36 minutes ago, TP1 said:

I have been to several high end audio shows and listened to my fair share of equipment at audiophiles homes over the years and with those experiences behind me, I sat down today to listen to Chanh's Magico M7's.   From the very first moment I could only describe the sound as majestic and on such  a scale that I haven't heard before. The usual way we describe speakers seems inadequate for the M7's .  We  have all heard speakers described as "disappearing" into the soundstage but the M7's  are on a whole other level.  Sound was clearly articulated from across the room, from the front to back and top to bottom in a manner that leaves you in amazement.  We also talk off bass definition but that wouldn't do the M7's justice either because they articulate  bass sounds you simply wouldn't hear on lesser speakers and  place each sound in its  rightful place all over the room.  Not to mention they don't seem to have any limitation on how low or loud they can go.

 

While I was absorbing all this,  I discovered that source of the sound was the streaming service Qobuz  through the  Grandioso N1T - which just left me wondering how much potential there is still left in this incredible system.   Congratulations Chanh, an awesome acquisition and I cant wait  to see how the system progresses.

Got to fully agree with the sentiments expressed above, Chanh's system has reached new heights, Soundstaging, not usually a focus for me, was super impressive and I felt immersed in the music! It wasn't a relaxed listen as the temptation was to keep the sound levels high to  futilely test the M7s!

Streaming music from Tidal & Qobuz enabled a wide variety of choices to not faze the system one iota & suggest future gains, with planned changes to the multiple source components. Lots to enjoy here, well done Chanh. 

52 minutes ago, TP1 said:

I have been to several high end audio shows and listened to my fair share of equipment at audiophiles homes over the years and with those experiences behind me, I sat down today to listen to Chanh's Magico M7's.   From the very first moment I could only describe the sound as majestic and on such  a scale that I haven't heard before. The usual way we describe speakers seems inadequate for the M7's .  We  have all heard speakers described as "disappearing" into the soundstage but the M7's  are on a whole other level.  Sound was clearly articulated from across the room, from the front to back and top to bottom in a manner that leaves you in amazement.  We also talk off bass definition but that wouldn't do the M7's justice either because they articulate  bass sounds you simply wouldn't hear on lesser speakers and  place each sound in its  rightful place all over the room.  Not to mention they don't seem to have any limitation on how low or loud they can go.

 

While I was absorbing all this,  I discovered that source of the sound was the streaming service Qobuz  through the  Grandioso N1T - which just left me wondering how much potential there is still left in this incredible system.   Congratulations Chanh, an awesome acquisition and I cant wait  to see how the system progresses.

Thank you, Tasso. It was unfortunate that we didn’t connect QoBuz directly to the Esoteric N1T. Instead, we streamed the music from my iPhone via AirPlay into the N1T, which significantly impacted the sound quality. It wasn’t until I settled into the sweet spot after everyone else had left, and while Brodric was packing away the N1T, that I asked him for a little more time to listen to a few tracks. At that moment, we realised something was off with the sound. It turned out Brodric had disabled the QoBuz on the N1T back at home. Once we turned it back on and streamed directly to the N1T from QoBuz, we truly began to appreciate the sound. Unfortunately, by then, everyone else had already gone home.

 

Despite this, the N1T absolutely outshone my years of dedication to building a DIY server. You guys haven’t yet experienced the real potential of the Esoteric—it’s truly remarkable! Now I’m eagerly anticipating Brodric bringing over his Esoteric N1T and DAC so we can truly explore their extraordinary capabilities. And we mustn’t forget about the Wadax in a few weeks time either. This is certainly becoming an exhilarating journey!

What! No records?!😁

I suppose that it is a compliment to your speakers/system that less than ideal audio quality was not picked up by your guests/listeners 😃

8 minutes ago, awayward said:

I suppose that it is a compliment to your speakers/system that less than ideal audio quality was not picked up by your guests/listeners 😃

Records sound incredible on it, I feel they missed out on a treat.

51 minutes ago, awayward said:

I suppose that it is a compliment to your speakers/system that less than ideal audio quality was not picked up by your guests/listeners 😃

Brodric and I have been thoroughly enjoying this setup with familiar tracks from these identical synergies, showcasing his Esoteric integration perfectly. Today’s guests are experiencing this for the first time. They had not yet established the baseline, still the setup sounds absolutely incredible with the less than optimal data transmission. Despite this hiccup, I kept hearing exclamations of “$&@& me!” ringing out several time of the afternoon. 

Edited June 29, 2025Jun 29 by AccMagi7s

25 minutes ago, mtf said:

What! No records?!😁

We played records, which sounded excellent. However, the audience was not suitable for the occasion.

 

Today’s guests are predominantly digital and streaming enthusiasts. 

