Lego wrote:With track 2 I got more of a feeling of someone strumming a guitar

+1

Prefer Emmylou singing it though - one of her best.

Charlie1 wrote:Prefer Emmylou singing it though

Noooooooo. You can't say that.

Here it is: N3050N-D2P vs N3160N-D3V. The newer board has been run in continuously for about 100 hours. Both have 8GB memory (although 4GB vs 8GB may be a moot point if Volumio is running in 32 bit - I haven't checked).

1. https://www.dropbox.com/s/8bwl6hsx42zwx ... 3.mp4?dl=0
2. https://www.dropbox.com/s/sep5q5a94lg0o ... 4.mp4?dl=0

1. https://www.dropbox.com/s/pkgmrkcq0zbxt ... 0.mp4?dl=0
2. https://www.dropbox.com/s/53re5ls3q7l5v ... 5.mp4?dl=0

Earlier playground clips have now been deleted.

Did you give up on the GA-J3455N-D3H, or did it give up on you? I know you preferred the N3050 to the J3455 - it'll be interesting to hear how 3050 D2 performs against the 3160 D3. Will give your latest clips a listen and comment this evening... Cheers.

Just to be clear, these are each operating as HAKAI streamer; not NAS correct? Do you still prefer your LSNAS over HAKAI NAS, or have there been any developments there too?

The J3455 was returned to Amazon. Currently the 3050 and 3160 are both streamers, I just interchange the Volumio SSD between them. When this round of comparisons is complete, I will then rebuild one as a NAS and compare with LSNAS.

David Neel wrote:Here it is: N3050N-D2P vs N3160N-D3V. The newer board has been run in continuously for about 100 hours. Both have 8GB memory (although 4GB vs 8GB may be a moot point if Volumio is running in 32 bit - I haven't checked).

1. https://www.dropbox.com/s/8bwl6hsx42zwx ... 3.mp4?dl=0
2. https://www.dropbox.com/s/sep5q5a94lg0o ... 4.mp4?dl=0

1. https://www.dropbox.com/s/pkgmrkcq0zbxt ... 0.mp4?dl=0
2. https://www.dropbox.com/s/53re5ls3q7l5v ... 5.mp4?dl=0

Earlier playground clips have now been deleted.

Not an easy round - the clips seemed to change on me a few times as I listened to them...

The first two clips were a little less difficult for me - on balance I found the first clip (33) to be a little better, to my ears. In the first few listens, the piano & percussion felt a bit better balanced & timed with the vocals on the second clip (04), but on further comparison, with the volume turned up, it just felt overall like there was better expression & feeling in the first clip...

I found the second pair of clips more difficult partly because the volume seemed a little lower, which made it harder to listen into the music & the musicianship. After multiple back & forth, I felt a fraction better connection with the second clip (35) - the first clip (20) just seemed to be missing something...

I was also a little distracted by the different video perspectives. Were they all recorded from the same position, or was the phone positioned closer in clip 1 from the first pair and clip 2 from the second pair? (hoping I haven't been fooled by that into preferring those clips over the other 2)

David Neel wrote:Here it is: N3050N-D2P vs N3160N-D3V. The newer board has been run in continuously for about 100 hours. Both have 8GB memory (although 4GB vs 8GB may be a moot point if Volumio is running in 32 bit - I haven't checked).

1. https://www.dropbox.com/s/8bwl6hsx42zwx ... 3.mp4?dl=0
2. https://www.dropbox.com/s/sep5q5a94lg0o ... 4.mp4?dl=0

1. https://www.dropbox.com/s/pkgmrkcq0zbxt ... 0.mp4?dl=0
2. https://www.dropbox.com/s/53re5ls3q7l5v ... 5.mp4?dl=0

Earlier playground clips have now been deleted.

I'm leaning towards 1.

For me 1. in the first set and 2. in the second set of clips. Same as tokenbrit! :-)

This is getting interesting....

Time to reveal that the N3160N-D3V was 1 in the first comparison but 2 in the second. So it's good to know that the 3160 is up there with the earlier boards. I've been going backwards and forwards between the two all week to try to decide which I preferred. The J3455 was not in the same league at all. In the room, I prefer the N3050N-D2P. Not by much, and possibly because it has more hours on it. So the 3160 will now be rebuilt as a NAS.

Many thanks to flojo, who has determined that Volumio cannot use more than 3.2GB of RAM - this was beyond my IT skills. This may save some of you a little money, as 4GB therefore seems to be sufficient. And so much for my thought after installing the second 4GB board that it sounded a bit better!

