Antipodes K50 Music Server
Outputs compared using the C1 DAC
The K50 offers all the digital outputs that one could possibly want. Direct Ethernet, USB, AES/EBU, S/PDIF on RCA, S/PDIF on BNC, and I2S. So, how do they compare? Curious minds want to know how! I listened to the first three using the CH Precision C1 DAC and noticed, first and foremost, that they all sound very good. The best output, by far, was the AES/EBU but I’ll be the first to admit that this has a lot to do with the excellent Jorma cable. However, also when comparing for instance AES/EBU with S/PDIF using Mogami 3080 and Belden RG59 respectively, I would say that the AES/EBU output is still the most precise while the cinch output adds some heft and color in the bass that some listeners might prefer and others may call coloration. I’m not judging here. Not too long ago and for the longest time, I preferred S/PDIF over Belden RG59 for that very reason in my then setup.
I also listened to the I2S output using the only DAC that I have with such an input: the Jay’s Audio DAC-2 Signature. When toggling blindly (which is easy as I can’t read the display from the listening position) between AES via Jorma and I2S via a good quality Sony HDMI cable I had a repeated preference for the input that sounded most articulate and most upbeat. I’m afraid it was the Jorma. Perhaps, if I also had a Jorma or other very high-end HDMI cable, the outcome would have been reversed, but for now, it seems that the quality of the cable is more important than the (supposed) superiority of the connection method.
By the way, since there is no universally agreed standard for the I2S pinout some products will simply not work with another I2S product while others provide dip-switches inside to change the connection scheme. Very smartly, the K50 offers DIP switches at the bottom of the unit for easy access to allow for any required combination. Jay’s Audio adheres to the PS Audio standard which is set on the K50 by having all dips in the off position with the exception of 9 and 10 which should be in the on position.
My early review sample was set with all DIPs in the OFF position but Mark later confirmed that all K50 and K20 units will be shipped with the DIPS according to the PS Audio standard.
The more I work with traditional connections again, it seems, the more I become detached from USB. While the K50 sounds absolutely great via its USB output, open, focused, transparent and articulate, there’s a now inescapable kind of mechanical sense of the music being slightly in minor, slightly less sunny and positive than via AES/EBU. And this is not only the case with the Jorma cable, I also feel that the music comes across as more organic than with the Callisto USB cable even when using the Mogami AES/EBU cable. For some reason, this traditional output gives me most of that super-natural, non-technical, utterly free-flowing feeling.
Just like I found with the earlier Antipodes servers, Direct Stream Ethernet from the K50 puts in a superb performance with the C1, very well-balanced, upbeat and lively yet with a relaxed touch and great finesse. It’s markedly less technical than USB and I’d pronounce it the very best output if it wasn’t for AES/EBU with the Jorma cable, which adds transparency and makes it all sound even more free-flowing and more organic. You can hear this very clearly in vocal parts that come across more freely, more human and just more realistic. Compared to the AES/EBU connection, the otherwise clean and very pure-sounding Ethernet connection is comparatively flatter and more stilted. On the other hand, the technically perfect Ethernet connection does have slightly tighter bass which can be really nice with certain music. Thus, between AES/EBU and Direct Stream Ethernet, it is mostly a matter of personal preference: maximum organic flow and 3D imaging (but a little rounder) or maximum precision (and a little flatter).
Going from the K50 to the CX using Direct Stream Ethernet to the C1 reminds me why I raved about this connection at the time. It sure puts in a very engaging and musical performance but the comparison does make it impossible not to note that little nags that I started to have with its performance over the years turn out to have been addressed by the K50. For instance, the CX’s delivery is less airy and refined, more rounded (less crisp and detailed), dynamically less expressive, less well-focused and less spacious. Ouch, reading that out loud does seem like a bit of a leap in performance and to be honest, I really do indeed feel that this is the case.
The K50 is also available in Silver
Outputs compared using the Aqua Formula xHD DAC
Just to avoid an accidental ideal or perhaps not-so-ideal marriage of output and input interfaces (USB receivers in particular, are not all created equal) I switched from the C1 to the Aqua Formula xHD DAC and Audio-GD Master 1 preamp while retaining the A1.5 amp and ESL15A speakers. But here I can be very brief because, with the exception of USB, the differences between the various outputs work out similarly as with the C1 DAC.
