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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..............................
alessandro1
pettyofficer
462 posts
 
You seem to be missing the point, Chadeffect. You can't
have a completely fluid Audio Format still in development,
ready to replace all other Audio Formats yesterday!
Someone will lose their Music, because there is no common sense transition. There is also no way to plan ahead, and
predict for a High End Stereo System. Do we just keep on buying New DAC's every few weeks as additional Sampling
Rates are created? Some of our most favorite Music might only be available as the "Sampling Rate of the Week". We
end up being held hostage to this, or lose our favorite
Music. Extorted to buy New Equipment/DAC every week,
someone certainly stands to make alot of money off of our
misery- if not our empty wallets. This will certainly come to pass if all other Audio Formats are eliminated. Eliminating choices for the Consumer (Monopolizing) is never any good for the Consumer. More like feeding us to the Lions! CONVENIENT? HOW? If I am going to get consumed,
instead of being the Consumer, I would prefer that it not
happen by the Ocean of a Fluid Audio Format! Do I have no
choice in this matter either?
chadeffect
586 posts
 
Pettyofficer,

The recording is what's important. The sample rate is a bonus. You will always be able to play or convert to what you need. I doubt you will be crying too much if you had to down sample a 374k to a 192k file until you save up for whatever magical DAC comes along with silly sample rate abilities.

What is the longest you have kept an important piece of Hifi gear for? 10-15 years? Surely after that amount of time the latest this or that will have tranced what went before. Nothing lasts forever.

Would you prefer we stick with cassette, reel to reel,DAT, DCC etc? Like I said before you can keep the model T Ford. Fluid is good. At least now it's just a file on a computer.
pettyofficer
462 posts
 
What is the longest you have ever kept an important piece
of Computer Gear- 6 Months? Surely after that amount of
time the latest this or that will have tranced what went
before. Nothing lasts forever.
I do believe that cassettes, Reel to Reels, DAT, DCC
...etc, were Formats that lasted a little longer than just
two weeks. Does it make any sense that they would only last
for that short period of time? No one could possibly afford that level of fluidity. Why are we being forced to
pay for that level of fluidity now? Excuse me, why allow
ourselves to be forced to pay for this "AFTER" all other
Audio Formats are replaced? Have you seen the price of
Gasoline/Food recently? Who can afford the high cost of a Fluid Format in this economy? I mean besides those standing to make huge profits off of our backs selling
high cost rapid Fluid Audio Formats! Tell me exactly who it is that I am supposed to be making rich here. Billionares haven't got enough? Are you trying to spread their "LOVE"? Think that they "LOVE" you? Surely then, they
will be sending some of their PROFITS your way- Yes, No?
Do they love Music or Profits more? Care to guess? Why not
just give them your money for free, I am sure they will
appreciate it! Still,you demand the rest of us do the same!
chadeffect
586 posts
 
Pettyofficer,

You have inadvertently made my point for me. I am trying to get you to understand that today, unlike before, the hardware is irrelevant to you being able to play the software. Can you see that a computer no matter how old will always play a wav/aiff/flac/mp3/mp4 etc?

You do not need the latest and greatest computer to process a simple 2 channel audio file. Are you understanding the point yet? You can keep your money.
pettyofficer
462 posts
 
Not so fast, Chadeffect. You still need an additional DAC
to convert 16/44, 24/44, 24/48, 24/88, 24/96, 24/176,
24/192, 24/196, and we all know 32 bit Music Files are
just around the corner. How many more new DACs do we need for how many more new Sampling Rates every two weeks? Who
makes the big bucks off of this? Do they make the big bucks
in a vacuum? Who then loses the big bucks? You do,
Chadeffect, and anyone else who follows this insane path to
emptying their wallet. Not good when you have to pay for
gasoline, and food in this economy. Are you understanding
the point yet? You have to be able to add to understand the point. I think you can, I just believe that you want to
conveniently avoid the math. Your Computer Audio maybe fluid; But, peoples money, and their income are not! There
is a disconnection there, and people will feel that sting
with an expensive fluid Computer Audio Format. People react
differently after they get stung! They lose the love for the New Format real fast! Fix this, or don't- I don't care
anymore.
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