General Discussion about Källa

[Defender]

@Flowmotion: is there a chance to have a direct comparison to the ADS/3 you have as recordings in the Playground?

[V.A.MKD]

Hi All,
Thank you guys for your time and reviews that you share with us.
It's great, Kalla (with only 50h) will make new definition on how source component have to sound, no, have to sing ...
Thank you again.

[Charlie1]

thank you Charlie for the impressive first review of Källa. I am especially astonished what you write in comparison to the LP12. If you would have to make a decision to let go your LP12 for in an exchange for a Källa would you do that?
Or what do you like on your LP12‘s in comparison to Källa?

@David do you have the Karousel on your LP12?

I would rather listen to Kalla with modern music than a Klimax LP12. With analogue-recorded music then I prefer vinyl played on a vintage Linn/Naim system, as you know. I don't think any digital player can ever touch this era of vinyl assuming you have early releases in good condition.

I agree with Spannko/David that Kalla doesn't sound digital (at all). It doesn't sound like vinyl either cos you haven't got that inherent added warmth but this is fine - you don't need it. There's also a lack of something that all LP12s add, maybe all turntables. It's a kind of noise. It's not actual noise, but there's something there that a bit tiring - an absence of real stillness when required. The music shines through that on a nice LP12 but I'm just saying that Kalla doesn't have that 'thing' which is probably quite beneficial to most people when listening to classical music. I don't think this is 'just' vinyl roar / crackles either.

[matthias]

Guys,
when listening to streaming services with Källa did you play Spotify only or Qobuz as well?
Thanks

Matt

[Charlie1]

Mix of LSNAS and Spotify

I preferred Spannko's home made Netgear PSU as well

[David Neel]

I preferred Spannko's home made Netgear PSU as well

Me too!

[Flowmotion]

@Flowmotion: is there a chance to have a direct comparison to the ADS/3 you have as recordings in the Playground?

Hello Defender, I am sorry to say that the ADS/3 is icecold and I fetched its original box in my storage late Friday when Källa was just getting warm. Hopefully the ADS/3 will find a new happy owner since I have been very pleased with its performance during the last couple of years.

Flowmotion

[David Neel]

@Flowmotion: is there a chance to have a direct comparison to the ADS/3 you have as recordings in the Playground?

Hello Defender, I am sorry to say that the ADS/3 is icecold and I fetched its original box in my storage late Friday when Källa was just getting warm. Hopefully the ADS/3 will find a new happy owner since I have been very pleased with its performance during the last couple of years.

Flowmotion

As a past ADS/3 owner, I can assure you that Kàlla is in a different league altogether.

[David Neel]

In memory of my unshakeable belief that an LP12 is automatically better than any digital source...

[Spannko]

@Flowmotion: is there a chance to have a direct comparison to the ADS/3 you have as recordings in the Playground?

Hello Defender, I am sorry to say that the ADS/3 is icecold and I fetched its original box in my storage late Friday when Källa was just getting warm. Hopefully the ADS/3 will find a new happy owner since I have been very pleased with its performance during the last couple of years.

Flowmotion

As a past ADS/3 owner, I can assure you that Kàlla is in a different league altogether.

As a KDS owner, I can assure you that Källa is in a different league altogether 😳

[Spannko]

I preferred Spannko's home made Netgear PSU as well

Me too!

Thanks guys!

[Spannko]

In memory of my unshakeable belief that an LP12 is automatically better than any digital source...

😂🤣😂

“The King is dead. Long live the King”

[fatjulio]

What app were you using on the iphone to play files from the LSNAS?

[mrco99]

As a KDS owner, I can assure you that Källa is in a different league altogether 😳

Couldn't agree more.....!

[matthias]

What app were you using on the iphone to play files from the LSNAS?

As soon as Källa arrived, it was powered up, and I started to get to grips with Spotify and mConnect, cursing the unfamiliar iPhone.

mConnect?

Matt

[Azazello]

We started with Hakai, which for me was just ok. It’s good value, but not something I’d be interested in pursuing. It’s a digital player which sounds like a digital player.

