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Old 07-17-2010, 06:43 PM
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Default I Have My New Sooloos

I received my new Sooloos a little over two weeks ago, as promised here is my initial impressions on the Sooloos system.

My new Sooloos system is a Control 10 and a Twinstore. The Twinstore comes with 2-1TB hard drives, one for content and one for a forced backup. The first thing I did was swap out the hard drives with some 2TB Western Digital Enterprise class drives. For the cost of 2 hard drives ($650) I doubled my storage capacity, this is much better than getting a second Twinstore for $3100. The new drives were no problem to swap out and have not caused any problems so far.

On my initial setup of the Sooloos I had 2 days of frustrating troubles. The biggest problem is the Sooloos came with an old version of the operating system, I did not realise this at first because I tried to do a software update and it said no updates available. After having the system on for 2 days I got a message that an update was available, I think they verify your registration info before they send you the update (this could be problems for people buying used Sooloos systems). Once the software was up to date everything worked great except the sound quality was a little off.

I'm sending a digital signal from my Sooloos to my McIntosh MDA1000 DAC. I do the same thing with my MS750 server so I expected the 2 servers to sound the same but the MS750 sounded a little better. The problem was the Sooloos digital output was set to upsample 88.2, my MDA1000 DAC also upsamples so I figured this was the problem (you don't want to upsample twice). Once I turned the Sooloos upsampling off the 2 servers sounded basically the same.

Now that I have all my setup problems figured out I'm concentrating on loading my music. I'm loading the music from my MS750 backup (FLAC files), this is taking WAY WAY longer than I thought it would. The Sooloos has lots of room and sections for entering extra info like reviews, credits, genres, tags... This extra info is what makes the Sooloos user interface so cool and the more info that is entered the more you can take advantage of the interface. Sooloos gets its meta data from All Music Guide which is great but does not always pick up the correct info and only loads small 200x200 pics. It's taking me a long time to import my files because I'm trying to be perfect with them. All the files need a new high rez pic, about 60% get the incorrect label, about 20% don't find reviews or credits, and about 10% have track name problems. If I don't find the pics on amazon I'll look on the net for a good pic (I'm trying for all 500x500 or better). Sometimes the AMG has the credits but they won't transfer in (even with the AMG# being manually entered), when this happens I'll type the info in. If it does not find a review I'll look on amazon or I'll enter an artist's bio in if I can't find a review. It's much easier to fix the track problems on import because you can select "revert to user data" which will fix it all the problems with one click. All these things take A LOT of time. So far I've loaded 375 titles in about 18 days, this puts me on a pace to have all my music loaded by the end of October.
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Old 07-17-2010, 07:06 PM
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OK, you see my setup info in the above post, so how do I like the Sooloos?

To sum it up simply, the Sooloos is by far the coolest server I have used (I've used iTunes, Escient, McIntosh, Olive, Envive and Cary servers). Using the Control 10 touch screen to control the Sooloos is lightning fast and very slick. Selecting music is a breeze, there are dozens of ways to search or cross reference the music database.

I did sign up for Rhapsody and this online music sounds better than I thought it would. I'm sure I'll find lots of good music on Rhapsody. You can add Rhapsody CDs to the Sooloos just like they are a CD you loaded yourself (it has all the meta data and shows up in your music library just like all the other music).

The iPad app works great and makes a great wireless control for the Sooloos but you loose MANY of the features of the Control 10 touch screen controls. I was thinking of just getting the Ensemble Sooloos system and an iPad to control it, retail price on this would only be $4500 compared to the $8600 for the Control 10 and Twinstore. I'm so glad I got the Control 10 instead of just an Ensemble, the magic of the Sooloos system is in the Control 10. I did get a nice discount on my system but even without the discount I would recommend getting the Control 10 for the extra money.

All this being said, the Sooloos system is very expensive. Is the cool interface worth all the extra money? After using the Sooloos for a little over 2 weeks I'm not sure if it's worth the extra money but I would probably buy it again based on my experience so far.
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Last edited by Victor; 07-17-2010 at 07:09 PM.
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  #3  
Old 07-17-2010, 07:13 PM
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Great to hear Victor, when you have a chance throw up some pics.

