My System Today

[mwhouston]

1 minute ago, Mhel said:

A lot gear but neat and nice. 

[Galactic Soap]

Nice system @Mhel! Beautifully laid out. What are your components?

 

As an aside: good God man, invest in some single malt! 

[Mhel]

8 minutes ago, Galactic Soap said:

Nice system @Mhel! Beautifully laid out. What are your components?

 

As an aside: good God man, invest in some single malt! 

Thanks mate. 

Main setup

JBL 4350 speakers

Bi-amp : mcintosh mc2600 LF and krell ksa150 HF

Technics sp10 record  player

 

Back-up gear

Leak 2075 speaker

Tannoy 15 gold

Sun audio 300B amp

Garrard 301 record player

Thorens td124 record player 

 

[mwhouston]

4 hours ago, mwhouston said:

A lot gear but neat and nice. 

Bugger the system, you stole those scuffs from the hotel didn’t you? 

[Mendes]

2 hours ago, Galactic Soap said:

Nice system @Mhel! Beautifully laid out. What are your components?

 

As an aside: good God man, invest in some single malt! 

Hell yeah!!

[Misternavi]

On 29/04/2019 at 6:53 AM, Sime V2 said:

That furry fecker cost $660 so no hate for the bear

why?

[Guest]

11 minutes ago, misternavi said:

why?

It’s a High end Bear

 

But seriously, it’s made by a brand called Charlie Bears, made out of Mohair and limited to 300 pieces. Stand a cheap standard teddy next to the pricey ones and it becomes evident. 

My partner collects them, so I get to see a few………… this one was the only one I saw that I’d wanted to own. 

Edited May 2, 2019 by Sime V2

[Pieface]

12 hours ago, Galactic Soap said:

Nice system @Mhel! Beautifully laid out. What are your components?

 

As an aside: good God man, invest in some single malt! 

Don't hate on Johnnie. The red label is poor but I'll take a Johnnie Black ahead of any single malt I can buy for $40.

 

The Blue is a fine whiskey but it does sit in awkward territory in terms of value. I suspect most of these ones are usually purchased as gifts.

 

*sorry for the whisky OT

[Misternavi]

27 minutes ago, Sime V2 said:

It’s a High end Bear

 

But seriously, it’s made by a brand called Charlie Bears, made out of Mohair and limited to 300 pieces. Stand a cheap standard teddy next to the pricey ones and it becomes evident. 

My partner collects them, so I get to see a few………… this one was the only one I saw that I’d wanted to own. 

Expensive bears?!?!?
That's crazy! Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to purchase a $50 plain old fuse.

[betty boop]

 

one of those days in melb where best to be in listening to some music

[betty boop]

22 minutes ago, Pieface said:

Don't hate on Johnnie. The red label is poor but I'll take a Johnnie Black ahead of any single malt I can buy for $40.

 

The Blue is a fine whiskey but it does sit in awkward territory in terms of value. I suspect most of these ones are usually purchased as gifts.

 

*sorry for the whisky OT

my father in law says after a couple shots they all taste the same  

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, misternavi said:

Expensive bears?!?!?
That's crazy! Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to purchase a $50 plain old fuse.

You can pay a lot more than that for some. It’s like anything collectible. 

[mwhouston]

38 minutes ago, betty boop said:

 

one of those days in melb where best to be in listening to some music

The amp looks expensive. Focal stand mounts. Do you like the speakers?

[betty boop]

4 minutes ago, mwhouston said:

The amp looks expensive. Focal stand mounts. Do you like the speakers?

hi mwhouston amps a unison research S6  love the focal stand mounts and they seem to have taken to the valves like duck to water

[evil c]

4 hours ago, betty boop said:

 

one of those days in melb where best to be in listening to some music

Where's my invite, grrr!!

Criminal having a bedroom system of that quality BTW - exceeding most mere mortals main systems!

 

Shameless pic of my current,  (main), setup!

Edited May 2, 2019 by evil c

[betty boop]

20 minutes ago, evil c said:

Where's my invite, grrr!!

Criminal having a bedroom system of that quality BTW - exceeding most mere mortals main systems!

 

Shameless pic of my current,  (main), setup!

you know you are always welcome evil  

 

thank you though I dont think mere mortal and some can be used in same sentence   good to see you are kicking back and enjoying the afternoon with that lovely system of yours....  ...still havent heard it in current incarnation...   where's my invite grrr !!!  

[evil c]

5 minutes ago, betty boop said:

you know you are always welcome evil  

 

thank you though I dont think mere mortal and some can be used in same sentence   good to see you are kicking back and enjoying the afternoon with that lovely system of yours....  ...still havent heard it in current incarnation...   where's my invite grrr !!!  