That was not a good sounding Hakai. Hakai at it's best is amazing. I would gladly replace my LP12 witht Hakai if it could perform consistently at it's highest level. The problem I have encountered is that the performance varies unpredictably between that and "ok".

But when Fredrik says Källa is "much better" than Hakai, I know what kind of Hakai he is talking about. Can't wait for it!!

[David Neel]

What app were you using on the iphone to play files from the LSNAS?

As soon as Källa arrived, it was powered up, and I started to get to grips with Spotify and mConnect, cursing the unfamiliar iPhone.

mConnect?

Matt

Yes, mConnect.

[David Neel]

We started with Hakai, which for me was just ok. It’s good value, but not something I’d be interested in pursuing. It’s a digital player which sounds like a digital player.

That was not a good sounding Hakai. Hakai at it's best is amazing. I would gladly replace my LP12 witht Hakai if it could perform consistently at it's highest level. The problem I have encountered is that the performance varies unpredictably between that and "ok".

But when Fredrik says Källa is "much better" than Hakai, I know what kind of Hakai he is talking about. Can't wait for it!!

My Hakai is Debian. It's not as good as Volumio from the web interface, but it's consistent and reliable, which is what I want for the small minority of my listening which is from digital files. It's just good enough that I sold my ADS/3. I concur with Spannko's assessment of it.

[cortina]

It’s rather fascinating how judgements of equipment rapidly changes as soon as something new is released. Whether it’s KDS v0, v1, 2, Katalyst or Organik, Hakai or now Källa.

Admittedly the below statement was made back in 2018, but also then there were some rather good, expensive streamers (and mainly Linn (and possibly Naim) seem to be what is normally referred to on this forum.)

” How good is it?
HAKAI is one of the most musical streamers in the world and incredibly fun to listen to.”

So based on that, I would at least assume that Hakai would still be extremely good value given that it is a simple PC and cheapish DAC (Adding the law of deminishing returns on that.)

This continuous praise of the latest (not at all just Källa which also sounds like it is something special), makes me wonder if it is to an extent a result of the of thrill something new or merely a sign that streaming continuous to be a very immature technology..?

[springwood64]

HAKAI is one of the most musical streamers in the world and incredibly fun to listen to.

I can't comment on the first statement, but I definitely agree with the second.

[Azazello]

So based on that, I would at least assume that Hakai would still be extremely good value given that it is a simple PC and cheapish DAC (Adding the law of deminishing returns on that.)

I would say that it depends on how you value you own work (which in turn depends very much on how good you are at computers) and actual usability. My Hakai sounded fantastic when it was at its best, but I was an absolute pain to use. Sound quality degraded over time from installation, it was horribly buggy, and every time we had guests it took me ten minutes to get it to play, and if someone wanted to listen to something else it took ten minutes again.

For my mother Hakai would be worthless since she would never ever get it to work, for me it was extremely frustrating and annoying, for a linux developer livning alone it might be superb.

EDIT: Another aspect of Källa if of course the value of being able to listen to everything available on Spotify with high quality. If my Hakai had done that while always working and sounding at it's best, I would have lived happy with it forever. Now Källa is a no-brainer for me. The added sound quality is a bonus.

[Spannko]

Azezello,
I’m guessing you’ve yet to hear a Källa?

[cortina]

Of course, user friendliness is an important aspect (not having heard that many complaining except perhaps those having never built a PC back in the days. But I would guess those not knowing someone who has should be even fewer.)
Haven’t followed the Hakai section lately but severe sound degradation is new to me.

Nevertheless, my main fascination is how every new streamer, version or whatever always gets a verdict like ”Now streaming finally sounds like analogue (except only those old records recorded before digital).”
But when the next thing arrives, it always sounds like the superseded products were never even close..
(Somewhat exaggerated..)

Perhaps the nature of hi-fi reviewing on forums.

[Azazello]

Azezello,
I’m guessing you’ve yet to hear a Källa?

Yes. But I have ordered one, so I hope I wont have to wait that much longer! :)

[cortina]

Please not that my comment was not at all referring to Källa itself, which I truly hope is excellent but to comparisons to older products that seem to follow a pattern regardless of streamer or forum.