Introduction of my new Antipodes K50 Music Server

[WAVE High Fidelity]

I would not be surprised if there has been several incremental changes over time with the K50 as various supply chain parts issues proved challenging. That could very well continue to play out for the near future as well. I would expect Antipodes has a database of what specifically was installed by serial number or serial number series, but very doubtful Antipodes would be open to sharing that info. I would not blame them for being reticent on this. They very well could be flooded with requests from owners wanting to know and requests to upgrade to the latest. With global uncertainties, the latest may not remain the latest either. Antipodes still needs to concentrate on availability for new unit sales and current K50 line is a very fine piece, regardless of possible internal parts variations. I agree with kennyb123 that eventually there will be a new model and an upgrade path to it, though upgrade path may not involve all variations in parts.

As has been noted above, the former information on Antipodes website regarding changes to the builds due to parts availability is no longer there. I applauded the transparency, but most probably resulted in surges of communication requests to them and dealers on this. It has to be tricky for manufactures on this. Eventually users will share pictures of the internals of their units, and earlier owners will respond that their units look different. Inherently, we all want the latest and greatest. Initially, I too wondered on this and experienced a level of FOMO. Sound production quality is really what is important, and the K50 is quite good on this.

I am curious about software advances Antipodes will be developing for their platforms. Again to preclude being inundated with requests for more info, including specifics on when, I think probable info from Antipodes will be pretty close to actual release date(s) in this area.

I have been rather busy over the last few weeks and so have neglected popping in here to have a browse.

For various reasons too superficial to name I actually sold my original version K50 and bought one of the current ones. Whilst the changes may have been prompted by supply chain issues the differences between the two versions are widespread. It starts with the case and internal layout which is all new. As far as I can see no part of the original K50 case has been retained. In addition the processor heatsink and cooling fins have been relocated from the side to a position between the transformers and the pcb boards. Then there is an all new internal lid which covers everything and also houses the SSD mounts. The external case top sits above this internal lid.

Probably as a by product of the changes necessitated by the supply issues the K50 now gets extra outlets including an optical out which it did not have before.

As to FOMO with regard to the sound quality of the new version or of the optical etc outputs I can reassure owners that they are both very fine sounding devices. I have tried the new optical output and then not used it again. The USB and BNC outputs as per the original line up and the new one are much better to my ear. Does the new version sound better? Some have told me they think it does but having had the original one for a year and the new one for a couple of months I am not so sure. I am happy to have the new version but if someone offered me to go back to my old one and give me the £2,500 price difference in my back pocket I would probably take the money and the old K50. Like I said they are both very fine devices. I suspect that if Antipodes really thought the new version was better they would have renamed it the K51.

 

[dbeau]

I have been rather busy over the last few weeks and so have neglected popping in here to have a browse.

For various reasons too superficial to name I actually sold my original version K50 and bought one of the current ones. Whilst the changes may have been prompted by supply chain issues the differences between the two versions are widespread. It starts with the case and internal layout which is all new. As far as I can see no part of the original K50 case has been retained. In addition the processor heatsink and cooling fins have been relocated from the side to a position between the transformers and the pcb boards. Then there is an all new internal lid which covers everything and also houses the SSD mounts. The external case top sits above this internal lid.

Probably as a by product of the changes necessitated by the supply issues the K50 now gets extra outlets including an optical out which it did not have before.

As to FOMO with regard to the sound quality of the new version or of the optical etc outputs I can reassure owners that they are both very fine sounding devices. I have tried the new optical output and then not used it again. The USB and BNC outputs as per the original line up and the new one are much better to my ear. Does the new version sound better? Some have told me they think it does but having had the original one for a year and the new one for a couple of months I am not so sure. I am happy to have the new version but if someone offered me to go back to my old one and give me the £2,500 price difference in my back pocket I would probably take the money and the old K50. Like I said they are both very fine devices. I suspect that if Antipodes really thought the new version was better they would have renamed it the K51.

All good but now it's a new game in town. https://antipodes.audio/oladra/

 

[7ryder]

All good but now it's a new game in town. https://antipodes.audio/oladra/

At $25K USD, I'd probably suck it up and go for the Extreme instead. That said, it don't have any plans to replace my K50 any time soon.

 

[Macattack]

Just took delivery of my K-50. While I wish I knew of the Oladra, to have a choice, it is unlikely I would have jumped on it.

 

[sbnx]

At $25K USD, I'd probably suck it up and go for the Extreme instead. That said, it don't have any plans to replace my K50 any time soon.

Agreed. At that price Antipodes as moved into the rarified air. unclear if it really competes at that level. At first glance looks like a K50 in a fancy(er) box for $10K more.

 

[F208Frank]

Anyone here happen to use ethernet switches along with their antipodes? I know some have had good results, I was always in the back of my mind hoping that a capable server would not need an ethernet switch, but this does not seem to be the case.

 

[Macattack]

I have two Modified Buffalo GS 2016 switches before my K-50. They are separated by a fiber break. That setup preceded my K-50 arrival so I can’t tell you it is needed. Since I have it, I am not changing it.