Oops, completely forgot you and a few others haven't heard the current guise - stay tuned!! 

[Darren69]

39 minutes ago, evil c said:

Where's my invite, grrr!!

Criminal having a bedroom system of that quality BTW - exceeding most mere mortals main systems!

 

Shameless pic of my current,  (main), setup!

What a monster setup!!! You don't listen to the CD's in the bottom shelves?  

[evil c]

What a monster setup!!! You don't listen to the CD's in the bottom shelves? [emoji3] 

You can talk! [emoji16]

Nah never have , stack em with DVD movies, listening more and more to my Node 2i / Qutest combo nowadays.

Spent a few weeks ripping a lot of CDs to my PC and HD , could never find the CD I was after and bulk got ignored from ever being played.

Vinyl is still the major sauce in my house anyway ![emoji6]

[mwhouston]

1 hour ago, Darren69 said:

What a monster setup!!! You don't listen to the CD's in the bottom shelves?  

I recognise that big toe. 

[evil c]

Just now, mwhouston said:

I recognise that big toe. 

I had you pegged with a few terms but a foot fetishist??

My goodness!

[Luc]

Clive, they look like Darth Vaders those big black speakers. Would love to hear them while a Star Wars movie is playing!

 

*Just finished transferring all my digital files and ripping all my CD's to the streamer I purchase before Xmas but have never got around to using the thing and now need to organise the meta data. Also pointing it towards a NAS and all the files there. I know there's a lotta love for Bluesound Nodes here on SNA and I bought one but I had a lot of problems trying to integrate it into my pc setup and the phone calls from NY were nice and indeed helpful(can't really fault Bluos support) but it just never gelled in my setup so I flogged it.

 

So after a visit to Lord Egg's demesne and a listen to his streamer I came home and sold my CDP and other stuff and bought this:

 

 

 

Am currently trying it out using the old Sansui there.

 A blurb from a site:

 

The aria piccolo+ software features include, fully automatic (insert & rip) error-free CD Ripper, metadata retrieval results from five databases, Bit Perfect playback, multizone support, multichannel PCM and DSD support, remote access to your music over the internet and Airplay and DLNA support allows you to enjoy your preferred streaming services providers and internet radio. Some of the improvements to the first generation of aria piccolo are a 43cms (17”) 6mm thick precision machined aluminium chassis, a 3TB HDD disk is standard but a 1TB or 2TB SSD is optionally available, a new all-in-one board, also used in the flagship aria2 and aria piccolo+ ships standard with internal DAC and has digital USB and SPDIF outputs (RCA Coax and AES/EBU). The internal DAC comes with balanced and unbalanced analogue audio outputs and supports up to 32Bit/384KHz and DoP and DSD256 native support. PCM and DSD multichannel output can be obtained via the HDMI output or via USB with an ASIO driver.

It will play uncompressed (AIFF, WAV) and lossless (ALAC, FLAC) formats up to 32/384 PCM, as well as DXD (32/352.8), DSD64, DSD128, and DSD256 files in multichannel.

The thing is fanless so it's quiet and I'm enjoying  mucking around with pointing it to different BT speakers  through the house and playing a different song in each room. So glad the kids have left home otherwise it'd be a nightmare with the competing music!

 

Still learning all there is know about this beastie and like many of these things, if you plug an ext DAC into it (of a certain level as the internal one is no slouch) it's supposed to lift it again.

 

Haven't sold my cd's yet but they are gathering dust.

 

 

[Luc]

@betty boop   Al I know your into your tv and I guess multi channel sound ect. I've no idea about that stuff and don't honestly watch much TV but I found this  review and I think you'd know what he's talking about..me? I have no idea, once a numpty always a numpty.

 

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Lovers of high-resolution multichannel sound still don't have it easy. While the two-channel market is replete with snazzy, efficient music servers in stylish boxes, the only multichannel equivalents are Merging Technologies' Merging+Player Multichannel-8, and a handful of stereo devices that are rumored to do multichannel, though no such claims are made in print. To be candid, the latter will play multichannel tracks via USB, Ethernet, or HDMI outputs to suitable DACs (but that's another story), but because they're aimed at the two-channel market, they tend to skimp on the CPU horsepower and RAM needed to handle higher-resolution multichannel files. Even the Merging+Player Multichannel-8 ($13,500), with its Intel i3 CPU running Roon, couldn't entirely keep up with everything in my library.

Among the many multichannel wannabes was DigiBit's elegant Aria music server, which I reviewed in March 2015. At the time, I noted that DigiBit's website made "no mention of the playback of multichannel files," though their representatives told me that all Arias could play multichannel files.

