Is the FUTURE of HIFI High End Music Streaming 100% LINEAR? Maybe...
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- čas přidán 25. 05. 2024
- In this video I am reviewing two HiFi Products from essentially the same manufacturer JCAT and JPLAY. Product one is the JCAT XACT S1 Music server and streamer. Product two is JPLAY the music library control app
For more details of the JCAT XACT S1 Server see their website here xact.audio/home/
For more details of the JPLAY App see here jplay.app/
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#hifi #musicstreamer #audiophile
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Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:50 History
5:56 XACT S1
10:45 Sound Quality
16:54 Negatives
18:48 JPLAY
22:30 APP Negatives
23:35 Final Thoughts
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The HiFi System seen in this video and used for the review
Acoustic Treatments from GIK Acoustics gikacoustics.co.uk/ref/9/
Digital music source JCAT XACT S1 music Server
Turntable Bergmann Modi and Thor turntable • MY NEW TURNTABLE BLOWS...
DAC Ideon Audio IΩN DAC
Chord Electronics Hugo TT2 and M Scaler
Ideon Audio EOS DAC
Amplifier Gryphon Audio Diablo 333 Integrated
Gryphon Essence Pre Power
Speakers German Physiks Borderland MKiV
KEF R11 Meta
Revival Audio Atalante 3
Marten Parker Trio Diamond
Power IsoTek EVO 3 NOVA / IsoTek Genesis One / IsoTek EVO 3 Titan
• NEW IsoTek EVO 3 NOVA ...
• IsoTek EVO3 Genesis On...
Tellurium Q Statement II Analogue Cable • Perfect HiFi Cables?? ...
Power Cables Tellurium Q Silver, Silver Diamond
• Tellurium Q Silver Ult...
Tellurium Q Statement II Digital cables
Tellurium Q Statement II USB cable
HiFi Racks - Quadraspire Q4 Evo • RACK FROM THE GODS HiF...
HiFi Racks Podium Reference. - Zábava
Thanks for watching the video, I think I got something wrong here, I said the server uses Nichicon Fine Gold caps based on their appearance, but the new website says they are Nichicon top of the range Muse capacitors. Sorry about that mistake
Even worse for transients reproduction ... inside Dac or amp at least.
Terry, Nichicon Fine Gold are in the PSU section and Muse are on the motherboard.
Really sounds like you are smitten over with this product😍. Emotions and feelings are showing though when talking... Nice to see. Great review.
🤗 THANKS TERRY FOR SHARING YOUR AUDIOPHILE JOURNEY 😎💚💚💚
Thanks for bringing this tech to my awareness. It is out of my price range…but I appreciate the purity of the linear audio motherboard. I have built a dedicated Roon Server from an Intel NUC, and have it powered by a dedicated linear power supply. I understand that the Jcat is much "purer". I have to say I think that Roon and Roon Arc give me every thing that the Jcat software does and more. It is also very versatile and super FAST/IMMEDIATE.."For me" Roon has opened a whole new opportunity to explore, discover and organize all of my music at a much lower cost factor for the average audiophile. (I have a $30,00 system for streaming Qobuz and CD/SACD playback only…no turntable).
I am thrilled for you that you get to experience digital audio at such a high level…and The Jcat software seems surprisingly LUSH as an audiophile interface, at a lower cost than Roon! 👍🏼
Terri…"SOUL" is very enjoyable and well-recorded! Sounds fantastic on my much more humble system….THANKS! 👍🏼
Who is that album by please Bobb?
I’ve got the feeling that the quality of non-linear devices will continue to improve and match or exceed linear devices. Kind of like the advances of class D amplifiers compared to where they started.
Keep up the good work
Looking forward to your next review of that big gryphon 333 int not so much hidden in the background 🧐☝️
It’s in the works for sure but I don’t want to rush it
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Could you please do a comparison between diablo 333 with essence pre amp and essence pre with power amp?
fantastic review and i think i spotted the Network Acoustics MUON Pro ethernet filter next to the S1. Did you find it improved things?
Well spotted and my review for the Muon Pro is here
Nice review Terry.
The XACT looks to be an interesting product I love the linear power supply and high accuracy clock these two items alone will make a sizable difference in terms of sound quality and the software on top maybe the icing on the cake. Would have been nice to see a side by side comparission with say with a Lumin, Aurender, Auralic or HiFi Rose. Priced at £12k its a big lump to drop on a server maybe you would get better returns investing in a better DAC, AMP, speaker?
Another comparisson would be to drop in a very cheap streamer say a Raspberry Pi connected to the same DAC the differences would make an interesting review I always like to see how a budget product compares to a hi-end component and listen to differences......
I agree it would have been very intersting to do some side by sides but I only have access to what I have at tge time. I think you want a very good DAC with the server and a very good hifi to hear what its capable of - that very much goes for the speakers. So certain level system yes maybe the money is better spent on a better DAC first its possible - if you own a real high end DAC 20, 30 40 50k then its a different story. I think very high end products like this are aimed at people with those DACs already. I think the DAC thats used to test this server is 45k or maybe more so its another level to what I have been playing with which is already up there :)
I can relate to the comment about digital sounding more analogue . I have invested a lot in digital components and although this was not done with the sole intention of having a more analogue sounding system, it has worked out this way. My turntable cost a small percentage of the digital components so it would be unfair to compare them but it does mean that I have some experience of how analogue sounds, as does the 6-7 turntables I’ve previously owned. It would be interesting to see how a turntable costing the same as the digital components I have sounds, although my record collection is far too small to justify the outlay and I just don’t have the storage space for a large collection of vinyl.
