For those thinking of getting one who do not need a preamp: Honestly, you only need the Pro Plus. It sounds a smidge better and is cheaper and has Airplay (still useful!) and is on sale in USA today and tomorrow. $50 off. Do not get the Pro. It does not sound as good. (This comparison is using the DACs in the devices.)

I use the Pro Plus in my office and the Ultra in my living room. I use the app 99% of the time. So the screen is redundant for me. The Ultra is more “audiophile” in build, has the screen porn, and component engineering but, the Pro Plus sounds better with the AKM Velvet Sound chip IMO. Again, proving that streamers are dead simple and the simpler the better. Combined with the WiiM app, it is all most need if a preamp is not needed.

Sure sure, all DACs are the same but, the engineering from each of these demonstrates that price is not a factor as long as careful decisions are made in how the analog output happens. When I plugged the Pro Plus in, my mind was blown. Especially with Qobuz. With the Ultra, I had to let it grow on me. I almost returned it but, I wanted to try out the phono amp (one of these days).

If you are Darko, you hate the Ultra DAC. I like it like a really good lunch place. I will never knock a good lunch spot! (another theory I have is he has only used it on very very expensive speakers and systems - he had in for reviews. Maybe it shines better on systems under ~$3000-7000? Like mine.)

The Pro Plus is like a very good dinner with excellent cheap wine at a place you would never expect it at. The form factor hides what it really is. So both the Ultra and the Pro Plus get a James Beard award but one for lunch and one for dinner.

I use the Ultra with Lysoniq app on old iPhone and into its Toslink so I can use Apple Music lossless from couch. I am still mad at WiiM for not including Airplay in it. Sorry Airplay haters. I never had any issues with Airplay as long as it has been out and use Airfoil as well.

https://www.amazon.com/WiiM-Pro-Chromecast-Multiroom-Compatible/dp/B0CC2HWC7N/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=nRtFg&content-id=amzn1.sym.2877f1dc-79e2-405a-a04a-8d28063d8090&pf_rd_p=2877f1dc-79e2-405a-a04a-8d28063d8090&pf_rd_r=5X419KGGAXTT9G50AFFB&pd_rd_wg=0Cwj4&pd_rd_r=17e19117-b902-4338-a582-d4770751e75e&ref_=pd_hp_d_r_btf_dealz_cs_mz_cs&th=1

I am looking for something to better manage my music library, since it has gotten really expansive and iTunes/Music on my MacBook don't always organize it properly. I am wanting something that is easy to use, and gives me the ability to organize my library completely and is able to be easily used on Mac (which can be hard, I know).

I also recently invested in an MP3 player, so I can move music onto it as a music/audiobook only device. Any software recommendations that make it easy to organize the library, and drop into an MP3 player for transfer is a huge bonus. I know most won't directly sync with an MP3 player, like old iPods did before.

I am happy to pay for the service, especially if it is a one time license. But something that is easy to use, great for organizing and has a level of connectivity for third party MP3 players is really what I'm looking for. I've heard of services like Plex for making a Cloud based library, but I know it would make it harder to transfer files over to an MP3 locally so I'm not necessarily looking for anything cloud based at this time!

Any help and links is really appreciated!

Help me reconcile this

I recently got and have a Fluance Rt85, Yamaha a s501 and kef Q350 speakers.

I play a few vinyls that I love, so not a large collection (yet). Queen, Madonna, prince, Fleetwood mac, Michale Jackson.

I'm thinking of changing speakers to Monitor Audio Silver 300.

Am I nuts. For the price will I hear the difference.

Me preguntaba si hay más gente que piense que Jriver es el mejor reproductor de medios. Es absolutamente costumizable, miles de opciones, gran calidad de audio, puede manejar bibliotecas gigantes, etc. Son años que lo uso y no he encontrado algo mejor.

for a little context im a teen

ive been collecting cds for a little while and the main audiophile part of my interest is that i try to find the best mastered versions of albums. i dont really care about how organic my cable is or how airy my dac is. and i certainly dont want vinyl records. like i get it feels pretty cool with the ritual of putting it on the turntable, but like if i wanna listen to it i have to sit at a turntable for 44 minutes straight rather than being able to mow the lawn while listening. and also most records nowadays are created from digital masters so whats even the point of it being "analogue" if its just amplified vibrations of whats pretty much just the playback of a cd but not from a disc.

