Jay's Audio Lab VERSUS Suncoast Audio!

jay's Audio Lab visits suncoast audio.
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[@Benvos]

Jay standing next to another human, it now starts to make sense how he was positioning those Wilson Alexx on his own.

[@jaysaudiolab]

Hahah

[@palominokid3002]

sorry, ROON is NOT noisey

[@rw3915]

The pursuit of the ultimate two channel system.... Awesome. Keep up the good work Jay. It’s fun to see no holds barred spending and the latest equipment.

[@Daniel-hk3ru]

Listening to music through high-end equipment is glorious and has a wonderful Cool Factor that we as audiophiles enjoy. Turntable would be a nice addition - Keep up the great videos Jay !

[@stephenbarnes8817]

Personally I haven’t found roon to be easy at all, and gave up on it. Any signal that processed in the digital realm can indeed be changed and affected by the software. Just look at what ps audio does with their DAC. Constant updates to the software and each time you get different sounds.

[@mortlach186]

Mike, thanks for pointing out the obvious to Jay that you can't put back information downstream if your source components don't retrieve it in the first place.

[@audioguy5253]

How does the Taiko Audio SGM Extreme work? I thought it was only if you stored your music files it worked like NAS server? Does it also stream Qobuz or Tidal? And do you have to run it through a DAC

[@alexandervaneijken7741]

I simply cannot imagine that you derive much pleasure from your system. The minute you buy a new device you are already considering buying another.

[@Puroplatino]

That’s part of the fun.

[@alexandervaneijken7741]

@@Puroplatino You must have a very different conception of fun than mine

[@Puroplatino]

@@alexandervaneijken7741 I have fun changing and bettering my system until its’s perfect then I start over for another room. It’s fun for me.

[@redrustler1]

@@Puroplatino At at certain point I want to enjoy music and not equipment.

[@Puroplatino]

@@redrustler1 I enjoy it very much, thanks. I just also enjoy the chase as well. I have a reference system that I do not upgrade. It doesn’t need anything else. The others are less thought out and expensive and I bring them up to par slowly. All part of the fun for me.

[@AmazonasBiotop]

Yep software also have impact. It is like that we don't have enough to worry about anyway. 😉

[@jackhuang1434]

See Jay, if you experience your self with kharma speakers ,it won't let you down. I used to onwed kharma exquisite reference, now it call classique, that speakers are sounding superb in any tubes or solid state amplifiers.

[@gregorydijoseph5873]

Jay and Mike, thanks for educating us. Products are coming out so fast. Really great work - even diving into aesthetics. Awesome!!

[@ergloo6660]

Welcome to the 70's Ivor would be proud, GIGO

[@ubermind-tim]

I grew up on Vinyl and tape, and I love Digital. Both are phenomenal from good sources. For the past months, there has been one type of review missing, Phono's. With your keen ear I'm extremely interested in hearing about your observations of analog gear. Your videos have certainly elevated my understanding about hi-end equipment offerings. Keep up the fabulous work, Jay. Thank you.

[@geminijinxies7258]

In a source first philosophy the software is more important than the DAC, and as you've noticed, it has a huge impact on the music! The next step is tweaking the different settings in said software to get even more out of it. Sure, it can trigger an OCD behavior, but I would say it's worth it ;)

[@steve6465]

Jay you need a turntable!! In Your amazing system. Try vinyl and you won't look back. Great video guys

[@bikemike1118]

Great video again, Jay! Also interesting your realization of the extreme importance of the source quality opposed to concentrating on (power) amps. Although I also LOVE this big, heavy beasts. Think they are really attractive 😎. Vinyl can be really good but it’s a lot of hassle to get it right with all this „random“ pressing quality, record cleaning, different cartridges, tonearms, phono preamps etc.... It’s a lot about the „romance“ of it. But even then: to get up every 10-12 minutes (45 rpm) to turn the record would be an annoyance to me. It’s also a matter of „believing“ in this (mostly) black „plastic“.

[@Puroplatino]

I read recently in a forum about the new software in the Extreme and they said night and day but for most of us, myself included, we usually never get to hear the difference. I’d definitely love to hear the Extreme in your set up.

