Recommended Components 2022 Edition Computer Software

Computer Software

Channel D Pure Music software: $129
Pure Music (Mac only) can play sampling rates of up to twice the 192kHz limit of Amarra and Decibel. Like those programs, Pure Music (Mac only) offers memory play, automatic sampling-rate changes, and full compatibility with native FLAC files and in its latest version, DSD files. Going from iTunes to Pure Music, the sonic improvement was modest but worthwhile, with cleaner trebles and improved pitch certainty. Compared with the less expensive Decibel, however, Pure Music lacked some openness and clarity, decided AD. Using Pure Music in its Memory Play and "Hog Mode" settings for optimal sound quality resulted in a wider soundstage and greater sense of ease, said JA. A free, 15-day trial version can be downloaded from www.channel-d.com. Included with Channel D's Pure Vinyl Version 3.0. (Vol.33 No.8, Vol.34 Nos.7 & 9 WWW)

Channel D Pure Vinyl LP ripping software: $379 ★
Used with a microphone preamp or non-RIAA phono preamp, Channel D's Pure Vinyl digitizes vinyl LPs at 24-bit/192kHz resolution and applies the RIAA or other EQ curves in the digital domain, where there's no interchannel phase shift, capacitor distortion, additional noise, or component variability. Record mode allows the user to apply over 50 EQ curves or create custom EQ settings; Editor mode allows the user to insert track breaks or remove surface noise. CDs made with Pure Vinyl sounded "much better" than those made with the Alesis Masterlink, said MF. Compared to the original LPs, the digitized versions lacked a touch of body but sounded "very analog-like." Compatible only with Apple Macintosh computers. Version 3.0 and later includes Channel D's Pure Music front-end program for iTunes. "Pure Vinyl will change the musical lives of collectors with large collections of pre-1954 discs," said MF. JA was impressed by Version 5's RIAA de-emphasis with LPs that had been ripped with the Channel D Seta L phono preamp's Flat outputs. (Ver.5 was not yet compatible with macOS 15/Catalina in the fall of 2020.) Channel D's Rob Robinson strongly advises recording at 192kHz—"Pure Vinyl was designed and optimized with that sample rate in mind (back in 2003!)" he told JA—but for monitoring the recording in real time, the playback D/A converter must be sample-synchronous with the A/D converter. (Robinson recommends the Lynx HiLo, an MF fave, for that reason.) "To say that I was impressed with the quality afforded needle drops by Pure Vinyl would be an understatement," concluded JA. "While the user interface is not as intuitive as I would like, the versatility on offer is extraordinary." (Vol.32 No.3; Ver.3.0, Vol.33 No.8; Ver.5, Vol.43 No.11 WWW)

Dirac Live 3 room-correction software: $349 stereo license, $499 multichannel license ★
Sound quality, of course, is dependent on the hardware in the system, wrote KR, about the original Dirac Live, an app that runs without external processors on Macs or PCs. But its acoustic transformation capabilities are well beyond what is built into most processors, he wrote. Live 3 allows the user to measure the system's in-room response, then generates the necessary correction filters. The Dirac Live Processor then applies the filter corrections to music as it plays. In PCs (Windows 10 and above) and Macs, it can be installed as a plug-in or as a regular application. JRiver, Audirvana Studio, Amarra, and most DAWs support it as a plug-in. Roon does not. KR continued his recommendation for the app, writing that with Dirac "I hear no loss of transparency; rather, I hear more transparency due to the removal of distracting artifacts." Live 3 also includes Dirac Live Bass Control, which KR tried in beta form. He found that "Full Bass Optimisation resulted in much better integration of the subs with each other and with the main speakers—to the point where the subs disappeared but the main speakers seemed to have prodigious low-frequency extension and control." (Vol.37 No.5, Vol.44 No.10 WWW; also see JA's discussion of Dirac Live LE in his review of the NAD M10 integrated amplifier in Vol.43 No.1 WWW)

JRiver Media Center: $59.98 (single platform); $79.98 (multi-platform)
KR wrote in the January 2018 Stereophile: "If your [JRiver Media Center] setup is working to your satisfaction, there's no need for you to download every new build." Really. No need at all. But, having said that, … the 64-bit Windows version of Music Center became available in September 2017, and KR reported that it's better, stronger, and faster than the 32-bit version: "Since installing the 64-bit version of JRiver Music Center 23, I have heard not a single burp." $79.98 for a "Master" License covering Linux, Windows, and MacOS. (Vol.41 No.1 WWW)

