Antipodes K50
 

I just brought home a "new to me" K50 based on reviews and recommendations.

I'm not getting very good sound yet and wondered what other owners have experienced.

As a quick background, my friend demoed one and brought it over for me to hear a few months ago. At first listen, it absolutely blew me away. I was setup using Roon / Squeeze (which I realize isn't the top recommendation from Antipodes). It was freaking magic. The emotion and micro detail was impossible to ignore.

So we decided to try and set it up the way Antipodes recommends, (Squeeze / Squeeze) and suddenly the image was flat and dull. Magic gone. We went back to the initial settings, and the magic never returned. I was dumbfounded, and we sent the demo back.

As the glutton for punishment that I am, I bought a friend's unit, that is 6 months old so it is barely broken in (but should be past the "burn in stage").

I read in the Stereophile review that if the K50 is ever powered down, it can sound flat and sharp for 3 full days of being powered on (and should be left on all the time).

My first listen to my K50 was indeed flat and sharp, and had zero "Magic". By comparison, my Aurender N10, cold and recently unplugged fully mopped the floor with the K50 that had just been turned on.

I've reached out to Antipodes support, but am left scratching my head. Later today should mark over 3 days of running continually so I'll give my K50 another go.

So far I am disappointed, but hopeful that there is a simple way to get that Magic back. I am not a Roon lover, so I greatly prefer the Aurender interface.

That said, if I can get the K50 "magic" to come back somehow and to stay, I'm all in and can deal with the Roon interface.

Any other K50 owners out there that can shed some light on how theirs have sounded?

Hi, sorry to hear your dissatisfaction. If I may ask, what output/input are you using and what cable?
I am using a Nordost Valhalla 2 aes and a Tubulus Concentus I2S into a Tambaqui Dac.
Both are very good.
I use Roon server and Squeeze player.

Another question, are you using an SSD or running off a nas/network connection?
I have a Synology Nas, but copied all my music to an SSD. Sounds better.

A head-scratcher for sure.

I am using a Wireworld Gold Starlight AES cable.

For DACs I have the Mola Mola Tambaqui - the Playback Designs MPD-8 and the Aries Cerat Kassandra ii.

When it sounded awesome on the initial demo, it was on Roon Server and Squeeze Player, so that is what I have it on now.

Did the character of your K50 change at all over time, and is it as picky as the Sterophile reviewer says to being powered down for any length of time?

When it blew me away, it was Roon / Qobuz, so that is what I've done. I do have an SSD as well with some local files, which sound pretty close to Quobuz...none with the Magic I once heard.

Yes, I believe that you must leave it on 24/7 so that the clock in the unit will remain stable.
Are you using the K50 clocking?

Also, I am sure you enabled squeeze in Roon correct?

Settings are correct (I haven't changed the settings from the prior owner that had it dialed in for Roon / Squeeze. I'm not using any outside clocks, so it is all the K50-

Did you experience any variation in how yours sounded?

My new K50 did evolve over the first few weeks fresh out of the box. It never really sounded flat.

As Jeff has mentioned , files played off the internal SSD will sound best. The I2S output into your Mola Mola should also be best. I only use ROON with Squeeze and it’s fantastic using a Valhalla 2 AES output.

Can you post a picture of the digital outboard area of your unit?