Hello everybody.
As mentioned already I have participated in this tremendous meeting in Sweden last weekend, too.
My name is Jan and I live in northern Germany (close to Hamburg).
I am in this hobby for over 30 years now. Some years ago I decided to stop investing more and more money as I simply didn´t find the pleasure I have been seeking for.
After a break of several years I decided to give it a new try by choosing a DEVIALET D-Premier. This machine lifted my pleasure to unknown standards. But still I was not satisfied with any digital source available on the market (including all AIR solutions). So I kept searching again and again. I have tried all LINNs (even modified ones), AURENDERs (including W20), all kind of CD-transports (even memory players) and all the other sources availabe here in Europe. Finally I found one streamer which was at least acceptable after I have applied some modifications. But still I had the feeling there is more. More emotions, more fluid, more natural, more live....
During my search I read a lot about computer audio and so I started my own tests. After many drawbacks my search finally ended when I found the JPLAY software. Combined with a nice dual XEON-PC setup with many additional software and tricks my journey found an end. At home I have placed every thing in a wonderful rack made by ARTESANIA (Exoteryc) and feed all devices with some nice power cables (with FURUTECH rhodium plugs) connected to a PS AUDIO Power Plant (P10). To me this is close to audio heaven![[Image: tongue.png]](http://jplay.eu/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/tongue.png)
Since then I visited some dealers to buy a new speaker (I finally choose a WA Sasha). Every time I have carried my own system with me. And every time the dealers showed themselves deeply impressed by my setup. Also some close friends went the same way and sold all their KRELLs, AVMs, ACCUPHASEs and highly expensive CD-players, etc. to choose the same way I have. They are all very satisfied with the huge increase of SQ we were able to establish (even though the room and the speakers were the very same!).
And now, last weekend in Sweden, I learned my self that still massive improvements can be achieved by choosing the more perfect cables (power, speaker, digital) which suit the system even better.
Moreover I have learned over the last few years how much an existing room can be tuned with the correctly choosen absorbers and furniture.
I would like to give you some more information on the "monster-source" prototype which we have used last weekend. As already mentioned the most important part is the JPLAY software which just lately was upgraded with a remote option that does not cut the SQ! One of the PC´s is the source and control point of the system. The second PC only has the task to stream the audio data to the DEVIALET without being disturbed by any GUI, etc. The secret of the quality of this kind of source depends also very much on clean power for all (!!) seperate components of each PC. First we tried several 5V power supplies for the SSD´s and the special USB output card. Here I found the best results by using the JCAT components sold by the founders of JPLAY. Meanwhile I have placed an order with a german company to develop a specially manufactured linear power supply which will feed all compoents of TWO PC´s with nothing but the best possible power by using dedicated transformers for all components. As this development will take a long time and will consume even more money we started with a battery (LiPo) driven power supply which comes close to what we want.
The operating systems of both PC´s are heavily tweaked Windows Server 2012 R2 systems. The PC´s are linked by the JCAT REFERENCE network cable. The audio PC is linked via JCAT REFERENCE USB dual-cable to an early prototype of MUTEC´s latest reclocker. Once ready the device will be called the MUTEC MC3+ USB. This device brings the real magic into this kind of source.
During our long night sesssion (Guillaume, Stefan and me) have tried different cables. Finally we ended up using BERTRAM for power and speaker, G.´s excellent TRANSPERANT RCA-RCA digital cable and my JCAT cables for the rest.
As the time passed by (plus some more beer and other stuff) we crancked up the volume more and more. This really was a magical composition. It sounded so well. The WA Sasha II did sing so sweet and the DEV´s were sweating solder under the heavy load (
).
We listened to all the well known and proven good songs of this world (Fink, Nils Lofgren, Dire Straits (Private Investigations really made Stefans house shake), Kari Bremnes, etc.) but finally the climax was once again Carol Kidd singing When I Dream from LINN RECORDS. We three melted like icecream in the sun (maybe the other two because of too much alcohol?).
It was indeed a night to remember.
Thanks again guys!