Sure they could.

 

The datasheet for the Aria Piccolo + boldly announces "Multichannel Support via HDMI and USB outputs." This piqued my interest, not only for the overt declaration of multichannel support but also for the mention of HDMI. Given the fact that, currently, there are only three multichannel USB DACs on the consumer market, we should welcome support for HDMI so that we can play multichannel audio through an AVR or preamplifier-processor.

The Piccolo + runs a Celeron CPU and 4GB RAM and comes in three configurations, depending on the internal storage capacity: 1TB SSD, $2999; 2TB SSD, $3299; or 3TB HDD, $3499. It includes a standalone USB DVD drive for ripping CDs, with automatic ripping and tagging features. I opted for the 3TB version, as uncompressed multichannel files are about six times the size of equivalent two-channel files. On the other hand, none of the three configurations is constrained by the internal storage—the Aria can access and play files from a NAS or a directly attached USB drive.

At 17" wide by 2.4" high by 9.8" wide and 13.25 lb, the Piccolo + is somewhat smaller than the original Aria, and though it lacks its predecessor's beautifully sculpted, and no doubt expensive to machine heatsinking, its looks are equally elegant. There are no visible heatsinks—the Piccolo + clearly relies on radiating heat from its sealed and smoothly machined case. Throughout my testing and listening, it never got more than barely warm to the touch.

The black front panel is empty but for the illuminated On/Off button. A lot more goes on around back. At left are pairs of RCA and XLR analog output jacks that are fed from the internal stereo DACs, and above them is the single HDMI connector. In the middle of the panel are AES/EBU (XLR), S/PDIF (RCA), and USB output jacks, along with a LAN (RJ45) jack and a USB in/out port for local storage devices. To the right are an IEC power inlet, the main power switch, and a connector for a possible future dedicated linear power supply.

 

 

The Piccolo + is operated via DigiBit's iAria app, which I downloaded to my iPad from the Apple Store. (There's a version for Android devices.) After I'd connected the Piccolo + to my LAN and powered it up, the app found it, then presented me with a well-designed GUI, with which all setup and playback functions can be controlled. The iAria supports automatic tagging and display of album-cover art via web access to Discogs, FreeDB, GD3, MusicBrainz, and SonataDB (classical). Albums and tracks are accessible by almost any category, and there is full playlist support. In addition, the GUI permits user editing of tags and cover art, as well as library backup.

The setup options offer a degree of user control suitable for a music server. But, consistent with DigiBit's intention of making everything as foolproof as possible, there's no real access to the Aria's operating system. For instance, I could send files from the Piccolo + via the stereo analog outputs of the built-in DAC, or via USB 2.0 if no special driver was required. (The Piccolo + is compatible with Apple AirPlay and DLNA.) But to use my exaSound e38 DAC, I had to e-mail DigiBit, who then magically downloaded and installed the driver in the Aria overnight. Now, I prefer a more hands-on approach, but I have to admit that, with DigiBit's way of doing things, there's no way the user can screw things up.

After testing the Aria's communication and playback via the exaSound e38 with the provided sample files, I directed the Piccolo + to access my NAS, then told it to add to its library all of the more than 20TB worth of music files stored there. This was not accomplished instantaneously. While the Piccolo + was busy doing all that, I played some of the files. All two-channel formats played well, as did multichannel 24-bit/96kHz PCM and DSD64 files, but to my great disappointment, all higher resolutions played only with frequent interruptions. "Here we go again," I muttered.

But the Piccolo turned out to be much better than that. First, I cancelled the comprehensive library process and instead downloaded only about 2TB of music to the Aria's HDD. Listening to those, I found that the Piccolo + played everything, including DXD and DSD256 in multichannel, without a burble or hesitation or interruption. The sound from the e38 and the rest of my Manhattan system was as clean, smooth, and satisfying as ever. From this, I concluded that the frequent interruptions I'd heard earlier were the result of playing hi-rez multichannel files while the Piccolo + was busy transferring my entire library over the network.

I then asked the Piccolo + to add another 2TB of files to its library, but without downloading them to the Piccolo's internal HD. Only after that process was completed did I try to play any of them over my LAN, and again, it was everything I'd hoped for. The logical conclusion: The Piccolo + could play every music format I had on hand, either from internal or network storage. That it couldn't play the highest-density files while simultaneously adding files to its library over a network was no big deal. As my mother said, "First, finish your homework; then you can go out and play."

What about HDMI? I toted the Aria Piccolo + up to our place in Connecticut, intending to plug it into one of the HDMI inputs on my Marantz AV8802a preamplifier-processor, but there was another wrinkle: HDMI output is not enabled on the Piccolo + by default, but requires an e-mail request to DigiBit to activate it via the Internet.