I live very close to a park which provides me the luxury of live music in the house.
And quite simply, it makes my hifi sound shit.
Had no inkling of your DIY roots. Sounds like a fascinating product, but it will be years before I can afford it.
Thanks for bringing this product up! Jcat has very long standing building highend usb cards, as well sound cards. I'd still not recommend anymore to go for such expensive music server-only without proper DAC. WHY? because we have great products like Grimm Audio MU2, which are at least on this level and combine the functions. Also the roon core so awesome fast on the Grimm, outstanding. Yes, I own several unique DACs, but mostly used for my CD players and MU2 is my roon core. Keep going, love your reviews!! 😊
I wouldn’t auto assume something like a Grimm is at the same level as this, but yes you need a really good hifi system to hear what this can do.
If you look inside Grimm it’s a computer motherboard and extra boards, nothing wrong with that but I do think this is taking the approach to the next stage on from that. But I haven’t side by sided and I think they are for different customers anyway.
I did see someone comparing this sever to a mu1 on a forum but it’s just one person. That forum is easy to find
I use JPlay, and I too love it. I just wish it had Internet Radio integration.
Long live those collectors who take pride, in building a physical media library. Streamers are left with nothing, except a monthly fee, for a limited variety of releases. It’s all sourced from a digital WAV.file. The best I’ve heard & collect, are the Japanese Mini LP remixes, which are stellar. Enjoy the music, regardless of the format🔊🎶😎.
I think there is room for it all personally, I think the only reason people pick a side is money and time, if both were unlimited people would have and listen to all formats based on their mood.
Thanks
I love your review. You' were genuinely surprised. These products are a hard sell until you hear them. I own a Luxman D-10x cd player/DAC and nothing sounded as good as what it can do with CDs through its DAC until I bought an Aurender N20. Not even the A30 which i owned before and is their jack of all trades. But with a totally different design philosophy from the N20. it was then that my system came together. Describing digital as analog is a paradigm shift that can almost seem blasphamous with the pitchforks and tourches out. Lol But it's true and highend streamers have made leaps and bounds as have DACs, but just like a great cornerstone DAC they're not cheap and their design philosophy is just as important. So often times the benefits of highend streamers/servers depend on the DAC and vice versa. It's then that when both work on the same plane that all if the high praise audio metaphors and descriptors apply. Then it's a second take moment of what is possible from streaming through Tidal or Quobuzz. 👍
How does the S1 compare to the HiFi Rose RS130, night & day?
I would recommend trying some of the better Vertere Turntables if you are looking for Great Vinyl Sound.
Thanks for the Great Review as usual!!
P.S. Did you do a video on your room treatments?
I have made a few over the years but this was the most recent one czcams.com/video/_hTofpjheGc/video.htmlsi=POURE3S4X32rPePu
I had the rose streamer dac he before it was nice but it’s not the same as the xact with a really good dac with is the benefit. You can go crazy with the dac here and I am hoping to try some pretty extreme ones before it has to go back
I googled the price midway through. I'm sure it sounds amazing... 😮
Very cool looking product. You can approximate it with a standalone LPS and an RPI4 for about $200 all in. This produces very low EMF noise.
No you really cant but it would be nice if you could
Sounds fascinating, however I think I'll wait for the trickle down technology into more budget products.
Run of the mill NUC or any motherboard have switching power components with-in the circuitry of the board… the Xact-S1 is true pure liner power supply..
So what? Who told you that a linear power supply is better than a good SMPS for this application?
I am thinking my MacBook Pro with Audirvāna is all I need. The circuitry is not fully linear but it runs with battery power. My system is also above 100k (with vinyl playback which is the most expensive source) and I have to admit that streaming does not sound as good as vinyl. There is something in vinyl playback you can’t copy. It sounds even better than cd or sacd hd cd you name it. And I would argue a top of the range cd player (10k and well above like D10x or K3) even beats the best streaming in sound. Audirvana now is subscription only too I think but I bought the latest version that is free of charge and i leave my MacBook as a music server and never update it (updates will ultimately make your software not working).
The newer macs with the crazy low power consumption cpus have been in my radar to run a dirac live system but I also know power matters. Yes I think cd players or transports had the edge on streamers back in the day but these days I think it would more on par and with products like this taking the benefits of streaming with the sound quality to match the best players is why this is the future of the high end. Hence the title of the video :)
Imho, the argument around the “audio specific motherboard” doesn’t make too much sense, because music recorded or mixed/mastered over the last 2 decades was likely handled by a computer (most likely from Apple), which certainly had a full computer motherboard. 😉
If we go back in time in digital audio, we’re talking about the red book CD format, and there’s only so much that could be improved over the best CD players from 25 or 30 years ago.
Even if we’re talking about a transfer from the original master tape to digital hi-res, a computer was almost certainly involved, although with the best external ADC, pre-amps and DAC possible. 😉
This doesn’t mean that computer audio or audio streamers are all the same (that’s certainly not the case), but I wouldn’t put that much of a relevance on motherboards.
I’m glad to see manufacturers doing dedicated products like these, and there’s certainly a value on having a product that has its software, drivers and internals with the best audio reproduction as a priority, don’t get me wrong.
