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Boulder 866 experience? Users?

Hello,
Is there any Boulder 866 owner? How is your experience? :)Almost finalizing my next year setup, my last consideration becomes All-in-One solution.

- So far my consideration is Pass Int60 + Bryston BDA 3.14
Then these three candidates come in.

1) Devialet - Honestly, I haven’t thought about it.      
But I heard a recommendation that this can work as preamp+amp+dac+streamer

2) darTZeel LHC-208 - ironman from Swiss, looks exotic

3) Boulder 866
My first interest is Boulder 866 because it’s from the US. (I live in the US, so expect to be easy to fix or do something).  

My questions are,
1) How’s your impression? (Especially compared to Pass, Devialet and dartzeel)      
Not just better/worse but how’s different?

2) Do you experience any technical glitch? (In terms of touch screen, wireless integration)

3) Can you use Apple Airplay? (It’s important to me, I use apple music/idagio and need to stream it.)
Positive feedback review mentions NO airplay capability but other reviews mention it’s capable.

Thank you.
128x128sangbro

Showing 2 responses by madavid0

madavid0
214 posts
 
1. Devialt: class D so it can go to hell.
2. darTZeel: never heard one but you can get really cheap clones off AliExpress.
3. Boulder: this unit also interests me and reviews are universally positive. What bothers me though are the internals: it doesn't LOOK like it would sound as good as the reviewers claim. I'd have to listen to one first.
madavid0
214 posts
 
Yes, in regards to the Technics SU-R1000 there's a local dealer who expects to get one in, I will definitely go give it a listen.

Another integrated which I heard a few years ago at a show and which managed to turn my head was the Mark Levinson No.585.  I've been so happy with my Odyssey though that I haven't been in a huge rush to upgrade. Maybe I won't until it's time to move into something endgame.

I've learned a very dear lesson over the years -- most people online aren't as discerning as I am with audio quality. The Odyssey Stratos (now a Kismet) was a happy surprise since I had picked it up originally to be a filler amp until I get one I really wanted. It's not a high-end competitor, please don't get me wrong, but the performance checks all the boxes for a very decent price. Besides that all my best choices came from listening to them before hand. When I can't listen I always end up going around an expensive buy-return-sell chain of frequent disappointments until finding a winner.
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