XACT S1. The music server you've been waiting for

[RickyV]

Hi all
I am a recent S1 owner and I am wondering how to set these settings. All is working but do they have any influence on sound quality. I am planning via Qobuz, all advice is welcome.

 

[Marcin_gps]

Hi all
I am a recent S1 owner and I am wondering how to set these settings. All is working but do they have any influence on sound quality. I am planning via Qobuz, all advice is welcome.

Default settings are best except for Update Time which I’d recommend setting to the highest value of 12000.

So in your case I’d recommend unchecking Safe transition mode and Proxy for Qobuz. These are not required for XACT S1 and not optimal for sound quality.

You can contact me via email or PM if you have any further questions.

Best regards,
Marcin

 

[Marcin_gps]

Hey everyone,

I’m excited to share that XACT S1 EVO is the cover story in the latest issue of High Fidelity!



The review is available now in Polish, and the official English translation will be published next month. In the meantime, if you’d like to check it out, you can read it here:
https://www.highfidelity.pl/@main-4892&lang=

Best regards,
Marcin

 

[Di-fi]

Hey everyone,

I’m excited to share that XACT S1 EVO is the cover story in the latest issue of High Fidelity!

View attachment 144705

The review is available now in Polish, and the official English translation will be published next month. In the meantime, if you’d like to check it out, you can read it here:
https://www.highfidelity.pl/@main-4892&lang=

Best regards,
Marcin

Marcin, I can’t possibly wait another month—I’m way too curious about what they discovered with the XACT S1 EVO!

Excerpt from Review
Author: Wojciech Pacuła, High Fidelity, Issue No. 250, February 1, 2025
(Unofficial English translation, using Google Translate and ChatGPT, with an emphasis on maintaining audiophile nuance.)

(…) In the sound of the tested device, something stands out—something rarely encountered in file-based playback devices: a combination of warmth and energy. Looking at the device with a critical ear, one could say it still doesn't reach the resolution I get from CD and SACD discs. It was similar with the S1. But now, this difference feels significantly smaller. I know it’s there—you can hear it in the slightly rounded attack of the notes and the soft curvature of their decay. But even so, it carries little weight.

This is because we simultaneously get a fullness of sound that even Ayon’s player can’t drive as deeply. A shock? Maybe not quite, but certainly a surprise—and a respect that comes from understanding this shift. Pat Metheny’s guitar on Our Spanish Love Song from the album Beyond The Missouri Sky (Short Stories), ripped from the Japanese UHQCD release, had a gentleness and depth that made the instrument sound more tangible, almost within reach. The strings resonated with a natural decay, and the interplay between Metheny’s subtle phrasing and Charlie Haden’s bass created an intimate, immersive soundstage. The timbre was rich, with a slight warmth that didn’t overshadow the micro-details—every nuance of the fingerwork and string vibration was present, yet never clinical.

This device doesn’t strive for hyper-analytical precision. Instead, it offers a presentation that feels organic, engaging the listener emotionally without sacrificing technical prowess. The spatial positioning of instruments was precise, but it was the coherence and flow of the music that truly impressed. It’s a sound that invites long listening sessions, where the technical aspects fade into the background, and the music simply is. (…)

 

[Marcin_gps]

The High Fidelity review is now available in English: https://www.highfide...in-1462&lang=en

Also I'm proud to share that a fantastic new review of the XACT S1 EVO music server by Jason Kennedy was just published in the latest issue of HIFI+ magazine (available in print and digital)




Best regards,
Marcin

 

[sbnx]

Good morning. I will be using the XACT S1 EVO in my room at the upcoming SouthWest Audio Fest (SWAF). It will be in the Peridot room on the Mezzanine. Come by to listen to some fantastic music played by the XACT streamer.

 

[Rotatoubib]

Hello Marcin, congratulations for these nice new reviews ! What about your N1 Network Switch ? Will it be launched during Munich High End?
By the way do you see it as a way to improve sound quality when using your S1 Evo? On your website there is a OPT BRIDGE 1000M OPTICAL ISOLATOR. So what would be the perfect complement to your Evo, apart from using 2 S1, with one as a switch, considering cost?

 

[Marcin_gps]

Hello Marcin, congratulations for these nice new reviews ! What about your N1 Network Switch ? Will it be launched during Munich High End?
By the way do you see it as a way to improve sound quality when using your S1 Evo? On your website there is a OPT BRIDGE 1000M OPTICAL ISOLATOR. So what would be the perfect complement to your Evo, apart from using 2 S1, with one as a switch, considering cost?

Hello,

Thank you.

The N1 switch is coming very soon.

Yes, it is the best way to improve clarity and resolution with the S1 & S1 EVO music servers. One of the dealers who is fortunate to have a pre-production unit and using it with dCS Varese said it's one of the best upgrades he's heard in digital audio, ever.

Best regards,
Marcin

 

[Marcin_gps]

New Software Update for XACT S1 & S1 EVO



I'm pleased to announce a new software update for the XACT S1 and S1 EVO. This update brings two key improvements:

✔ Enhanced Sound Quality – Experience even greater precision and naturalness in your music.
✔ Easier Music Transfer – You can now upload music files over the network without entering a password.

The update is free of charge and recommended for all units. Contact XACT Audio for the instructions how to update.


Best regards,
Marcin

 

[RickyV]

I have been playing with my S1 for 6 weeks now and I must say I am enjoying it a lot. The Jplay app is very nice with its Qobuz integration. Sorry I am not good in discribing its sound but agree with what others have said before. It’s so musical, relaxed and dense sound.