Does anyone have a digital system that is as involving as their analogue front end?

@audphile1 

At present, there is no way to get gapless with jPlay and Linn DSMs. According to jPlay, the problem is that Linn need to add a couple of codes to their firmware. At first, Linn said that this was on their to do list. A couple of years later Linn said that they have no plans to do it. It doesn’t look like it’s ever going to happen. A shame really because jPlay would have been great for me - the best of both worlds - the sound quality of UPnP and the functionality of Roon.

With dBpoweramp Asset UPnP and the Linn App my system has never sounded better streaming. I’d like to make the comparison with vinyl, but my phono stage is away for repair. From memory, it must be a close thing.

@audphile1 

I guess Pass Labs does lean a bit warm, but I wouldn't have anything less warm in my system. They say that Sonus Faber is warm, but these new Olympica Nova speakers can be bright. I've had to play around with the setup to have them sound the way I want them to. 

When I was looking for a phono stage to replace my ARC PH-3, I tried a Lehmann. It was fast and clean and had a great soundstage. I didn't like it, though. I couldn't say anything bad about it, but to me music is not quite so clean. When listening to live music, I don't hear all the instruments so clinically separated.

So, I think Pass is about as clincial as I'll go. I really prefer tubes, but I just don't want the hassle anymore of testing to see which tube blew and replacing tubes. It's a tight fit for my old bod behind my music racks, so I've given up on tubes. My amp was made by a tube amp maker and it has a softer, tube sound. I think I've found the balance that is good for my ear. I can't say it would be everyone. Some people like that Dynaudio and Wilson crispness. I find it dry.

@newton_john ah that really is a shame. May be linn will release an update at some point in the future. 

@audio-b-dog I agree the SF Olimpica Nova are not the old SF warm sound. They can definitely be bright paired with bright sounding gear. 
 

The new MA3i is more transparent and more dynamic than the MA3. I believe it should be a nice match. 

@audphile1 

I’m not holding my breath. Linn took years to make DSMs "Roon Ready" and that was only for recent models. They don’t anything software related in a hurry.

They need to accept that the likes of jPlay are much better at designing control points and make the effort to get their products to work with them. I find it equally frustrating that they won’t adapt the DSMs to render surround music files directly. Linn’s answer to that was no one has ever asked for it. Yet I was talking to a guy who told me they said the same thing to him.

It’s frustrating though that they can’t find time to install two simple codes. I am kicking myself for not bending Gilad’s ear about it last time he was at an event at my dealers. Next time, I’ll collar him.