Playing files on the Piccolo + and sending them via HDMI to the Marantz was completely successful, with two small limitations and one convenient advantage. The first limitation is a common one: HDMI output from the Aria's Intel motherboard doesn't support DSD, but converts DSD to hi-rez PCM on the fly. The second limitation is the Marantz's inability to accept any input resolution higher than 24/192. If your pre-pro can handle more, the Piccolo + will do it, as I proved by using it in my Manhattan system. The advantage: You can apply to the feed from the Piccolo + all of your AVR's audio-processing facilities, including room EQ, bass management, or whatever else it has onboard.

Given the closed structure of the Piccolo +'s GUI and its not-ready-for-gaming CPU, there's no easy way to implement bass management or equalization. For the same reason, massive library operations should not be performed while listening. Normal operations, such as adding a few albums, are not problems.

 

I'm happy to say that DigiBit's Aria Piccolo + is a well-integrated music server that's delightfully capable and easy to use. With suitable attached devices it will play uncompressed (AIFF, WAV) and lossless (ALAC, FLAC) formats up to 32/384 PCM, as well as DXD (32/352.8), DSD64, DSD128, and DSD256 files in glorious multichannel. It was a pleasure to use, and will suit the needs of almost any aficionado of music and multichannel-sound.

 

 

[Darren69]

1 hour ago, Luc said:

Clive, they look like Darth Vaders those big black speakers. Would love to hear them while a Star Wars movie is playing!

 

*Just finished transferring all my digital files and ripping all my CD's to the streamer I purchase before Xmas but have never got around to using the thing and now need to organise the meta data. Also pointing it towards a NAS and all the files there. I know there's a lotta love for Bluesound Nodes here on SNA and I bought one but I had a lot of problems trying to integrate it into my pc setup and the phone calls from NY were nice and indeed helpful(can't really fault Bluos support) but it just never gelled in my setup so I flogged it.

 

So after a visit to Lord Egg's demesne and a listen to his streamer I came home and sold my CDP and other stuff and bought this:

 

 

 

Am currently trying it out using the old Sansui there.

 A blurb from a site:

 

The aria piccolo+ software features include, fully automatic (insert & rip) error-free CD Ripper, metadata retrieval results from five databases, Bit Perfect playback, multizone support, multichannel PCM and DSD support, remote access to your music over the internet and Airplay and DLNA support allows you to enjoy your preferred streaming services providers and internet radio. Some of the improvements to the first generation of aria piccolo are a 43cms (17”) 6mm thick precision machined aluminium chassis, a 3TB HDD disk is standard but a 1TB or 2TB SSD is optionally available, a new all-in-one board, also used in the flagship aria2 and aria piccolo+ ships standard with internal DAC and has digital USB and SPDIF outputs (RCA Coax and AES/EBU). The internal DAC comes with balanced and unbalanced analogue audio outputs and supports up to 32Bit/384KHz and DoP and DSD256 native support. PCM and DSD multichannel output can be obtained via the HDMI output or via USB with an ASIO driver.

It will play uncompressed (AIFF, WAV) and lossless (ALAC, FLAC) formats up to 32/384 PCM, as well as DXD (32/352.8), DSD64, DSD128, and DSD256 files in multichannel.

The thing is fanless so it's quiet and I'm enjoying  mucking around with pointing it to different BT speakers  through the house and playing a different song in each room. So glad the kids have left home otherwise it'd be a nightmare with the competing music!

 

Still learning all there is know about this beastie and like many of these things, if you plug an ext DAC into it (of a certain level as the internal one is no slouch) it's supposed to lift it again.

 

Haven't sold my cd's yet but they are gathering dust.

 

 

As Aunty Jack said more than once 'Bloody Lovely Mate!'

 

The Aria Piccolo is a very desirable unit.

 

CD's- let them gather dust, by the time someone buys them off you, you actually owe them money by the time you post them. Crazy stuff. Good to have the real thing on that fateful day that you open the digital files and where are they?  

 

The kids tell me I am backing up enough for this to never happen but hey, call me old school and an appreciator of all things tangible.

[betty boop]

57 minutes ago, Luc said:

Al I know your into your tv and I guess multi channel sound ect. I've no idea about that stuff and don't honestly watch much TV but I found this  review and I think you'd know what he's talking about..me? I have no idea, once a numpty always a numpty.

hi luc, indeed am into multichannel side as much as 2 channel. and the mch is lot more complex. my source there seems all via disc this is a rare product indeed. not myself aware of any stand alone multichannel devices like it. curious they mention the exact same marantz processor I myself use. good that kind of thing that works well with it