Congrad's!
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FLORIDA
MX136, MC1.2KW(10) MC2KW(2), MCD1100, MS750(2) MVP881, C1000C/P/T, MPC1500, HT-2 SUBS(2) HT3F(2) WS350(2) XRT2K, XCS2K, XR27(2) XCS350(2) JL GOTHAM v2 SUBS(2) SILENZIO MUSIC SERVER, LUMAGEN RADIANCE SCALER, SONY VPH-G90U 4K PROJECTOR, STEWART 120" MOTORIZED SCREEN, CINEMA-TECH SEATING, WW PLATINUM CABLES
Reference System: ACCUPHASE A300 AMPS, C3900 PRE-AMP, DP1000 CD/SACD TRANSPORT, DC1000 DIGITAL PROCESSOR, DG-68 DIGITAL EQUALIZER, T1200 FM STEREO TUNER, PS1230 POWER SUPPLY, HRS-SXR CUSTOM RACK w/ M3X SHELVES, TAD REFERENCE ONE MK2 LOUDSPEAKERS, WW PLATINUM CABLES
CAPE COD

MX150, MC501(2) MC1.2KW(10) MC2301(2) MR88, MVP881, MCD1100, MDA1000, C1000C/P/T, MPC1500, ESOTERIC K-01X 30th ANNIVERSARY (BLACK) SACD/CD PLAYER, G02-X CLOCK, HT3F(2) XRT2K, XCS2K, XR27(2) JL GOTHAM v2 SUBS(2) JL FATHOM F113v2 SUBS(4) SOUND ANCHOR STANDS(2) KALEIDESCAPE STRATO & TERRA SERVERS 80-TB, LUMAGEN RADIANCE SCALER, SONY VPH-G90U 4K PROJECTOR, STEWART 120" SCREEN, SONUS FABER STRADIVARI, SILENZIO MUSIC SERVER, FORTRESS SEATING, WW PLATINUM CABLES
Analog Rig: CLEARAUDIO INNOVATION WOOD, UNIVERSAL ARM w/ Da VINCI' CART, 2nd UNIVERSAL ARM w/ GOLDFINGER STATEMENT CART, HRS-MXR REFERENCE RACK-GLOSS BLACK w/ M3X SHELVES, AESTHETIX RHEA SIG PHONO-PRE, BRYSTON BHA-1 HEADPHONE AMP, WW PLATINUM CABLES
Reference System: BURMESTER 911MK3 AMP(3), 088 PRE-AMP, 089 CD PLAYER, 100 PHONO PRE-AMP, 948 POWER CONDITIONER, ACCUPHASE DG-68 VOICING EQUALIZER, AVID ACUTUS REFERENCE SP TT, GRAHAM PHANTOM II SUPREME ARM, BENZ MICRO LP-S CART, GRANDIOSO P1X/D1X STACK, G1X RUBIDIUM MASTER CLOCK, N05 NETWORK PLAYER, SILENZIO MUSIC SERVER, HRS-SXR CUSTOM RACK w/ M3X SHELVES, SONUS FABER AIDA SPEAKERS, JL FATHOM F113v2 SUBS(2) SOUND ANCHOR STANDS(2) WW PLATINUM CABLES

