whuch one to use Pure Music or Amarra?

wilsynet · « **Reply #40 on:** 4 May 2011, 08:09 am »

All three sound good but are different. All three have various problems. For example:

Amarra is the buggiest of the lot. Sometimes you have to restart Amarra multiple times before it will synchronize properly with iTunes. Frustrating to say the least.

Pure Music will crash occasionally and require restart.

Fidelia's iPhone application will lose sync with the desktop application and require you to restart the desktop application. Or when you're playing an album, Fidelia will play some random song out of your library in between songs from the album you selected.

Of all three, Pure Music is the least annoying. If they fix some of the quirkiness of Fidelia, I may switch to it full time. Amarra I've given up hope.

jtwrace · « **Reply #41 on:** 4 May 2011, 11:18 am »

Quote from: wilsynet on 4 May 2011, 08:09 am

All three sound good but are different. All three have various problems. For example:

Amarra is the buggiest of the lot. Sometimes you have to restart Amarra multiple times before it will synchronize properly with iTunes. Frustrating to say the least.

Pure Music will crash occasionally and require restart.

Fidelia's iPhone application will lose sync with the desktop application and require you to restart the desktop application. Or when you're playing an album, Fidelia will play some random song out of your library in between songs from the album you selected.

Of all three, Pure Music is the least annoying. If they fix some of the quirkiness of Fidelia, I may switch to it full time. Amarra I've given up hope.

I have none of the issues that you speak of. In fact, I'm always surprised how well they work. For me, I find the Fidelia interface clunky.

morganc · « **Reply #42 on:** 4 May 2011, 03:10 pm »

Quote from: jtwrace on 4 May 2011, 11:18 am

I have none of the issues that you speak of. In fact, I'm always surprised how well they work. For me, I find the Fidelia interface clunky.

Hey guys.....I am just getting Pure Music up and running and I have a few questions.....is there a board or source that answers the following:
1. Optimal interface setting for a Mac Mini headless system (Ipad remote)
2. PM Performance using the volume control on it as the main control for my system, i.e. Runnimg without a pre-amp. I am forced to do so now as my Pre is going in for repair. Eric at dB Labs says it has an amazing volume control and many are happy without a Pre. Thoughts?

Thanks so much.
Cheers,
Morgan

wilsynet · « **Reply #43 on:** 4 May 2011, 10:23 pm »

Quote from: jtwrace on 4 May 2011, 11:18 am

I have none of the issues that you speak of. In fact, I'm always surprised how well they work. For me, I find the Fidelia interface clunky.

You may not have the issues that I speak of, but others certainly do. Amarra for example:

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/428550/amarra-anyone-using-it/330#post_7114407
"I just don't understand why people are still sticking with Amarra, despite all the major bugs reported and instability."

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/428550/amarra-anyone-using-it/330#post_7114827
"I do keep finding more and more bugs with Amarra [...] I just don't see Amarra ever ironing out all these bugs unless they hire some new programmers. Seems some of same bugs continue from release to release."

As for Pure Music, this thread has several people chime in on Pure Music instability:

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/Pure-Music-172a

Myself, I'm a software developer by trade. I understand bugs happen and I'm okay with that. But for some applications, I get tired and I give up. Anyway, my experience has been that Pure Music is the least annoying in this way.

wilsynet · « **Reply #44 on:** 4 May 2011, 10:26 pm »

Quote from: morganc on 4 May 2011, 03:10 pm

2. PM Performance using the volume control on it as the main control for my system, i.e. Runnimg without a pre-amp. I am forced to do so now as my Pre is going in for repair. Eric at dB Labs says it has an amazing volume control and many are happy without a Pre. Thoughts?

It seems pretty good. But I worry that my finger will slip on the touch screen and I will turn it way, way up and blow my speakers. This seems much less likely to happen with a physical volume knob.

Crimson · « **Reply #45 on:** 4 May 2011, 10:48 pm »

Quote from: wilsynet on 4 May 2011, 10:26 pm

It seems pretty good. But I worry that my finger will slip on the touch screen and I will turn it way, way up and blow my speakers. This seems much less likely to happen with a physical volume knob.

That, or a possible software glitch. No thanks.

I, too, rely on a physical master volume knob.

morganc · « **Reply #46 on:** 5 May 2011, 04:27 am »

Quote from: wilsynet on 4 May 2011, 10:26 pm

It seems pretty good. But I worry that my finger will slip on the touch screen and I will turn it way, way up and blow my speakers. This seems much less likely to happen with a physical volume knob.