1 hour ago, TP1 said:

..While I was absorbing all this,  I discovered that source of the sound was the streaming service Qobuz  through the  Grandioso N1T - which just left me wondering how much potential there is still left in this incredible system...

What you were hearing on the N1T was Qobuz at lossy Spotify quality. I wasn't aware Chanh's phone was connecting via AirPlay to the N1T and not Qobuz Connect. The configuration error only became apparent late in the afternoon when Chanh and I were the last two standing and London Grammar was playing. I know this album very well and it didn't sound as good as it should. On closer inspection of the N1T the AirPlay flag was on the display. The configuration error came about because I had disabled Qobuz playback in the software so it was defaulting to AirPlay. Once Qobuz was enabled the N1T starting singing in all its glory. So unfortunately nobody today heard the N1T playing hi-rez audio. What they heard was how good lossy Spotify can sound in a top tier system.

 

Hi-Rez streaming demo on the N1T will have to wait until next time. I might bring my Esoteric Grandioso D1X DAC's + master clock along to a future session. That combination entirely within the Esoteric digital ecosystem is something special.

3 minutes ago, brodricj said:

 

Hi-Rez streaming demo on the N1T will have to wait until next time. I might bring my Esoteric Grandioso D1X DAC's + master clock along to a future session. That combination entirely within the Esoteric digital ecosystem is something special.

Thank you, Brodric. I shall quote this immediately as a legally binding document.  🤪😁🥳

If I also bring the Shunyata Everest power conditioner and my 6m long Shunyata interconnects and some Shunyata Sigma v2 power cords we can have the Grandioso stack off to the side and out of the way. Just run the interconnects to your Accuphase. I won't bring the Grandioso C1X pre-amp because that will just be too many boxes for my car.

I have a production slot in September for the Grandioso D1XSE so I should have that in early October. We can do another box opening video when they arrive. D1XSE would give MSB Cascade a run for its money.

I was streaming tracks from Tidal at Chanhs & the correct rate was showing on the Esoteric screen such as24/192 for Doug McLeod's latest album, so some files were full rate😉.

9 hours ago, teagle said:

I was streaming tracks from Tidal at Chanhs & the correct rate was showing on the Esoteric screen such as24/192 for Doug McLeod's latest album, so some files were full rate😉.

Terry, you were using the Jplay app. In Jplay, it works by using UPnP. Jplay is the best among all the other apps I tried. My Roon is collecting dust at the moment. The optimal setup would be the Qobuz app directly to the Esoteric. This yells the best SQ from Esoteric N1T. 

2 hours ago, AccMagi7s said:

Terry, you were using the Jplay app. In Jplay, it works by using UPnP. Jplay is the best among all the other apps I tried. My Roon is collecting dust at the moment. The optimal setup would be the Qobuz app directly to the Esoteric. This yells the best SQ from Esoteric N1T. 

 

The Grandioso N1-T,  like the N03-T  has  built in streaming capabilities so the device  will connect  directly with the servers without  interference.  Streaming control has traditionally been through Esoteric's  Soundstream app where you enter the streaming log-in details etc. .  The new "Qobuz connect " should allow  you to use your phone's Qobuz app to control the built-in Qobuz app on the N1-T bypassing Soundstream ( or so it seems from Qobuz literature).  I don't think other streaming services operate that way but you can still use the Soundstream app to control them

 

But it gets better still. Esoteric never  promoted this but in an early Japanese review of the N-03T, it was discovered that the best digital playback was through an SSD attached directly to the devices USB port .  Using expensive attached servers to feed digital audio did nothing to aid audio quality but they did allow the use of different software like Roon and had built in storage.   

 

For my part I think storing digital music on an SSD gives the best sound for the N03-T and I would wager it will be outstanding on the N1-T. To play it, the Soundstream app works very well - it is not Roon though. 

 

 

Edited June 30, 2025Jun 30 by TP1

11 hours ago, teagle said:

I was streaming tracks from Tidal at Chanhs & the correct rate was showing on the Esoteric screen such as24/192 for Doug McLeod's latest album, so some files were full rate😉.

It was the Qobuz content that was disabled in the Esoteric Soundstream software.

4 minutes ago, TP1 said:

The new "Qobuz connect " should allow  you to use your phone's Qobuz app to control the built-in Qobuz app on the N1-T bypassing Soundstream..

That's right....the device running the Qobuz App is just being used as a "connect" controller to tell the N1T/N-03T what music to play and it grabs it directly from the Qobuz servers. When Qobuz has been disabled in Soundstream the device running the Qobuz App will connect to the N1T/N-03T using Airplay2. The controller is grabbing the music and sending it to the N1T/N-03T, rather than the N1T/N-03T getting it from Qobuz directly.

