Laufer Memory Player with DAC

[ctsooner]

I recently got the all new Memory Player with DAC.  The DAC is in prototype still.  they will be taking it out of the player and making a two box unit out of it and upgrading the caps to StealthCaps along with many other upgrades.  It sounds awesome right now, so I can't wait for the full blown solution.  Right now in my system, to my ears, in my room it sounds as good as the Brinkmann, Berkley Ref adn DCS Rossini I've had in to audition.  I sold an Ayre QX5 and will sell my Steve Nugent server/Paul Hynes LPS unit server for this combo.

 

I've had many top servers in to play with.  My favorite has been the Aurender N10.  This Memory Player blows it away for me.  It's just one of those units that does everything better.  It's hard to put into words sometimes how I hear.  I can use audiophile terms, but even those mean different things to different folks.  The biggest difference I always hear when listening to digital vs analog (good vinyl) is that I relax into the music with analog (vinyl or reel to reel/my fav).  I've heard the MP in a Rockport Lyra system with top analog, both vinyl and new reel to reel.  I got to hear the same song on all three in a blind test and the MP and reel sounded nearly the same.  You could hear small differences in drive and pace with the reel that the other two couldn't give you.  the MP impressed with the size of the stage.  I didn't think I'd hear the depth with it that I got with either reel or vinyl, but it was there.  It had the pin point location of vocals adn instruments also, which again, I didn't expect.  I'm getting similar in my room in my modest system of Vandersteen Quatro's and Ayre AX5/20 (which I'm selling off to get the new Vandersteen mono's, lol).  I can't help myself.

 

Anyways, this is a special unit and they continually upgrade the software for you.  I've gotten to know Sam and like him a lot, but it's about the unit not the friendship here.  I strongly recommend folks to check it out and put it on the must hear list.  I have a few friends who have done that and also purchased it, so I know it's not just me, lol.  Anyways, there are a lot of great choices in servers right now, so that's the best part.  enjoy all

[Dpetr]

ctsooner,

 

Last week I ordered a 16 core MP from Sam.  I think it was a trade-in from someone moving up the line.   There is no DAC inside.  He's updating the software and also the USB output and I expect to have it in early January.  Looking forward to comparing it to my Aurender N100h, but it doesn't seem like a fair fight.   From what I've read about Mark's ideas, it seems the rest of the industry is looking in the wrong direction.  I hope I'm right.

 

Dave

 

 

[ctsooner]

Mark, not sure which one you have compared to mine, but I can tell you that the N10 doesn't come close to the one I'm using.

[ctsooner]

On 12/13/2018 at 4:55 PM, Dpetr said:

ctsooner,

 

Last week I ordered a 16 core MP from Sam.  I think it was a trade-in from someone moving up the line.   There is no DAC inside.  He's updating the software and also the USB output and I expect to have it in early January.  Looking forward to comparing it to my Aurender N100h, but it doesn't seem like a fair fight.   From what I've read about Mark's ideas, it seems the rest of the industry is looking in the wrong direction.  I hope I'm right.

 

Dave

 

 

Dave, there are a lot of directions and maybe all make a positive difference.  Mark is so software driven and that's why I think he is way ahead of the power curves out there.  A larger company can't always do what Mark is doing for financial reasons.  They also may not think it matters (clearly it does as every upgrade he makes is making a positive difference in my digital playback.  

 

What I'm most excited about is Mark deciding to make my internal DAC an external, two box unit.  I think it's going to become another of his no holds barred products.  We have StealthCaps being used and he's upgrading the tubes as well as everything else.  He also does more with power filtering etc.. than many other manufacturers out there.  It's custom, so I'll chose what inputs I want and need.  I currently have a digital pre output (that I'll never use as I've yet to hear a digital preamp sound good) as well as a built in analog one that I can't try, because I have to use a 100hz cross over for my Vandersteen Quatro's.  Eventually I want to get Richard's new mono blocks and then I'll have mark design the preamp (or jsut get a used Audio Research or Aesthetix pre.

 

Bottom line though is that this is the first digital that I feel compares favorably and often bests top vinyl (Yes, I've heard it against top reel to reel and was blown away at how good is can sound.

[Summit]

Maybe a coincidence that many of the companies that you seems to like (Audio Research, Aesthetix and Laufer) use StealthCaps and tubes in their top gear, or it’s just me that read too much in it ?.

 

I have never heard of Laufer before. What I can say is that Aesthetix upgraded my Pandora to Eclipse one year ago. One of upgrades was to change to StealthCaps. As you know it’s hard to know exactly how much of the increase in SQ the change to StealthCaps stood for and what the other upgrades that they did at the same time provided. However Jim White has chosen StealthCaps in all his best gear (Eclipse), so I guess the improvement in his designs is great as the cost for those caps is very high.

 

I believe that I have read that you liked the sound of Aesthetix Pandora Eclipse in the past but that you liked the Ayre AX5 a bit more. Is the sound signature of the Laufer more like the Ayer or Eclipse?

[ctsooner]

I love Jim's gear.  All of it.  Heard the Mimas integrated crushes it at 6k or so.  Just amazing.  I sold my Rhea when I sold my analog rig, but what phono stage.  Their top modded gear is so special.  I just love these brands because they sound great, even their lower ones without stealth caps.  These caps are so special though.  Sam Laufer will use whatever you want. It was my idea to use the Stealth's.  His digital is unreal.  Mark P who started Melos, is the designer.  

[Dpetr]

I've had my Memory Player for a few months, and I'm now comfortable with the general settings.  I play music mostly from the SSD, but I do occasionally listen to Tidal.  It seems there are 2 ways to use Tidal on the MP:

 

1.  Download the Tidal desktop and play through Windows to your DAC, or

2.  Open JRiver, then open the Tidal desktop and in settings select "JRiver" as the output.

 

Does anyone know if its possible to have a Tidal stream temporarily stored in the MP's memory so that the IDEAS software can work its magic before playing?

 

thank you

 

Dave

 

 

 

 

[ctsooner]

I hope that you can. I asked Sam and will reports back as to what he says. I listen to a lot of Tidal too. I could have sworn he told me last year that it can now be set up that way, but don’t take my word on that. Let’s see what he says. 

[justubes]

How does Tidal compare to the same ssd tracks streaming in the memory player?

 

Tidal is not inbuilt in the Memory Players software? Does it run on roon also?

 

[ctsooner]

You can get Roon, but it won't sound as good as JRiver.  It's just not that great still.  Same with Tidal.  It can sound great, but not as good as a well recorded track in high Rez.

[ctsooner]

Update.  Mark has figured out how to integrate Roon in TMP.  I get mine back next Friday adn can't wait.  There have been SOOOO many upgrades since I purchased mine.  It still crushes every player on the market that I've heard.  My buddy, who's a reviewer for TAS and a couple of others, has had all the top servers in and says nothing else is even in the contest and he doesn't have all the upgrades yet, lol.  Mine will probably be the only one that has the integrated DAC as they are focusing on TMP and their new line array speaker line.