Hello - a quick introduction. I am an audio and videophile from Australia. Been in the hobby for over twenty years. Currently enjoying live music concerts via a hybrid system that mixes high end audio with high end video. The objective has been to maximise the "you are there" experience both visually and audibly.
From an audio perspective, I run a Roku streamer with a dedicated PSU and Shunyata digital PC via Wireworld Silver Starlight split into Steve's Syncromesh (the latest update just released) into a Metrum Acoustics Adagio dac - to Nagra PLL - Nagra VPA monoblocks to Tidal Contriva Diacera speakers. Also run a parallel primare rig for HT movies where 5.1 is desired.
I wanted to comment that I have thoroughly enjoyed the purchase experience with Steve! I ordered the Mark 1 Syncromesh which sounded great out of the box and added a very noticeable uplift to the $9000 Metrum Dac (which is a phenomenal ladder dac). The day after I received it, Steve mentioned he had found a mod that took the SM to another level and would update my SM if I chose too. After having had the SM just arrive, I shipped it back to Steve and now have the modded unit playing for a few days.
"Wow!" was the first impression!. I wasn't sure how the SM could be better but it is and it isn't subtle. I thought before that with my streamer with its PSU and PC would work well into the Metrum, I wasnt prepared for the game changer SQ running through the Syncromesh Mk11. 3D, depth, organics, transients - all up a significant notch. I love it!
Apart from the obvious re lifting the bar on everything thrown at the SM, it allows me to watch and listen to Youtube's wealth of music, concerts.....anything really at the level I would expect from any audiophile source. Youtube streams in 48khz here in Australia and I suspect elsewhere too. The SM upsamples the signal to 96 khz and the dac receives an optimised signal quality. Listen to anything on Youtube that is HD - the majority of non HD recordings sound excellent but listen to HD and/or 4K audio and it is stunning. The end result better my NAGRA CDP and that is one excellent player.
The SM would be the most cost effective and dramatic improvement to lifting the bar on SQ in my system re digital so far. Steve is an excellent guy and very helpful and knowledgable. I am nit picky with Audio and Video but the SM has been the find of the year for me.
