Cost to upgrade to audirvana plus update#
Cost to upgrade to audirvana plus software#
Cost to upgrade to audirvana plus mac#
Cost to upgrade to audirvana plus windows#

Cost to upgrade to audirvana plus mac#

Playlist interfaces are lightning fast, technically detailed as you'd like with a native Mac look. Great functionality, metadata2die4, a user interface that trounces others Hulk-style. All for the price of a good interconnect. Or rent it, like your music.вЂќвЂ¦say some.В ItвЂ™s not the only party in town though. It does cost a fair wedge and RoonвЂ™s in-house coded RAAT protocol is theirs and theirs only.В IвЂ™m two years in and things move on both inside Roon (via a wealth of updates) but also elsewhere. Time to revisit an alternative: the new version of Audirvana+.

Cost to upgrade to audirvana plus windows#

This oneвЂ™s for Windows users and is the first outing of Audirvana+вЂ™s improved user interface.ДЄ viable alternative to Roon вЂ“ or still a lagger? And which sounds better? Game on.

Cost to upgrade to audirvana plus software#

Software apps sound different because they each have their own processor, RAM read/write and hard-drive read requirements and therefore deliver different electrical noise. (вЂBits are bitsвЂ™ believers are invited to alight here and are advised to stick with the inferior sounding iTunes or Foobar вЂ“ Ed) Electrical noise can travel down USB cabling to disturb the downstream DAC. My ageing i5 Asus laptop coped okay with the Windows take on Audirvana+.

Cost to upgrade to audirvana plus update#

Plisson recommends 64-bit Windows 10 (April 17 update onwards) with 8Gb memory. This is where A/B SQ standoffs between the two apps tend to take place With A+ we can stream to any UPnP-capable device вЂ“ hello again Raspi вЂ“ but also go from computer to DAC with a USB cable. The initial cost of entry favours Audirvana. In absolute terms, itвЂ™s not overly expensive. Gone is the вЂWindows ExplorerвЂ™ techie feel of the older interface, replaced by a vaguely familiar look that connotes a sense of Tidal crossed with Spotify. It eschews cleverness for the sake of it to feel modern and straightforward. ThereвЂ™s little need for a user guide.ДonвЂ™t underestimate A+вЂ™s power and flexibility though. The WindowsвЂ™ versionвЂ™s front door hides a multitude of features. This disarming simplicity is the result of Plisson drafting in a UX (User Experience) specialist.Дark and light modes are available, as is a mini-player when needed.

Smart playlists replace RoonвЂ™s bookmarks, tags, and focus tool - a concept is carried over from previous versions and whilst less flexible than Roon, it still works well.

That search results are returned from both your own library and those of Tidal, Qobuz et al. The showreel that accompanies the now playing screen niggles вЂ“ it gets in the way. ThatвЂ™s the thing: we all use players in different ways and the pros and cons vary accordingly. Best to try Audirvana+ and see how it suits your modus operandi.ДЄll up, the new interface is a step change for the better. Multi-room is in RoonвЂ™s DNA and it uses its own protocol. Audirvana+вЂ™ approach is streaming from aВ single point to aВ single point. This renders it more limited than Roon вЂ“ and it is a bit more hands-on as a result вЂ“ but the UPnP networked streaming development nevertheless signals DamienвЂ™s intentions. A wise move given current market requirements. Very fine indeed, at least through a Brooklyn+ DAC (ВЈ2,000) with SBooster power supply (ВЈ300), Ayre AX-7e amp (ВЈ2,750 when new), and Neat Xplorer speakers (ВЈ3,495). It also sounds вЂ“ and IвЂ™ll whisper this quietly вЂ“ better than Roon over USB.В But for me with my hardware, itвЂ™s better. ItвЂ™s in the minor upticks in finesse,В the slightly greater sense of ease, the minor improvement to bass reach and control and an extra speck of clarity where itвЂ™s easier to discern the contribution of individual musicians. When Chris WoodвЂ™s backs his own vocals on Riches on the Bold (Trespasser) the harmonic effect is greater. I tried numerous setups to eliminate variables. Roon and A+ on the same machine, then on different machines.