I’m only referring to the motherboard theme, as we’re creating an issue that wasn’t even an issue for all the audio engineers that worked on those same albums. 😉
On the digital/analogue sound subject, analogue _can_ sound better at times, because it can never be as accurate as digital.
There are things that no analogue recording format can handle (not even tape) without introducing its own artifacts, like audio compression, distortion, etc.
We may like or even love those artifacts, and they were (and still are) deliberately used during the recording and mixing stages, as they add their own sonic characteristics, but if anyone wants all music to have those traits, it makes a lot more sense to stick with analogue sources in the first place, or if that isn’t always possible, to add analogue gear between the source and the loudspeakers.
There are a lot of different ways to get there with analogue gear, and that’s what one should do if analogue sound is what we’re looking for.
I would like to clarify that I’m confident that these products under review are certainly amazing, and all of that thought and engineering has its price to pay, like any other state of the art product.
In the end, they’re trying to reach the absolute neutrality between what comes in (a digital file or source) and the analogue output signal.
But what comes in is a digital file, and if it sounded analogue in the end, it would mean transparency got lost in the way, which would be suspicious. 😉
Whenever we playback any digital file, it’s important to understand that it was converted from analogue signals to digital ones way before we even get the file on our drive or internet connection.
More often than not, it was likely converted to digital after the microphone pre-amp, during the audio capture stage, and the went through the mixing, processing and mastering stage (where it was deliberately processed/changed in the digital domain to achieve a particular sound).
This channel is a true “believer” in digital room correction, and I’m also a serious proponent of it, despite the fact that any digital room correction (like Dirac Live) will resample the signal and apply several digital filters to the signal.
That’s not accurate or transparent by definition, but it usually solves room and loudspeaker issues that are so many times bigger in both magnitude and importance to how we hear sound that it easily offsets any inconvenience of the resampling process.
It can’t be avoided at all, and even if it could, any loudspeaker and room will definitely make the biggest change to the signal, no matter what.
The most that any loudspeaker (even Uber expensive ones) can try to aim for is being as neutral as possible, but none ever came close to being totally neutral.
Not even headphones pulled that out after all these decades, despite not having to deal with a room at all.
But in the end, this HiFi hobby isn’t about that, or we would all be looking at high end professional active monitors for music listening.
This hobby is all about trying to reach the sound that we love the most while listening to our music, increasing our pleasure to the max.
That’s also why listening to vinyl is rarely the most accurate way of reproducing music, but it can definitely sound amazing and fun. 🙂👍
When you look at all the best solutions on the market and what they are doing you can see everyone is working around the motherboard. So it’s important as it’s in there. The special factor here is the whole product is the motherboard and it’s 100% linear powered so it’s done away with the noisy aspects of the design hence the name ZeNA. So this is about making digital not sound like digital anymore which is the holy grail. Vinyl is not the best way to listen to music as it’s fundamentally flawed. The reason people prefer it to digital is because their digital is flawed too.
If digital is perfect vinyl doesn’t stand a chance with the exception of maybe very old stuff and rare cases where the digital files are bad. Let’s be honest if streaming can sound better than the best analogue which it should then it’s the holy grail solution due to the convenience and huge music library in the cloud
I’d love to know how this solution compares to a Lumin U2 connected via optical fiber (convert the LAN connection to optical fiber, and connect into the U2 through its optical LAN input). Lumin’s view is that the bigger noise contributor is the LAN electric connection but going optical provides perfect galvanic isolation. I wonder how the two technological solutions would compare sonically, especially since the lumin is less than half the price. Ultimately you probably need both solutions in one product but wondering about the relative impact of each.
Currently trying Jplay. Been trying for a couple of days when your video showed up. Speed was impressive vs several other solutions and the interface vs something like MConnect is really good. Unfortunately, Roon still sounds more dynamic, natural, and with better sound stage impression. I will give Jplay a few more chances, especially as Roon on iOS currently has some issues that do take them quite long to fix, apparently. I really want to skip that Roon core… we will see whether I get used to the slight differences in sound and maybe see them in a different light.
There are some settings you can adjust in the app, it doesnt make a massive difference but maybe there is something afoot - maybe contact JPLAY and explain to them and they can maybe make some suggestions based on your hardware / streaming service.
I know Marcin wont be happy someone feels something sounds better than anything of his, so I am sure he would want to make a suggestion :)
Facinating serious high end streamer, way above anything Ive enjoyed auditioning and very interesting. Id have to hear it side by side with something like a Auralic G2. 2 to see if it has any sonic merits Id be prepared to pay for.
As for digital glare, im not sure its an issue im suffering from - im using a Mcintosh Ma252 hybrid amp feeding Wharfdale Elysian 3's..not chasing truth, but loving my sound.
The app looks pretty decent, but as a Roon user, Jplay is not quite there yet, though it looks a very good option.
Thanks again for discussing an area of hifi that I didnt know about with that server.
JPLAY is made by a purist audiophile who just believes in pure signal approach, so it will never have the same bells and whistles and roon which is mass market product. But the fact it doesn't need a computer to run it, or that you don't have another nosie generating computer connected to your HiFi is a big advantage for sound quality. That is what put me off Roon from day one, once you have built and optimised one compter you then think shit I need two of these now And its a lot cheaper and just as good to use for searching and playing music. So long as your happy with what you have is all the matters but its a bit of extra info here to ponder over :)
@@PursuitPerfectSystem. I use a NUC as a server anyway for serving my videos through plex and this can run a roon server with ease, so there's no extra computer for me, and it automatically backs up all my media via backblaze to the cloud.
