What is new with the Memory Player?

I recently had the great pleasure of hearing Clement Perry's reference system featuring the Dali Megaline. I have been listening to systems from the early days of high-end audio and this was only the second time that I was overly impressed with what I heard. The first was one of my earliest introductions to the high-end sound with a system featuring the Beveridge electrostatic many years ago.

Mr. Perry's system, if I understand it correctly, is all digital from the source right up to the final stages of the Behold amplifiers that drive the Dali. The source, and the reason that I am responding in this thread, included the Memory player.

I have been an almost exclusive analog person my whole life. I never liked any digital that I heard. The first hint that digital has come of age was at the recent HE 2007 show at the Hilton in New York City. In particular, to my ears, the Sound by Singer rooms demonstrated how good digital can be. Both the Zanden digital and the dCS digital beat the sound from the turntables easily. In fact in the VTL/Escalante room the same tracks were played side by side- a digital vs. analog shootout. Digital won in my opinion.

Then I heard Mr. Perry's system. Somehow he has crossed the border into making a system sound real rather than just sound good. I have heard many mega buck systems over the years and while many have sounded good none have invited comparison to the sound of live music. This is a singular achievement that Mr. Perry has accomplished and in the digital domain!

The Memory player, being a part of the source of the system, had to have been a major reason for what I heard. Low level details, micro and macro dynamics and great space and air in the soundstage were easily and effortlessly heard. Previously only analog could do this. IMHO, no longer is this the case.

The memory player helps get one closer to the elusive sound of real live music than any other source I know of today. Those who have heard Mr. Perry's system know what I am trying to convey. It takes only seconds to hear it, the superiority of the sound is that evident. It is really hard for this analog devotee to say this but I now know the future does lie in digital. The memory player is leading the way. Maybe someday it will not just be a dream but we all will be able to get some sense of the sound of real music in our homes.

Got it...http://www.stereotimes.com/CD121406.shtml

Took me a while, but googled Mr Perry's review...makes for interesting reading for those (like me) who would like to understand more about this player. This review gives more details about what it is that the MP does, like the way the laser reads data from the CD until its perfect. But obviously not every technical detail, like the software, but some references to their white paper.

So, what's happened for the past 6 months? Have sales of this player stagnated, orders on hold, patents still pending, production problems...who knows.

Will keep following it's progress!

Mtkhl567, is it your impression that he used an onboard dac? He says he did not, having only the transport version.

Mtkh1567, and all forum members,
To answer your question, I think the Memory Player's status is growing daily. At present there are 5 writers here at Stereo Times that have purchased the MP. I've received numerous emails asking questions about whether it is the "real deal" and my only steady answer has been "It's the best I've heard thus far."

I think this answers other questions that have been asked in the past on the theory the MP isn't anything more than an over-glorified computer. Well, if that was true then why hasn't anyone come up with a likely alternative as of yet?

In the past 16 months, my experiences with the MP has been far reaching and thus even more interesting since I wrote the review some six months ago. More and more staunch critics of vinyl who've heard it have been dumbfounded. For example, in addition to Saudio's above comments regarding the MP's performance in my system with the DALI Megalines and Behold electronics of a week ago, some weeks prior to his visit a HUGE German distributor had read my review with great intrigue. Obviously, he wondered if this MP was the real deal, he'd import it into Germany. This very important importer got in touch with me and asked if he could come and visit all the way from Germany. My answer of course was YES!

Much like Saudio, this gentleman stated that he's not heard anything digital that attracted him to the music like vinyl so "don't please take it personal if I don't like the sound" he forwarned. Some weeks later he arrived at my front door, we kindly exchanged some nice greetings and in short time headed up to my listening room. I am not sure, but I think it was less than 30 seconds, we downloaded a favorite classical disc onto the MP. Upon playback, I'd say in about 10 seconds, this gentleman stated he'd not heard anything like this before certainly from digital and thought overall, it probably sounded better than anything he's heard. He went on that he knew this disc intimately and that it sounded better than he'd ever heard.

The next two hours were spent confirming everything he heard in those first 10 seconds.

The next few weeks were spent with this gentleman emailing me questions as to the validity of what he heard and if it was really the MP contributing so much of the magic? My only answer was again "it's the best I have heard." This finally led to him purchasing the MP and offering me a sincere thanks for the opportunity to hear it. He's a unit in Germany and swears to it as as good as the best vinyl he's heard. Period.

I was even more grateful because I had heard of this man and knew he was a big-time importer in Europe. So, for me, it was a kind of test to see if this experienced listener had other perhaps unknown products - there are plenty abroad - that mayby none of us heard that might equal the qualities of the MP. Obviously he did not.

My story isn't the only one. Arnie Balgavis, who wrote quite an interesting review on the MP for Positive Feedback has also had the experience of taking his unit on the road to the homes of friends who too are still intrigued by this device. In each and every instance, the results were the same, the MP outshines conventional players to such a degree that in many cases it's almost embarressing. And I'm talking the serioius big boys.

Between Arnie and myself, we've accrued some serious digital players and transports over the years ranging from highly exalted Zanden (my former reference) to the latest 2-piece Esoteric stack (Arnie's former reference) and still none have taken the place of the MP. He's had his over one year as well.

The problem with the MP not selling like hot cake appears numerous. Most importantly, the software is prehistoric compared to what is possible today as Audioracle alluded to. This makes life tough for those of us who might be computer illiterate and have a tough time navigating through two or more screens doing the usual drag and paste things.

That aside, the MP still stands as the new digital reference and as of today, I'm still awaiting something which will reveal that it's nothing more than a glorified PC.

Clement Perry

I will be receiving my unit (transport only version) on Friday. Wow, I can't believe the day has almost arrived :) Let's hope it lives up to its billing - a tall order from everything that I've read.

I want LIVE music in my room - is that asking too much? We'll see... :)

As promised, I will post my impressions. I am not a reviewer or associated with the company in any way.