Amarra Is Offically A Thing of the Past.....Thanks To Pure Vinyl's New Pure Music for just $99

[Guest]

Thats right, the makers of Pure Vinyl just came out with Pure Music.

 

Many say Pure Vinyl sounds just as good IF NOT BETTER than Amarra, now Pure Music is Pure Vinyl without the Vinyl. Head to Head with Amarra at a 1/10th of the cost. And a Special Introductory Price of only $79

 

 

Pure Music

Compare

 

[rlodad]

But no Tiger (OSX 10.4) support?

 

Ugh!

 

[blueixus]

I've been running Pure Vinyl(Music) and Amarra back to back for some time.

 

IMHO Pure Vinyl(Music) has gone markedly backwards recently whilst Amarra continues to get better, true $79 is a great price but XXHighend costs Euro70 or so and allegedly trumps both.

 

Exciting times this, can't wait to see if Amarra twists or sticks....

 

[Guest]

XXHighend costs Euro70 or so and allegedly trumps both.

 

HAHAHA, Who said that? Peter???

 

If you can get XX to work, it is on par with cPlay at best....either way nothing on a PC will sound as good as a Mac or a Linux set up. I know because I have all three....and every piece of software available for all of them.

 

Anyways, as with everything YMMV and its all about synergy etc. etc. blah blah blah.

 

Have fun...

 

 

 

 

[tmfidelis]

"....nothing on a PC will sound as good as a Mac or a Linux set up."

 

Dear Dynobot:

 

If your time permits, please share the methods used to arrive at your conclusion.

 

Regards,

 

Tim Marutani

Emeryville, CA

 

[Guest]

What "Methods" are you referring too?

 

Software, room, computer CPU etc., Music, Single Blind, Double Blind???

 

What I can tell you is over the course of several years I have built several machines for both Linux and PC, installed every available music software I could find on each and optimized the machines to the level of RAM timings and CPU voltages. During the last year or so Mac has joined which as too optimized with SSD, better RAM etc. and outfitted with every piece of music software. I listen to all 3 on a regular basis and have come to the conclusion that in my room, with my gear, to my ears nothing on a PC will sound as good as a Mac or a Linux set up.

 

 

 

[tmfidelis]

Thank you for the information. What cast of hardware I/O do you use to make the comparisons?

 

Do you implement USB, Firewire, S/PDIF, AES, Ethernet, or perhaps all when making these judgments? If I may inquire, which DAC(s) do you use?

 

Perhaps there are procedures I ignored when conducting similar comparisons. If you can share your reference digital front end I wish to implement your ideas into systems out here on the west coast noting, at this time, RME and Lynx are the only two AES hardware I/Os ready to go using Linux.

 

Regards,

 

Tim Marutani

Emeryville, CA

 

 

 

[Guest]

What cast of hardware I/O do you use to make the comparisons?

 

Please visit my web site...it will answer many of your questions.

 

 

 

[beetlemania]

I am curious about sonic quality of Mac compared to Windows 7. In your above post you wrote that "to my ears nothing on a PC will sound as good as a Mac "

 

But on your website, you wrote:

"Sound wise Mac and Linux are more analytical than Windows. All can be enjoyable to listen to with the right associated equipment. Making a hard stand for one is nearly impossible because sound is too subjective..."

 

Can you please clarify?

 

 

[Guest WATERLOGIC]

I checked your website.

You are using TC Konnekt8 DAC/Clock .

As far as I understand this is sound/card interface which upsamles everything being sent through it to 32bit / 192 kHz, right ?

 

If correct, what do you need an auto-sample-detection software (Amarra, Pure Sound etc.) for ?

 

Also, TC Konnekt8 DAC/Clock being a sound card - is it possible to fix the bit/kHz rate when making a recording (mic, etc) ?

 

Regards

 

WL

 

 

 

[Guest]

"Sound wise Mac and Linux are more analytical than Windows. All can be enjoyable to listen to with the right associated equipment. Making a hard stand for one is nearly impossible because sound is too subjective..."