In Dubio Pro Audio
Jan
As mentioned already I have participated in this tremendous meeting in Sweden last weekend, too.
My name is Jan and I live in northern Germany (close to Hamburg).
I am in this hobby for over 30 years now. Some years ago I decided to stop investing more and more money as I simply didn´t find the pleasure I have been seeking for.
After a break of several years I decided to give it a new try by choosing a DEVIALET D-Premier. This machine lifted my pleasure to unknown standards. But still I was not satisfied with any digital source available on the market (including all AIR solutions). So I kept searching again and again. I have tried all LINNs (even modified ones), AURENDERs (including W20), all kind of CD-transports (even memory players) and all the other sources availabe here in Europe. Finally I found one streamer which was at least acceptable after I have applied some modifications. But still I had the feeling there is more. More emotions, more fluid, more natural, more live....
During my search I read a lot about computer audio and so I started my own tests. After many drawbacks my search finally ended when I found the JPLAY software. Combined with a nice dual XEON-PC setup with many additional software and tricks my journey found an end. At home I have placed every thing in a wonderful rack made by ARTESANIA (Exoteryc) and feed all devices with some nice power cables (with FURUTECH rhodium plugs) connected to a PS AUDIO Power Plant (P10). To me this is close to audio heaven
Since then I visited some dealers to buy a new speaker (I finally choose a WA Sasha). Every time I have carried my own system with me. And every time the dealers showed themselves deeply impressed by my setup. Also some close friends went the same way and sold all their KRELLs, AVMs, ACCUPHASEs and highly expensive CD-players, etc. to choose the same way I have. They are all very satisfied with the huge increase of SQ we were able to establish (even though the room and the speakers were the very same!).
And now, last weekend in Sweden, I learned my self that still massive improvements can be achieved by choosing the more perfect cables (power, speaker, digital) which suit the system even better.
Moreover I have learned over the last few years how much an existing room can be tuned with the correctly choosen absorbers and furniture.
I would like to give you some more information on the "monster-source" prototype which we have used last weekend. As already mentioned the most important part is the JPLAY software which just lately was upgraded with a remote option that does not cut the SQ! One of the PC´s is the source and control point of the system. The second PC only has the task to stream the audio data to the DEVIALET without being disturbed by any GUI, etc. The secret of the quality of this kind of source depends also very much on clean power for all (!!) seperate components of each PC. First we tried several 5V power supplies for the SSD´s and the special USB output card. Here I found the best results by using the JCAT components sold by the founders of JPLAY. Meanwhile I have placed an order with a german company to develop a specially manufactured linear power supply which will feed all compoents of TWO PC´s with nothing but the best possible power by using dedicated transformers for all components. As this development will take a long time and will consume even more money we started with a battery (LiPo) driven power supply which comes close to what we want.
The operating systems of both PC´s are heavily tweaked Windows Server 2012 R2 systems. The PC´s are linked by the JCAT REFERENCE network cable. The audio PC is linked via JCAT REFERENCE USB dual-cable to an early prototype of MUTEC´s latest reclocker. Once ready the device will be called the MUTEC MC3+ USB. This device brings the real magic into this kind of source.
During our long night sesssion (Guillaume, Stefan and me) have tried different cables. Finally we ended up using BERTRAM for power and speaker, G.´s excellent TRANSPERANT RCA-RCA digital cable and my JCAT cables for the rest.
As the time passed by (plus some more beer and other stuff) we crancked up the volume more and more. This really was a magical composition. It sounded so well. The WA Sasha II did sing so sweet and the DEV´s were sweating solder under the heavy load (
). We listened to all the well known and proven good songs of this world (Fink, Nils Lofgren, Dire Straits (Private Investigations really made Stefans house shake), Kari Bremnes, etc.) but finally the climax was once again Carol Kidd singing When I Dream from LINN RECORDS. We three melted like icecream in the sun (maybe the other two because of too much alcohol?).
It was indeed a night to remember.
Thanks again guys!
In Dubio Pro Audio
Jan
