Pure Music 1.7 Compared to Amarra 2.11

[Lars]

I just posted an extensive comparison of the two programs at AA to avoid any conflict for Chris. I prefer Pure Music for the following reasons:

 

http://www.audioasylum.com/forums/pcaudio/messages/8/83456.html

 

 

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

No worries feel free post honest opinions about anything. As long as there's no vested interest, there's no problem :~)

 

[Lars]

No vested interest here Chris. I wish these guys would put me on the payroll!!

 

I just wanted to avoid the tone of some of the responses to my posts I get at AA. This is a nice place.

 

[khollister]

So I have been going back and forth over PM 1.7 and Amarra 2.1.1. Here's where I'm at:

 

Convenience aside, I clearly prefer Amarra in playlist/cache mode. Things have a much more realistic harmonic texture (piano in particular) that gives the music a more organic, less digital sound to me.

 

With the playlist mode turned off in Amarra, it is a bit of a jump ball for me. PM clearly has better air and space, but something doesn't quite sound right as far as harmonic structure of instruments - things sound more digital for lack of a better word. Amarra in iTunes mode retains the naturalness, but loses air and space compared to playlist mode. Neither of these two options sounds as good as Amarra with playlist on.

 

I have been listening to Alan Jackson's "Like Red On a Rose" album - in particular the track "Wait a Minute". The solo piano behind Alan's voice at the opening is uncanny in how harmonically rich and natural it sounds with Amarra/playlist/cache. Turning off playlist mode throws a blanket over it, and using PM 1.7 brings the air back, but ruins the harmonic richness of the piano. Later sections of the song with denser arrangements sound more forced thru PM than with Amarra as well.

 

Tubes versus solid state keeps coming to mind here. Amarra in Itunes mode is old school tubes (think Dynaco or Marantz) - in playlist mode we're talking modern tube sound.

 

I want to like PM better, but it just isn't doing for me today.

 

[rlodad]

Interesting comments. Would it be safe to say that the programs are system dependent and one or the other might be best on any particular system? Personally, I never heard enough difference to consider buying Amarra, and am thrilled with PM. Do either of you (or anyone else) use any plug ins in PM? I am wondering what is out there and what they do to the sound.

 

Thanks!

 

[ericuco]

With regards to plug-ins, I have been using the ARC System plug-in from IK Multimedia for several months and have been very pleased with the results. It is a room correction plug-in so it requires some setup (microphone to measure your room, etc.) but fairly straightforward. Once setup is done, including in PM is very easy.

 

Obviously, it all depends on your room and system setups on how effective (or not) the results will be. For me, it is working out well.

 

[khollister]

No plugins here.

 

[jp11801]

Amarra 2.1 for me as pure music sounds a bit weird with cymbals using waltz for debby as a test cd

 

[Panelhead]

I experienced some breakup in cymbals and other HF transients. Thought it was my speakers or interface. After checking things the Mac was set to external dac and not internal speakers with HOG mode enabled.

I also thought maybe it was the software upsampling to 88.2/24. It helped to run thought and check HOG on and off, 44.1 or 88.2, and PM or iTunes 10.

Back to where I started with HOG and 88.2 in PM. I think 1.70 sounds better than 1.65A. May just be RAM management. Since my Mini is still running 32 bit the full 8 gig maybe not used.

 

George

 

[jhstn58]

Lars -

 

You wrote in your review: "Isolation of the SMPS of the computer and external hard drive are a must." Will you expound on that a bit for me? I'm a bit of a newbie but I'm diving into Hi-rez music head first and intend to buy a new Mac Mini to serve as my music server. I understand that, unlike earlier models, the 2010 Mac Mini has the power supply built in. Is it possible in that circumstance to isolate the SMPS and, if so, how? Thanks.

 

Jim

 

[Lars]

An AC line filter would help. I was using a PS Audio Duet to power my external hard drive and MacBook Pro. I often run my Mac on the battery. I had a spare PS Audio Premier Power Plant that totally blocks the SMPS noise from getting into the AC line. I was amazed at how much better the Premier was compared to the Duet and other filters I had tried. The only SMPS on the line was the external HD. This little SMPS was making the sound bright and hard.

 

Much has been written on this subject in this forum. CG is also very knowledgeable on this subject.

