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..............................
128x128alessandro1
I agree, it's probably just a matter of time until digital is unequivocally better than analogue but that day is obviously not here yet. Even today, calling a digital component "analogue sounding" remains one of the highest forms of praise.
Just don't want Computer Audio traveling down the same path as CD ( More Convenience, MP3 Style Sound Quality ).
Not alot of selection in High Rez. alternative, and it
appears that this will NOT be changing anytime soon. I
certainly don't want to be investing in CD Format Part
Deux ( Computer Audio ). Certainly don't appreciate the
Market dead set on making it so! Certainly don't appreciate
the Market eliminating all other competing alternatives
to force everyone down this path. Don't want short term
CD Format all over again!!! Not another rerun- PLEASE!
Pettyofficer, what other format do you propose? CDs have been around for a few decades with probably another decade of life left, which is a pretty good run in the digital age. Certainly beats floppy discs. 10 years out, 90% of content will probably be stored in the cloud and streamed to whereever you want to listen. In the interim, there is cheap local storage. Welcome to the 21st century.
I find it shocking how many dinosaurs there are still going on about vinyl & CD transports/players. It's over. The finest sound I have ever had is via a server via FireWire into modern DAC. Zero jitter is the key & attention to detail in your set up.

If you want a version of the recording then carry on with your TT. Computer systems are by far the best way to enjoy your collection.
Edorr: That's just it! Is Computer Audio a new proposed
Format, or is it just a clone of CD Format. Both Formats
value convenience over Sound Quality. Are we trading up, or
are we trading down? Right now there are Pop Artists whose
Music is available as Downloads, but not available as CD.
So much for the extra decade! Cheap local storage? MP3 with
less than CD resolution? Minimum High Resolution Selection-
almost strictly Classical/Jazz. Like both, but I don't live
by bread alone! Without Selection- kind of hard to see a step up. What is the Format I propose? A Computer Audio
Format that puts Sound Quality above convenience, with
adequate Music Selection- and is a clear step up in S.Q.
above CD. Computer Audio today is a partial Format- one foot in lower than CD MP3, and one toe in severely limited
selection of High Rez. Downloads. A few short of a six
pack for a real replacement Format? Not firing on all four
cylinders? Computer Audio desperately needs to get its ducks in a row, or else it will be out the door sooner than
CD. Shoot me if I propose that Computer Audio failure is not an option! Being a CD Format clone is surest way in
following in CD Formats failure! If convenience isn't
saving CD, it sure as hell isn't going to save Computer Audio. Computer Audio can, and should do better- if you
want to keep it longer than CD. Man (And Formats) do not
live by convenience alone! Formats (CD) apparently do
eventually die by convenience alone! Ditto Computer Audio??? I dare Computer Audio to do better than CD to save
it, and not let it suffer the same fate! Minimum Selection
in High Rez., and S.Q. of lower than CD MP3- two anchors
that will sink Computer Audio faster than the Titannic.
Definitely a ship built for convenience, but what was the point???