In a deviation from the results with the C1 DAC, USB with the Final Touch Audio Callisto cable connected to the Aqua DAC has a nice and gentle, slightly sweet and free-flowing quality to it which, with this DAC, may make it a preferred connection for some ears. Interestingly, with the Aqua DAC, I don’t really feel very strongly that USB is more stilted or mechanical than AES/EBU. Still, to my ears, also with the Aqua, the Jorma AES connection remains technically superior with the tightest, most articulate and purest sound even if some of the aforementioned ears may find it a little too controlled with this DAC.
Just why would the results with USB be different between the Aqua and the CH? Maybe it’s because the Aqua has a tighter overall sound or, more likely, it’s because it has a different USB implementation. Now that I am already splitting hairs, let’s complete the exercise by including some more of my reference USB cables.
USB Cable Comparison
The original Curious Cable delivers a solid performance, literally, with great bass and timing. But compared to the Callisto, it’s a little rough and unrefined. The Curious Evolved works surprisingly well, restoring the tonal balance to the best approach to neutrality that I’ve heard the K50 do yet with a USB cable. The slight sense of reduced dynamic impact that I noted in its original review is not very evident now. However, it doesn’t take more than 2 seconds to hear that the AES/EBU connection still sounds more focused and more energetic. The CAD USB cable, as always, provides really powerful bass and remarkably sonorous tonality but with less apparent energy on top to make for a slightly dark sound. The AudioQuest Diamond, finally, turns in a very neutral sound but it’s also the least propulsive, dimensional and energetic. Switching back to the AES/EBU connection reaffirms its prime position and strengthens my growing belief that the good old traditional digital connections that we (yes, me, too) were all so quick to discard when USB became popular, actually provide better and more predictable results.
K50 compared to EX+CX via USB using the CH C1 DAC
As a final comparison, I returned to the CH C1 DAC and the Callisto USB cable to compare the K50 as an integrated Server + Player up with the CX + EX combo, the latter two interconnected via Direct Stream Ethernet.
Listening again to the EX and CX this way it was easy to see why I fell for the combination. The added spaciousness, flow, and deeper soundstage that the EX brings to the table still combines with the CX’s propulsive and powerful delivery to make for an engaging performance. But switch to the K50 and all bets are off. The newcomer simply does everything that the older combo does and improves on this with more fluid and more highly resolving treble, more accurate focus, and increased transparency. And last but not least, the K50 adds an overwhelming sense of natural flow and deep soundstaging, making other server/streamer sources sound flat and relatively technical in comparison. And I’m afraid that includes the CX and EX. It can be painful when a new product declassifies the one before it but otherwise there would be no real progress.
Technically, the CX+EX and K50 can easily be distinguished by all the above but arguably its biggest achievement is heard when going back to the combo. This is when you fully realize the strides that have been made. It’s not so much the areas in which the K50 outshines the older combo that is most impressive, it’s actually what the server does not do, which is, sounding like a music server. Rather, it sounds like music.
This aspect of its performance is observed best when not focusing on anything and just enjoying the music with the K50. Every time I do, I notice that I soon slip out of the critical reviewer mode and enter the more relaxed music listener mode. But as soon as I switch to the older combo, I’m back into critical reviewer mode. This, I feel, is the biggest compliment that I can give a music server.
Wrapping it up
At this point, still, I’ve touched only upon a small fraction of the K50’s possibilities. Apart from several more Player options, there are various diagnostics sections and many other tools. But if I were to discuss all of this in detail then the review could end up thrice as long and, as it stands, it’s already plenty lengthy. Also, the main point of any audio component is its sound quality and I think I’ve driven that point all the way home.
In order to discover the full extent of the K50’s functionality, I encourage the reader to head to the Antipodes website or contact the nearest dealer to request a demo.
Conclusion
The K50 is an Absolute Game Changer. While the CX and EX remain fantastic products and I can still see why they were my references 3 years ago, the K50 does everything that the older combo does and improves on this with more fluid and more highly resolving treble, more accurate focus and increased transparency. More importantly, the K50 adds an overwhelming sense of natural flow and stunningly deep soundstaging, making other server/streamer sources sound relatively flat and mechanical in comparison. What’s especially unique about the K50 is that it not only produces music in a natural, organic and free-flowing manner, it also has great PRaT and sounds lively and upbeat. But the K50 is about more than ticking audiophile boxes. It is a Music Server that faithfully reproduces all the intricate elements of the music and nothing but the music.
