Core Infinity listening impressions and comparisons

[philoouu]

Has anyone done any comparison on SQ between AIR and UPnP ? First experiments using Audirvana Plus suggest clearer bass with UPnP, but more confused trebble, especially on complex piano passages. See for example Perahia's new recording, Hammerklavier 1st mvt.

On the plus side, UPnP is simpler to use in practice, always works, compared to AIR where the Pro may not even be selectable in the menu bar, especially in multi-user configurations, each running their own copy of AIR.

I will certainly try this when I get some free time.  One thing I would say is that your observations with UPnP are curiously similar to mine when trying AirPlay, see post#200 of this thread.

I tried to compare both USB and UPnP on Audirvana and I did not find any differences. I thought it would be a good idea to remove the USB cable definitely...
The problem I have it does not work correctly with high def file 192.
All of sudden it may stop, be silent for a while  and start playing with sound again. If I change the volume it may stop too (I mean be silent but continues playing). This does not happen with non high res file.

What is the correct setting for Audirvana UPnP and Expert Pro ? What Maximum Memory allocated do you put ?

Thanks
philoouu

[james n]

I think 192 playback via UPnP is still work in progress. It's not working properly using wired Ethernet between my Melco and 220 and is doing exactly as you describe.

James

[cereal killer]

I’ve got no issues with 192 files via roon and AIR-ETH

[AlexS]

[philoouu]

[james n]

I wonder if this is to do with the memory playback that Devialet seem to have implemented as part of the UPnP function. I was swapping Ethernet cables and found that the track kept playing with no Ethernet cable connected (Wireless and any other connectivity disabled). Watching the Ethernet port lights, at the start of a track there is a lot of activity as it's loaded into memory before settling back to a more constant flicker. I wonder if not enough memory is allocated for larger files (such as 192) so the stuttering occurs as more of the track is loaded or other activities such as interaction between the CI board and the app occur.

James

[philoouu]

I wonder if this is to do with the memory playback that Devialet seem to have implemented as part of the UPnP function. I was swapping Ethernet cables and found that the track kept playing with no Ethernet cable connected (Wireless and any other connectivity disabled). Watching the Ethernet port lights, at the start of a track there is a lot of activity as it's loaded into memory before settling back to a more constant flicker. I wonder if not enough memory is allocated for larger files (such as 192) so the stuttering occurs as more of the track is loaded or other activities such as interaction between the CI board and the app occur.

James

Hello James


Devialet is well aware of this bug now as they could reproduce it on their side too.
I guess we have to wait for a release to get it fixed.
For the moment I will keep my USB connection.

philoouu

[james n]

Thanks Philoouu - i've gone back to USB tonight. I found UPnP a bit softer and not so involving as USB from the Melco. Sounds good, but USB still has the edge for me.

James

[Music or sound]

Thanks Philoouu - i've gone back to USB tonight. I found UPnP a bit softer and not so involving as USB from the Melco. Sounds good, but USB still has the edge for me.

James

I also tried UPnP/ethernet with my Innuos Zennith found USB significantly more natural and musical sounding

[David A]

Well, I got my 130 Pro back today with the CI board installed after dropping it off at my dealer’s 2 days ago for the upgrade. I was given the option of having either the release candidate or current beta version of the OS/firmware installed and ended up with the beta which I was told was better if I was streaming using Roon AIR. The only hiccup I had when I got home was a problem with a corrupt config file but once that was fixed everything has worked fine.

I only have 1 source, my Antipodes DS server which I use to stream files from my own library stored on the server’s hard drive using Roon Core, and Tidal which I also stream using Roon. My config file set up only 1 input, ethernet, and that input appeared as Devialet-ETH in Roon’s audio settings as before, but the input shows as “AIR” instead of ethernet on the Devialet’s display window. That, and the wifi antenna sticking out at the rear of the amp, are the only visible differences I’ve noticed.

So, to the sound and my listening impressions. I do think the sound has changed slightly/subtly and for the better but pinning down how it has changed isn’t all that easy. I think the sound is slightly warmer and sweeter than it was and also that things sound somehow more “coherent” tonally over the whole frequency range which surprises me because I never thought it didn’t sound tonally coherent before. At times I have a sense of slightly less bass depth but the bass sounds better defined with more detail apparent and at other times my sense is instead that the mids, the vocal range frequencies, are more apparent with a bit more warmth and detail. I think those 2 impressions are different sides of the same coin and that which one I’m noticing depends on the music at the time. Regardless of which of those impressions I’m noticing at a particular moment, overall things just seem to hang together more convincingly. That’s what’s giving me problems with pinning down exactly what I think I’m noticing. I also think the noise floor is slightly lower and perhaps that’s contributing to my competing impressions of slightly less bass and slightly more mids. None of those shifts are big in magnitude, they’re subtle, but they add together to a feeling that things sound slightly more natural, open and relaxed. I think the highs sound a little sweeter.

Those are my impressions after around 3 hours of listening to a couple of albums from my server and a few tracks from Tidal. If I had to say whether I notice the difference more with tracks from the server or tracks streamed from Tidal I’d say that I’m enjoying music from both sources more but that where previously I thought 44.1 kHz/16 bit FLAC from the hard drive sounded better than 44.1 kHz/16 bit FLAC from Tidal, Tidal now sounds closer to files from the server. Both are improved and both are more enjoyable, but the improvement seems more welcome with content from Tidal.

As I said, I think the change is subtle. I didn’t think there were any issues with the sound I was getting before the upgrade, I thought it was great—the best sound I’d had—and there wasn’t any area I was unhappy with. I just seem slightly happier with the way they sound with the CI board installed.

I’m glad I had the amp upgraded.