Phasure Mach III Audio PC with Linear Power Supply

[Beauchamp Michel]

Hi Peter,

Thanks for the instructions regarding the reduction in the number of cores used by the CPU. I'll give it a try.

Michael

[briefremarks]

I received the Stealth III (14/28) a few days ago, along with the Lush^2, and have just started to listen.

I started to listen with the though "I must post something on the forum about the sound" when a very strange thing happened.  I wanted to write not about the sound, but about the MUSIC.

I wanted to tell everyone about the performers, compositions, songs I was listening to.   The "system" faded completely into the background.  I was left with, and lost in, the MUSIC--real, palpable, exquisite.

Much more later--

[PeterSt]

I started to listen with the though "I must post something on the forum about the sound" when a very strange thing happened.

Man, I read this this morning with pleasure and real interest. I thought of the psychology in order ...
And then this happened to me tonight. Never ever happened in say 12 x 350 (years) listening sessions :

I forgot to turn up the volume after 20 minutes or so, knowing about all needs to warm up (what only happens at real playback).
I just for-got.
But so intrigued I was/am with the new sound. Of course I also have the Mach III and this surely is crucial, but in my case I continued a new Lush^2 setting I tried yesterday late.


Btw, I don't think this is related to "not necessary to play ouder" as such. It is just the psyche and my focus on whatever all happens, that I forgot to do it.
Feels a bit similar to your experience, Ramesh. That's why I post this.

Great(est) stuff.
... which btw lets us look deeper into the infinite possibilities of audio in general, with the Mach III as a base, but maybe the Lush^2 of equally importance ?

Thank you, Ramesh.
Peter

[briefremarks]

A conclusion first: the upgrade to the Mach III and Lush^2 result in the biggest jump in SQ compared to everything that came before.  I am quite sure everything that came before was necessary (G3, Blaxius, 2.10, etc.) but the Mach III and Lush^2 are completely transformative--the change feels qualitatively different, like the music is now in a different dimension.

I am actually at a loss for words, other than to say, music is much more REAL and palpable.  I know we've often said about the SQ "feels like the musicians are in the room" but this is a little different.  The music is now in the environment, like all other sounds, so that very often I found myself instinctively reacting "what was that?" like you would if you suddenly heard a sound in the environment--a glass being placed on a table, something dropping to the floor, a door closing, book falling in the bookcase, etc. 

Something is different at a bodily level.  Imagine you are in room and someone suddenly hits a cymbal, even though you expect it, the sound is startling.  The music now has this startling quality.  Again imagine someone suddenly starting to sing in a room.  Again startling even if you expect it.

I'll try to find words, but the biggest change feels to me like the music has now become a part of the environment, so the "real" sounds in the environment are not different from the "recorded" sound in the room.

I'm sure much more needs to be optimized.  But it feels like the foundation provided by the Mach III and Lush^2 are at a whole new level--I can imagine we are only starting to exploit what might now be possible.

Absolutely fantastic Peter!

[PeterSt]

Man man man, Ramesh ...
I won't say "if only I could have found these words" (like I said similar to Fred), but there is so much 100% truth in each and every word you wrote down there. Unbelievable.

The phenomenon of bneing startled of a sound and then especially related to something which could really be there in the room, is a known one (at least for me it is). Ever back this started with crying babies where you in a split of a second look around to see where this baby is (this is all unconscious stuff). Later it happened with more sounds, the more the system improved. And lateLY it happens almost continuously. Last night ? I think 5 or 6 times in 90 minutes of time. And then exactly as you say for the examples.
For me it is part of the "spookyness" and it is only that I never thought of writing about it. This, while numerous times you don't understand what happens, look around in the room (everybody doing his thing so it weren't them) and some times more than startling (more heart attack like). So how could I forget to mention it.

Again imagine someone suddenly starting to sing in a room.

Yesterday I had this experience of a woman singing, so so clear and pure (hey, for a well known track, so go figure) that I thought "if this can still be improved upon then I don't know how". So just this simgle element of this singing, of which you can hear, sense and even see that there is nothing to lack.