Update June 2021 – prolonged use
My listening impressions as described in this review reflect the K50’s sound from the age of 3 weeks to about 8 weeks. While I noticed (and described) how the server changed initially after 3 weeks, there’s also a longer-term effect after 3 months of use. Presumably, the capacitors and perhaps other parts in its three power supplies just need a little longer.
What happens at this point is that the sound becomes very noticeably smoother and more relaxed. The presentation becomes arguably even richer and more organic while the server retains all of its refinement and soundstaging abilities. The effects are most noticeable in the midrange which is a little hard and relatively forward when the server is new but which relaxes after 3 weeks and becomes fuller and warmer after 3 months. The effect is also noticeable in the bass which remains full-bodied and still impressively solid after 3 months but slightly less tight and incisive than at the 3-8 week mark.
Antipodes servers always sound full-bodied and very far from computer-esque or clinical. The K50 adds more fluidity, smoothness, and refinement while also being smoother and more relaxed than any of its predecessors.
Having reached the 8-month mark, I noticed no more changes and so it seems that the server is fully mature at the age of 3 months and remains stable after this.
Update July 2021 – OLADRA upgrade
The OLADRA upgrade is now available for CX and EX models until August 2021 and while parts stocks last.
Update July 2021 – Forums
Antipodes has launched a Support Portal for the Antipodes user community, available right from the main Antipodes web interface. You can chat with and message other users, and access our technical support via live chat, instant messaging, or by booking a one-on-one session.
Update August 2021 – I²S output
Now having reviewed the Denafrips Terminator Plus, I found that the K50 provided even better sound via I²S than via AES/EBU, with higher resolution and tighter and more articulate bass while retaining the server’s inherent smoothness and organic quality and even further improving the sound staging and especially the imaging in the depth plane.
Additionally, the USB output also turned out to have a trick up its sleeve… see the Denafrips review.
More K50
Antipodes K50 Music Server – Update Nov 2021
Videos on the Hifi-Advice YouTube Channel
How Sooloos became Roon
Grimm MU1 and Antipodes K50
HFA Front Page
Try out Roon for yourself
External Links
Distributor and Retailer for the Netherlands: Ohm Audio
Manufacturer: Antipodes
Antipodes Connections explained: Antipodes Connections
Christiaan — Thanks for the great review. I own the CX/EX combo, and am awaiting delivery of the K50 in a couple of days — very eagerly, as you might expect. I have always been impressed with Mark Jenkins’ design and engineering philosophy — he doesn’t buy into dogma, but trusts his own technical and listening skills. As a side note, I switched to using the tweaked version of LMS and squeezelite that they introduced last year — have u tried that? Sounds way better than Roon. I hadn’t thought of using Roon as the Server with Squeezelite, but it may be worth a shot. Thanks. — David
Hi David, I’ve not worked with LMS for a long time. Back when Logitech was still involved I did not like the sound too much, well not at all, actually. Where do you run the tweaked LMS version now with respect to the CX/EX? PS: if going outside of Roon then I personally prefer jRiver Media Center with UPnP for the extra-rich meta data / feature set, and this also sounds great.
Great review, thank you!
As a side note, can you list all the reviews in order, date etc will make it much easier to find reviews.
Thanks! Currently, reviews can be found by product type (amplifier/CD player, etc) from the main menu and these search results are alphabetical. You can also search by brand, see the brands cloud at the bottom of the home page or the brands list in the sidebar of each other page. The home page by default shows all articles by date. What other order specifically would you like to see?
Chris, last November, Antipodes announced new software upgrades, of which their tweaked LMS was a part. Here’s the relevant description in the email to customers:
“LMS Player.
LMS (also known as Logitech Media Server or Squeezebox Server) has always been the free option for music playback on Antipodes Music Servers. LMS has been significantly upgraded so that it is a very attractive alternative to other playback software options, and is free.
LMS has a huge range of features including streaming services, including QOBUZ, TIDAL, Radio Paradise, and a huge range of internet radio stations.
Antipodes has worked on optimising the sound quality of LMS on Antipodes Music Servers and it is now very competitive from a sound quality viewpoint.
Antipodes includes a resampling tool with LMS. One particularly useful feature is that it can play FLAC files by sending the WAV file equivalent to the renderer app, which improves naturalness compared to rendering the FLAC file. But you can also upsample and/or transcode to DSD.
One of the advantages of LMS is that the player is browser based. This means that you do not need a remote control application. The application is on the Antipodes Music Server and all you need to do is browse to it. The result is very fast response, using an application that won’t chew through your phone’s battery.”
