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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..............................
128x128alessandro1
pettyofficer
462 posts
 
You listed all of those Sampling Rates, did you see the list? Not all of those Sampling Rates were created at the same time, neither is that the end of the "New Sampling Rate of the Week". As far as conversion is concerned, I
don't see the Software Conversion keeping up with a "New
Sampling Rate of the Week"! How can it? You have a train
wreck of a mess for an endless open ended Format that no
one can plan ahead for, more or less afford. Convenient for
profiteers, born on the backs of poor smuck Consumers.
Never needed Wasapi, Kernel Streaming, or ASIO for CD
Playback. Never had a problem with Computer Virus, Hard
Drive Errors, Fragmentation, Hard Drive Crash, Back-up Hard
Drive Crash for CD Playback. Never needed Meta Data, Music
File Type, Three hour Download, Ripping Software, Setting
Configuration of Media Player for CD Playback. I can drag
a powerful magnet across a CD with no ill effect. Even if it did it would still be only one damaged Disk. Do the same
to your Computer and wipe out 2,000 or more Music Files.
You are creating the ultimate every egg in the universe being placed in the largest basket. Basket fall down and go
BOOM! Pieces of Music File everywhere. Never a problem with
CD; but, now you want everyone to give up CD, and pay through the nose for all of the problems listed above. What
does the word "THRIFT" mean to you other than billionare
Computer Manufacturers making tens of billions? Hundreds of
billions? Again your math is a little off, because that huge amount of money isn't born in a vacuum. It is born off of our backs, and we will suffer because of it. Atleast
don't take our Music away by pulling plug on all other
Audio Formats! Have a Heart, a Soul would be nice too!
chadeffect
586 posts
 
Lol. Pettyofficer,

There is no new sample rate every week. They are fixed. As explained above the best you will find will be 24/192k. Not that new. Nearly all DAC chips made in the last few years are really for video. So all will be more than capable of these rates.

Wipe a magnet across your drive? You just happened to trip over while carrying powerful magnets?

Maybe if you are accident prone, put your HD in a lead box or even better back up to a cloud & keep other back ups at friends houses.(ones who don't play with magnets regularly). So you will have many eggs in many baskets with no magnets. Did you have that problem with cassette? What about vinyl? Did it ever scratch or break when you dropped those magnets? What about your CDs? Ever misplace one?

Keep your lovely CDs. No one is forcing you to destroy them. Although I am surprised you don't resent them for making all those millions of $ for the record companies. Go out on the street & shout "down with profit we want it free or real cheap! "

Heart and soul hahahaha. The music industry heart & soul? The minute every artist you have heard signed the deal it was business. They got around 30% after all costs were paid back to the record company while 15-20% went to managers/lawyers. Then the record companies waved royalties for the writers for MTV to make millions. Heart and soul indeed.

Also since you seem concerned about giving money away you should consider moving away from a capitolist society. All those millions of $ keep people employed. Well millions in Asia anyway! New sample rates? You are funny. It must be living with all those magnets. Don't even get me started on those sun spots... Run Pettyofficer run! There is cover in the caves.
pettyofficer
462 posts
 
I was hoping for some comedic uplift, all that I got from
your response was pathetic apathy. Is that why you listen to Music, to make you feel more apathetic? Is that some new
Goth thing that comes with Computer Audio? You're buying
HAL, or SKYNET for your Audio to get your Goth on? Are you
becoming a machine listening to another machine produce
Computer Audio Music? Shoot, who would want to pass an
opportunity like that up? Burn them CDs, "BURN EM"! I want
to become a machine too-"NOT"!!!
talk2me's avatar
talk2me
325 posts
 
I use a MacbookPro with ugraded GB and Decibel with usb and glass toslink cables. It sounds pretty good with HD Tracks and iTunes. However, in now way shape or form can it compete with my GNSC modded Wadia S7i. Computer audio is way over hyped by mid-fi owners and those making a loving off of cumputer audio.And to those who think silver disks are going away anytime soon, get a life.
hfisher3380
167 posts
 
Huh?? This response does not compute...
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