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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
chadeffect
586 posts
 
Pettyofficer,
I'd hate to be around you if there was a real problem.

Simple steps. Take the advice, implement it & never touch the computer again. Just select the album/track & play. No pain no gain like all hifi.

Just set it up my friend. In the time it has taken you to post your various complaints here, I would have had your computer up & running. You would be enjoying music, browsing the artwork & admiring your music collection while listening to pristine audio.

Buy a server if you cannot stomach a computer. Pay a small child to input all your CDs & meta data. Then you will be finished. For the rest of your days, no matter what changes in tech, you will have your library in a standard format ready to be added.

Back up & you will never lose anything... Unless the sun spots really kick off. If that happens playing music will probably be the last thing on your mind.
hfisher3380
167 posts
 
Wow - North Korean concentration camps, Mobs, stray bullets. Them's fighting words!

Petty, it's very simple. Either you adopt computer audio or you don't - if you don't then that's fine. It doesn't matter what your reasoning is. Honestly, it almost sounds like you are trying to rationalize your choice. Believe it or not we don't care what your opinion is, it's just annoying to be accused of ruining music as we know it.

As I stated in the other thread, show me the proof. Where are these ultimatums? The people trying to wipe out all other formats? Where are they? Who are they? Let me take care of them for you so you can sleep at night!
bjesien
1,314 posts
 
Pettyofficer,

The CD player was built for you. Toss everything else and use the CD player. There is nothing wrong with listening to CD's. It's all OK.
antigrunge
74 posts
 
Can whoever posts next have the common respect to check whether his ramblings in any way, shape or form relate to the original topic of this thread?
pettyofficer
462 posts
 
Original Topic of this Thread- Mach2Music and Amarra: Huge
disappointment.
"Soon all New Music will only be available as Music
Downloads". This is a shot across the bow of any other
Audio Format. Audio Engineer talks about Computer Audio even replacing Vinyl. All of this talk about Impending
Doom, and replacing everything with Computer Audio. Why
this negative naked agression from Computer Audio supporters against all other Audio Formats? I would just
assume that nothing has to replace anything, let everyone
alone to just enjoy their own Format. First these impending
Doom, shot across the bow, take no prisoners, overt
aggressive statements against all other Audio Formats.
Then it's "There is nothing wrong with listening to CD's.
It's all OK". You guy's are all over the map with this.
First the extreme aggresiveness shot across the bow, then
the passive "We don't care what you listen to". When I hear
cannon shot across the bow of my Audio Format, I stand up and pay attention. You are firing the first shot here
against other Formats. How about taking a little respondsibility for that! No one likes being shot at, nor
having their Audio Format shot at either. Just about
anyone is going to return the favor with a broadside, just
so they don't look weak! You go looking for a fight, find one, then act like "Holier Than Thou". I don't think you really know what you want! I expect choices from any Market,or I don't buy it! What, I am only going to be able to buy a car from only one Car Manufacturer? I am only going to be able to buy from one Audio Format- Computer
Audio? Nobody would tolerate this same standard for any
Market- it would be Consumer Suicide without competition.
Cut off your face to spite your nose, why work so hard at
this?
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