I stream via ethernet, weather local file or Qobuz (which sounds much better than Tidal). With galvanically isolated inputs and most decent streaming solutions offering reclocking via internal clock chips, computer noise with such a system cannot affect the input stream, there is no such thing as a better one or zero. So I'll take the frontend with the far better metadata and options thanks. For those that wish to switch out routers and pretend that makes a difference to the measurable bit perfect stream delivered to an isolated input, that might seem strange, but not as strange as those claiming better 1's and 0's seem to me.
If you don't use galvanically isolated inputs, all bets are off, but those that do are not affected by the tech feeding the stream.
Your advice is getting less generic and far more 'I know better' these days. I preferred your content when you were not this smug and judgemental.
Sorry I wasn't intending to be smug and judgemental, or offend you. Maybe I wrote my comments in a non polite way, sorry if I did I was being honest with how I see the two different approaches and pros and cons. I was referring to your comment that JPLAY is behind Roon in some way when if you look at it from a different perspective its not that is all I was trying to explain. It has its advantages and its cons.
I know some people that uses linears on their Roon NUC and also really try and isolate it from their HiFi as you are suggesting you are doing too. This is some sign that there is some audible connection, so with the pro of Roon comes the con of needing a computer to run it on.
To explain my thinking more, if your main use of Roon is just a nice way to navigate a library in a fast and visually pleasing way then I think outside of manufacturers own app solutions Roon was the only/main choice, I used to use BubbleDS it was ok but not great but I dont know of many others. Now JPLAY is offering a more affordable alternative that is also very nice to use and even more flexible by using UPNP. But you have to be a Qobuz or Tidal and apple user, cons again maybe for some.
Roon servers are simply a computer on your network. They are not attatched to your hi fi in any way at all for a ethernet based streaming setup unless you believe that a router means it's attached, in which case i have 3 phones 4 tablets and three pcs all attached to the hi fi.
JRiver is a decent bit of software that has plenty of reasons to use it. There is no need to suggest a roon core on your network is attached to your hifi and producing noise that will affect it, thats not a sales pitch which withstands scruitiny. Your core simply generates ethernet commands and data.
I would say yes all things on the network but we can agree to disagree on that one 😁
Only because of my experience with some passive filters
12K ! Think IMO, Innuos Zenith will do a good job at less then half the price ( 5K ) and the other 7K, upgrade the rest of the system, or have a nice holiday. 🤣
A zenith is an optimised computer with a linear power supply in the same box, no dedicated USB or Network inputs and output those are extra external units you have to buy. The server I built a good few years ago remember took the audio pc server concept further than that. I am not saying it for willy waving just so you have an idea of where the XACT sits by comparison because its better than what I built by some margin.
Dude the the Naim Uniti Core came out years ago "linear power supply custom computer" Music server and ripper with a fantastic app and it's £10,000 cheaper and made in UK
That is exactly the point, look at the internals of the naim. It’s a nuc pc with linear power. That will have switching components in it. So it’s making the situation better but not the same as this. DIYers were doing better than this 10 years ago, let alone what we were doing recently fwiw. This xact goes one better still
@@PursuitPerfectSystem I think you will find out your mistaken nuc refers to an Intel based small foam factor computer. The naim uses a low powered arm CPU and has a large toroidal transformer linear power supply.
Sorry that is the correct category name, I knew it was an off the shelf solution that I am sure they have customised but they will still need to integrate it into the design. So some parameters will be dictated by the use of the solution. This is the same as when you use a computer motherboard you need a cpu and a atx power supply or similar. That is why the original naim unit products used pico psus in them to get past the requirements of atx. We all started there :)
@@PursuitPerfectSystem You might want to fact check yourself google is your friend :) NUC is Intel's copyright for small factor PCs. The naim is not a Nuc it uses a ARM cpu on a custom motherboard with a linear power supply
I asked the manufacturer they said this is the first product to have no DC-DC switching converters hence the 100% linear powered claim
I really like the built in switch but for the price I would like to have seen more output options like i2s. I use the Jcat extreme usb card in a custom made streamer with a linear power supply. The Jcat card sounds better than any streamer that I’ve tried , the most expensive around $8k iirc. They definitely know what they’re doing when it comes to sq but this still seems very expensive for what it is
It’s not a built in switch, you have to use a firmware to make it act as a switch so you would need two, that’s why I said it’s for extreme systems. I didn’t get to try the new super super clock yet, I bet that is a nice upgrade
@@PursuitPerfectSystem yes definitely in the extreme category , priced along with the likes of Taiko , Anipodes Oladra , Tidal Arkas , PF 2.16 Ultra. The extreme streamer market is definitely getting more competitive
The streaming is really The futuro. I Live áudio and vídeo streaming like tidal and CZcams e now i have a Sony Uhp-h1 Thatcher is hi definition áudio, but I would like of more. Do you know any better ?
To you it started from iPod? What about Minidisk? What about Cassette's? What about everything else? :))
A user was comparing his Taiko to his 200k turntable and the Xact to a reel to reel tape, which he prefers. Sounds like your statement “more analog than analog” ! My main concern to buy one at this high price point is longevity and possible obsolescence. Like any other “computer-like” component (even if Xact is the first non-computer). Not sure to thank you for this review that makes me willing to buy it :) Ok, thank you anyhow :)
I didn’t know any of that but it’s interesting as I thought my experience was possibly a one off :)
$40 a year is pretty good. Can the J Play app allow for classical music search criteria such as instruments, ensemble name, etc?
