John
John writes…
At first glance, your cookie policy seems straightforwardly and unapologetically contemptuous of readers. On the second through however many glances this is more than confirmed. A statement, not an opinion. Your instruction buried in your cookie policy to go to other websites (and wade through all procedural difficulties) to modify manually the way readers process cookies, is further proof still your official policy is, you know but do not care. The ability to modify cookie settings that almost other sites have is vehemently folded into your policy towards readers just mentioned. I cannot make you grow a conscience, let alone act in accordance with it, but much follows from your (in) actions here. Your lack of civility and integrity may be no problem at all for you – in the short term, but whatever resentment is building up will be orders of magnitude more difficult to deal with when it eventually grows into something far more unalterably malignant.
Me: I’m trying to understand why you sound so ‘distressed/agitated/rude’ when cookies can be turned on and off using the red ‘Cookies Consent’ button at the bottom of every page OR in section 7.1 of the Cookies Policy. The links to third-party websites are because the cookies used on the site are third-party cookies. Again, you can turn them off via the red ‘Cookies Consent’ box found at the bottom of every page. Have you emailed me about this previously? Can you not see the red button?
J: Thank you for your prompt & usefully informative response. I use Mozilla/Firefox & clicking the red button or manage cookies at the bottom of the page, does something but does not allow me to manage the cookies. Section 7.1 does however & I somehow missed that.
Me: I am glad you found my email of help. Given your admission of oversight in this matter, perhaps you will afford me an apology for claiming that I am contemptuous of my readers and that I lack a conscience, integrity and civility. For they remain outrageous and unsubstantiated assertions that make you sound like a pompous asshole (which I’m sure you did not intend).
J: My last email was meant to convey a clear, unambiguous, apologetic tone but I’m happy to be more forthright still in apologising – which I now am, far more clearly still. Fair is fair.
I did point out that the site does not make the, manage cookies option usable for those using Firefox (arguably the favorite of many tech-savvy audiophiles) so I hope that’s valuable to know as well. It was not extremely easy (but hardly anything like impossible) to find in your cookies policy. Given that (in combination with Firefox-related difficulties), it’s arguably a somewhat more natural mistake to make, to assume the deliberation I spoke of, in not respecting readers. I’ve found in such instances there is usually (but unexpectedly not here) a very stubborn mentality to deal with, hence my strongly worded letter. I was delighted to see that was not the case and was responded to with such alacrity, so I was & am happy to say as much.
Me: Both the cookies pop-up and the red ‘Cookie Consent’ button appear on Firefox (and all other popular browsers). I’ve checked for both MacOS and Windows. In the future, you should keep your outrage in check and consider the possibility of user error (your own) before firing off on all cylinders in my – or anyone else’s – direction. I am not here to play punchbag or psychologist.
Rob writes…
I don’t think you are aware that you can hand off an Apple AirPlay stream “connect style” so it’s not reliant on the iPhone.
You just need an AppleTV and an HDMI audio splitter such as the Blustream 4way 4k HDMI HDCP2.2. Then digital out to any DAC with coax cable (or optical). Or even use the DAC in the Bluestream splitter (doesn’t sound as good) straight to an amp via RCA.
The lossless stream is then handed off from the iPhone to the AppleTV. You can switch the iPhone off and even reconnect to the stream from the iPhone or a different Apple device, such as iPad, without interrupting the music.
I expect it’s capped at 24/48khz (possibly even upsampled?). But it’s CD quality, isn’t it? Sounds decent to me through my Denafrips Ares 2, and not reliant on the iPhone being left on. The internet stream is taken over by AppleTV.
AppleTV is relatively low cost, has other uses and is a nice addition to any hi-fi setup. Sounds better than Airplay via my Sonos Port and as nearly as good as my Bluesound Node 2i, but with the stream hand-off capability.
Me: I am aware. This is what we call an edge case: you need a very specific piece of hardware to make the hand-off happen – an Apple TV. And yet Airplay can be found in thousands of other devices.
Arnab writes…
Hi. Using the 6KA for 2 years. For the last two weeks, it is displaying PRT, then rolling the volume down to zero and finally shutting down! Haven’t made any changes to the set-up since day one. Line ins from Aune Digital transport, if phono & a Marantz CD player. Coax from a Sony 4K BDP ( rarely used). Shutdown irrespective of source. Tried contacting them, no response! Could you shed some light, please?