 

In Chanh's case, it is not a hardwired connection between the N1T and the Qobuz servers because there is a WiFi link between the listening room network switch and the router which is located in the house. Change that to a network cable instead of WiFi and I suspect the sound quality will improve even more.

 

For streaming Qobuz Connect sounds best, followed by Spotify Connect, followed by Airplay2. Qobuz Connect sounds as good as SACD played on my Grandioso SACD transport.

2 minutes ago, brodricj said:

When Qobuz has been disabled in Soundstream the device running the Qobuz App will connect to the N1T/N-03T using Airplay2.

 

Why was Qobuz disabled in Soundstream?

Analog please Bro 😘

1 hour ago, TP1 said:

 

Why was Qobuz disabled in Soundstream?

Because I had disabled it at home as I don't have a Qobuz account.

It's taken me some time to come to terms with what I experienced yesterday at Chanh's place as there were just so many facets to the whole encounter. First impressions upon entering the room was to be overwhelmed by sheer physical scale and immaculate finish of not just the M7 loudspeakers but almost every piece of equipment installed in the purpose built and superbly treated, dedicated room (separate building.) I've been before to this temple of music but every time I do there are more offerings to the Gods of sound. I think almost all the items of gear had changed from previous visits and all more impressive than before and I found myself having to fight the overwhelming urge to be mind-boggled at the cost of all this equipment. That's not my business, nor does it make any difference as to how I should perceive the sound quality before me.

 

After Chanh and Brodricj had finished connecting up the Esoteric N1T streamer we began with a number of tunes that are obviously Chanh's favorites and here again I immediately found myself overwhelmed by the sheer force and scale of the sound stage before me, nay, enveloping me. I felt to be a part of the music and the whole room around me was alive with the instrumentation. Now, I often criticise 'Audiophiles' for being so narrow in their musical taste strictly limiting themselves to pieces of music that are (dare i say it) esoteric and arcane even, simply because they are guaranteed to bring out the best in the system they are played through, usually not something I would ever put on at home as not to my taste. THIS system was so damn incredible as to make the most cliquish or boring music hugely exciting, fascinating and moreish.

 

Chanh and Broricj have both said this was not the best the system could be, that were certain things not correct or imperfect. Well if that's imperfection  I wish there were more of it in this world because the musical sound was simply wonderful and no wonder Chanh is so addicted to it. Now I did get hold of the phone and manage to play a few of "my" tunes. For example Fionna Apple's 'On The Bound' from When the Pawn, Tom Waits' 'Georgia Lee' and then 'Karmacoma' from Massive Attack's Protection. This was a bit of an eye-opener in that the sound quality was no-where near the clarity and body of Chanh's music. I'm very familiar with all of them and could hear the failings. Lack of 'bounce' at the start Fionna's fab track, lack of bottom end during Karmacoma, I didn't feel like weeping for poor Georgia as I often have in the past, though I am 100% certain they were failings of the source material not the reproduction of it. Perhaps this is the missing element Brodricj and Chanh were alluding to as I know this wonderful system should have performed these tunes far better. On the other hand 'All That You Give' by the incomparable Fontella Bass with The Cinematic Orchestra was awesome, just awesome.

 

So, a terrific time at Casa Chanh, great music, great sound, great wine and lovely company made for an enjoyable day and this morning explaining to my golf buddies how I had been listening to a "stereo" that cost more than all of our houses was classic. The look on their faces!

 

One thing though Chanh - the ancient Greek Gods despised perfection in humans or their undertakings. You were talking of making even more improvements to the system, well watch out for Zeus' lightning bolts mate, he's got a bead on you right now.

 

Ged

1 hour ago, Grimmie said:

...Chanh and Broricj have both said this was not the best the system could be, that were certain things not correct or imperfect...

I'm going to try and get my Esoteric DAC + clock + N1T into Chanh's system...that Esoteric stack is a few levels up on the Accuphase DAC. I dare say it's in MSB Cascade performance territory. To get my C1X in the mix would be nice but that would require two trips to transport all those boxes. No more excuses, we're going to get it right for the next GTG.

It's worth my effort because his space will bring out the best of what the flagship Esoteric gear can do. I don't see any point in bringing my Halcro amps as the Gryphon class-A mono blocks would probably be a better match for M7 than my Halcro's.

If only we could run a long network cable to the house??

Thank you Chanh for the opportunity to listen to what is arguably one of Australia's best audio systems, certainly the 'best' in terms of capability when compared to all the systems I have heard here in Western Australia and includes those I have been exposed to in Sydney, Melbourne and New York in my audio journey. Undoubtedly, the sound is underpinned by the mighty Magico M7 loudspeaker (the only pair in Australia @ RRP circa $700K). All the other equipment in the room are just the dancing partners and contribute to the sound and, do not let all the discussion about the accidental lossy streamed music distract you. It was the M7s that we all came to hear and they definitely didn't disappoint.