Best to ask the manufacturer for specific questions / requests please I wouldn’t want to advise you wrongly. Or test it it’s free for two weeks
Awesome and informative. Someone should just design a linear powed audio motherboard and sell or license it to Wiim. Wiim can order a million of these from china to put in their streamer and then you just buy an aftermarket lps like an sbooster. Probably be sub 1k. Just need a usb out or an i2s or coax. Keep it simple. Combine that with their software and roon compatibility and that would be amazing value. Glad companies like this are breaking new ground.
I'm looking forward to the R11 Metta review!😍
Terry... first networked computer audio streamer with custom motherboard for Audio output? Runs on Linux, via a SD card, has high quality USB Audio output and you can connect your external USB drive via another USB? Are you familiar with the SoTM SMS200 line of networked streamers? These came out in 2016 and have everything your expensive Jcat device has at 1/10th the price except the network switch with multiple Ethernet ports and a built in linear power supply. And, even the SoTM isn't the first because Sonore also came out with theirs around the same time. Perhaps you're more familiar with Jcat because of your PC Computer background. But look around.others have plowed this ground for years before Jcat.
No it’s the first with a 100% linear powered motherboard, sotm make some nice stuff and are very forward thinking too
Also I reviewed those sotm units a couple of years ago they are good for the money but were nothing like my server at the time which is not as good as this one despite being twice the size and 10x the hassle
Nothing compares to Roon😊
It maybe never used to this does now
@@PursuitPerfectSystem You can't say that when you have never used it!!!
I've tried both and the original poster is quite correct, it terms of almost any metric you care to apply, Roon is infinitely better, more customisable and has many more quality of life features. If you think roon simply allows you browse files easier, then you clearly don't know, and it's quite clear from your attitude that you don't even want to know..... which is extraordinary given the field that you are in.
Sorry I have used Roon on a number of occasions, not that recently and I can why people like it. I have not lived with it though which of course is different. When I used it I found a bit cumbersome, I think because its way around wasn't second nature to me and I am simple user. Just give me music, let me play it and let have access to a play cue - I don't care about reading about artists or albums or anything like that. So nice and simple and fast fits my use case better - hence why I like JPLAY because its designed just for that really.
Being a app power user is not my thing, I wouldn't use Roon DSP for example I would use Dirac of course so its not a criticism towards Roon but one of the deterrent for me adopting it has always been needing another whole computer to run it. I can understand why that wouldn't put someone else off though and I am probably largely overthinking it, I have a bad habit of that
@@PursuitPerfectSystem when I discovered Roon, everything else immediately lost its meaning, Roon is the best that can be, for us, audiophiles, I can’t imagine what can replace it, and I’m terribly afraid that, God forbid, it will cease to exist))
Is this a streamer? I have a Chord Dave MScaler with a Project ultra Stream box. The Project was only £500 and the sound is truly excellent from Tidal and USB drives. What more can that 12000 euro streamer add?
A project stream is a micro pc motherboard in a box with an external wall wart power supply, this is a basic setup really - If its good for you then great and it sets a nice benchmark for you but I think based on my time with Chord DACs which is very extensive I think other solutions are likely to give you much better sound, but you would have to test it for yourself and see what you think. You can easily try a linear power supply on the
Projectstream and see if you hear a difference - even a small difference shows you a difference can be had.
You didn't mention what the sound difference between streaming from the £12k (!) streamer and using the same software from your phone? Be interesting to know, and if you were able to blind test that.
You can’t stream from the phone using the JPlay software, it’s just a smart remote control as it were. If that is what you are referring to
Im thinking of building a diy music server since I have a really good PSU. But like you said streamer boxing are getting better these days. How close was your diy music server to for example the Mu-1 or others in this ballpark? And how does this new Jcat compar?
Pretty sure the Grimm is designed for roon. I have never been a roon user I don’t like the idea of having to run a computer just for the library management personally but that’s just me. I can’t say on any difference sorry as I have never tried it.
I didn’t get a chance to compare to my server either as the big linear had got go back when I got the xact but it needed me to wipe it clean and start again. Optimising it takes a few days so unless you have time and a real passion for getting into the weeds buying is better. But going DIY makes you look for specific things in something you buy. Same as everything it focuses your attention on stuff
The title of the video should realy be something like "Digital That Sounds More Analog Than Vinyl!" That would bring you lots of comments and views for sure😄
It would but it’s only in one instance so I would get a lot of shit flying at me :)
Will jcat be implementing Apple Music to streaming ?
I'll be a dim future for audio if it is.
Why? I am referring to this technology becoming mainstream so therefore more affordable. That’s what happens to good ideas
@@PursuitPerfectSystem indeed, that’s what I hope as well !Price point is probably ok compared to other high end sources, but if becomes mainstream, one can expect a similar performance for 4 times less money, maybe in 3-5 years time. If true, that’s 8k for 4 years. Quite a luxury. On the other hand, if it equals a reel-to-reel tape, can it be obsolete any day soon ?? I would need to hear it, I think.
Physical media has unique benefits
BluOS rules, forget the rest 😊
Shunyata Denali 6000s v2 20A
I can't find a thing on what CPU this computer uses? Nor what OS it runs on? For that much money I sure want to know! What chip for switching?