David Neel wrote:Time to reveal that the N3160N-D3V was 1 in the first comparison but 2 in the second. So it's good to know that the 3160 is up there with the earlier boards. I've been going backwards and forwards between the two all week to try to decide which I preferred. The J3455 was not in the same league at all. In the room, I prefer the N3050N-D2P. Not by much, and possibly because it has more hours on it. So the 3160 will now be rebuilt as a NAS.

Many thanks to flojo, who has determined that Volumio cannot use more than 3.2GB of RAM - this was beyond my IT skills. This may save some of you a little money, as 4GB therefore seems to be sufficient. And so much for my thought after installing the second 4GB board that it sounded a bit better!

Oh, they were mixed up! That's what caused the confusion. I was in a rush and when I felt unsure on the second song - assuming they were in the same order - I didn't give it any more time but just voted a lean towards 1. In any case the differences were kind of difficult, so maybe both boards deserve a stamp of approval?

Regarding the memory, it's perfectly possible that more RAM sounds better regardless of how much Volumio uses, because the hardware (for instance power consumption) will be affected by the amount of memory installed. So please trust your ears!

My first try with recording and uploading via Dropbox.
Not sure if all went right, but we'll see…

https://www.dropbox.com/s/zqhfz2edxqm76 ... 8.MOV?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4xtyx8a7r3eh8 ... 0.MOV?dl=0

I think this is the best Hakai clips I have heard on the forum till now.

I find the second clip better. Among other things a kick drum better timed with the rest I think.

I have no idea what we are comparing, but no. 1 sounds very sluggish to me. On no. 2 I find myself wanting to follow Don's electric piano melody, so this would be my choice.

beck wrote:I think this is the best Hakai clips I have heard on the forum till now.

That’s good to hear; meaning I recorded right!

Tendaberry wrote:I have no idea what we are comparing

HAKAI with RME ADI-2 dac, slow filter
HAKAI with ESI gigaport HD+ dac

Recorded with iPhone SE

Sopper wrote:My first try with recording and uploading via Dropbox.
Not sure if all went right, but we'll see…

https://www.dropbox.com/s/zqhfz2edxqm76 ... 8.MOV?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4xtyx8a7r3eh8 ... 0.MOV?dl=0

Can I have the second please?

It would be nice if it was the RME.

Second for me, too, please. Thanks.

After listening to the clips a few times I was think I might be totally off since I preferred #1.
Then I realised that my web browser opened the tabs on reverse order!
Spotted it first when I looked at the file name :D

maffe wrote:After listening to the clips a few times I was think I might be totally off since I preferred #1.
Then I realised that my web browser opened the tabs on reverse order!
Spotted it first when I looked at the file name :D

So you like the second one first, and the first one second, but not necessarily in that order? :)
(20 > 18 ≡ 18 < 20 ;)

tokenbrit wrote:

maffe wrote:After listening to the clips a few times I was think I might be totally off since I preferred #1.
Then I realised that my web browser opened the tabs on reverse order!
Spotted it first when I looked at the file name :D

So you like the second one first, and the first one second, but not necessarily in that order? :)
(20 > 18 ≡ 18 < 20 ;)

Now when you visualise it it totally clear what I think I thought, or did I?
Better stick to what I think I do know and play the b-side of Roky Erickson :)

That makes 5 people voting for clip 2 and no one for clip 1
I’m glad you all confirmed my opinion as well

Clip 2 is the RME ADI-2 dac with slow filter.

Will post a 2nd set of clips later this week with different music, to check if the RME holds up.

Sopper wrote:

beck wrote:I think this is the best Hakai clips I have heard on the forum till now.

That’s good to hear; meaning I recorded right!

Precisely. It is good recordings of you system playing.

My next comment is not meant to spoil the party and feel free to disagree.

I still feel with the second clip that the musical timing is “not” there and this I have felt with all the Hakai clips I have heard. There is still a touch of ”non human activity” present to my ears.

Sopper wrote:That makes 5 people voting for clip 2 and no one for clip 1
I’m glad you all confirmed my opinion as well

Clip 2 is the RME ADI-2 dac with slow filter.

Will post a 2nd set of clips later this week with different music, to check if the RME holds up.

Is this the black RME ADI-2 DAC with remote that costs about €1000?

Looking forward to the next set of clips!

lejonklou wrote:

Sopper wrote:That makes 5 people voting for clip 2 and no one for clip 1
I’m glad you all confirmed my opinion as well

Clip 2 is the RME ADI-2 dac with slow filter.

Will post a 2nd set of clips later this week with different music, to check if the RME holds up.

Is this the black RME ADI-2 DAC with remote that costs about €1000?

Looking forward to the next set of clips!

Yes sir, it is

Having just listened to two clips of a favourite track my conclusion is I would never buy HiFi based on a smartphone recording! The same track sounds incredible on my system via Hakai one in room one and on my second system via Hakai two in room two.