 

On entering Chanh's meticulously laid out listening room, and I have been here before on several occasions, the first thing that struck me was the sense scale and fullness to the sound. As good as his previous Magico S5's were, in retrospect they did not fill the 7m x 9m space adequately. The S5 in this acoustic space still sounded like boxes placed in a large room. The M7 couples with the room magnificently, the music was all around you with instruments and the players placed accurately in the soundstage. It was firing images in all directions, from side to side, good back to front layering with some parts of the music travelling along the sides of the room towards the back of the listeners. Its amazing how two channel stereo when done properly, can even do this. Definitely a sense of the speakers disappearing and only the music left in the room, something I have experienced only a couple of times in my 40yr audio pursuit. Bass was prodigious as you would expect from such a large speaker construct, but it didn't intrude on the superb clarity on hand. The bass went incredibly low, with rumbling low tones that I have never heard before and rendered with definition and accuracy. The superb engineering of the whole loudspeaker (drivers, cabinet and crossover) was quite evident.

 

As to any negatives, the main one was not being able to listen to a vinyl record or a CD on the day. I'm aware that we were playing host to Brodric's superb Esoteric streamer, and that Chanh will be upping the ante with improving his streaming so its all good. However, given the chance and rightly or wrongly, my priorities to assess ( and enjoy) systems in terms of musicality and naturalness is still to use as an ultimate source 1. Vinyl Record  2. CD/SACD  3. Computer Audio ...in that order. That said, computer based audio is very very close and is the one to use for variety, convenience and overall good sound quality. While on the topic of sound quality on the day, a lot of the music was played a little loud, the Magico's on some tracks actually had the ability to over-drive that big room.  A couple of tracks were distorting the room acoustics and even the structure of the building, go figure! My two favourite tracks of the day was The Sound of Silence - Geoff Castellucci and Lua - Princezito. The Castellucci track was a bass torture test making the speaker (perhaps?), room structure and wine bottles rattle and the Lua track at high levels was resonating the vocal and room in an unpleasant way. Nothing that turning the volume down a bit didn't solve. As to the lossy streaming issue, while it still sounded excellent, Rokita/Roman and myself noticed on a couple of his Jazz test tracks ...a slight hint of compression probably due to the lower bit rate. I am looking forward to having a quiet session on my own one day with Chanh and the M7s with some revealing acoustic music, to see if the big behemoths will caress and stroke my ears in the way a valve based system with finessed speakers can do ...I'm sure that it will. 

 

Anyway, Chanh's room and system is magnificent to behold and if you get a chance you need to hear it. 

 

Cheers,

 

Steve M.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 30, 2025Jun 30 by Steve M

Wow! Thank you all for the incredibly kind feedback! I have no doubt that your seasoned ears, honed through over 30 years of experience both locally and internationally, are most respected opinions. After putting in substantial effort at work, receiving such affirmations feels truly rejuvenating. It’s reassuring to know that I’ve made a great choice.

 

On another note, I’ve been receiving interest from friends—some of whom I haven’t even met in person—who are eager for the chance to visit and audition the M7s. These inquiries are coming from as far away as Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. Many are planning family trips to Perth in the next six months and would love to drop by! It’s such a wonderful feeling to connect with like-minded individuals. Thank you all once again, and I will certainly do my best to accommodate friends who share the same passions.

I’ve recently rekindled my passion for my turntable and the enchanting world of my vinyl collection! Tasso just brought over some stunning vinyl pressings that, while beautiful, needed a bit of a good bath due to some pesky pops and cracks. It’s the perfect opportunity to dust off my trusty record cleaner, which has been tucked away for far too long.

With a $20k+ cartridge installed, I’m excited to give each record that enters this room the meticulous cleaning it deserves in my specially designed wet room area. I’m not too concerned; it’s still nestled within the stereo building. Those of you who have visited will remember how it once graced the bathroom as a stylish decor item. But no more! It’s now ready for action, and I’m thrilled that a fresh batch of cleaning fluid bottles just arrived today. Let the TT spining!

On 30/06/2025 at 1:19 AM, AccMagi7s said:

Terry, you were using the Jplay app. In Jplay, it works by using UPnP. Jplay is the best among all the other apps I tried. My Roon is collecting dust at the moment. The optimal setup would be the Qobuz app directly to the Esoteric. This yells the best SQ from Esoteric N1T. 

 

What is JPlay, please? It is another alternative to BubbleUpnp?