@antipodes just wondering if there are any plans to release a new K30 equivalent to fill the gap between the K21 and K50 for USB output?
No plans currently, never say never tho
As a side note I think the upgrade program seems to be excellent value especially for the K50 owners which I currently own the MK2. Yesterday my dealer introduced me to a brand called Ideon Audio and I heard their Ion & Absolute DACâs both of which are in another league compared to my current MSB which I thought was incredible. T
Soundstage increased by at least 40% along with transparency and overall feeling of being real. Obviously the MSB is going to be replaced with the Ideon which is just sublime The point Iâm making is clearly the Antipodes servers are World class already, whether you upgrade or not, I canât wait to upgrade mine ASAP as they are clearly going to be amazing what ever model you have.
Iâm sure the reviews of the new upgraded products will put peoples minds at rest & appreciate what a worthwhile investment they are.
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UpGrade processing form never processes even after filling everything out â
I just completed a form and worked without issue.
Iâll get the tech team to check.
The upgrade form seems to be working without issue here, perhaps some pop-up blocking on the iPad?
Whatâs the work around. For those who are using an IPad?
Enable pop-ups for that page/site or just email me all your details
I am the happy owner of a K50 (mark1) and following all positive reviews of the Oladra everywhere, I decided to have a 1 on 1 comparison with the K50 at the importer, expecting to be sold at the spot. Or the leave the K50 for an upgrade. But that did not happen.
Yes, I heard more detail and more distinct detail due to the overall very quiet background of the Oladra. And its soundstage was broader than that of the K50. And on technically perfect recordings, like the bass intro of Nils Lofgren live, the bass sounded more like a real bass on the Oladra, more natural and it was easy to conclude that the Oladra was the technically superior streamer.
But than I started to listen to the music I normally listen to. In when poets dreamed of angels (David Sylvian) all elements of the recording were presented more individually and more distinct on the Oladra, but I lacked the coherence which turns the various elements into music. The K50 on comparison brought a certain âenergyâ - I do not know how to describe it - which pulled the various elements together, creating a certain ambiance, which was in the end perhaps less detailed, less relaxed, less broad in its projection, but far more emotionally engaging to my ears. The voice of David Sylvian had that dark timbre again which I always loved so much. The same happened when I listed to War Baby (Tom Robinson twee meter sessies): his voice sounded far more desperate on the K50 than on the Oladra, giving this song its uniqueness. Ella on Round Midnight had that velvety layer attached to her voice which I missed on the Oladra. Same with the bite of Billie Holidayâs voice. This may be artifacts or a result of the power supplies, but the K50 created a certain energy, an ambiance, give it a name, which I felt lacking in the Oladra.
For me the most convincing thing was when I listed to Dark necessities (RHCP) and Smoke on the water live (Deep Purple). The Oladra presented these songs with detail, but it simply lacked oombh. It lacked punch. It lacked ambiance. Yes, I could hear the voice of Ian Gillan better on the Oladra, but the music did not grab me at all. Switching back to the K50, the energy in the music was back again and I was again taken by the music.
It remain obviously personal references, but for me it was clear that a technically superior apparatus does not mean that the end result is more enjoyable music to my ears. Nice to hear how a song is being recorded in all its detail, but I prefer to hear how it was meant to sound as a song. I remember the same feeling when I compared Naim to Linn ages ago.
So I am glad that I gave the Oladra - thanks to my wonderful importer - an extensive listening session and I am also glad that I this time did not automatically jump on the âthis must be better, I need oneâ bandwagon. Listen to the music you normally listen to and let your belly speak I would say.
The K50 remains a wonderful apparatus to me and I am now doubtful to go on the upgrade path as I do not know what the various upgrades will do what with its sound.
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Very nice write-up. Thanks for sharing!
you now have me concerned about my decision to move from K50 mk1 to OLADRA 
I too think this was a fine write-up. Good on you for going through this process and sharing here.
I anticipate your answer will be yesâwere the same cables (ethernet, analog, and power) as well as DAC and amp(s) used for both your K50 and the Oladra during the comparison listening session? By now you should have many hours (possibly in the thousands) of listening pleasure on your K50. While I expect your dealer has run substantial break-in hours on the Oladra, did the dealer give you any feel on the hours on the demo Oladra? My âmark 1â K50 evolved for the better over quite a few months. I got mine about 6 months after retiring, and it has been commonly playing, at least in the background if not sit down listening, when I am home during the day and nights as well.
I have signed up for my K50, first version, to be upgraded. I for sure expect the sound will have differences than current and also expect the upgrades could take substantial hours to evolve and stabilize. Possibly that process will be shorter than I experienced with my K50. From what I have read, the upgraded K50 most likely will be somewhat a hybrid sound presentationânot exactly Oladra nor first nor second version K50 either. Those of us intending to upgrade our units will be very attentive to feedback from those who are early adopters of the upgrades, as well as those who have compared to Oladra.
Yes, it were both fully run in units, played on exactly the same gear.
I got a message from Chilli that he had a similar experience with in particular piano and female voices. I forgot to add that I also listened to Pogorelichâs pictures at an exhibition and I also liked the weight/momentum of the K50 better there. It was only with Riverman (Nick Drake) that I found the Oladra remarkably better. As I had to search for the songs again on Roon, I am however not certain whether I did not by mistake compare an old to a remastered version of the song.
I tried very much to hear that the Oladra was âbetterâ than the K50 as I had set my mind on buying one (or an upgrade), but itâs overall musical portrayal simply did not appeal to me. But other people, may well have other views. I will wait until the new models of the Oladra and K50 are there and will than audition them.