[@JasonDominus]

It's timely you have a comment on Roon vs another product. I'm trialing Roon right now. I'm trying to add some functionality to my system that I am lacking. I'm currently using Qoboz as my streaming provider. I can flip back and forth between Qoboz native app and Qoboz via Roon. Roon is noticeably different sounding. It sounds cleaner, thinner, it loses some weight across the entire frequency spectrum. Very much like an EQ profile has been applied. I did not expect this to be the case because going in I thought Roon was going to be equal or possibly superior. I don't think Mike is right about the software reasons persay. He mentions peer to peer and graphics and what not. Those aren't going to affect the audio portion of the software. What will affect the audio is what Roon is doing under the hood, which they are nice enough to let you see via their signal path viewer. At least in my system the first thing Roon does is a bit depth conversion to 64 bit floating point. This is so they can have enough bits to implement their DSP features. Then they do a sample rate conversion if they have to. Finally they do a bit depth conversion back to the original bit depth for playback. I believe it's this process that is changing the sound signature of the audio. You may want to check this if you haven't already. Roon says they do not turn on DSP automatically. My software says all of the DSP features are disabled and yet all of this conversion is happening inside Roon for presumably no reason. As a result I'm not going with Roon. I'd rather listen to the Qoboz stream because it sounds correct to my ears.

[@capezyo]

Jay, we think you'll be an excellent turntables reviewer.

[@elongatuspiranha]

Yes, the source makes more of a difference than an amp imo. Apples to apples of course. I have the Avatar cd transport and it has made a huge listening experience with CDs.

[@carlosescarfullery5461]

Hi Jay, In digital playback, everything impact the presentation. You have experimented how good a well designed, dedicated server-streamer can sound. Very interesting visit, I can’t wait to see what else you saw there. Carlos

[@gnoter2]

On what music?...Kharma....$39k....(getting there.)...oh, for that long lost, wealthy uncle!?? Looking forward to more coming! Thanks Jay, (Suncoast) for the intro, online experience/exposure!

[@adamk4716]

You always reference tonality, probably mentioned several times in every video. You owe it yourself to add a high end table to the mix. The King of tonality.

[@JoseChavez-vo6lz]

You got to have both Bonilla and digital

[@capezyo]

Jay's Turntalble soon...

[@NickP333]

Yes, please try a turntable, Jay. I’ll even lend you a few LP’s to listen to. 😉

[@stephenbarnes8817]

And wow, 4.6k subscribers, means you’re doing something right.

[@shaynakash4222]

snowy white in the edge of something is a realy good one if you want to test speakers.....

[@johnvalatos4073]

Stay away from Roon it is a waste of money. The supplies I have bought gear from don't use it and told me the equipment software is better sonically. iPeng for Innuos is easier to use and sounds better for example. Jay you do not need vinyl, don't do it.

[@warren818]

It is sad that folks don't understand that it ALL makes a difference. Software can and does make a difference. (PS Audio has been doing this for a while now.) Would love to listen to the Taiko Audio SGM Extreme, I've read that it is indeed a "bad ass" source. Thanks Jay and Mike.

[@lexlarkin]

Very much enjoyed this vid, nice work.

[@divertiti]

Jay you didn't mention in the video, what did you think of the Boulder 1160 and 1110 combo in the context of the levels of gear you've owned?

[@KT88gs]

Im from The Netherlands so we love our Kharma!

[@1crenshaw488]

Jay so what was the name of the software he used, than using Roon, I Prefer Tidal MQA.

[@innomax007]

I think Mike said it was a beta version of new software from Taiko, probably only available for use on a Taiko server?

[@jaysaudiolab]

@@innomax007 correct

[@1crenshaw488]

@@jaysaudiolab Can I purchase, and setup this server, I will like to do, help me Jay.

[@1crenshaw488]

@@jaysaudiolab ok 23k or more, ok, have to work on this one! Jay will you be trying this unit, and would this be cheating, meaning is the sound the way it was recorded or it adds enhancements, I just want my sound they way it was recorded in the studio no enhancement at the end to me that's cheating.

[@audiogabby9808]

Hey Jay, are you based in Florida?

[@laurelhardy4064]

$39K is Kharma's way of being an entry level.

[@Toki1908]

Jay, not audio related but are you an athlete? Sorry if I don't recognize you but you must have some sports background if I am guessing right.

