After narrowing it down to the K22 and the Aurender ACS-10 I ordered the Antipodes this morning with a 2 week build time
Antipodes are changing up their line-up, eliminating the S series and refining the K series based on the Oladra technology
I realize there are a plethora of server/streamers out there, the K22 ticks the boxes for me at this time and fits the self-imposed budget I set
Hoping for a significant improvement over my current digital chain (dedicated windows laptop running Fidelizer and Audirvana => JCAT USB isolator => Heimdall 2 usb cables => DAC)
So, I’ve had the Antipodes in for a few weeks and thought I would give initial thoughts for those who may have an interest
For those considering making the jump from a PC as a source for your digital, all I can say is that I wished I didn’t wait as long as I did. There is just no comparison, a dedicated server/streamer just smokes my previous set-up
I imagine the result would be the same for too many servers and or streamers to keep track. In my case the Antipodes hits the mark! Wonderful build quality, an unassuming black box, great fit and finish, everything looks and feels premium. Great customer support to get you going (you book a 1hr session in which Antipodes dials in remotely to assist with set-up and configuration) I chose HQ Player and they also configured Squeeze, which is much less complex
Both players sound great, but I am not a fan of the Squeeze UI, I may just call it a day and jump on Roon which both my dealer and Antipodes have strongly recommended. HQ Player is really made for those who want to go deep into the software platform, being a novice to HQ I have hardly dipped a toe in, so I may improve or harm the sound as I grow more accustomed and tweak the myriad of settings and filters, but will most likely go Roon
I have not ripped or downloaded any files yet, only streaming Tidal at the moment. The biggest impact being the lack of noise that I really didn’t realize I was hearing with my previous set-up. The Antipodes is smooth, weighty and dynamic, I am really enjoying it so far
If anyone has an Antipodes K10 ripper hiding in a closet, I’m interested in it. I want to keep the ripper in the rack and prefer not to have a generic, plasticky, CD drive from Amazon or the like permanently in the rack
Attached a pic of the server in its new home. Difficult to see the details but this thing is built very nicely with the logo milled into the substantial top plate
I ran a dedicated PC with Fidelizer Pro, using JRiver. It sounded fine. I was using a Squeezebox Transporter as an endpoint. It was all good.
Then I got a Euphony server and Roon and Qobuz and Tidal. Then a Pink Faun, then the Grimm MU1. Each step sounded amazing. Until the next step. Thinking this, I wonder what I’ll replace the Grimm with?
I’m going to need some time to ponder that. Next year, that’s the ticket.
As a digital novice, I only mention the Taiko because the local dealer got one in and was gushing about it…
I haven’t listened to it yet, but snapped a pic of this system they put it in. The speakers were Alexia 2’s + Wilson subs the day I was there. The dealer is a big fan of master clocks and had an Esoteric performing those duties on this day back in the spring