There is no swapping chips here, it’s not using a standard cpu and the os is custom
@@PursuitPerfectSystem I don't expect to swap the CPU on my phone. But I know what CPU it has and that is part of my phone buying decision. Just like the OS.
That is what I am saying there is no cpu to here to talk about, that’s not really a spec that matters here. The specs that matter are are listed on the company website. That is not going to change the performance of this products as it architecture is new and different and better that’s what’s come before
@@PursuitPerfectSystem It's a server, it has to have a CPU. It has to run some OS. That they choose to not provide that information?
@@glenncurry3041 that is what I thought and it has a custom os on the sd card but if you look at the main board there is no cpu on it so it doesn’t seem to work in a traditional way. Normally a chip would have a cooler and there is no cooler
App only for Apple???
Raspi pi2aes mercury for geeks that can't afford hifi over 1k . It's the clocks and i2s that make the most difference.
Clocks yes, but power supply much more. It’s all about the quality of the power, no point having a great clock without the power quality going to it. I have tested this quite a lot
Is anybody able to repair this when it goes wrong or is it another box of electronics destined for landfill?
I have used and abused JCAT products for 7+ years I have never had a problem with any of them. Not one. These are built using using the highest quality components in Poland. There is worldwide distribution. If you had a problem it could be fixed but it’s unlikely based on my experience
I prefer the Eversolo DMP-A6 which can play Apple Music lossless natively, and can be upgraded to a linear LPS (by Beateknik)
I have an A6 here and yes it has more features and other bits but for sound quality your unlikely to prefer it and upgrading the power supply to a linear is still not the same but it might make it better some, so its worth exploring to see I feel
@@PursuitPerfectSystem That's true with the Eversolo DMP-A6's builtin DAC.
But I'm only using the Eversolo as a transport. I use external DDC (Denafrips Iris 12th) and external DAC (Denafrips Pontus II 12th-1) and external preamp (Parasound 2100 for the home theater bypass) and can tailor the sound with Cardas RCA interconnect.
It wont matter, there will be some sonic traits carried over to from the digital source so the eversolo has a sound regardless how you use it but a better dac gives you a better result. This will depend on factors further down the chain. At the moment I have the KEF R11 Meta and they are not good enough speakers to show me how good the S1 is - its quality is waisted here. With thew German Physiks I was hearing it so its all relative
@@PursuitPerfectSystem my #1 requirement is native Apple Music (for hires lossless), so the S1 is a no sale from me.
I haven’t heard the kef r11 meta but specs say 45-28k Hz, which is less than my GoldenEar BRX (40-35 khz) + 2 independent sealed subwoofers.
Jplay is Jriver/Jremote?
Looks very similar to Jriver but has more limitations. Try Jriver!
Defo not JPlay and JRiver are totally different things. No connection at all
jRiver and JRemote was the first product I started with and it was better than the very expensive Sooloos I had with Meridian as Sooloos was much slower and more basic.
But sound quality was mediocre so I discovered JPLay which back then was used as an add on to JRiver. The JPlay difference made me sell my Meridian and 100% commit to DIY computer audio. Then JRiver stopped allowing users to use JPLAY for no reason. I lost all interest in JRiver that day and have never looked back :)
12k for a 4T SSD server? Personally, I'm happy with my Cambridge Azur streamer that has two usb’s in the back. With a powered usb hub, i have a 20t digital music library of ripped CD wavs (several ssd hard drives)plugged into the back and I'm very happy with the quality of the “source”. Even if i was a billionaire i would never spend 12k on a product like this as it just seems so excessive. And I'm a major fan of building your own music library as opposed to relying on streaming.
That’s why I said right at the start it won’t be for everybody, products like this are not designed for everyone. However it will make an impact on the market and maybe in the future you will have a something more like this as a result. I have seen this happen a lot from stuff I was doing with computer builds 7-8 years ago. I had the first linear power supply for a computer in the UK. The builder of that now designs them for one of the big co.s in the server market. As an example
@@PursuitPerfectSystem sure good point and a valuable video for future gazing potential tech evolution.
Check out Computer Audio Design and interviews with Scott Berry. Its a total rabit hole... But fascinating!
Yeah I know Scott, he was an avid DIYer back in the day and produced some windows scripts that I was using in my builds all these years. He would appreciate this server
Why is JCAT XACT S1 Music server not in the title of this video? Everyone looking for this exact (pun intended) gear will never find your video.
They will as the search engine will pick it up from the text and there are other metrics the engine uses, the video looks at the topic on a wider scale hence the title. That makes the video more of interest to more people which is very important. Otherwise it only appeals to a small number of people
@@PursuitPerfectSystem yeah but as the search engine has no linear PS.... just kidding.
Great point, well made haha
12.000 euros 💶 😮buy a good cd player and amp with speakers 🔊 😅😊😂
Yeah this is unlikely sometimes first rodeo product, but if they have a very high end system already this might be a better source for it
Linear power supply is outdated just as everything the current market has to offer
What's the current tech?
If anything current is outdated, then you're ahead of time 😊
@Pete.across.the.street The current tech? Resonant LLC half-bridge converters switching at 1MHz with wide band gap HEMT GaNs. You will get efficiency figures of virtually 98% to 99%. The switching frequencies are nowhere near 20kHz or so, which makes it just as quiet as linear, but with far greater efficiency. Of course the trade-off is complexity.
