…then traded for Omega.
Hi Tao,Hi Richard,
Thanks for the recommendation. I’ve got a sotm switch in and after way too much mucking around am now happy with how far I’ve gone with my digital setup. At this stage my focus has switched across to getting gains in some tube and speaker upgrades and under way trialling out an open baffle subwoofer. This sport never ends lol it will likely take us all with it
Indeed ... I was recommended over at head-fi.org on the 2xusd3.2k Phoenix usb regen and PhoenixNet which I am quite sure will further improve over the ER and added oxco clock on the digital stream.
And most would say equitable Vinyl setup is expensive !
Cheers.
Does anyone think an ultimate S series setup of S40/S60 + S30/S60 + S20/S60 potentially outperform K50? The reason is vibration and EMI control able be pushed to maximum instead of a highly packed K50, also, a third C core transformer is extra juice just to power up reclocker board. Instead of sharing in K50.
As hardware config is nearly identical design/part model between K and S series, just number of hardware is different. In theory, hardware setup from 6 x boxes of S series are better. However , in K series, the connections among server, player and reclocker motherboard seem to be Sata connections, this sata connection is potential less data processing overhead and lower noise generation.
in S series, to match hardware config, the data is actually converted to multiple format from Ethernet to USB the To SPDIF.
As hardware config is nearly identical design/part model between K and S series, just number of hardware is different. In theory, hardware setup from 6 x boxes of S series are better. However , in K series, the connections among server, player and reclocker motherboard seem to be Sata connections, this sata connection is potential less data processing overhead and lower noise generation.
in S series, to match hardware config, the data is actually converted to multiple format from Ethernet to USB the To SPDIF.
Interesting. I do not know. However, I can confirm that the Antipodes K40 server is really impressive. In my case I use the K40 as a server and my Rossini dCS as a player. To reduce vibrations I use a Symposium Acoustics Svlete Plus platform and the Rollerblock series 2.
I must admit feeling a bit sketched out by the marketing talk of Antipodes regarding how they had to switch out a lot of parts in their k50 design due to global shortages… Their announcements feel like they are a spin on a bad situation, and also may make all the reviews and feedback of users moot since the model I would get if I bought one today would be completely different to the ones you have… I understand the issue and recognize there is little Antipodes can do about supply chains, other than perhaps redesign from ground up a new model. Still, I thought I would share this since it is what held me back from getting one… This is especially relevant to me given the fact that their marketing for years has been about careful, ground up designs where every part is chosen for sound and so on and now these parts are chosen for availability… Just my honest opinion….
Every manufacturer is now facing parts shortages. Some are dealing with it by discontinuing products or listing them as out of stock. Those that continue to ship likely had to make parts substitutions. Are they being transparent about it? Antipodes sure is.
I think I recall that it was Alex from Uptone who shared not too long ago on AS that a certain part they use had a price increase that added, if I recall correctly, zeros on the end. They were forced to make a change because they didn't want to pass the price increase onto their customers. That's really what's happening out there right now. As you said, there is little they can do about supply chains. So why hold this against Antipodes?
my mate has been alway waiting for his new Mcintosh C22 pre to be made and delivery In a few months, even big manufacturers like Mcintosh suffered.
The production shortage is not only at Antipodes but across many industries including hifi
if you look at the size of Antipodes as a very small boutique hifi marker/specialist, they have done well to offer new hardware and upgrade path for customer from previous generation
Last edited:
I’m not holding it against them; it’s beyond their control. I’m merely expressing why I chose not to buy one and why there is a possibility that all the reviews around no longer apply, since I would be getting a different product to the one you have. Also, they have lots of publicity on careful choosing of individual parts, but now that doesn’t apply and instead there is a mesh of what’s available…
+ being honest about it is worth some points for sure
+ being honest about it is worth some points for sure
What would you do if you read lots of reviews, spoke to owners and then got to the place where you were ready to pull the trigger on an expensive product like this only to find that what you would receive would be completely different to what you have researched?
I purchased my K30 without reading a single review about it. I looked at what Antipodes said their goals were and gave it a shot knowing that I could return it in 30 days.
Who actually really knows exactly how a component is going to sound without hearing it in our own system? There are so many variables that we’re pretty much always left having to take a leap of faith. Smart shoppers will try to arrange a demo or ensure that they can return the product if they don’t like it.
Plus I think it’s kinda ridiculous to think it would sound “completely different” in this case.
And no, one doesn’t get points for being honest when they make unfair assertions. Trolls seem to think they are being honest - but that doesn’t change the fact that they are trolling.
sorry. Wasn’t trying to troll. Don’t see how I’m being unfair. I don‘t buy products blind. Was, in part, hoping someone who had ordered new one would chime in and just sharing my decision in case others are in a similar situation. This is an expensive streamer. They say it sounds different on their website. I am not asserting anything, just sharing facts and my decision In relation to those facts.
Similar threads