As I mentioned in my earlier post, I ordered the K50 — it is humming away now. I noticed that the LMS has been rebranded as “Squeezeserver” (both work with the squeezplayer or squeezelite, I forget).
Worth checking out, IMHO. — David
Hi David, ah yes, of course. Well, I must confess to not having paid any attention to the Squeezeserver part. I just dismissed it without a second thought based on bad experiences long ago. Interesting what you mention about playing FLACs as WAVS. Time permitting, I may still investigate all this. Knowing that UPnP and MPD outperform Roon Server with Squeezelite, I wonder which would come out on top.
Christiaan, just one clarification. The comparison of WAV vs. FLAC belongs to Mark Jenkins — most of that post was an extended quote from his e-mail. I have no experience that isolates the 2 for comparison. Just the belief that LMS/Squeezeserver sounds markedly better than Roon. (One difference I can point out is cautionary — WAV does not display art dependably. When I was using Roon a couple of years ago, all my files were WAV, and only about half of my album covers were shown correctly. Ultimately, I used dbpoweramp to convert them all to FLAC and the problem was solved.)
On another note, I can confirm that the K50 is immediately and decisively better than the CX/EX combo, and quite stunning, after a few days of listening. I am eager to hear how much better it gets as the run in progresses. — David
Hi David, thanks for clarifying and I’m glad to hear that you are happy with your K50! Actually, it is perfectly possible to embed cover art in WAV files. I have been doing this for what feels like a decade using dB Poweramp, and besides embedding the metadata just to support those apps that do not read the embedded data properly, I also have set dB Poweramp to always place a cover art file in the root of the album folder called “Folder.jpg”. This covers it 100% in all the playback solutions that I have tried. I suspect that if it works unreliably for you then it is probably a matter of changing some settings.
Thanks, Christiaan. All my files are flac now, so the issue is moot. I’ll pass along one interesting tidbit/trivia Mark mentioned about flac, when I first got the CX/EX. I’m not sure I am describing it correctly, but the gist of it is that flac has some kind of parity checking built in — something that works against inevitable errors that creep in over time in magnetic storage media, that wav does not have. I haven’t verified (nor claim to really understand its working), and if someone other than Mark Jenkins mentioned it, I wouldn’t bother noting it. Archival storage is rarely discussed, but with more and more music libraries entrusted to magnetic media, it is an interesting question. How does one cope with the second law of thermodynamics? — David
Yes, an interesting question, indeed. However, I’m not sure if it really poses an issue due to the extra layers of correction built into the HDD/SSD storage systems as well as right in the PCM code itself.
Hi David, the K50 has sadly returned to the distributor (and I still have not recovered from that…) but I have tested LMS with Squeezelite versus Roon using the Antipodes CX via USB into the Aqua Formula xHD DAC and I agree that it sounds much better than RoonServer + RoonReady or Core Direct (bypassing RoonReady and going directly from server to USB). In fact, UPnP, MPD and Squeeze all sound better than Roon. There is some improvement when using Roon Server with Squeezelite as a player instead of RoonReady but the server part arguably puts the biggest mark on the SQ. Having done the comparison on the same machine with no cables changed, only switching between Roon and Squeeze via the web interface, we should safely be able to say that there are no external influences that could offset the results. iPeng is one of the best apps to control Squeeze but its interface is not equal to Roon. I will miss a lot of its functionality but the SQ is what matters most.
Hello Chris!
Great review, I am very happy to read it 🙂
Within a next 2-3 weeks I am going to get my example of K50 to test.
Nice!
Great review Christiaan. You really ought to get hold of a Taiko Audio Extreme and give it a listen. This K50 sounds like a game changer and would be really good to see how they tee up against one another.
Yeah, I agree. It has been on the list for some time but somehow it has not yet materialized.
Christiaan — I took a cue from your review, and tried the AES/EBU digital output on the K50. I have a different DAC and interconnect than yours, but had the same result. While the usb connection is excellent, there is a heightened sense of refinement, realistic depth of soundstage and greater resolution with the balanced hookup. Thanks for the tip. — David
Hi, i have already got k50!
So, the first impression is really good, K50 is next step, very interesting machine compare to EX-CX combo. My device is very new, also i have new SR Orange fuses, so it’s time to burning )
Nice, enjoy!
Hi – love your blog, bravo!!