Roon Labs v 1.8: $12.99/month, $119.88/year, $699/lifetime
Roon is a cloud-based music-playback application that can be downloaded and run on the user's desktop or handheld computer or run on dedicated file players from manufacturers including Auralic, dCS, Linn, and others. Described by JI as "a tour de force of programming, design, and metadata mining," Roon offers a graphically sophisticated user interface that, he said, looks good and feels natural. When first installed, Roon scans and incorporates the user's existing music collection. Over time, it continues to "groom" that collection, taking into account new additions to the collection and to Roon Labs' ever-growing library of metadata. With v1.8, Roon offered a major revision. "Visually, it's new, and to me, better," wrote JCA. The recommendations engine, Valence, has been improved, with useful changes to the Focus feature, which now encompasses streamed music from Tidal and Qobuz—not just music in the user's library. "The music I own and the music I rent is now one big, searchable, browsable library," enthused JCA. JA is also a fan and sprung for the lifetime subscription. (Vol.44 No.5 WWW)

COMMENTS
donnrut's picture

Not a single disc player reviewed under $4 thou??? Come on. I don't drive a Porsche Taycan or a Lambo. I have a $7 thou turntable rig assembled over several years of upgrades. My SACD player died 5 years ago, and now, I am in the market for $500 or $1000 disc player. I'll stream eventually but I have listened to my CDs, tossed out the bad ones and have maybe 200 that are well engineered/mastered, about 50 SACDs. I want S'phile to help me get a decent player. There are maybe half a dozen newish models.

johnnythunder1's picture

been doing a little research. The Hegel (discontinued) was 5k. The Bryston is 3+k. Ive had my eye on a Rotel CD 11 Tribute. It's like $600 and gets very good reviews. https://www.rotel.com/product/cd11-tribute

AndyT2050's picture

I have a Rega Research Apollo Cd Player. Beautiful sound, nice design in my opinion. Not too expensive

moinau's picture

Nothing in the 500 to 1000$ range SACD player, although this Arcam might interest you.
Arcam CDS50

Ulfilas's picture

There is one recommended in the integrated amps category:

https://www.stereophile.com/content/quad-artera-solus-integrated-amplifiercd-player

I have one myself, and grateful for the recommendation I am.

rlo's picture

Can you please bring back the links on the mobile page that let you jump to the relevant recommended component page? This has been missing for the last few. It’s quite annoying to have to switch to desktop theme to be able to go directly to the page I want (e.g. loudspeakers, amplifiers etc)

Jonti's picture

I've had mine for about 18 months and still have a sense of quiet awe every time I listen to/through it.

Tube-rolling can also yield excellent results. I have switched to NOS Mullards, which work a treat by (to my EAR) thickening the syrup and stirring the pot in such a way that the ends and edges of trailing sounds glisten, firing off from a weightier centre. (The stock EAR-stamped tubes were fine, just different: lighter-sounding, I think; I assume Tim would have approved the use of NOS Mullards given his views on the quality of many new tubes doing the rounds.)

Just for the benefit of any readers thinking about rolling those tubes, here's some extra instruction I received from an engineer at EAR Yoshino on how to go about it:

"Remove the top cover by removing four screws on the bottom of the unit. The jumper plug is located on the left side of smaller power supply circuit board labeled ECC83 and 13D16. The default position for the jumper is 13D16 with standard 13D16 valves fitted. If ECC83 valves are fitted then move the jumper one position to the right in the ECC83. position."

And finally, on the subject of MM/MC carts, I think it's fair to say (as correctly reflected in its rating here) that the Phono Box gives a solid platform to MC carts but really excels with MM/MIs. Try it with a London Decca!

[Edited version of post on Herb's original review]

hesson11's picture

The comments under the heading "Harbeth P3ESR XD" seem to imply that the XD version is identical to the 40th Anniversary edition, which Herb reviewed. Is that, in fact, the indisputable truth? I don't believe I've ever seen any official word that this is, in fact, the case.

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