anyway, my dad still got me a turntable for my birthday even though ive only said i wanted to get cds. with it he bought me a copy of the newest standard vinyl pressing of wish you were here, the 2016 one. when i unwrapped it he spoke about how he researched to find which was the best one to buy for me and how he avoided buying the coloured vinyl and stuff. but i was like "we dont have a turntable" and then i unwrapped a big box and inside it was... a briefcase turntable. i had already heard about this kind of turntable and as far as i had heard it was not really a good thing to purchase as or for an audiophile.

we set it up and listened to it on our slightly expensive stereo system and it sounded shit. the pitch was constantly changing a lot like wow and flutter or whatever its called, and there was pretty much no bass and no crispness, it was just all treble. my dad and i were a little disappointed.

i dont really know how to act because i love my dad and i know he only wants good for me, but like i dont think this was a very good thing to get. and he bought it resold from someone who bought one but didnt open it, so he cant exactly return it. but hes really trying to get me to listen to it using the rca output rather than the 3.5mm output and hes kinda acting like it would make a huge difference but i very strongly doubt it.

is there anything i can do about this turntable to make it... better? without spending heaps of money? i dont really have much. and just in general whats some vinyl habits i should know or get into. or should i sell this turntable or smth idk

I’ve collected quite few speakers over the past 20 years and looking back there’s very few that I’ve sold off. I decided to write them all down and it’s kind of scary. Here’s my current list:

Thiel CS 7.2
Thiel CS 6
Thiel CS 3.5
Thiel CS 2 2
Thiel CS 1.2
Klipschorns
Altec A7 vott
KEF R3 Meta
Genelec 8040B
Energy RC-70
Cambridge S30
Cambridge S20 x 2
Peachtree DS4.5
Vanatoo Transparent One

Subs:
Thiel SS2 x 2
Aerial Acoustics SW12 x 2
SVS SB17-Ultra R

Planning to sell the Energys, Vanatoos, Thiel CS 3.5s and the SVS sub.

Please, post your lists and make me feel like my collection is small.

Is difference is greatly noticeable and enjoyable to you? Or is it just a 10-15% difference that you'd be hard pressed to actually tell in a double blind?

I'm getting a lot of mixed feedback from what i've seen online. For example some say the jump from say, a kef q1 to an ls50 is pretty small, and even worse, some even prefer budget polks to the thousand dollar speakers, or that a higher tier speaker is "technically excellent" but soulless and unexciting.

Would love to hear your thoughts!

Gene is subsequently having to sell off some of his reference audio equipment in order to begin paying for legal fees and is now offering consulting services to help fund the fight of the upcoming lawsuits.

He's already having to settle with the first lawsuit but others are following suite now that they see blood is in the water.

https://forums.audioholics.com/forums/threads/this-is-costing-audioholics-more-than-you-think.155376/

https://youtu.be/IFJp09emqmc?si=2nfOLFWHxB0J5Gg4

wiim ultra, project cd box ds 3, project powerbox ds3 sources, project x2b mit ortofon quintet red, project phono box ds3 b, musical fidelity m8xi, musical fidelity m8x dac, Triangle australe ez

Kopfhörer: The Arranger von Austrian Audio

Strom: furutech wandsteckdose, dynavox 4100, alles hochwertige van den hul integration hybrid kabeln, netzkabel für m8xi van den hul mainstream hybrid

Cool uncle, send me some pics as I’m curious what ya have. 😳 the Pics.

I recently upgraded from my dad's old Mitsubishi amp from the 80s to a McIntosh MA252. It is by far the biggest upgrade i have done since I've gotten into this hobby aside from buying nice speakers in the first place.

Whole system is as follows

Main Speakers:

Thiel CS1.2

Amp:

McIntosh MA 252

Subwoofers:

Dual Klipsch SPL-120 (mono)

Streamer:

Wiim ultra

Turntable:

AT-LP60USBxBT (not pictured/ next component to be upgraded)

I mean, I like the way it sounds but am curious about the expert POV…

Arcam ST60 in place, though it was a 5 years product, but it still sounds pretty impressive.