But, to call the entire unit "linear" when it was only referencing the power supply was not only misleading but confusing.
I maybe used the wrong words by accident and that is why I put the text on the screen to try and correct and better explain that it’s the first that is 100% linear powered so no switching components anywhere.
@@ssjlkrillin isn't that a DC step down converter? Most people plug their equipment in to AC
If you want to hear digital and you like that sound then you need to get a DS cartridge they're about 2300£ but you need to buy the special phono stage! what is a bit more I think. it is a photosensitive cell cartridge it uses light not a coil of wire. And if you play digital recordings on vinyl you should get more of that digital woki sound, you seem to like anyway. Your leads have a big importance to how bright it sounds as well don't go with this audio rubbish stuff. keep it no more than two feet and low capacitance cable try Blue Jeans no capacitance interconnects, I'm not sure if they do half a metre but it's better than nothing or you cut it down. this is to the phono stage from the turntable you can have longer interconnects after the phone at stage and that's probably advisable. The best cable would be the Belden 43ohms 12 pico fabrics per thousand feet and you need to use 50 ohms interconnect plugs, or better still BNC change it for rca's, rubbish connectors worst thing out there. you can get lxr 50ohms ideally all of your analogue signal should be 50 ohms or less cable and plugs and sockets. Try not use any room correction as well that's not good for records some low frequency correction can help below 20 hertz but it's not good for vinyl and you bring the bass in to a mono somewhere between 100Hz-50Hz is beneficial
Thanks for the tip, I know ds audio i was supposed to go to the factory but Covid killed it. Sounding the same as digital is not what I meant. Being at the same quality level is something different, don’t want them to sound the same what is the point of that :)
Certainly 😢
I am sorry did you say 12000 pounds I think this applies to wealthy people. If you ask me one I would immediately sell it and use the money for real living.
I think two thousand pounds is where I am at and that would be for a power amplifier. I would not make an opinion on a product of this nature without double blind listing sessions before I would endorse the sound quality. And it would need to be picked out consistently as the best sounding streamer by a number of different people. Otherwise it just suits your tastes. Unless you are comparing to an Amstrad or something like that.
Like I said at the beginning of the video this will not be for everyone and it’s not designed for people where this forms a large % of the cost of the system. It’s for people with a lot of money invested into their systems it’s a highest end product that costs a lot less than its "similar" competitors and is more advanced in the ways mentioned in the video.
Sorry but having to subscribe and pay endless time a fee just to use this thing in a proper way makes me even more mad than the price. Yes, I heard it first here but I am sure this company will soon learn what competition means and then they can’t rob you an arm and a leg anymore 😅
Not sure what you’re referring to here? Yes the app is not free your paying for its continual development as Apple constantly changes how their stuff works. Streaming services too. But it’s free for life if you buy the hardware. I think that’s as reasonable as it gets
JPlay sounded exactly what I was looking for. In fact, as I was typing the word JPlay, you came out with.. "only for iOS users"
Aw man, what a bummer
I bought an iPad just so I could use specific music control apps, I am all Apple these days but it’s a nice experience using an iPad for a library controller fwiw, not a cheap one though
Innuos.
?
@@PursuitPerfectSystem I assume he is referring to Innuos Statement Next-Gen
Yes they use a specific motherboard that has less noise than other ones but it’s still a computer motherboard.
Optical dac from a normal pc. Easy fix
Using a linaer PS in a pi computer as a server is nothing new,
People are even using supercapacitors.but this is mostly DIY.
This is not a pi computer it’s a fully custom built unit
@@PursuitPerfectSystem i understand but did you just say 12 G?
Thats more than the Grimm Audio mu1,so it better be good
Just sayin because i listened to the Grimm and it sounded yes analog or not digital.
Look at the internals of the Grimm it’s exactly as I described in the video a computer motherboard + other boards. Look at the internals of the xact s1 it’s all about the quality of the power to everything then very optimised software. All running bare bones for the lowest noise possible. That’s where the computer motherboard is worse as it’s power hungry just to work. You can still get great results with that approach but this is a new and better way for obvious reasons I explained in the video.
@@PursuitPerfectSystem I see so PS and MB together is the new sauce .
@@thomaslarsen9867 I built my own also when you eliminate Noise music is pure actually I've built over 20 units
Infinitely better, but not perfect?
Haha, hard for me to judge that in my little room considering all I have seen and heard :)
You could always just put a cd or a record on and enjoy the music. This seems like a whole load of expensive faff, for subjective gains. Next thing will be that Asus motherboards sound better than MSI, because of reasons......
There is no faff it’s plug and play and it’s easier and less faff than vinyl and cd
It's not hard to put a cd in a tray.
Agreed but it’s still harder than playing all the music without getting up, you can’t beat streaming for convenience
I would largely agree. I run a standard10th gen pc behind my TV and all playback is via HDMi2.0. The sound output is better than my CD Transport and miles better than my turntable when it comes to sound quality. All this for what is probably only 10% of the cost of these units. To run this, I use Kodi for movies and Music Bee for music playback. I'd be putting my money into a new amp or perhaps speakers.
No, only streaming won`t be the future, a even bigger part will stay analog
I don't get why anyone needs something like this, if, let's say you have a streamer like the Eversolo that can access an NAS. If the S1 is going to a DAC anyway, the heft of the musical difference is going to be in the DAC and amps and not in...a motherboard. Maybe I'm missing something but this sounds like one of those audiophile products that no one really needs, especially not at that price. The review doesn't offer a distinct argument for a product like this.