Me: Sorry Arnab but I’m not able to provide tech support for anyone’s products, let alone Audiolab’s. I’m not sure why you would think otherwise. Best of luck in finding a solution.
Marek writes…
Line-level mode is missing in the new version of Chord Mojo. For this reason, I wonder how Mojo 2 performs as a pure DAC compared to Mojo 1.
Me: Did you read my coverage on the Mojo 2. In that article, I stated how I think the Mojo 2 compares to the original.
Lars writes…
Hello, in a few weeks I will receive my ordered Auralic Altair G1. I am really looking forward to it. Regarding my Beyerdynamic T5P2 headphones, I have a question about whether they are a good match for the Auralic, especially in terms of the impedance of both devices. Thank you very much for any feedback!
Me: I couldn’t possibly. I’ve zero experience with those Beyerdynamics, let alone paired them with the Altair G1 (which is long gone back to the manufacturer). A quick search on this website will tell what I’ve heard and what I haven’t. Easy.
Nigel writes…
I’ve recently become the happy owner of an Auralic Altair G2.1, my first hi-fi upgrade in over 15 years. I’m now considering upgrading my old integrated amplifier. But if sound quality is key, should I look at a power amp or another integrated? My head says a power amp connected to the Auralic (employing its analogue resistive ladder volume control) will be a better choice. My assumption is based on thinking a shorter, less convoluted chain for the music signal to pass through should sound better, right? But will it? The only other source I have is a CD player.
So if you had the same budget for either an integrated amp or power amp, which option would you recommend for the best sonic results?
Me: I’d go with the integrated. DAC direct (into a power amp), in my experience, can sometimes sound a bit too thin. Or thinner than going into an integrated.
Neil writes…
After listening to your podcast, Bass for beginners and beyond (for the fourth time), the idea of using the high pass filter is something I will definitely be looking into. With regards to room compensation software, changing your amp to one with room correction is not the only solution. The current lineup of Martin Logan Dynamo subs have Anthem’s ARC room correction built in. This can be used in one of two ways, via a smartphone or the dedicated microphone and tripod set. I have the Dynamo 800X, which is quite compact and sounds great. When I ran ARC using the microphone kit it really helped with the bass issues in my room. I would imagine once I high pass my speakers all bass issues below 80Hz would be significantly reduced. This lineup might interest you since they incorporate very effective room correction software and have a handy app that allows you to customize phase, slope, listening modes and EQ right from the comfort of your listening spot.
Josh writes…
Hey John, love your content. A quick message about the Harman curve. There is a Github with Harman curve parametric EQ formulas for hundreds of headphones:
https://github.com/jaakkopasanen/AutoEq/tree/master/results/crinacle
I have used these formulas with Roon and my Meze Empyrean and Hifiman HE1000se. I didn’t really care for the Harman treatment on my Meze’s but preferred the Harman formula on my Hifiman’s. I believe this may be because the HE1000se are known to be a little forward on the upper frequency and the formula helped tame it a bit.
Also your vid on setting up Roon on a NUC really really helped me set mine up so thanks for that!
Ryan writes…
Take a look at the NAD D 3045 as a competitor to the Emotiva. List price is a bit higher but comparable. It has a variable high/low pass filter. Indeed, this allows its power rating to stretch MUCH further with a sub added to the equation. Having lived with the 3045, I won’t buy another integrated amp (for my relatively modest family room setup) that doesn’t have a high/low pass filter or a really advanced bass management system like Dirac.
Me: Thanks for the heads up on this amplifier, Ryan. When it came out a couple of years ago I was far less attuned to subwoofer benefits than I am now. I see the D 3045 offers high-pass filter options for 40Hz, 80Hz and 120Hz for the loudspeaker outputs but are the subwoofer outputs equivalently low-passed? NAD’s documentation doesn’t say.
Paul writes…
Hi John – enjoy your style – and I use 3 Raspberry Pi Roon endpoints, but how much does a used iPad Mini cost in Berlin? probably less than €200 and they make very good touch-screen Roon endpoints. I use one with a Meridian Explorer 2 DAC and it works very well. I enjoy any Rasp Pi hifi articles and I’m just offering a cost-effective alternative. Thanks.
Me: Used this or that will always be cheaper than store-bought solutions. The problem for me in recommending people buy second-hand is that availability, quality and price all vary according to the reader’s territory. And Darko.Audio’s audience is global.