 

Can you please clarify?

 

Its just that simple, the interpretation of what sounds good is up to the listener, you be the judge as to what sounds good to you...although all can be enjoyable, to my ears PC does not sound as good as a Mac or Linux.

 

I don't know how many other ways I can say it.....

 

 

 

[Guest]

As far as I understand this is sound/card interface which upsamles everything being sent through it to 32bit / 192 kHz, right ?

WRONG...its not a sound card and it does not upsample everything to 32bit/192

 

 

Also, TC Konnekt8 DAC/Clock being a sound card - is it possible to fix the bit/kHz rate when making a recording (mic, etc) ?

What is your definition of a "Soundcard"? FYI, Soundcards "PLUG" into motherboards. Also I don't record so I cant answer your question

 

BTW, I am using a Modded Valab DAC, very similar to this [upgraded to Blackgate caps, bypassed resistor]except I added a Furutech IEC inlet for A/C and soldered my IC's directly to the circuit board. The TC Konnekt is used as a means of Firewire out and to reclock to digital out to very low levels of jitter before it reaches the DAC. The result, further clarity, smoothness and depth of soundstage. I normally listen to 24/88.2.

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest]

Why all the comments and questions about my personal philosophy and feelings about operating systems and equipment?

 

 

 

[manisandher]

I wouldn't listen to anyone talking about the SQ of XXHE unless they've tried it in Kernel Streaming 'Adaptive' mode, with Quad Arc Prediction upsampling, through a soundcard/interface/DAC that allows low latency.

 

A 16-bit DAC (Valab) won't allow Quad Arc Prediction. A firewire DAC (TC Konnect 8) won't have a low enough latency.

 

XXHE provides the best digital sound I've heard. Period.

 

Mani.

 

[Audio_ELF]

Dynobot asked... "Why all the comments and questions about my personal philosophy and feelings about operating systems and equipment?"

 

Well you did post a quite inflammatory statement about Amarra in the title of the message. People are just asking you to back up your statements you made later.

 

Eloise

 

[Guest WATERLOGIC]

In the meantime I checked the specs for your soundcard . It is a firewire soundcard like Edirol FA 66 (which is more capable, btw) and many others. And the specs say it upsamples everything that comes in ??

 

Soundcard : has ADC and DAC. In types as yours and mentioned FA 66 (semi pro) the DAC part is in most cases too average for a judgement that OS X sounds better than Windows etc.

 

I suppose people are asking you so much, maybe they wonder if you know what are you doing, as I do ?

 

 

WL

 

[Guest]

A 16-bit DAC (Valab) won't allow Quad Arc Prediction. A firewire DAC (TC Konnect 8) won't have a low enough latency.

 

The Valab is 24bit and the latency on the Konnekt can be very low.

 

However, I have owned a LavryDA10, MDHT Havana, as well as a RME Fireface DAC.

 

I sold them all for a reason....your RME is too Digital for my tastes for example.

 

 

 

 

 

[manisandher]

The latency of the Konnect CANNOT be very low. It uses a DICE chip, like my Weiss. This is probably why you're having diffculties getting XXHE to work properly. it's nothing to do with XXHE.

 

So you've heard an RME AES-32 feeding a Model Two have you?

 

Mani.

 

[blueixus]

I was a bit surprised at Dynobots comments about XXHE.

 

For the record I am not a spokesperson for Peter, he can do that for himself and frequently does, which is great.

 

I have found XXHE to be a quite exceptionally fine player, like some other previous posters I am also less than convinced by the DACs Dynobot uses as a 'reference points'.

 

Valabs and MDHT Havanas are fine bits of kits, but even with the snake oil of 'upgrades' they may not be state of the art, so may not be the best implements to makes such emphatic judgements on the capability of software.

 

 

 

[Guest]

I don't know if you guys are insane or just being trolls.

