[Ciamara]

I have tried Play.  I have to say it is better than iTunes, but not by a lot.  With the poor interface, you lose all the great conveniences of iTunes (remote control from an iTouch or iPhone), and the sound is only marginally better.  Try out Bias Peak Pro (free demo is available) and you should hear a big difference.

I still maintain that Amarra is the way to go.  They are going to be adding more and more features, and with the latest release, it really does sound very good.  It is system dependent -- some systems will expose the flaws in iTunes vs. Amarra, whereas other less resolving systems will not.  A good way to listen of the difference is to spend a few hours listening without Amarra and see if ear fatigue starts to creep up on you.  Then give yourself a short break and listen with Amarra and see if the ear fatigue goes away.  To my ears, Amarra takes away the fatigue.

Just my two cents.

DISCLAIMER:  We are the Sonic Studio dealer for the Northeast region (NY/NJ/CT).

[pardales]

I have been checking in on this product/thread from time to time and actually expressed some skepticism about its pricing way back on page 1 of this thread; I also suggested a stripped down version on page 2 of this thread, which appeared to happen.

I am interested in a software product that works with iTunes to improve sound quality but this program just does not seem seamless with iTunes, and whether it offers a significant improvent......well, the feedback seems mixed. I am starting to see a few people on Audiogon selling there mini versions of Amarra. Any risk involved in buying a used copy?

Seem like the program still has a ways to go -- or am I missing something?   

[Crimson]

It's quite seamless. There were some minor bugs earlier on, but even then it worked fine with three different dacs even though only one was on the 'approved' list.

[Ciamara]

I second that.  In the early days, Sonic Studio was under pressure from some dealers to accelerate the release of Amarra.  As a result, several users reported bugs, which were later addressed and fixed.  Prior to the release of v1.1, I asked them to release the program in a stepwise fashion to dealers, then willing beta testers, and then to the public.  I think this has worked, and v1.1 is working extremely well for most users.  We have sold many copies in the Northeast region, and I haven't had a single customer come back to us complaining about the sound quality or stability of the program.

Regarding AudioGon, one user is selling his Amarra Mini outright.  Another is selling the Mini version because he bought the full version.  He did not have to do this -- you can upgrade to the full version for the price difference between the Mini and Full versions.  The other seller is a dealer.
 

[cfmsp]

Any risk involved in buying a used copy?

Seem like the program still has a ways to go -- or am I missing something?   

I do NOT think there is risk in buying a used copy.

But, to your second question, there are still a few bugs in the system.

Far from seamless, I find that after the recent release (of which I was a beta tester), most of the frustrating issues arise primarily due to interactions with iTunes (or at least that's where the source appears to be), i.e. the inability to have the two apps function together seamlessly.

More often than should occur in an application that has been in 'beta' this long, the system will lose track of 'who' is in charge.  Said another way, the app will occasionally hang (requiring restart to resolve), or it will switch from Amarra to iTunes - without changing the volume settings - which means your music stops in the middle of a playlist and requires attention. 

Coming back to the app after a period of inactivity (e.g. sleep) also often results in 'confusion' as to which of the two players should be in use.  In some instances, no output will be forthcoming without restart.

Lately I keep getting notified that BOTH apps have their volumes set to zero, and asked if I would like Amarra to set volume to 'full'.  If I answer 'no', nothing will change, and I get the same message again.  The only way out (other than restart) appears to be to answer 'yes' to setting Amarra volume to full, which is DECIDEDLY NOT the correct answer for someone not using a preamp and relying on Amarra's dithered volume control.

As I said, still a few bugs in the system.

Other issues are lack of gapless playback, and a long-term solution to the special character file name issue.

That said, Jon and team provide great support. It's just a shame that so much support is required.

YMMV,
clay

[santacore]

Clay,

I'm experiencing all the same issues you have had, in addition to a recent problem playing hi-res. material. Definitely far from seamless on my end too. It's a shame there are so many bugs for such a high end product. Luckily the sound quality is excellent, which keeps me hooked. Hopefully this issues will be worked out soon.

