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AudioStream April 2016

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2nd Edition

Bluesound Pulse Mini
You can serve to it, stream to it, and play to it via WiFi, Ethernet, Bluetooth, Toslink, or 3.5mm analog input. Armed with an ARM CORTEX A9 processor, 2x 50mm (2") speakers and an 89mm (3.5") woofer tri-amped with 60W of direct-digital power, the Bluesound Pulse Mini pumps out a claimed 45Hz - 20kHz of not so mini music.

Just 2 Comments?
This is baffling. Here somebody, with real credentials, explains why listening is the real test--it encompasses the entire system and the interactions within.

High End 2016 Munich
One week from today I head out to Bavaria for the Octoberfest of Audio in Munchen. The High End Show feels like a party, a hi-fi and music bash, filled with people: Shiny happy people.

Lovely Recordings Hosted by Oliver Butcher
I think it's time to throw some dance moves at this lovely recordings party! Not everything on this list is a party banger but my natural listening tendency is definitely towards music that infects the hips and makes you want to do a little shimmy on the dance floor, or just plain freak out!

Bluesound Vault 2
I'm sure some will want more, but that's a lot of functionality fit inside one relatively small box. The Bluesound Vault 2 makes computer audio easy--a one box solution for all of your computer audio needs.

Open and Tolerant: MBL's Juergen Reis on Listening, Measurements, and (Un)Certainty
I am an electrical engineer, working in the audio field for over 30 years and working extensively with measurement systems to improve and evaluate audio products, so this is always my starting point.

"We have to be ready to be ready"
Back when our daughters were in grammar school, one of their superintendents said, "We have to be ready to be ready." I'll never forget that sentence and how preposterous it sounded (and still does). As people interested in the quality of our experience when listening to reproduced music, do we have to be ready to be ready?

Dynaudio Xeo 2
When using the Dynaudio Xeo 2s, all one need do to get music from your computer to your ears is connect the hardware with a Toslink cable and plug those suckers in. The Xeo 2s can process up to 24-bit/192kHz PCM data, there are 65W amps for each driver, and the master speaks to the slave wirelessly. Just add music.

My Favorite Apps: Bandcamp
"Why don't you write about apps?" a friend suggested. Yea, why don't I? As regular readers may have noticed, some of the Download of the Week picks are available on Bandcamp. Within that group, some are records available directly from the artist, my favorite kind.

Resources for Buyers, Beginners, and the Curious:
Are you looking for advice on which DAC to buy? Or a new new server or streamer? A great place to being that search is our Greatest Bits.

1st Edition

URALiC's New Bundle Of GoodiesA
What we're looking at is a Roon Ready streamer that also comes with Auralic's own Lightning app for iOS (Mac and Windows versions are in development), a 32/384 and DSD256-capable DAC and a 2.5 drive bay to house a dealer- or user-installed hard drive or SSD turning the ALTAIR into a server as well.

Help End The Loudness War
The Loudness Petition Group, which consists of members Eelco Grimm (Grimm Audio and HKU University of the Arts Utrecht), Bob Katz (Digital Domain), Matt Mayfield (Matt Mayfield Music) and Ian Shepherd (Mastering Media), is on a mission to cuts the legs and logic out from under the excessive use of dynamic compression in our music.

Lovely Recordings Hosted by Alex Halberstadt
I've learned a lot reading this column, and share these records in the hope they might worm their way into some readers' minds and playlists, as they've wormed their way into mine.

Nativ
Nativ's Vita supports PCM resolutions up to 32-bit/384kHz and quad rate DSD (DSD256) while offering asynchronous USB output and three outputs for S/PDIF (RCA, TosLink, BNC) and AES/EBU (there is no internal DAC).

Bluesound Node 2
The new Bluesound Node 2 looks a helluva lot better than the original Node, at least to my eyes. It's new beauty is not only skin deep as its processor has been upgraded to a 1 GHz ARM CORTEX A9 Multi-core processor, the DAC is now the BurrBrown PCM5122, and the company has also added more connectivity options, integrated Bluetooth, a headphone amp, and improved WiFi performance.

DAP Killers?
When I travel, I travel with music. And my iPhone. And my MacBook Pro. For a while now, I've been carrying along my PonoPlayer for most of the music part, but I find myself, once settled into my hotel room, looking around Tidal on my MacBook for the new. But the PonoPlayer doesn't...stream. It just serves.

The Subjectivist/Objectivist Synthesis, by Jason Stoddard
Color me stupid, but I'm going to wade right into the subjectivist vs objectivist debate, and see if both groups can find a happy place.

Download of the Week: F.S.Blumm & Nils Frahm
Tag Eins Tag Zwei (Day One Day Two) came my way via John DeVore (I have to say that getting music recommendations from friends is among my favorite things). F.S.Blumm's guitar and Nils Frahm's piano and harmonium coupled with various and sundry sounds mixed into their improvisations kissed my brain like a warm spring breeze. Thanks, I needed that.

Resources for Buyers, Beginners, and the Curious:
Are you looking for advice on which DAC to buy? Or a new new server or streamer? A great place to being that search is our Greatest Bits.

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