 

I have said it 1,000 times if not more

 

Its just that simple, the interpretation of what sounds good is up to the listener, you be the judge as to what sounds good to you...although all can be enjoyable, to my ears PC does not sound as good as a Mac or Linux.

 

So if this means everyone MUST like XXHE to you then so be it....there is nothing more to talk about concerning XXHE.

 

As far as the DAC's I have owned and choose to use....that is my choice and the choice of many who listen and find that NOS DAC's with TDA1543 chips are very musical. As far as being State of the Art, you will not hear any such claims by me....but any owner of Wavelength DAC's and other DAC's that use the chip are probably happy. Once again YOU BE THE JUDGE AS TO WHAT SOUNDS GOOD TO YOU.....

 

So you guys, Love Peter and his software so much that anyone who does not give it praise will be under attack...LOL cute. Such loyalty.

 

Anyways, this thread is SUPPOSED to be about Pure Music software for Mac, not some software for a PC. So read the News, decide if you want it or not and more on... Download it and try it and YOU BE THE JUDGE as to how it sounds to you, with your system, in your room, with your ears.

 

LOL....Geezzz you guys are truly borderline...

 

 

 

 

[Lars]

I totally agree with Dynobot. Given the inumerable differences in systems, rooms, preferences, etc., how can we all agree on everyting all of the time?

 

The fact is Amarra, PureVinyl, and XXHIGHEND are all fine programs.

 

 

 

[Guest]

The fact is Amarra, PureVinyl, and XXHIGHEND are all fine programs.

 

Sure are....In fact I never said they were not.

 

My "Crime" was that I said XXHE is on par with cPlay.

 

I wonder how many here has actually compared the two to think their beloved XXHE is head and shoulders above cPlay. Fact is, the different versions of each software sounds different from one rev to the next.

 

 

 

[Lars]

Yup, they all do sound different. My preference for this week: OSX Snow Leopard with Pure Vinyl. There-I said it!

 

[Guest]

My preference for this week: OSX Snow Leopard with Pure Vinyl. There-I said it!

 

Oh Oh, here come the ATTACKS.....LOL

 

People act as it you MUST have some sort of loyalty to software. As if ONLY using one means you are better or more "Golden Eared" than others. Fact is you can have MANY favorites and you can use different softwares or OS's as you see fit, as the mood strikes you...which is why I have all 3 in one room.

 

I switch between, Mac/PureMusic, Linux/MPD-or-ALSAPlayer, and Windows/JRiver-or-Foobar-or-cPlay....or any other software that I want to listen too from week to week, or sometimes from day to day or hour to hour.

 

Just like I said on my website

All can be enjoyable to listen to with the right associated equipment. Making a hard stand for one is nearly impossible because sound is too subjective...

 

But somehow because of the nature of loyalty to one software this statement seemed confusing....how can ALL of them be enjoyable? Wow what a strange concept.

 

I remember some time ago after I suggested to the JRiver people to develop something to support WASAPI [yep that was me who convinced them to make it WASAPI compatible]. I suggested other features and was attacked and immediately discredited by a "Loyal" JRiver user, who made it known that I use and try "Other Players" and should not be listened too.

 

"A couple of weeks ago, you were lobbying for Wasapi support. Then you were lobbying for a Linux version. Now you are lobbying for a stripped down audiophile version. The reality is that you aren't actually going to use any of these for long before you look for the next new thing to try."

 

[Nyal Mellor]

Agree with Dynobot. There is no best, only preferences. Fair enough there is a leading pack but one persons best dac ever is Pacific Microsonics Model 2, anothers might be a DCS stack, anther MBL. At the level these players are operating you are talking basically about preference. Look at TAS, they allow their journos to have differences of opinion about what sounds best. That is the right attitude IMO, not 'one answer is the only answer'.

 

I am all for competition in music software, it will bring down price and increase quality. Only having Amarra as an option isn't going to really make companies focus on improvement. Capitalism, got to love it