Audirvana Plus 3 (official thread)

[Speed Racer]

When I upgraded to A+ V2 I think it came with a 3 month free trial of Tidal Hifi which I never used because I prefer Qobuz.

 

Damien, is that offer still good or has it expired? Now that A+ V3 has an MQA decoder, I would like to give Tidal another try. If it is still good, can you please remind me how to activate the A+ TIDAL Hifi coupon?

 

Go to Preferences -> Streaming. Click on "Get it now".

[Jud]

And I chose my DAC because of how it sounds with its own special digital filter. I want software to feed as original signal as it can to my DAC and let it do its thing in real time.

 

 

A Mike Moffat design was the first DAC I bought 25+ years ago. I think very highly of his work.

 

You guys give iZotope too much credit anyway. I didn't like how it sounded when I used a DAC in NOS mode compared to what the DAC did natively. And that was a $250 DAC.

 

 

 

A producer who used to hang out here, Barry Diament, generally acknowledged to have made the best sounding Led Zeppelin and Bob Marley recordings ever (among many others), said that iZotope was the only software he used among the choices for similar functions that he thought was audibly transparent. Of course you don't need to take his word.

 

Let's look at the sample rate conversion filtering's measured performance at SRC Comparisons :

 

1kHz tone:

 

 

 

 

 

Passband:

 

 

 

 

 

Transition band:

 

 

 

 

 

Phase response:

 

 

 

 

 

All about as damn near perfect as it is possible to be.

 

 

Have a look at some of the measurements for other filters on that site. There are lots of them. You will not find a single one that measures better.

 

 

Having your own preference is great, and no one (at least not me, anyway) wants to bother you about that. I've already mentioned what I think of Mike Moffat, and I've listened to Yggy and liked it. But please don't tell those of us using iZotope that we're giving it "too much credit."

[wwaldmanfan]

No point in disparaging those who like the iZotope filters. Whether you use this feature depends on your hardware and your taste. Personally, my DAC upsamples everything to 844 kbps PWM, and doesn't have to "work hard" to do it, so I feed it native files. Instead, I focus my attention on finding the best digital masterings of the music I like, which, ultimately, has more effect on SQ.

 

Audirvana provides an amazing array of features and options besides its excellent sound. It only took me a few tracks to realize that v3.0 does sound better than ever. Of course, I pulled the trigger on the update, which is a bargain, notwithstanding the fact that I only use it in its most basic Play Queue mode. Note that the new license key code only works on up to two Macs.

[Speed Racer]

No point in disparaging those who like the iZotope filters.

I didn't disparage those who like iZotope filters. I just don't bow down to them like they are the end all be all. I didn't like how it sounded compared to what my $250 DAC did on it's own.

 

I don't care what anyone else uses. Use what you think sounds best. I, apparently, am not allowed to prefer what is in my DAC. I am obviously stupid for not preferring iZotope filters and NOS DACs.

[wwaldmanfan]

I didn't disparage those who like iZotope filters. I just don't bow down to them like they are the end all be all. I didn't like how it sounded compared to what my $250 DAC did on it's own.

 

I don't care what anyone else uses. Use what you think sounds best. I, apparently, am not allowed to prefer what is in my DAC. I am obviously stupid for not preferring iZotope filters and NOS DACs.

Since I agree with you completely, does that make me stupid, too? I hope not.

No one here is forcing anyone to do anything, as far as I can tell. It's all good.

[Speed Racer]

Since I agree with you completely, does that make me stupid, too? I hope not.

No one here is forcing anyone to do anything, as far as I can tell. It's all good.

 

Either we are smart, stupid, or neither together!

 

Regardless, I am certainly enjoying the software and I think it sounds better than before. But, that could be all in my head. But who cares!!

 

[One and a half]

Dumb question...does it run on Mavericks?

[AmosM]

I installed 3.0 and four songs into Rumours, I heard space around and texture within McVie's vocals on "Songbird" I never noticed before in any format. It jarred me out of scanning the Tidal MQA list.

 

I don't have an MQA device and wouldn't speculate how to account for the SQ boost. It's real, in any case.

 

My VPI Prime is giving my little DAC the stinkeye.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[wwaldmanfan]

Dumb question...does it run on Mavericks?

 

yes.

[bobbmd]

I just downloaded/purchased ver 3(previously had ver 2.6.6).

My MQA playlists that I created all play with blue light or 1-2 white lights plus the blue light on my ME2.