I can’t afford the KS50, and am hesitating between a DX (gen 2) and an EX (without the CX).
FYI I have tried an Innuos Zenith mk3 and was favorably impressed with the sound but in Roon player mode (with my music library on a NAS). In Roon Core (music on the Innuos internal SSD), I was surprised to hear it sounded perhaps cleaner and tighter but also leaner and less sonorous/emotional to my ears.
What do you think?
Thank you!
Steph
I did review the DX (D2 v2.3) but have not compared it directly with the EX. My gut feeling would be that the DX might be better than the EX as an all-in-one solution. If you’re only using it as a RoonReady player then perhaps the EX might be better. But I’m really only guesstimating here.
There is indeed a difference between RoonReady and Core Direct sound but it depends on whether the device is also running the core or if it is a player. To my ears, a core/sever sounds tightests with Core Direct while a RoonReady player sounds tightest using RoonReady. Depending on the rest of the setup and your personal preferences, the tightness may also induce a sense of the music being leaner or less emotional.
Many thanks Christiaan for taking the time to answer, much appreciated! I am new to the world of servers/streamers (coming from initially a laptop with JRiver, that I replaced with a Raspberry Pi running Roon) and the learning curve is steep, but exciting!
Great review – the K40 is on my list of possible server upgrades as is the Pink Faun 2.16x which you have also reviewed very highly. In that review from 2019, you said ” On an audiophile level, it is easily the best server that I’ve heard so far.” Now you’ve said this of the K50 “The K50 is an Absolute Game Changer.” so a couple of questions –
– in what way does it better the Pink Faun 2.16x
– and which might be a better choice if all you need is an ethernet out to a streamer which, in my case, is a Linn KDSM
Thanks!
The differentiator here is “on an audiophile level”. Back when I reviewed the Pink Faun, it was clear that it produces a technically more accurate result than the CX+EX combo. But musically/emotionally speaking, I preferred the Antipodes combo. Today with the K50 the same perspective holds true but with on the one hand a bigger difference with the K50’s more organic and free-flowing sound and on the other hand a smaller gap with more refinement and resolution than with the CX/EX.
All that said, a music server has the most influence on the sound (and the best chance of optimum synergy) when you use both its server and player parts. This is true for the Pink Faun 2.16x (its specialized output modules) as well as for the Antipodes K50 (divided tasks between CX and EX or separated within the K50’s chassis). If you plan on using the Linn as an endpoint and use the server part then you are under-using the potential of the Pink Faun.
The K40, of course, is designed specifically as a server only. Thus, you would not be paying for hardware that you won’t use. While I have no experience using either of these two brands with a Linn DS and thus don’t know precisely how it will respond and you would use the OpenHome protocol, not Roon Raat as I did, still, I would wager that the Pink Faun might yield a snappier and more precise result while the Antipodes (K40 in this case) might yield a timbrally fuller, slightly more relaxed sound.
Thanks for your insights. I just ordered the K40 today so I’ll check in after it breaks in a bit.
Congrats! The main difference you’ll hear with running in is that the sound becomes smoother and more organic. The biggest change is heard in the first couple of days with further slower evolution after that which more or less plateaus after about a month. Reportedly, more bedding in happens after that but I’ve not witnessed this as my unit went back before that time.
I had the Aqua linq but due to certain cirqumstances it was replaced by a Antipodes S40. I am frankly quite surprised how good this sounds even with its most basic SMPS powersupply. So I guess the full blown K50 must sound really good.
Hi ,
Thank’s for this very interesting review of the K50 .
Myself I am in the diy world of servers/players as it is such a quick evolving world .
I am now in my third generation of such products and it is a serious effort as this last diy project is 6k euros for parts only .
All this long introduction to say that I fully agree with several things you have written.
My player now is the excellent ered dock card from engineered, I am using aes/ebu output and it is for me also the best digital link to a dac .
All my previous expensive efforts with usb showed it is somewhat compromised in sound quality .
I had the opportunity to try the Norma aes/ebu cable on my system and it is really excellent . In fact I compared it to my Kubala Sosna elation and it was in the same league with even a better bottom medium than the kubala .
Fully agree also with your comments about Roon that I did use before .
Will probably have a serious look on the k40.
Cheers
Great review, Christiaan!
I have a CH Precision i1 that is being used as a streamer, DAC and preamp going into a M1.1. Some day the i1 will be replaced with a C1 and L1.
i1 gets its Ethernet from a Roon Nucleus via an Etheregen switch and Sonore Optical Module combo.