 

[elcorso]

I am with khollister & Lars,

 

Amarra being better in time domain? (Under playlist, cache on, NO iTunes)

 

Pure Music better in frequency domain? Cache on, NO upsampling, iTunes ON)

 

No dither on volume control, and then NO volume control on both of them.

 

In both I get no listening fatigue, but less in Amarra. Amarra preferred as a "purist" player, but Pure Music for overall pleasure, since his much better iTunes interphase.

 

The great is, that thanks to this AC forum, we are getting in a short time, very good computer music players.

 

Regarding SMPS noise from my Mac Mini 2010 and Firewire HD, the only way (in my particular case) is feeding the power from a dedicated now discontinued Shunyata Original Hydra (No surge or filtering specified, but there is not "feedback noise" to the AC mains), but not from the Exact Power SP15 nor Balanced Power BPT units. Since my country sudden power blackouts I have an bakcup UPS (for the Mini and HD) with MOVR and filter caps. removed, if not, I got no deep bass, and the midrange is destroyed in my ML CLX speakers, who is a champ in this matter.

 

My actual setup is Mac Mini 2010 (8 GB, running under 64 bits, spinnig HD) LaCie 2TB external HD -> Wavelength WaveLink -> Playback Designs MPS-5 DAC ->Parasound Halo JC2 preamp. ->AR Ref. 110 amp. (VT120 tubes) -> ML CLX + ML Descent i subs.(2)

 

Another DAC's waiting for listening.

 

I specified my setup because my DAC is an upsampling one, then somebody could get different results with the upsampling setting ON in Pure Music.

 

Roch

 

 

[James1776]

OK, let me ask a really dumb question..My PM is showing version 1.6 and I have the update box set on automatic...How do I get this softtware to update to the newer version???

 

I do not see any options to do a manual update

 

[Lars]

Download 1.7 from this site. Open the download. Then drag the program to your Applications folder.

 

http://www.channld.com/download.html

 

 

 

[maheshkc]

Hi all

disappointed Still cannot play internet radio.

 

[James1776]

Thanks though that does beg the question about why the program has an automatic update feature that does not appear to work...

 

[ted_b]

Pure Music to be an internet radio player. If so, I apologize, but I would not be disappointed in something that seems far removed from it's primary purpose.

 

[Lars]

James,

 

Channel D and Sonic Studio are small companies. Not everything is perfect or will be perfect. I remember when Apple first released Leopard and screwed up the WiFi on my new iMac and MacBook Pro. I also remember the WiFi problems I had with my iPad when it was first released. Apple has a few more resources than tiny Channel D but still has issues.

 

Thanks

 

[4est]

I do not think any of the audiophile players stream, especially with memory play.

 

[Bob Stern]

Even the very best internet stations are less than audiophile quality, so I doubt there's any reason to pursue a streaming player of better quality than VLC or iTunes.

 

[zerung]

Lars, et al,

How are you enabling Auto Sample Rate Change in pure music?. Mine does not work....

 

[James1776]

Do you mean upsampling? All my wav files are upsampled to 24/96 before they leave for the DAC...

 

[ted_b]

Auto sample rate change is Pure Music's ability to automatically change Audio Midi to the native sample rate of the next chosen song. Without that ability (Amarra, Ayrewave, etc do it too btw) then you are forced, like using plain old iTunes, to close iTunes, go into Audio Midi manually, change the sample rate, then restart iTunes...total hassle!! These new players all do that automatically. Not sure why it's not working for Zerung. PM's handshake with Weiss's drivers is flawless in my experience.

 

[James1776]

Thanks, I am still learning this language and the software...All of my files are CD's ripped to WAV files. 16/44 I suppose...

 

[RobGoodison]

I've been comparing the latest versions, and I'm surprised that I actually prefer the sound signature of Amarra 2.1.1. over Pure Music 1.7. Earlier versions of Amarra did nothing for me really, but I've just spent £60 on Amarra Junior (only listen to 16/24 bit 44.1k files).

 

I'm running a headless Mac mini, connected via firewire to an Apogee Duet DAC/headphone amplifier, and listening via a pair of Denon AHD-7000 headphones.

 

To my ears, Amarra offers a smoother, less fatiguing sound - more natural. Pure Music offers a more open soundstage, and crisper higher frequencies - but it's not really grabbing as much as the Amarra sound.

 

It kind of reminds me of the heated debates that used to do the rounds on Head-Fi - comparing Sennheiser HD650s to AKG K701s. Both products seemed to polarise the Head-Fi community...