So you are using the volume control via iteleport interface, not through the remote app right? That sounds less desirable for me also as it is a big PITA to constantly log on to adjust the volume.

morganc · « **Reply #47 on:** 5 May 2011, 04:29 am »

Quote from: Crimson on 4 May 2011, 10:48 pm

That, or a possible software glitch. No thanks.

I, too, rely on a physical master volume knob.

So are you guys using a passive attenuator and the setting the knob at a max level, and then adjusting the volume remotely?

Crimson · « **Reply #48 on:** 5 May 2011, 10:52 am »

No, the other way around: setting the software volume to max and adjusting the physical knob. What you are suggesting would still be prone to accidents. Also, reducing the volume in software reduces the resolution. BTW, I use an active pre.

wilsynet · « **Reply #49 on:** 5 May 2011, 09:57 pm »

I use a passive pre, and I use the volume pot on the pre to primarily control the volume.

I have the digital volume control at max, but I'm willing to make slight volume adjustments this way. So I have the digital volume set at max or near max at any given time.

It's less convenient to have to get up to change the volume, but I don't have to change the volume all the time and I'm willing to stand. And small adjustments I'll make digitally without standing up.

morganc · « **Reply #50 on:** 6 May 2011, 06:54 am »

Quote from: Crimson on 5 May 2011, 10:52 am

No, the other way around: setting the software volume to max and adjusting the physical knob. What you are suggesting would still be prone to accidents. Also, reducing the volume in software reduces the resolution. BTW, I use an active pre.

.

i have not tried it yet but supposedly the Pure Music Software has the best resolution of any digital volume control.....that is why I was asking....also because my pre is having some problems and is going in the shop:(.

pardales · « **Reply #51 on:** 15 May 2011, 02:06 am »

I just downloaded Pure Music and am giving it a try. Will report back in a few days.

morganc · « **Reply #52 on:** 15 May 2011, 04:51 pm »

My Pure Music plays for anywhere from 1-5 songs, then stops in the middle of a playlist or album or whatever, then I have to close the Itunes (Quite), and Force Quite the Pure Music Player.....terrrible PITA......anybody know what is going on? I only have 4 days on my trial left and there is no way I am going to buy this if this is the best it can do.

Atlplasma · « **Reply #53 on:** 15 May 2011, 05:23 pm »

I've had this issue when playing back gapless album with hog mode enabled. Rob is working on a fix for the next release, but it is not done yet. Otherwise, Pure Music is very reliable.

Steve

morganc · « **Reply #54 on:** 15 May 2011, 05:39 pm »

Thanks I just reset it to factory defaults and it is playing without stopping now or forced quitting......

pardales · « **Reply #55 on:** 19 May 2011, 01:21 pm »

Well, I am flat out impressed with what Pure Music (trial version) has done to the overall SQ of my music playback. It has made as much of a difference as putting in a significantly better source. Very impressed. Way better than iTunes. I have been using the standard settings except that I have engaged the "memory play" feature.

Perhaps these are quirks of the trial version: 1) I am unable to get radio stations through iTunes to play while PM is engaged. Also using PM has slowed down the response time in using my Ipod Touch remote. Anyone else notice these things?

Atlplasma · « **Reply #56 on:** 19 May 2011, 02:18 pm »

I sometimes use Remote on my iPad, and the response is a little sluggish even though my Mini music server has a solid state drive and 8GB of ram. I do have memory play and hog mode enabled, however. Not sure how much of it is the PM, the configuration, or the wireless setup.

tasar · « **Reply #57 on:** 27 May 2011, 10:01 pm »

If you only want to play from your Tune files and don't care about frills, save yourself the money, and try Audirvanna. For redbook they're sound is as analog as any, and all these players chase the latest algorithms around the tree eventually getting to the same place.....

jtwrace · « **Reply #58 on:** 27 May 2011, 10:03 pm »

Quote from: tasar on 27 May 2011, 10:01 pm

If you only want to play from your Tune files and don't care about frills, save yourself the money, and try Audirvanna. For redbook they're sound is as analog as any, and all these players chase the latest algorithms around the tree eventually getting to the same place.....

I disagree. There are many ways to get to the same but different place. I own them all and they're all different.

johsti · « **Reply #59 on:** 27 May 2011, 11:12 pm »

Quote from: tasar on 27 May 2011, 10:01 pm

If you only want to play from your Tune files and don't care about frills, save yourself the money, and try Audirvanna......

I agree. In my setup I preferred Audirvana to Pure Music and the other player I tried. I don't use itunes and actually prefer the simple interface of audirvana. My dac handles upsampling and my preamp handles volume.