Does replacing the Nucleus with a K40/50 make sense?
Thanks and keep up the great work!
Hi NB, alas, the music server retains an influence on the sound, no matter the infrastructure, the transport protocol, the connection method and the endpoint/streamer/renderer. Some argue that we’re talking nuances and the difference is not large enough to worry about but I have compared two Antipodes servers side by side in combination with the Aqua LinQ as a neutral streaming endpoint, and even then, there was an absolutely substantial difference between the two servers, no matter if I used Roon or MPD. In this direct comparison, the CX sounds bold and impactful but relatively squarish and low-res, while the K50 sounds much smoother and fluid, and more highly resolving.
I’m afraid I don’t know how the Nucleus compares. All I know is that it was designed to be stable, not necessarily with the best sound quality in mind.
Although I favor using AES/EBU to the C1 (which necessitates getting the K50), if you will get the network input option for the C1 and will only use the server as a pure server (not renderer) then the K40 will likely do just as well as the K50.
Hi Christiaan,
Really enjoying your reviews, thank you!
Comparing the K50 (and CX/EX) and Pink Faun above, you used terms like PF being “..technically more accurate..” and preferred Antipodes “musically/emotionally speaking”, and “K50’s more organic and free-flowing sound and on the other hand a smaller gap with more refinement and resolution” and “ timbrally fuller, slightly more relaxed sound”.
Could you please elaborate on those words, would it translate into EITHER more analogue than digital, not clinical, not harsh or bright or lean; OR smoother as in less resolving and transparent, less detailed or accurate?
When talking about CX/EX versus Pink Faun then the latter is more transparent and has more resolution. Everything you noted applies: “more analog than digital, not clinical, not harsh or bright or lean BUT ALSO smoother as in less resolving and transparent, less detailed or accurate”. Also note that I wrote that the PF was technically better because it was also quite static and controlled, not letting the music really breathe, which the Antipodes combo did do.
Recently, I was in the position to compare the K50 directly to the latest version of the Pink Faun server and while the main differences as heard with the CX+EX still hold true, the K50’s resolution has increased significantly. While the Pink Faun is still more articulate and tighter on the transients, the overall level of detail is no longer a major differentiator. Rather, it comes down to a matter of taste: a smooth and organic, slightly round and slightly warm presentation versus a drier, tighter, more accurate and more clinical presentation.
Thank you Christiaan for the further elaboration. I now think I have a better idea of their comparative characters.
Very helpful, thank you!
Hi Christiaan,
Ik ben een paar jaar geleden overgestapt naar de jou welbekende Aurender N10. Beviel mij zo goed dat ik mijn cd’s en lp’s nauwelijks nog gebruik, maar meestal via Qobuz stream.
Ik overweeg nu te upgraden, waarbij ik aan de K50 denk. Ik lees altijd je reviews en jouw smaak qua weergave komt overeen met de mijne. Het blijft echter een forse investering en ik wil dit alleen doen als het een duidelijk merkbare verbetering is en niet de laatste puntjes op de i.
Ik heb het gevoel dat dit zo is, maar hoe kijk jij hier tegenaan? Rest van de keten zijn losse Gryphon componenten met SF Amati Homage speakers.
Aurender and Antipodes have very different presentations and different strong areas. Please read my review of the Aurender N10 and my subsequent Antipodes reviews (for instance the DX or the EX/CX) for all the details and comparisons with Aurender.
Hi Christian,
I have obviously read your reviews. I got the clear impression from your first review of an Antipodes, the DX2, that you favor this Antipodes above the Aurender and that you liked each subsequent model even better, with now the K50 as the pinnacle.
Hence my question, is the K50 in your view really a significant step forward, a game changer as you call it, or are we in the end talking about evident bit still marginal improvements?
Yes, the K50 is a significant step up from the EX and CX. Not marginal but substantial. As I have described, it is hard to return to the CX/EX after living with the K50 for a while.
Hi Christaan,
Drove yesterday to Groningen to compare the Aurender to the K50. From your reviews, I got the impression that Antipodes’ give a “full sound” with wood and strings, but for certain not only strings. The K50 did this, but in a total different manner I had expected. In my own words, I am not a reviewer:
The Aurender gave – first impression – a fuller sound but when I listened better it was like a wall of sound which came towards me. The K50 appeared very relaxed, it seemed as if I could see through the music, it was no longer “a wall of sound” and I could hear details far better (eg a piano from the moment the pianist hit the key until the decay died away). Far less tiresome. Voices (and instruments) were no longer part of the music, but everything stood clearly on its own. All in all, more resolution, detail and far less fatique to listen to it.