[silverlight]

I experience some of the same issue, somewhat frequent hangs and need to force quit and restart.  occasional volume issues, but this is very easy to deal with and don't mind.

But I do want to reiterate how much I like the product.  while the improvement is clear is in my main system, it's startling via my headphone setup.  So I looking forward to continued improvements and feature sets from Sonic.  Also recently ordered the Model 4 which is a fantastic sounding dac but also looking forward to the nice integration features like analog volume control.

[Crimson]

v1.2 is now officially out, as well as a sale on the Mini version.

[Crimson]

Has anyone used the SRC extra in 1.2 yet? I tried last night (briefly) and kept getting an error about being unable to create the output sound file (access denied error). Didn't seem to matter where the source file or output folder were located (local/external), nor what the permissions were set to. I sent an email to Sonic's support and am waiting for a reply (amid the CES hoopla).

[pardales]

Do you really need 2GB of RAM to use Amarra mini? If I switch computers is the software movable? 

I am thinking about the mini version -- the sale price is attractive. I am demoing the software and it does sound pretty good.

[santacore]

Do you really need 2GB of RAM to use Amarra mini? If I switch computers is the software movable? 

I am thinking about the mini version -- the sale price is attractive. I am demoing the software and it does sound pretty good.

I was using 1gb when I first started with Amarra. It worked, but my system seemed like it was bogging. I upgraded to 3gb and it runs real smooth now.

Yes, you can switch computers. As long as you have the iLok key, you can use it on any computer you want.

John

[pardales]

I was using 1gb when I first started with Amarra. It worked, but my system seemed like it was bogging. I upgraded to 3gb and it runs real smooth now.

Yes, you can switch computers. As long as you have the iLok key, you can use it on any computer you want.

John

Very helpful, thank you.

I have been running the demo since yesterday and while the constant muting is annoying the sound of my system appears to have smoothed out in a way that reveals more layers and textures to the music. I've got more listening to do but if you have been wondering about this product it is very easy to try and is worth a listen.

[ted_b]

Very helpful, thank you.

I have been running the demo since yesterday and while the constant muting is annoying the sound of my system appears to have smoothed out in a way that reveals more layers and textures to the music. I've got more listening to do but if you have been wondering about this product it is very easy to try and is worth a listen.

And remember, if the muting bothers you there's always the $50 refundable ilok rental (although, for the life of me, can't find that option anymore...I used it months ago to help me make a decision.  Looks like they might have moved to a 30 day refund policy instead)..

[pardales]

And remember, if the muting bothers you there's always the $50 refundable ilok rental (although, for the life of me, can't find that option anymore...I used it months ago to help me make a decision.  Looks like they might have moved to a 30 day refund policy instead)..

Thanks. I don't see that option either. Amarra was working in demo mode last night (I know because it was muting) but today I can't get it to stay on. I start Amarra, then it opens up iTunes, which is good, but when I start playing a song the blue "ON" button turns into the yellow "iTunes" button.

[santacore]

Thanks. I don't see that option either. Amarra was working in demo mode last night (I know because it was muting) but today I can't get it to stay on. I start Amarra, then it opens up iTunes, which is good, but when I start playing a song the blue "ON" button turns into the yellow "iTunes" button.

That should only happen when you're playing unsupported(mp3, aac, etc....) files. It should always be blue when playing uncompressed files.

[pardales]

That should only happen when you're playing unsupported(mp3, aac, etc....) files. It should always be blue when playing uncompressed files.

Well, I was playing ALAC files, which I thought were supported. Yup, that's it. AIFF works. If ALAC is not supported that is a deal breaker for me as most of my files are ALAC even though I have been encoding in AIFF over the last few months.

Is ALAC supported on the new version?

[santacore]

ALAC is supported in the current version. I'm playing them as I type...

[pardales]

ALAC is supported in the current version. I'm playing them as I type...

Indeed. Somehow I downloaded an earlier version. I have the current version now and can hear ALAC files. The $295 sale on the MINI version appears to end tomorrow.