[@jaysaudiolab]

Nah. I've been working out for 25 years

[@Toki1908]

@@jaysaudiolab Good stuff

[@reidbounsall9098]

I was wondering: Would you consider reviewing a 'lowly' BRYSTON power amp like the 4B3 or the 28B3? The reason I ask is that another reviewer like yourself - "The Next Best Thing" audio recently reviewed Bryston's integrated amp, the B135 cubed, and was completely blown away by how good it sounded driving one of Totem's best speakers and thought they were about as good as anything he'd ever heard - regardless of price. By the way, he used to sell audio gear at an ultra-high-end store just north of Toronto, "Audio Excellence" which sells speakers costing as much as $200,000 a pair. So clearly, this reviewer is no stranger to the ultra-high-end. Another ultra-high-end audio store just north of Toronto, "American Sound of Canada" has recently adopted BRYSTON as part of its product line, and trust me, that store doesn't carry anything they're not hugely impressed with. (If you haven't seen it, please consider going over "The Next Best Thing's" very recent review of the Totem speaker driving the 'lowly' Bryston integrated amp.) Like you, he's very passionate about what he's doing. Look for his review of the Totem speaker - the V2 Metal, I think, which includes his impressions of the Bryston. The Totem speakers he's reviewing retails at $15,000 USD for the pair. (I have zero affiliation with either of those aforementioned stereo stores.)

[@jcvr18]

Looks like a great place For Audio

[@glenncurry3041]

Jay's inability to distiquish the superiority of vinyl says all I need to know.

[@jaysaudiolab]

Thanks

[@jaysaudiolab]

I don't have the bandwidth to deal with Vinyl. Sorry

[@glenncurry3041]

@@jaysaudiolab And that is one of it's superiorities.

[@stephenscharf5315]

Mike, what are the speakers again? Thanks.

[@bhupendraparekh6225]

Kharma absolutely stunning,

[@robertobrandoli4462]

I would like to see the ethernet connection of the digital source, do you use a audiophile switch?

[@tullskull]

Jay if you don't have a vinyl collection then it isn't really practical. Ha I just cracked myself up thinking of all of us TT guys wondering what practical means!

[@Bones135]

Jay is a giant!

[@jslim49]

Jay have tried listening to uncompressed music . That will make a World of differents

[@labalo5]

Stick with the Gryphons over Boulder and upgrade the source. Solid!!

[@khalid969]

What was the price of that source component, and what is it exactly? Is it a streamer or a Dac?

[@jasonlsimmons]

Looks like it's a music server without any DAC.

[@scootergants]

"Napster" lol.

[@imosolar]

J: what's the name of the source server

[@jlo8775]

I don’t get the Roon obsession….who cares how great the interface is if it sounds like crap?

[@petekutheis3822]

OH BULLSHIT-- my mytek dac plus and roon tidal has a 3D soundstage

[@MrRay-nt6vb]

Have you ever looked at anything from PS Audio? Specifically the DirectStream DAC? I've been curious about this product for a while. It up-samples to DSD. There are a lot of video's about it on KZbin. This is an old video explaining the how this product got started along with some technical details: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pZyqXqOIr99krZY

[@MrRay-nt6vb]

Here is a short video explaining how they go from FPGA digital to analog: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hWfbdZuPr5J7oLs

[@gnoter2]

....make him listen!?...yeah, right!...more like, ask nicely! (Super muskles)...if the taako/msb is all that? Why bother w vinyl!!?...(I prefer vinyl!!)...can't compete w the ease of usage!...sonics.

[@anthonymartino9917]

Sad when 87% are forever priced out of this esoteric crap.

[@mesonto]

This video kind of leaves me perplexed. I don't know why people think Roon sounds good. I say this because, you don't even need an extreme system like Jay's to hear the difference a good quality audio player makes. Roon sounds average, just average and until they fix their sound quality issue I wouldn't touch it. Although with not as much functionality, or certainly not as pretty there is another audio player that I've heard... Audirvana sounds incredibly good. Now I do realize that Roon always talks about how good the experience is while Audirvana always talks about how good they're listening experience is. And well, it certainly makes a difference.

[@divertiti]

What other streaming player sounds better for Qobuz and tidal?

[@mesonto]

@@divertiti I just mentioned Audirvana for one at least.

[@Tacet137]

So you are a giant I see

[@billiondollarbaby3276]

Marvin Hagler on Steroids :)

[@pacificateur3630]

More marketing. Now we know the true goal of your journey...

[@thomass.9167]

Silliness. The guy just standing next to a piece of electronics in his house and saying nice things about it is a form of marketing. Not sure about you but I find the inside of a hifi store pretty cool. I hope to see more of Suncoast Audio. Looks like they have nice and shiny things there.

[@jaysaudiolab]

@@thomass.9167 Thanks

[@bikemike1118]

@S M....are you Mr. Spock? Everything seems to sound „edgy“ to your 👂👂

[@MrSpock-bm4vm]

@@bikemike1118 Hello. Spock here.

[@polymusegal]

Love vinyl. Curious as to what thought about the sound.