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  Mach2Music mini and Amarra : Huge disappointment
I invite all the fellow Audiogon members than own both the Mach2Music Mini and Amarra to share they experiences.

Mine has been a huge disappointment .

The sound I get from the Mach2Music mini even with the advantage of playing Hi-Res files is mediocre at best and way inferior to the sound of a common CD.
Mach2Music tech support after checking that every setting is correct and everything is as it should dropped the ball. They blame the mediocre sound I'm complaining about on Amarra newer version of software they say more stable but sounding not so great.......

To me It doesn't add up. When there are problems the old music start playing: It's someone else fault. May be it's just that the Mach2Music mini is not so great as some say to start with.......

After spending over $4000 on the Mach2Music web site purchasing all the best available upgrades to possibly get the best possible sound from this computer based system, including their top of the line cables (power, USB, Firewire) an optional solid state SSD hard drive besides their special sandwich case to reduce vibrations and the expensive software Amarra, I get instead the sound you would from a cassette player.........at least that's how it sounds to me in my audio system....

My audio system as you read below is of high quality and well balanced where everything from acoustic treatment to power treatment has been closely matched starting from a dedicated room 20x24x9H fully treated with massive use of acoustic diffusers Gikq7 and bass traps Soffits and Tritraps by GikAcoustics.

Audio components connected to the Mach2music mini are:

DAC : dCS Debussy 24/192
Pre: BAT VK52SE upgraded with 6H30DR supertubes Reflector 1987.
Amp: 2x BAT VK600SE Mono
Transport ; Oppo 95
Speakers ; Magnepan 20.1
Speaker cables : MIT Oracle Matrix HD90
Interconnect : MIT Oracle Matrix XLR
Power: 2x Torus RM20 (one x each amp on two dedicated 20 amp circuits)
Power cords all MIT Oracle ZIII
Audio rack Adona Zero reference
All internal and external stock fuses replaced with HiFi Tuning Supreme.

I rarely write on the forum but this is too big of a screw up to pass and I hope to save to somebody the frustration I went thru.

Besides if some of you has a very positive experience with other computer based systems please share . Help is always appreciated.

I hear good things about Solos by Meridian or the USB Thumb reader by Bryston and I'll probably move on one of the two.... life continues......

so if you'll see my Mach2mini for sale on Audiogon in the near future you already know why..............................
Alessandro1  (Threads | Answers | This Thread)

02-03-12
  Responses (51-100 of 131)
Click title to read one, or click date to read all below it.

03-04-12   "audioengr: outperforming vinyl?" you bet, here i ...   Audioengr

03-04-12   Audioengr: of course there will be all kinds of people with ...   Hfisher3380

03-05-12   Hfisher, i am not qualified to comment on the sonic aspects ...   Edorr

03-05-12   I agree, it's probably just a matter of time until digital i ...   Hfisher3380

03-07-12   Just don't want computer audio traveling down the same path ...   Pettyofficer

03-08-12   Pettyofficer, what other format do you propose? cds have bee ...   Edorr

03-08-12   I find it shocking how many dinosaurs there are still going ...   Chadeffect

03-08-12   Edorr: that's just it! is computer audio a new proposed form ...   Pettyofficer

03-09-12   Hi pettyofficer, i understand your point. it can be confus ...   Chadeffect

03-09-12   Pettyoffice, like all industries the primary driver in music ...   Edorr

03-09-12   If i saw one high rez. download available of any of the foll ...   Pettyofficer

03-09-12   Chadeffect, i hate to tell you this but even if the signal ...   Tomcy6

03-10-12   Tomcy6, you seem to be forgetting that the musicians in the ...   Chadeffect

03-10-12   Pettyofficer, i repeat, it is simply a commercial issue. the ...   Edorr

03-10-12   I got stuck with the "dark side of the moon" sacd ...   Pettyofficer

03-10-12   Chadeffect, i think the attraction of vinyl is that it's ...   Tomcy6

03-10-12   Tomcy6, that is probably true for a generation, but remembe ...   Chadeffect

03-12-12   Tomcy6 - a bit presumptuous and condescending of you and a c ...   Hfisher3380

03-12-12   Just going through an old thread that i posted on. i love m ...   Bjesien

03-13-12   It would be nice if hdtracks would specify the source of the ...   Hfisher3380

03-14-12   Would be nice to get back to original issue raised at the cr ...   Pettyofficer

03-15-12   I had my mac mini upgraded by mach2music 2 months ago. i've ...   G_goodwin

03-15-12   It is unfortunate, but the computer audio market has bought ...   Pettyofficer

03-15-12   I think their web site mentions paying them for service, wha ...   Abruce

03-16-12: Nglazer
The fundamental problem is that computers were never designed to play back high end SQ music, so designers have to jump through hoops to get them to do so. And since computers are prone to viruses, bugs, worms, bots, crashes and all other manner of affliction, and many users don't really know what they're doing, and the software is not intuitive in the least and often unstable, and the hardware is often made with cheap parts, so-o-o-o ..... you got to pay for service, Mon.

If you want computer audio, get a Bryston BDP-1 and use your computer to compute, not play music.

Neal

Nglazer  (Threads | Answers | This Thread)


03-18-12   So when are we going to actually start designing a new forma ...   Pettyofficer

03-20-12   My goodness pettyofficer, i'm not quite sure exactly what yo ...   Hfisher3380

03-20-12   Pettyofficer, i don't quite understand your rambling about f ...   Edorr

03-21-12   Computer audio fails for some, and succeeds for others, is b ...   Pettyofficer

03-21-12   I have no idea why pettyofficer keeps on about the format?th ...   Chadeffect

03-22-12   Pettyofficer - i'm beginning to think that your name is very ...   Hfisher3380

03-24-12   Hfisher3380, thanks for your comments on pettyofficer. a fo ...   Antigrunge

03-24-12   Hfisher nailed it. optimization is the key....just like anyt ...   Levy03

03-24-12   If you ignore him he will move on to something else. it's hi ...   Tpreaves

03-26-12   Personally i'm glad pettyofficer can post his opinions & sha ...   Chadeffect

03-26-12   I appreciate the kind words, chadeffect. i do use computer a ...   Pettyofficer

03-27-12   Once again pettyofficer your opinions show that you just don ...   Hfisher3380

03-28-12   Hfisher3380- excuse me, i stand corrected. perhaps you can c ...   Pettyofficer

03-28-12   Pettyofficer - i never claimed that we can listen to studio ...   Hfisher3380

03-29-12   I'm upgrading my dac, and have temporarily gone back to a cd ...   Jdoris

03-30-12   Hi pettyofficer, the main reason there aren't more computers ...   Chadeffect

03-30-12   Chadeffect- does it ever occur to you that this lack of sta ...   Pettyofficer

03-31-12   Pettyofficer, any hifi system will have variable results. c ...   Chadeffect

03-31-12   There's also no standard for turntables or cd players. the ...   Hfisher3380

04-02-12   Hfisher3380- there is no audio format that has a more fluid ...   Pettyofficer

04-03-12   Petty, my last words on the subject... a fluid format is g ...   Chadeffect

04-04-12   Sorry chadeffect. the only thing you are doing is making aud ...   Pettyofficer

04-04-12   Ok so not quite my last word on the subject! thank you pett ...   Chadeffect

04-04-12   Hey pettyofficer, if even a mac is too complicated for you a ...   Hfisher3380

04-04-12   This thread sucks! if you want to discuss religion, go elsew ...   Antigrunge


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