Not reading back into your super texts and just thinking of what happens to me over here ..., here it is so that then there breaks a glass, then someone opens a door, then something is dropped, then so undefined thing breaks, then there's a siren, watching out of the window but nothing to be seen);
The difference with how it previously was could be testified by the latter example. So I hear this siren, see nothing anywhere, so it has to be in the music. I G-D can't even prove it really, other than noticing that in reality it is not happening (no police car to be seen) or did not happen (can't find a broken glass). And, because this is happening with so many sounds now (all in music you played a 100 times before) it is different than the baby example, because from the baby you kind of know it is not there anyway (OK it was, ever back ) while the police car really can be there daily, and I must say that more glasses break than desired, as well. Etc. This, Ramesh, is how it makes your description so good and compact. It is all in there (I think).

Is this an other dimension ? YES.
I think I already referred to that in a previous post. Possibly I called it "universe". Anyway, I related it to new audio phenomena required because the normal descriptions don't suffice any more.

Thank you so much, Ramesh.
Peter

[briefremarks]

OK.  So went back to Mach II tonight.  Lush^2.  I was partly wondering how much of the improvement is the Mach III versus the Lush^2.  It's quite clear that the enormous difference comes from the Mach III.  There is something magical with the Mach III.

Mach II + Lush^2 sounds excellent in every way EXCEPT when compared with the Mach III.  There is something extra going on with the Mach III.  Not sure what it is, but, as I said before, the quality of the music is drastically different.

[PeterSt]

Thank you for sharing that, Ramesh.

Peter

[fmanheck]

I have to chime in here as well but I will post in Lush^2 also.

The Mach III brought me to a huge step up in musical realism I had not encountered before. Ramesh it is great to hear your experience is the same. And we are all struggling to find the words while not exaggerating what we are now hearing.

I totally agree I loved the sound of the Mach II with its own step up of musical realism. It never ceases to amaze me that a change in computer is more than A DAC upgrade. More than a digital upgrade. It is a music upgrade.

I am no big fan of the tweaking and fidgeting of all the settings and the idiosyncrasies that come with a computer designed to disappear and get out of the way to let the unadulterated music signal go through itself and through the entire playback system to my ears. Peter is the explorer here. I am content to follow his settings and recommendations. I have never been led astray.

I confess here I am no history buff. In fact I googled this to come up with the name BUT....

Peter is the Henry Hudson of the digital age

[CoenP]

Maybe a new slogan would be appropriate:

‘Mach III, the best a man can get!’

Regards, Coen

[PeterSt]

[fmanheck]

Last night Music 33 came over and we changed (Dave did but it was easy even for me) from my 14/28 cores to 10/20 in the Bios.

Absolutely stunning transformation AGAIN

[fmanheck]

We were there last night just shaking our heads in disbelief. Not sure how much Lush^2 had to do with this but we guessed it did.

So Peter, can I get a refund on those 4 cores I don't need any more

[PeterSt]

Not sure how much Lush^2 had to do with this

What was the percentage ?
So you know, this gets a bit dangerous because say bourbon of 40% now will become 40%^2. Fysiologically this may bring some problems, while physics tell me it can't even exist.
All I can say is that because you were with 2, you can devide the 40^2 by 2. But I promise : this doesn't help much.

Peter

[PeterSt]

Well Fred and others ...

we changed (Dave did but it was easy even for me) from my 14/28 cores to 10/20 in the Bios.

Fred is up to the next task, and Dave may not be coming around soon again (he feels teased). So Fred, get out your tools and apply this :

Move the inner memory DIMMS (the both closest to the processor heatsink) to the outermost free slots.

So we want some fun eh ?
Let us know whether you still see 48GB of memory after the change, or that all broke except the hammer. If the former, try more superlatives (or not, as long as it is honest).

Best regards,
Peter

[keithtaruski]

I just recieved by STealth Mach III. Wow!!! /The boot from RAM is even better! I must tell you everything sounds so beautiful, the music sometimes brings tears to my eyes. It is  hard to stop listening to music. You have done such a wonderful job. One of these days I will come see you and buy you a beer.
Thankyou so much for everything! I am glad I had you do this. You are the best!!!!  I love music more than ever!