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@JJJS I owned the Mk1 K50 and then tried the Mk2 K50 against it in my own system. Initially I really did not like the Mk2. It was screechy and not at all enjoyable compared to the Mk1. However after several weeks of 24/7 running in it softened and in the end I preferred it compared to the Mk1 K50. I was completely satisfied that the Mk2 was better than the Mk1 K50 and so I did the trade and bought it.
Can I ask what output you are using with your K50? I used the BNC output connected to my Chord Mscaler and Dave on both the Mk1 and Mk2 K50.
Also what server/player apps are you using? I much prefer Squeeze + Squeeze with the K50 (and also with the Oladra that I now have).
Both the output used and apps used have a big effect on the sound in my experience.
I auditioned them 1 on 1 in the same system at my dealer. So completely comparable. It is a dealer in only high end audio, so I guess it must have been an expensive super dooper system.
At home, I have my K50 connected via a Stealth Varidig Sextet BNC cable into my Gryphon Kalliope. I use Roon, as I found Squeeze somewhat more analytical. The latest Roon version sounds quite acceptable to me and I prefer its options and user-friendliness.
I hadnât played LPâs for quite a while. At the Stones exhibition in the Groningen museum, I bought their live album at Paradiso and spent a whole day yesterday playing records again. I have a VPI Aries 3 with all possible options, a VandenHul Colibri XGP and VdH Grail SB, so one of the better record playing systems. It struck me that LPâs still give a different rendition of the music than my K50. Better? I would not say. Different. But if I would skip listening to details, where do I hear this better, or that, and let my âbellyâ simply absorb the music, I found Lpâs still more harmonic and pleasing overall. Yet, I am also more than happy with my K50 and the possibilities it offers.
So, I guess different people hear and like different things. There is no absolute truth in there, listen for yourself was basically my message.
As you will see, I have a good but somewhat outdated system. At a certain moment, I simply stopped changing cables, trying and buying this and that and stopped listening to the usual audiophile suspects as a Patricia Barber. And started to listen and enjoy my own music again, often poorly (digitally) recorded.
Since a couple of years, I am into streaming as my ipad gives me access to all the music in the world. And the K50 was really a wonderful addition to my set. Much nicer than the Aurender I had before it. I love it and havent used LPâs or cdâs for a couple of years. And would buy a (for me) âbetterâ streamer anytime, but the Oladra simply did not work for me. The K50 may sound âmore stressedâ but this did not play out as a negative with the music I was playing. And to my ears.
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I found this as well and I much refer the Roon sound.
I must try Squeeze + Squeeze again in the future just in case.
On a different subject and not directed JJJS,
I am still upset I traded in my two K50 s I would have much preferred to upgrade them, the upgraded version is going to be with striking distance of the Oladra mk1.
I accept the constant upgrading is the Antipodes way but the constant burning in is a right pain, as soon I I get the server burnt in a new model comes outâŚ
Personally the constant upgrading and associated cost does sting. I much prefer the product to lose value and the newer version be a similar cost to the old version plus inflation etc. This happens with most computers new version with updated mother boards are similar in cost. If they had a 4k uplift on every update I hate to think how much new laptops could escalate in cost.
Having said that I may upgrade the Oladra mk1.
On current pricing, past and present upgrading cost, one could expect a server to rise by 4 k per year that is another 20 k in 5 years ? Making the flag ship cost 50 k give or takeâŚ! With two mother boards per year ?
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I think that Antipodes - as a young company - is more driven by technicians than sales people. They are continuously looking how to improve their products and once they found something better, they happily introduce it. I find that in itself appealing. Mercedes nearly lost its reputation when an economist concluded that they could also build cars cheaperâŚ
But being an economist myself, I do see some draw-backs for APâs current approach. It will for sure not make their resellers happy, who just stocked some MK1 Oladraâs last year. Or the people who just bought one. And the upgrade policy seems like a nice way to counter that, but the result is that the upgraded units can only become more and more expensive. Which in the end will not be justified by the materials which go into them or the price of APâs peers on the market.
I have decided to wait until the upgraded K50 is out there and than audition it. I find the price not too bad, considering that the MK1 will lose nearly all of its internalsâŚ
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JJJSâs post has triggered some very interesting insights. It seems to pivot around the threshold between ultimate accuracy and enjoyment. I have been tweaking and improving my network bit by bit and a few other tweaky things - some quite surprising results. Based on this, sound reproduction can certainly become sterile and stark and it comes to a question of how accurate someone prefers. What I have noticed is that low frequencies become more lean and clear/defined, but less âloudâ, meanwhile midrange becomes more clear a full/rich, and together the overall balance could be unpleasant and less engaging/fun.
But what I wanted to say was people should really twiddle and experiment with sample rate conversion, format conversion, fllters and EQ. For instance, I use roon to apply EQ curve that gradually lifts frequencies from about 250Hz downwards where at 20Hz it is 2.5-3dB up. There is âenergyâ there that to me lifts the enjoyment when audible enough and this curve provides this lift without interfering with the midrange and also restores a preferable balance between midrange and low end. Also there are differences between upsampling to 96 v 192kHz, and converting PCM to DSD, and one of those options might be just to your liking. When its ârightâ for me, I find myself drawn to the music more than my busy thoughts and distracting screens. What JJJS might mean by âbellyâ - not âlisteningâ but letting the music happen to you. Iâm not saying what suits is right for others, but its worth considering this type of approach before spending 1c on upgrade.
Mark,
Will the Ground Post be a tension knob type suitable for wire and spade connectors or will it be one with a specific termination connection?
@worknprogress
Wire, spade and banana, apologies for the rough and ready pic 
but you get the idea
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