Hello,
my dealer made me an offer for a K50 today. I currently own the K21. Has anyone heard both devices and can tell me about the difference?
That would be very helpful for me.
Regards, Kurt
I would also like to know the answer to this. I have a K22 and am wondering if a future investment in a K41 is advised.
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Christiaan Punter has reviewed a number of Antipodes servers. Itās my impression that he has done a great job of describing what one gets from these devices. Not only that, he offers comparative insight between models. You can find answers to your questions if you skim his reviews. Hereās one example:
I have seen a number of users mention good things about adding a K41 to a K21 or K22. Punterās observations mirror what they have reported. You should try using the search feature here.
Also search at WBF as there have been reports there as well. Hereās an example:
Quoting the first reply to this:
When I added a K41 to the K22 difference was pretty jaw-dropping.
I went in wondering how much if any it would make a positive difference, and I came out of it being completely gobsmacked.
MASSIVE positive difference for sure.
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I was going to post a thread about this, but Iāll add my thoughts here instead.
I got my K22G4 about 2 months ago and was really enjoying it. My thoughts was it was a good upgrade over an Innuos Zenith mk3.
Then I wondered, what would adding a K41G4 bring ?
Researched a fair bit, but Iām in a part of the world that having a store demo. is impossible, it would be a blind purchase like my K22 was.
So I took the plunge and placed an order for the K41, I was advised to not skimp on power cables (and to have them exactly the same) or the Ethernet Cable to join the two units.
I took delivery of the K41 and it was an IMMEDIATE upgrade, even from cold and brand new.
So I started the burn in process and listened at 50, 100, 200, 300 and now finally Iām at the 400 hour stage.
Each stage it get better and better, until at the 400 hour mark I sat down for a long listen with my favorite demo tracks stored on my SSD in the K41.
Please bear with me, Iāll get to the point soon.
So, Iāve had some very, very good hifi kit over the years. Some better / some less than other members on here.
A full NAIM AUDIO - NDS/252/300 DR with a full SL Loom / Proac D48R
MSB The Premier DAC & Premier Power Base / ATC SCM 50 ASL
Innuos Zenith mk3/PhoenixNET/PhoenixUSB/ Chord DAVE/ATC SCM100ASLT
Right up to my current K22/K41/ CHORD DAVE/ NAIM NAC332 & NPX300/ ATCSCM100 ASLT system.
All have been from good/great/amazing as I did my hifi journey over the years.
All that I can say this, wow just wowā¦ā¦
The K41 addition has been without doubt, the single biggest upgrade I have EVER done in my system - bar none !
I usually donāt wax lyrically about this upgrade or that upgrade. But I needed to add my comments on the K41 to this forum.
Sure the K41 is an expansive piece of kit, but I can say Iāve paid more for much less than the upgrade the K41 gives.
Iām not kidding when I say itās like I have upgraded my speakers, DAC and preamp all at once - the change is THAT massive.
Iām shocked as to what it has brought to my music that have been so familiar and all now seem like a remastered version of the same tracks.
Technical performance of deeper/ better bass, more resolution, bigger & better soundstage, PR&T improvement, dynamic range have gotten massively better.
With the K22/K41 combo, I can now finally see and get what the founder of Linn Audio said all those years ago.
āGet your source sorted with the best that you can afford and the rest of your system will all fall into place and finally make senseā
Subtle musical cues and small detail shifts are all still there, but when big dynamic swings are required, it delivers that in spades as well.
The biggest change is this - pure and complete emotional musical enjoyment and engagement.
And that is what it is all about at the end of the day in our hifi hobby isnāt it?
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Hi,
I suppose the $64,000 dollar question is, how much difference is the K22 adding to the K41 compared to using the K41 on itās own. I would imagine this is difficult for you to test, with you using the Chord Dave?
P.S. Just recently added Shunyata Research Theta XLR cables between 333 and 332, also 332 and 350ās. 
If anyone else, would like to chime in with personal experience. Then please feel free.
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In answer to this question, I tried my K41 on its own using both Roon and JPlay, perfectly good, but Squeeze+Roon through K22/K41 gives me much more pleasure, āless digitalā to reach for the cliche. Of course, when we have Audirvana that might elevate the K41 solo.
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Thank you, for your reply. I was particularly wondering how much improvement a K22 + K41 + Naim 333 (used as DAC) would bring over a K41 + Naim 333 (used as Streamer). In the U.K. for the K22, it would have to bring Ā£9000 improvement. 
Yes indeed, thatās a chunk of change. I use mine with a Bricasti M21 which is a seriously good DAC/streamer. I should mention that the other advantage is in using AES connection for my K22, which is the best connection for Antipodes (and, as it happens, for the Bricasti). But Ā£9K? Iām not sure Iād have gone for it if I started with the K41 - I started with K22.
This āmagicā described in the following review may very well be worth the asking price to many listeners. Definitely justifies trying to arrange a demo.
āAs good as the K41 sounded on its own, itās only after forming a pair with its natural K22 partner and when using its reclocker output stage that true magic is in the air. Not just in a manner of speaking, itās actually there, and in abundance!
When I was using only the K41 via ethernet compared with the Grimm into the C1.2 DAC, interestingly, the soundstaging and focus between the two were very similar. How different this became after adding the K22. Now, the room was positively filled with ambiance! This was not an artificially blown-up stage with unnaturally expanded instruments and vocals within. The stage itself retained its width and height and the focus and overall precision also remained very similar. More impressively still, the artists within that room-filling ambiance had suddenly become living-and-breathing entities.
The presentation is not just expansive in a static manner, but it breathes, moves, and flows just as required by the music. All this culminates in the kind of performance that totally takes the focus away from audiophile aspects and lets the listener undergo the music. But with my critical mind screwed back on, I can add that the K22, like the K41, has a fulsome sound. Itās meaty, full-bodied, and rich in tonality and this also makes it a little less tight and articulate than I normally like.
However, the Antipodes duo is not about ultimate precision, it is all about conveying the soul of the music. In addition, vocals and center-stage instruments possess something of an inner essence, almost like a glow. I realize this may convey a feeling of warmth or honey-like behavior but itās not like that. I wouldnāt even call the K41 and K22 warm per se. Theyāre richly saturated and full-bodied, but thereās no rose-tinting and no cream added.
Somehow, the duo injects the music with passion, soul, and depth. Speaking of which, the K22 not only allows room-filling ambiance but also extends the soundstage layering considerably deeper into the depth plane.ā
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Thank you, for your reply. I think you can appreciate my dilemma. If I purchased the K22, then I would only be using the DAC section of the Naim 333. It also raises a further question, of whether to also change the 333 to a DAC only product.
Thank you, for your reply. Unfortunately, there are no Antipodes dealers near me in the north, they seem to be located in the southern part of the country. So, I would have to buy blind.
If I purchased the K22, then I have the redundancy problem with use of the Naim 333.
As for HiFi reviews, well I guess you and myself have been bitten several times with glorifying praise, only to find out, what is all the fuss about. I know there will be a difference, itās just how much. Is it a difference in the sound quality, or just a tonal difference.
I blindly purchased my K30 directly from Antipodes. They offered a 30 day money back guarantee. Within the first 10 minutes out of the box, it was clear that it wasnāt going back.
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Wow - that is what I call, Customer Service.
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