This is a great comment and I think you are right to be sceptical. If you get the chance to do some testing of different digital sources or better yet just the power to the digital source it’s quite surprising the difference. I made a videos years ago comparing the power supply in an oppo 4k blu ray player which is an smps to a linear one being used just as a transport not a dac and I recorded the sound difference. I had hundreds of people messaging me asking where I got the linear supply from as they all heard the difference and thought it was better.
The video is old now but it’s still in hereb
Also I don’t need to make an argument for you to buy it that’s not my job. I said very clearly it won’t be for everyone but there will be people who are at the right stage of their journey to know this is the product for them.
I appreciate what it is you're saying, and my intent is nit to be dis.issive. I also get that it's not your aim to sell a product, but I do think there's a role for making a case for a products utility and I hibestly, no trolling intended, think something like this needs a much stronger case. 12k for 4 TB of storage, no wifi and using an outboard DAC just strikes me as extraordinary.
No it’s 12k for one of the best streamed digital sources you can buy today, good enough for systems in the £100k+ range where the system at that level rips apart everything in it. It only takes one or two experiences of how digital sources can sound different and that’s enough to realise there is a lot of be gained.
When you build your own server you soon realise you want most things that are included with servers as features to make people lives easier, you want them turned off such as WiFi and whole bunch of other stuff. So for me no WiFi is a pro not a con
Not trying to be audio snob here, but the sound of the Ever solo A6 is merely OK for its end of the market, and is a very long way away from being hi end. I only lived with one for a week (I set one up for a friend), but it was a real relief to go back to my Auralic, which itself is a long way from being a top end component.
As with any high end component, you can question its value, but for those of us that aspire to top end sound, entry level electronics just don't cut it, and we are prepared to spend to get 'more'. That's a value judgement all of us have to make for ourselves.
Nobody needs this and gear like it, but some of desire it because it simply sounds better.
Streaming services rely on the use of [military] satellites. Jump forward to some intense multi-national conflict where access to those satellites is restricted/stopped and the internet becomes intermittent to terminated. This is NOT hard to imagine in 2024. How will the enjoyment of 'streaming' services look then? CD users.....😂😂😂😂
The bad news is if the internet is stopped you won’t be able to message me to say I told you so…..
True. But I’ll just listen to CDs and vinyl and grin smugly.
hahaha
My library is all ripped to local storage and duplicated automatically. If the net goes down I'll have lost the cloud back ups, but in that situation I think we will all have more to worry about :)
I never have to worry about CD scratches or decomposing (I have several very early CD's that are now virtually useless), and I don't have to stand up and search for discs. My playlists would be impossible with physical. Getting rid of physical was the best thing I ever did..so yes you are right, I do laugh at Cd users.....😂😂😂😂😂
But in all seriousness I bought an Audiolab 7000a after seeing you video. Wow. Just WOW. Cheers
For low current applications, like in a streamer, a well designed high frequency SMPS is much better than ANY linear power supply. The rest is just snake oil and audiophoolery. Ask any engineer.
So far my experience tells me the opposite to this but I am open minded to try anything.
Comparing Eversolo Me one with LPS and one with a SMPS your statement is disproven by experience. Weirdly everyone that listened to both hear the difference and prefer the LPS one. Refere to well known high qualified engineers saying this please ..
LPS gives weight to the sound. SMPS gives speed.
Crudely summed up, but yeah.
Streaming is low quality compared too a wave file ..streaming is a hoax
I think your understanding is severely limited? You can stream wav files in addition to reading them from a disc or reading them from a memory stick or indeed reading them from anywhere that digital data can be stored. The information is exactly the same regardless of where it is stored.
A wav file is simply a lossless file format much like lossless Flac's or any number of other formats.
Your videos are too long. Get to the point(s) man! You talk too much
Mate my channel has around 26 million views no one else complains about this. If you want short videos go to tik tok. If you want to know a lot about a product you watch my reviews but no one is forcing you to
€12,000 ?? 🤔 IMO that's an insane amount of money to pay for simply making your music library a bit more convenient to access, but each to their own. I do prefer to listen to whole albums rather than skip from one artist to another, so I'm perfectly happy with a simple DAP and a collection of CDs plus a few CD players and prefer to spend my money on music.
I'm not at all surprised that other people's listening habits may be better served by a music server, but I _am_ surprised some might be willing to spend €12,000 for that convenience.
You can get the convenience of streaming for under £100 so yes no one would buy this just for convenience, they buy it for the sound quality as part of a very high end system
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Well, they think they do, but that's a debate engineers and audiophiles will probably never agree on 😉 The days of _synchronous_ USB Audio connections where the streamer & USB cable mattered are behind us I believe, it's now all _asynchronous_ protocols with buffer synchronisation to the master clock inside the DAC. Maybe if you had an older DAC that only supported a _synchronous_ protocol and had to synchronise to the master clock in the streamer it will make a difference (in which case you would need a high quality USB cable also).
To be fair people said the same thing to me 10 years ago when I suggested using linear power supplies on computers to make them sound better. I was told I was an idiot and it would make no difference. Now many audiophiles have spent big money on the exact same thing after testing them. Why because they sound better. This product is taking that same concept further again.