Amarra Release 1.1 Available NOW

[Guest Claude]

I listened to some orchestral works and although I could listen deep into the recording venue I could not really pin down instruments. Not so with 1.01.

I am quite sure, that Sonic will dive into this matter. So hold on.

Claude

 

 

[james_n]

I'd agree - after the initial listen which sounded quite impressive, i didn't find myself listening into the small hours as usual. It didnt grab me musically like the previous version and i thought about going back to 1.02. Before i did this i downloaded the latest update to iTunes 9 and all was better again so this configuration is now fixed unless something significant comes up. With Amarra version from 3145 on, i've not always found an improvement with each change (3162 being a least favourite).

 

James

 

 

[antonisgr]

Hi

As my primary use of my macbook is for listening to music through amarra and then weiss Minerva I had done many tests to understand the sound of the different versions

Definitely the latest isn’t as good as the previous in matters of air around the instruments and the width of the soundstage .it is also a bit harder and as I read previously posted more like itunes sound and not amarra

What I’m laughing about is that sonic has entered a world of paranoia ( high-end ) and will have troubles with this move

I think the most satisfying for me is the 101 something version of the amarra mini which was the one that I auditioned before purchasing the amarra

Does anyone know which is the best way to convert flacs and apes to aiff for being playable with amarra ? because I have done many conversions and some files play through amarra and some don’t

 

 

[Lars]

I think 1.1 is a little fuller in the mid bass giving it a warmer less focused sound than the earlier versions. This can be a plus or minus depending on your system.

 

[gsquared]

@Claude thank you for pointing this out. I just did some listening to both hi-rez and 16/44 tracks then uninstalled version 1.1 and installed 1.0.2 (build 3177) and I agree, version 1.1 has more mid-bass and sounds less natural (engaging) compared to the previous version.

 

Claude, can you tell me what build number is the 1.0.1 you have reverted back to? On the Sonic Studio site, there are several options under the Older Installers and some are not labeled correctly. I run the full version of Amarra and I tried downloading Amarra 1.0.2 Installer (build 3186) but the download gives 3177.

 

Thanks!

Gary

 

[Lars]

Amarra still sounds very good; better than anything else I've heard in terms of the soundstage. I guess I'll try the older version. I don't want to get obsesive about this, but it appears I already have.

 

[Guest Claude]

I am not at home so I can only check which installers I have, but not which one I installed.

1.01-3162-106

1.02-3177-1

1.1-3186 (this was a pre release)

1.1-3189-1

Good question, I rember, that I thought that 1.01 and 1.02 sounded different, but never really compared. I think I will check whether I hear any differences.

Claude

 

[indirstr8s]

 

I guess it is amarra strategy neither to acknowledge nor deny these changing sound across the versions. I doubt that they do critical listening tests at least not as frequently as with the release of each build.

 

[cfmsp]

 

"I doubt that they do critical listening tests at least not as frequently as with the release of each build."

 

I can't speak to their overall philosophy, but I can confirm that version 3189 (which we know as version 1.1) was released very quickly after a critical bug fix was implemented and tested.

 

clay

 

 

 

[indirstr8s]

 

What was the kind of "critical bug" culminating into the release of 3189. Did it cause subtle shifts in SQ or was it something more pathological like certain ALAC files not playing or crashing with certain kind of characters in the song file names...

 

[ted_b]

It brought with it the added bonus of Apple Lossless support and some EQ additions, but those were 1.1 planned features anyway.

 

[cfmsp]

 

As Ted says, the critical bug was related to the the long file name issue - the changes specifically in version 3189 were very minor and related only to some peculiarity in my instance of long file name 'bug'.

 

Jon found a fix for it, sent it to me, we tested it, and version 1.1 was released shortly thereafter.

 

Alac support had been provided several versions (i.e. 3180-something) prior to this particular version.

cheers,

clay

 

 

 

[SteveS1]

I'm still using iTunes in preference. :-(

 

That wasn't the case with the earlier versions but I can't be bothered to convert to AIFF just to go back a release or two.

 

Steve

 

[Guest Claude]

Anyone else got a reply or heard something about this "issue"

 

[ted_b]

and several fixes. Apple Lossless? Long file names? They are fixed/available in 1.1. The sonic differences? Amarra says they try and better each version, so yes, I believe the latest (3189) sounds better, fuller, more "there" there, more musical in my system. I don't find the midbass bloated, and I have a very dynamic full range speaker system (SP Tech Revelations). YMMV, cuz any change in sound could very well throw off system synergy...... or add to it. !!

 

[Lars]

I agree with Ted that I don't find the mid bass bloated. Just a bit more prominent.

 

[Guest Claude]

"Issue" because for some it might not be an issue.

Some people (at least on this forum) found that sound changed with 1.1 to the worse. I wrote in an earlier post, that i will contact Sonic. I did so, shared my impressions and pointed to this thread on CA.

You are right, 1.1 is better in many ways, but not in sound. At least not in my system.

 

[SteveS1]

One man's "better, fuller" = another man's coloured and less detailed. I too have a dynamic full range speaker system and like the others who have commented, much prefer the earlier version.

 

If it's staying this way - I'll leave it on iTunes output which is sounding better. That was not the case with the demo version I had.

 

Steve

 

[cfmsp]

 

http://www.audioasylum.com/forums/pcaudio/messages/6/65024.html

 

Interesting post by someone (a newcomer?) on AA - PC Audio.

 

He posts freq response of Amarra versus iTunes. Amarra has significant lumpiness in the bass.

 

I've asked what version of Amarra he was using when he ran the tests.

 

Cheers

Clay

 

 

[ted_b]

definitely not midbass....might be tough to "hear" that; more like feel it.

 

[cfmsp]

understood.

 

I was interested in the obvious ripples, and wondering if this FR curve was for the 'best case', i.e., perhaps a test of another version would show ripples further up in frequency.

 

just a thought,

clay

 

 

EDIT, Ramallo posted a response.

 

"Hi Clay,

 

Yes, is the lastest 1.1 (3189)

 

Is a demo version, I tried too the full version (The first release) and IMHO I have the feeling that the changes in sound are more apparent with the last version.

 

Cheers"

 

[indirstr8s]

 

Has anybody done a bit accuracy test for amarra. Basically if the volume is full scale and eq is off, is the output on the USB/Firewire same as the wave file being played. One simple way of getting some confidence about the bit accuracy is by playing a HDCD encoded file and using a HDCD capable DAC. If the HDCD indicator lits up on the DAC, there is reasonable confidence that amarra does not modify bits.

 

If anybody has any pointers/links about this, then please point it out.

 

 

Sanjay

 

[cfmsp]

 

 

Chris has done this, particularly at his symposium where apparently many heard improvements from Amarra.

 

It was this instance in particular that led me to start believing that the difference in sound induced by Amarra were not achieved at the expense of bit-perfect-ness.

 

Perhaps check out the Symposium threads.

 

clay

 

[SteveS1]

Clay,

 

Take a favourite CD and compare the latest version of Amarra playing an ALAC file with version 3177 playing AIFF. Be interested in your findings.

 

Steve

 

[cfmsp]

 

 

Steve,

thanks for the suggestion,

 

Do you have the link? I'm not sure I saved the download package for 3177.

 

clay