NOTHING ELSE plays! Non master playlists I made nor any other albums but MQA/MASTERS from TIDAL-NOTHING plays from Qobuz. The blue soundbar moves saying the album is playing but no sound. Is anyone else experiencing this. I have unplugged everything and rebooted my mac mini and still nothing but MQA. ROON works(including getting blue light on my MQA made playlists) but A+3 only plays MQA playlists that I made.

The SQ is great better(I think) than either TIDAL alone or from ROON but why doesn't any sound come from anything other than MQA on A+3?

In addition in audio MIDI I can't get ME2 to be used the device for output.

Any help would be appreciated.

[wdw]

Downloaded and it is so easily apparent this version is lovely....hearing a nuance that wasn't there before. For the small amount of money to upgrade it so well worth it.

Damien,

I was expecting an upgrade price higher than you've asked and would have, likely, paid it.

Your work easily leaves my "lifetime" ROON is the sonic dust.

wdw

[Sonic77]

Upgrade is free for 2.x purchases since Dec 25th, 2016 CET

For other 2.x (or 1.x) owners upgrade is USD39 or €34 (+ VAT for Europeans)

 

I upgraded to 2.6.6 on 02/18/17 , does that mean the upgrade is free for me? When I try to upgrade it says that I am up to date.

[jrd1975]

Upgraded and listening to a few tracks before getting ready for work. No up-sampling at the moment, just trying some A+ software decoded MQA, It SOUNDS splendid! Merci Damien, Bon Travail!

[One and a half]

yes.

 

That's the type of answer that starts the gun on dusting off the MacMini for audio use.

[Kafy]

Jud,

 

Do you mean by using the iZotope upsampling, the audio playback engine is not used ?

In that case all audio optimisation made by Damien can't be heard ?

[Speed Racer]

I have a couple of DSD64 files that played fine using A+ 2.6.6 but play at double speed using A+ 3.0. I tried changing all the setting that I could and it made no difference. Anyone else see this?

[DancingSea]

In my system, the A+3 gain is too high which is causing clipping. With Amarra, I can lower the gain, but still raise the volume.

 

With A+3, how can I lower the gain without lowering the volume?

[tipunch]

Hello Damien,

Audirvana with iTunes do not work any more very well... Random playing during change of tracks or disks. The playing of the tracks DSD (DSF) with iTunes (AudirvanaProxies) does not work any more either (worked with the last versions 2.6)...

Best regards

[tipunch]

Hello Damien,

Audirvana with iTunes do not work any more very well... Random playing during change of tracks or disks. The playing of the tracks DSD (DSF) with iTunes (AudirvanaProxies) does not work any more either (worked with the last versions 2.6)...

Best regards

... but without iTunes work very well :-)

[pl_svn]

@damien... mind telling us...

 

- which "network renderers" is A+ 3.x going to support?

- plans about an UI "overall rethinking"?

 

thank you

[wwaldmanfan]

I have a couple of DSD64 files that played fine using A+ 2.6.6 but play at double speed using A+ 3.0. I tried changing all the setting that I could and it made no difference. Anyone else see this?

 

Same here.

[Jud]

Jud,

 

Do you mean by using the iZotope upsampling, the audio playback engine is not used ?

In that case all audio optimisation made by Damien can't be heard ?

 

I apparently am obscure when I am trying very hard to be plain.

 

 

Whether you upsample or not, whether you are listening to MQA or not - in every situation in which you are listening to A+ version 3 - you are hearing the new, improved playback engine.

[Jud]

I didn't disparage those who like iZotope filters. I just don't bow down to them like they are the end all be all. I didn't like how it sounded compared to what my $250 DAC did on it's own.

 

I don't care what anyone else uses. Use what you think sounds best. I, apparently, am not allowed to prefer what is in my DAC. I am obviously stupid for not preferring iZotope filters and NOS DACs.

 

 

 

Please. You said people gave iZotope "too much credit," when what you meant was other folks like the results better than you did when you tried it. As I've said before - cool. Live and be well.

[Dyson]

little issue: my network folder (NAS) remains offline

I disconnect the folder, launch A+: nothing happens

When I start playing a track, the folder is mounted and the track is played, but in the library management the folder remains offline

Any idea?

[fbczar]

Jud, Would an MQA capable DAC offer any advantages over a DAC that was not MQA capable in use with Audirvana 3.0 playing MQA encoded files in Tidal? In my system MQA encoded Tidal files sound considerably better with Audirvana 3.0, than they did with Audirvana 2.6.6, but they are not on the same level as 24/96 or 24/192 downloads.