State-of-the-Art Digital

morricab

Well-Known Member
Apr 25, 2014
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Graham, as usual from you, a nicely articulated case in favour of streaming. I've only really heard one slam dunk streamer I really respect (Blue's SGM, first on T&A Dac8, and now the Aqua Formula XHD...I missed his minor excursions w Lampi GG and Denafrips Terminator), and sessions at his have always been never less than engrossing. I just have an aural memory of the AA cdp that I fully admit could be misleading.
I just remember less than stellar sonics cds being more forgiving than the same recordings via the SGM.
I also fully get that the mental gear shift to choosing music differently via streaming then has a knock on effect on how that music is enjoyed compared to picking cds off the shelf.
No way is Extreme happening this side of anything tangible. And thus it's good to hear that there are alternative wholly immersive server choices out there which totally get one in the zone.
The SGM as was at €16k is one. It's finding those others.
Lucas audio lab nano...great server for a still acceptable price.
 
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spiritofmusic

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Jun 13, 2013
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Brad, I'm wary about cheapest options in ranges. And there's next to no info on his website. I like a chat w designers as much as the next time waster Lol, but I need something to get my teeth into ahead of communicating. Other than price, I have no other take on LDMS.
 

spiritofmusic

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Jun 13, 2013
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I have briefly chatted to Lucas and he was super friendly. Whether he wants the ultimate procrastinating customer...lol.
 

morricab

Well-Known Member
Apr 25, 2014
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Brad, I'm wary about cheapest options in ranges. And there's next to no info on his website. I like a chat w designers as much as the next time waster Lol, but I need something to get my teeth into ahead of communicating. Other than price, I have no other take on LDMS.

Ok, then get him to bring you one to try out. We have used them in our last two shows and I can tell you it really took Kassandra DAC to another level (speaking of DACs that would be ideal for you based on your descriptions of what you like in sound).
 

spiritofmusic

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Jun 13, 2013
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Brad, this was the Nano you used?
 

howiebrou

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Jun 29, 2012
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I have briefly chatted to Lucas and he was super friendly. Whether he wants the ultimate procrastinating customer...lol.
I neglected to mention the LDMS server. Roon core and the designer is on your doorstep. If I lived in the UK it would be a strong contender and I understand there are levels to suit many budgets too.
 
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Imperial

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Mar 6, 2012
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You forgot Audio Aero...first with their Capitole series and culminating with La Source and La Fountaine ...these are great sounding players.
The people behind Audio Aero these days are for the most part Vermeer Audio.
They'll service to some extent the 'ol disc spinners from the good old Audio Aero days.
They have the Model two on offer now. An entry level model three in the works and a model one that will be their top offering a bit in the future...
Typical French. What is it?
It's like the Hegel Mohican. Extreme phase correctness and very low noise floor coupled with impeccable clocking and output stages that are either discrete or tubed but always with very low phase skew in the frequency domain.

So every effort in the digital sections are preserved in the signal the amplifier err... Amplifies.
Eera is mentioned here also and others.
Small signal electronics and driver and bufferstages and general implementation of new technologies are a strength of the French companies.
Yes... They tend to do things somewhat finicky and different.
But they do get result that are sonicly very... Palatable.

Imperial
 
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howiebrou

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Jun 29, 2012
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The people behind Audio Aero these days are for the most part Vermeer Audio.
They'll service to some extent the 'ol disc spinners from the good old Audio Aero days.
They have the Model two on offer now. An entry level model three in the works and a model one that will be their top offering a bit in the future...
Typical French. What is it?
It's like the Hegel Mohican. Extreme phase correctness and very low noise floor coupled with impeccable clocking and output stages that are either discrete or tubed but always with very low phase skew in the frequency domain.

So every effort in the digital sections are preserved in the signal the amplifier err... Amplifies.
Eera is mentioned here also and others.
Small signal electronics and driver and bufferstages and general implementation of new technologies are a strength of the French companies.
Yes... They tend to do things somewhat finicky and different.
But they do get result that are sonicly very... Palatable.

Imperial
I used to have an Audio Aero. Amazing sound but so unreliable. Pity.
 

