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Music Servers - Baetis vs. Music Vault

I, like many, are looking to add a music/media server to my system.

Aside from fabulous sound and performance, I really want ease of use, with minimal involvement from a computer.

My preference would be a unit that has the hardware to rip/store my cd's, download high-rez files from the internet, set up playlists and then kick back and enjoy the music.

As I explore the options in the under $5K price range, both Baetis and Music Vault are floating to the top.

Ripping and playing Bluray is a nice bonus, but not critical.

I'm looking for feedback from anyone who has compared these two brands, in your own system or demo'd at a recent audio show.

Which unit sounds best?
Which unit is easiest to use??
Which unit has the most features???
Which unit is the best value????

Thank you.
barrelchief

Showing 2 responses by vicks7

vicks7
182 posts
 
I would second the support provided by John Mingo - a lovely guy and a class act. I purchased the Baetis Revolution II several months ago for my two channel system but due to work have only recently got around to using it. I have been ripping uncompressed FLAC files of all of my CDs using DB Poweramp on a separate PC and steadily have transferred them across to the Baetis. I am very impressed so far - having played files on JRiver through my APL HiFi DAC through both USB and SPDIF connection. The sound is excellent and whilst I have to give the edge to my APL Esoteric transport it is a mighty close thing on some CDs plus it is so much more convenient being able to access all of your CDs in the one library. I resisted the server approach for a long time - not sure why - maybe locked into the purist approach of listening to CDs individually but this has been a great experience. I am now considering HD Tracks for downloads.
vicks7
182 posts
 
Jeffkad,

In response to your questions:

Q1: Is there a difference between the USB and SPDIF outputs in terms of sound quality? Is one better than the other, and by how much?

A1: A good question and in general much of this is dependent on the DAC design. As I understand it, some DAC designers will invest more in the USB output than the SPDIF output. Alex from APL Hi-Fi can chime in here but I believe he invested equally in both which I would expect at this price point. I have been ABing between the two for the last week or so and I cannot consistently distinguish one as better than the other.

Q2: Why are you using a separate PC to rip and download into Baetis? Have you tried ripping directly with Baetis, and if so, any difference in sound quality?

A2: No real reason other than to preserve the optical drive in the Baetis which can also rip Blue Ray discs. I ripped a few discs on the Baetis, also using DB Poweramp, and for me, no difference.

Q3: Am I correct in my understanding that the Baetis can operate as a PC/browser (with maybe iPad as head?) and can be used to find/download hi-rez track directly?

A3: Correct. I was using my Windows laptop over the weekend to remotely control the Baetis at the listening position but there is also software for the Ipad as well to take control of JRiver. I also downloaded some High-Res files direct into the Baetis using the internet browser from HDTracks. Note that Baetis restrict the websites that you can access to preserve system integrity.
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