 

[WAVE High Fidelity]

Agreed. At that price Antipodes as moved into the rarified air. unclear if it really competes at that level. At first glance looks like a K50 in a fancy(er) box for $10K more.

From what I can see the server and player boards are new and different to the K50. The height looks a tight fit for the same power supply as the K50 so maybe that will be different or a variation of it. The Olandra is not 10k more than the K50, it is 7.5k more. That is a fair lump of money but there might be a concern that it is close enough to the K50 to seriously erode K50 sales. I will however get a demo Olandra unit from my dealer just to make sure whether I need to do some hard bargaining with him on the £££ needed to swop to the Olandra from the K50 . . . .

 

[markramler]

Anyone here happen to use ethernet switches along with their antipodes? I know some have had good results, I was always in the back of my mind hoping that a capable server would not need an ethernet switch, but this does not seem to be the case.

I use EdisCreation and Fiber Box II both helped to reduce the noise floor significantly from my Pakedge switch.

 

[7ryder]

Anyone here happen to use ethernet switches along with their antipodes? I know some have had good results, I was always in the back of my mind hoping that a capable server would not need an ethernet switch, but this does not seem to be the case.

I use a Pink Faun modded Melco S-100 w/ a Farad Super3 power supply (actually two - one for the upgraded PF clock and the other powers the rest of the switch). I also run fiber into the switch via a Sonore opticalModule Deluxe (also powered by a Farad Super3), but copper to the K50 and copper out to my Linn KDSM.

 

[speakerlust]

I have a modified Buffalo GS-2016 (PF Buffalo) with fiber out from it to Lumin X1 and copper from the PF Buffalo to my K50.

 

[F208Frank]

I have a modified Buffalo GS-2016 (PF Buffalo) with fiber out from it to Lumin X1 and copper from the PF Buffalo to my K50.

Copper as in USB? Lumin X1 is a wonderful unit.

 

[speakerlust]

Copper as in USB? Lumin X1 is a wonderful unit.

Sorry for the confusion, but I meant RJ-45 ethernet to the K50. I agree with you the Lumin X1 is an excellent unit. I also have a Mola-Mola Makua with the "Tambaqui" installed DAC. It is foolish for me to have both DACs, but I really like them both. I find myself listening one day to the Mola-Mola DAC ethernet connection from the K50 one day, the AES/EBU from the K50 to the Mola-Mola the next, and X1 the next. Before adding the Mola-Mola, I had settled into using Leedh Processing Lumin option direct to my crossover. It really is very good, but the preamp of the Makua, for me, is excellent, and now use its preamp volume control for the X1. I generally use Roon with the X1 for convenience and music discovery as I am putzing around, but do feel the Lumin App is better for more critical listening. Mola-Mola ethernet is Roon Ready. When using K50 Player, I often use Roon with Squeeze Player enabled, but currently have both Squeeze Server and Player enabled on the K50.

 

[Macattack]

After many weeks of breaking in my K-50 AND comparing 5 AES/EBU digits cables, I have purchased a Nordost Valhalla 2 cable.

Along with the K-50 my room has never sounded better. The Valhalla 2 allows the musicality and dimensionality of my equipment come out. My reference up to this was a customized Win 10 silent PC outputting via DLNA to my Bricasti M21 DAC/PRE.

My new Kharma dB11-S speakers show everything I do upstream and I couldn’t be happier.

 

[Macattack]

Other cables compared.

WW Plat 8
Shunyata Sigma and Omega
MIT MA-X
Clarus Crimson
Nordost Valhalla 2

 

[F208Frank]

I always find it fascinating how much people find cables to matter (I do believe them for the record) for me personally, they matter but never as much as I hoped. Maybe my system is just not transparent enough or maybe my ears are poor man ears.

 

[kennyb123]

they matter but never as much as I hoped. Maybe my system is just not transparent enough or maybe my ears are poor man ears

It often comes down to synergy. I'm a big believer in using the same brand of cable throughout because it helps to improve predictability. Where Valhalla 2 was preferred above, if he was using Valhalla 2 throughout, it would have impressed him even more. The power cords are really an important part of that.

 

[Macattack]

The differences in these AES/EBU cables were easily heard. As for having all Valhalla, well, that is a paper exercise.

 

[kennyb123]

As for having all Valhalla, well, that is a paper exercise.

I have no idea what a paper exercise is. I was just speaking from my personal experience with Nordost. That you easily heard differences is not surprising at all. All I was saying is that with a loom of Nordost wires, you likely would have been even more impressed with it.

 

[F208Frank]

I have no idea what a paper exercise is. I was just speaking from my personal experience with Nordost. That you easily heard differences is not surprising at all. All I was saying is that with a loom of Nordost wires, you likely would have been even more impressed with it.

I was actually unsure of what paper exercise meant also, and almost posted to ask, but got lazy and kept listening to "one more song, one more song" since 1AM NYC time, it is now 3AM.

ZzzZzzz after one more song!