Imperial

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Mar 6, 2012
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I used to have an Audio Aero. Amazing sound but so unreliable. Pity.
I remember that back in the 90's there was a little machine called a micromega stage 5 or stage 6. It was a DAC I believe or a CD player. Kind of cheap for it's time.
It would rival just about any of the top models at the time with it's clarity and resolution. It had a smaller than usual soundstage to front back and depth..and not the ultimate in slam but oh the fantastic soul it had. Almost at the top at the time.

Here is an article about Vermeer Audio. Vermeer Audio interview.. and test

I believe things are much better with quality in new offerings.

Imperial
 
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Imperial

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The most sought after model in the used market of the Audio Aero's in the Nordic countries I believe is the Audio Aero Capitol Mark 2 or the Prestige.
The Prestige being the better model and more Wadia like in it's Sonic's.
They have extensive digital inputs and can serve as D/A converters easily.
Their very seldom pop up in for sale ads ... People tend to keep them.

Imperial
 

rblnr

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
May 3, 2010
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I used to have an Audio Aero. Amazing sound but so unreliable. Pity.


I lucked into one of the reliable AA dacs and it was fantastic back in the day.

And the Hegel Mohican is a REALLY good disc player, competes with far more expensive stuff.
 

howiebrou

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The most sought after model in the used market of the Audio Aero's in the Nordic countries I believe is the Audio Aero Capitol Mark 2 or the Prestige.
The Prestige being the better model and more Wadia like in it's Sonic's.
They have extensive digital inputs and can serve as D/A converters easily.
Their very seldom pop up in for sale ads ... People tend to keep them.

Imperial
I had the Prestige. My friend had the Capitole. Both konked out and AA service was the worse in the world.
 
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Blue58

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Jan 20, 2013
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I had the Prestige. My friend had the Capitole. Both konked out and AA service was the worse in the world.
I had the Capitole, dodgy Sliding draw; then the Prestige, had to replace drive and they charged me under warranty period as they said it was an update; then La Fontaine, power supply had to be replaced in warranty and the buyer also had drive problems that cost a fortune to fix. Why did I keep making the mistake?
 
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Imperial

Well-Known Member
Mar 6, 2012
120
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925
Norway
Last I saw a Capitole for sale in Norway I believe it went for some $1700 or equivalently.
The thing was that there were several French Swiss and Dutch companies and some smaller electronics workshops locally in Norway and Sweden and in Denmark with enough know how and balls frankly that would not only fix these Obelix (sans his bottle of Miraculix brew) they would modify them. Replace the tubes and install cryo cooled units also.
So owning units here in the cold north was much more pleasant...
You could keep it running. And I think one can still have units serviced and fixed outside of AA partners here. Not as easy as it used to be. But It should be possibly still.

Maybe morricab would know more recent info since what I know write is some 11 or 12 year old information. Some workshops and modifiers might be defunct or into other sides of Audio by now.

Imperial
 

howiebrou

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I had the Capitole, dodgy Sliding draw; then the Prestige, had to replace drive and they charged me under warranty period as they said it was an update; then La Fontaine, power supply had to be replaced in warranty and the buyer also had drive problems that cost a fortune to fix. Why did I keep making the mistake?
If i remember correctly they used Sony drives?
 

christoph

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Dec 11, 2015
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I had the Prestige. My friend had the Capitole. Both konked out and AA service was the worse in the world.
After reading this I am REALLY glad I did not indulge in a La Fontaine some long years ago :eek:
My hunch back then was spot on in this case :rolleyes:
 

howiebrou

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After reading this I am REALLY glad I did not indulge in a La Source some long years ago :eek:
My hunch back then was spot on in this case :rolleyes:
Don't get me wrong. IMO they had the best sound bar none. If only they had got the Japanese to make them...i was also offered to upgrade to LA Source. No thanks I said.
 
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christoph

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Don't get me wrong. IMO they had the best sound bar none. If only they had got the Japanese to make them...i was also offered to upgrade to LA Source. No thanks I said.
I know how excellent they sounded ;)
That was the exact reason I was so tempted to get one :p
 

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