Accustic Arts

Optarchie, the review is great, and it seems worth considering. But it does not address my orginal purpose for the thread, or Dev's last question. Have you heard the AA and the AMR - and if so what are your particular and specific obeservations regarding the two. I ask you and keep the question open to others - has anyone heard the AA and found something better, and if so what, and if so in what way. Based on the AMR review, it does seem to be a unit to consider.

I think the real issue is the P3/D3 units from Esoteric not the AMR. Also the Memory Player may be a better source than the Drive One mk II. As usual even were someone or even several people to have compared each of these, I doubt if there would be much of a consensus.

Tbg, I agree with both your points. I think that the AA combo needs to be compared with componets at the level of the P3/D3, and I also agree that consensus is unlikely, and ultimately a search for something not possible - defining the "the best" for all people and all ears. I simply feel the AA has to be in that circle of products that needs serious consideration when looking for great digital options. You then deal with issues of price, ergonomics, flexibilty, and look and feel. The Memory Player, and future products based on the MP technology do seem to be very promising, but I can't help but feeling it would be best to get a generation or two to pass in the product cycle and get other designers to think about the approach and optimize the execution and implementation of the technology.

Pubul57, I agree, of course. I do think, however, that there has been four or five years experience with hard drive sources for cpm. I can remember hearing a first VRS unit at a show in Silverdale Washington at least five years ago. It was awful. But as in everything involving computers, next year's products obsolete those of today.

I have not personally done an a/b. My best friend just sold his accustic arts combo (current models on the dac/transport combo) with stealth sextet cabling in order to buy the amr. He said it's the best cd player he has ever heard. I listened to his accustic arts combo and thought it was very good. I thought the build quality was excellent, but i didn't think it was worth the money. I swapped out my Meridian 808 in his system and thought the sound was as good, more dynamic from top to bottom, but i thought the accustic art combo was maybe ( I mean maybe) a tad bit more analog like. His amr player arrives any day so I will comment when I hear it.