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Who's Heard the Dutch & Dutch Speakers

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It really doesn’t take long once you get a spare weekend or two.. then it’s done, forever. Time to sort out a proper backup copy and a put regime in place to update the backup every week/when new materials added
 
I use both, local files (c 1400+ albums) and qobuz periodically to explore new music and new artists. Its a great catalogue imho; allows me to decide which ones I want to purchase. I still believe in owning the files of the music I really like. i don't want to go back to physical media.
 
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Is this your first steaming system Andrew C!?

Yes, sort of. I did use a Sonos Connect before, as part of a Sonos system, but the files copied were only small wav files.

This is the first time proper I’ve ripped FLAC files etc.

27 done last night whilst watching telly.

About 900 more to go.

Now, where are those speakers...?
 
I started with ripping/playing FLAC files about 15+ years ago (when the format was first introduced). Never looked back, i still have the CDs (without jewel cases) just incase. I have always hankered for a TT (LP12, again) but the accessibility of ripped/streamed media simply outways the cost, and almost religious rigour of playing vinyl. My last CD player was a Micromega Stage 3, which i sold in 2007 (IIRC) once you settle down with the 8c and digital/streaming you may not find use for the TT (unless your vinyl collection is full of unobtainable material via t'internet)
 
IMHO rip them all and have the luxury of your own local files. What would you do if the internet went down for a day or two ?! .... Plus, It's yours, you own it, so best have access to it, IMHO.

Don't forget that Qobuz lets you store a substantial number of cds/tracks in an offline library for which you don't need internet. Also means you can load your phone and/or tablet with a big selection of music which you can listen to without 3/4G. You do have to use Qobuz' own app for this offline library - roon doesn't support it, not sure why.
 
...You do have to use Qobuz' own app for this offline library - roon doesn't support it, not sure why.

I suspect that this feature is simply not available to third party apps, so most likely Roon has no say in the matter. Qobuz does not want you to access to its content without an active subscription and needs to be able to revoke access to any offline content if you cancel. TIDAL has a similar feature.
 
Your D250 CI and Fact 8s are also a cracking combo! noting to be sniffed at IMHO!

I’d say the bass and mid clarity on both the actives was better. Quite a bit better. But I’d have to compare at home - I have a tricky room.

Both of the actives have cons.... less to do with SQ.
 
Thought Qobuz storing media was only available via iOS / app?

No, I have offline libraries on my iPhone, iPad, Windows 10 laptop and iMac, so pretty much all options are covered. It was occasionally handy for hires CDs when my internet and or Qobuz was a bit flakey. Also was a handy way of separating some albums out, since Qobuz own facilities for organizing favorites are crap. Now I have fibre and Roon I’m not so bothered, but I still use the offline library on my mobile devices when I’m travelling. No good reason why Roon couldn’t support it, Roon is perfectly capable of checking whether you have a Qobuz subscription. Though isn’t it the case that Roon won’t work without internet?
 
No good reason why Roon couldn’t support it, Roon is perfectly capable of checking whether you have a Qobuz subscription. Though isn’t it the case that Roon won’t work without internet?

Roon have previously posted about this. Qobuz licensing agreements with labels etc don’t allow third parties to have downloadable content.

Both Roon and Qobuz (and presumably Tidal) are capable, but the providers don’t have permission, so it’s legal rather than technical.
 
Your feedback would be appreciated, when you have the time.

This is a tricky one. I don’t believe both were setup measured, and they were both setup at the same time for obvious reasons. So perhaps not optimal. I also had some biases. And more stupidly, I hadn’t thought about what music to use!

Anyway, all I’ll say at this point is the 8c didn’t do what I’d expected in the bass dept from everything I’ve read. It went lower than the Kii for sure but I ‘felt’ the Kii more. This could well be a setup thing.

From that short but very nice demo I came away interested but wishing some aspects of both were combined into one product that was; lounge friendly, came with a decent wireless remote, had a proper iOS app for all settings, had parametric EQs, and a transferable warranty.
 
No, I have offline libraries on my iPhone, iPad, Windows 10 laptop and iMac, so pretty much all options are covered. It was occasionally handy for hires CDs when my internet and or Qobuz was a bit flakey. Also was a handy way of separating some albums out, since Qobuz own facilities for organizing favorites are crap. Now I have fibre and Roon I’m not so bothered, but I still use the offline library on my mobile devices when I’m travelling. No good reason why Roon couldn’t support it, Roon is perfectly capable of checking whether you have a Qobuz subscription. Though isn’t it the case that Roon won’t work without internet?


I do same with Quoboz LMS embedded app. But then as we all know the LMS is open source and well-supported. Roon are not big enough to cover all the other systems intregration out there that would be needed.

But I also maintain my owned ripped library for times when offline or if virgin are acting up.

Good to cover bothe bases. Imo
 
This is a tricky one. I don’t believe both were setup measured, and they were both setup at the same time for obvious reasons. So perhaps not optimal. I also had some biases. And more stupidly, I hadn’t thought about what music to use!

Anyway, all I’ll say at this point is the 8c didn’t do what I’d expected in the bass dept from everything I’ve read. It went lower than the Kii for sure but I ‘felt’ the Kii more. This could well be a setup thing.

From that short but very nice demo I came away interested but wishing some aspects of both were combined into one product that was; lounge friendly, came with a decent wireless remote, had a proper iOS app for all settings, had parametric EQs, and a transferable warranty.

Is it possible that what you “felt” from the Kii Three was a modal peak? The Dutch & Dutch 8c has the tools required to compensate for such problems. The Kii Three does not.
 
Is it possible that what you “felt” from the Kii Three was a modal peak? The Dutch & Dutch 8c has the tools required to compensate for such problems. The Kii Three does not.
It’s possible, we didn’t get into measurements on the day and like I said, neither setup had been measured. We did clear out all PEQs in the 8c but it made little difference.

I’d heard the 8c described as ‘narcotic bass’ and a bass ‘you can really feel / shake the house’. On the day it did neither even at SPL much higher than I listen to. I’m not sure if the wall behind them was partition or not and because I never saw any measurements it’s hard to judge. All I can really do is compare what I heard them both do in the same room on that day.

I wish I’d had longer and could get into more technical stuff but it achieved the first stage of the process! I know which I’m more inclined to try at home initially and as I’ve said a few times, it’s not just SQ considerations. I’ll think very hard about it before moving ahead.

Just to also be clear, one of the key things I’m hoping to achieve in my difficult space (Edwardian house, suspended exposed wooden floor, fireplaces, semi-open plan, little furniture) is get a better bass ‘impact’ without the hassle of adding a sub or any room treatments. I’ve tried a few bits of kit and all have the same issue. Improvements came from DSP and convolution but it’s never got where I want. I was hoping these ‘next gen’ actives would help but until I try at home it’s hard to say. I’m also just not sure I want such a complicated expensive box from relatively new companies and restrictive warranties are one extra con for me personally.
 
This is a tricky one. I don’t believe both were setup measured, and they were both setup at the same time for obvious reasons. So perhaps not optimal. I also had some biases. And more stupidly, I hadn’t thought about what music to use!

Where was the demo Hifi_swlon? I'd like to hear the 8Cs, but don't know the 2 nearest dealers, Igloo or Ultimate Stream.
 
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