So in the end, I decided to plunge in and forget about the crazy investment….
Hi Jeff, congrats on your new purchase! Please keep in mind that it needs 2-3 months before it sounds as relaxed as a fully run-in sample. I think what you describe as the K50 presentation is what I refer to as unforced and organic. The Aurender N10, by comparison, I feel is dimensionally flatter (the wall you mention) and dynamically as well as lyrically restrained.
Does anybody btw know the thread size of the K50 feet?
I would like to use my Stillpoints ultra ss feet again, but cannot find any details via google or Stillpoints.
This is not known, might I suggest checking with the manufacturer? That said, I’m afraid that a very small thread is used, smaller than Stillpoints would have available. Why not use them free-standing (tip pointing up) underneath the K50? I found that this worked well with a variety of equipment.
Hi Christiaan,
I am for 9 months mote than happy with the K50. The new update was somewhat troublesome but thanks to the Dutch importer sorted out properly. I missed the unit long enough to be uncertain whether I hear an improvement, but that is not my question.
I read nearly everywhere that people prefer Squeeze above Roon and Squeezelite above the Roon player. I have never come across a review which states the opposite. So I tried it a couple of times (Roon with squeeze player) but I personally don’t like it. I hear voices and instruments more defined, but they have simultaneously a lighter footprint. People think Roon is blurred, but I feel that Squeeze is more lifeless and clinical and that Roon adds atmosphere and weight to the presentation. I also believe Roo’s presentation is wider.
I know that you cannot argue about personal preferences, but I am a total nobody in professional audio terms and I am curious what you think that I am hearing.Funny question, I realize. Does Roon pronounce the mid tones more? Looks more than that. Just curious. And what are your personal observations?
Hi Jeff, this is a great example that shows how these things are relative. That’s why I always try to put as many descriptors in my reviews as I can think of, simply because “better” for one person may not be better for another. From your descriptions, I think you are hearing the same differences as I am, but in your system or for your taste, it just works out better the other way around. That’s perfectly valid!
For me, Roon adds some warmth and richness that makes for a thicker/fatter bass, smoother mids, and an overall more relaxed sound than MPD, UPnP, or Squeeze typically produce. For me, tighter and cleaner is better, but that’s certainly not a rule! The reverse would lead to someone like yourself finding UPnP, MPD, or Squeeze overly lean and controlled-sounding.
I would say don’t worry about it. But do keep it in mind for when your system changes, when, at some point, the balance may tip.
Very late to this, but after comparing Roon+Roon and Roon+Squeeze I preferred the latter. However, the big difference with my virtually new K22 and v5 software is switching from USB into my Bricasti DAC to AES, and the latter gives both a clearer and ‘fatter’ sound despite the improvements to the Antipodes USB. I didn’t really want this to be so because of the DSD rate advantages of the USB, but it’s undeniable.
AES sounding “Fatter”, I can understand, as USB is indeed still relatively tighter and cleaner, even with the latest server platforms. However, AES sounding “clearer” is not conform to my testing. My first thought would be to look at the cables used as they can have a very large influence.
Have you experimented with hqplayer oversampling through roon vs the grim mu1s internal oversampling?
I did indeed and found that software resampling sounds different than hardware resampling. Back in the day with the dCS Delius and Purcell, I experienced a profound difference as well when compared to upsampling in a piece of software that I can’t recall now. In any event, in the case of the Grimm, the resampling changes the character of the sound (see my MU1 review), whereas resampling in Roon (whether on the K50 or another server) does pretty much only what it should do and can only add a moderate and expected rounding under certain circumstances. While I would generally regard software resampling to be more transparent, it is with hardware solutions that more profound differences can be achieved, and in many cases, a more desirable result (I’m not saying necessarily more accurate, although the manufacturer might disagree). But in the case of the Grimm, I’d say the results are extremely likable and for the most part only beneficial. The stage becomes considerably deeper and more spacious and the tonality becomes fuller. Where it is not beneficial, in my opinion, is in the bass, which becomes rounder and less incisive. Then again, software resampling has a similar effect in the bass, and usually not as much effect on the soundstage.