Library System: GRANDIOSO M1 MONOBLOCK AMPS, C1 LINESTAGE PRE-AMP, K1X CD/SACD PLAYER, G1 MASTER RUBIDIUM CLOCK, E02 PHONO-PRE, SILENZIO MUSIC SERVER, AERIAL ACOUSTICS 20T V2, AERIAL SW12 SUBS(2), CANTON REF K1’s, VPI HRX TT w/ SDS POWER SUPPLY, ORTOFON CADENZA BLACK CART, KLAUDIO RCM, SHUNYATA DENALI 6000/S v2, SHUNYATA OMEGA QR’s, WW PLATINUM CABLES
Esoteric/Bryston System: ESOTERIC C02-X PRE-AMP, P-02X TRANSPORT, D02-X DAC, G02-X CLOCK, BRYSTON 28B3 CUBED MONOBLOCK AMPS(4), BRYSTON BHA-1 HEADPHONE AMP, SHUNYATA DENALI 6000/S v2(2) EVEREST 8000 POWER CONDITIONER(2) ALTAIRA CG & SG HUBS, AMR-DP777-SE DAC, SILENZIO MUSIC SERVER, TAD REFERENCE ONE MK2 LOUDSPEAKERS, QUADRASPIRE RACK, WW PLATINUM CABLES
Accuphase/Canton System: ACCUPHASE E800 INTEGRATED, DP570 CD/SACD PLAYER, T1200 FM STEREO TUNER, DG-68 VOICING EQUALIZER, PS530 POWER SUPPLY, CANTON REF K3’s, CANTON REF K5’s, SILENZIO MUSIC SERVER, HRS MXR REFERENCE MAHOGHANY RACK w/ M3X2 SHELVES, WW GOLD CABLES
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  #4  
Old 07-17-2010, 07:39 PM
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Victor.......Reading about the loading chores returned memories of my MS750 loading. It is time consuming at best, and in your case requires constant watching to ensure the cover art, and meta data are correct. I don't envy the event. There is satisfaction at the end of the tunnel, though. Congratulations on an amazing piece of legendary audio gear.
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STUDIO - McIntosh C1000C/P, MC2301 (2), MR88, Aurender N10, Esoteric K-01X, Shunyata Sigma spdif digital cable, Sonos Connect, PurePower 2000, Stillpoints, Furutech Flux 50, Michell Gyro SE, Michell HR Power Supply, SME 309, Ortofon Cadenza Black, Wireworld, Sonus faber Amati Anniversario
LIVING ROOM - McIntosh C2300, MC75 (2), MR85, Magnum Dynalab 205, Simaudio MOON Neo 260D-T, Schiit Audio Yggdrasil, Aurender N100H, Shunyata Sigma USB cable, Micro Seiki DD40, Ortofon Cadenza Blue, Nakamichi BX-300, Sony 60ES DAT, PS Audio P10, Furutech Flux 50, Sonos Connect, Stillpoints, Wireworld, Kimber, PMC EB1i, JL Audio f113
VINTAGE - McIntosh MA230, Tandberg 3011A tuner, Olive 04HD, Sony DTC-59ES DAT, McIntosh 4300V, JBL 4312A
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Old 07-18-2010, 01:48 PM
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Victor,
Thanks for sharing and the well-written account of your setup. You're absolutely doing the right thing with getting the metadata right - just went through the same pain-in-the-*** process with a 70-disc set of Vladimir Horowitz recordings on iTunes/Gracenote. It will pay off over the long run, and at the end of the day there is no rush to have it all done if other, more important things come up (another lesson learned from rushing a different boxed set of classical music on the server).

The Sooloos system has always been attractive for the interface and cutting edge yet not bleeding edge technology. The one time I had a demo from a factory rep it sounded terrific through a pair of Wilson Duettes, a McIntosh MC252 & Mc preamp.

Enjoy!
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Control: McIntosh C1100, Mcintosh MX151
Power: Mcintosh MC2301s (front), McIntosh MC501 (center), Mcintosh MC402 (rear)
Speakers: Sonus Faber Amati Futura (front and back), SF Vox center
Power/connections: PS Audio Power Port receptacles, RGPC 400 pro (2) WireWorld interconnects and speaker cable
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Old 07-18-2010, 01:54 PM
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Victor.......Still no Sooloos photos. We are such visual creatures. Please don't deny us this pleasure.
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STUDIO - McIntosh C1000C/P, MC2301 (2), MR88, Aurender N10, Esoteric K-01X, Shunyata Sigma spdif digital cable, Sonos Connect, PurePower 2000, Stillpoints, Furutech Flux 50, Michell Gyro SE, Michell HR Power Supply, SME 309, Ortofon Cadenza Black, Wireworld, Sonus faber Amati Anniversario
LIVING ROOM - McIntosh C2300, MC75 (2), MR85, Magnum Dynalab 205, Simaudio MOON Neo 260D-T, Schiit Audio Yggdrasil, Aurender N100H, Shunyata Sigma USB cable, Micro Seiki DD40, Ortofon Cadenza Blue, Nakamichi BX-300, Sony 60ES DAT, PS Audio P10, Furutech Flux 50, Sonos Connect, Stillpoints, Wireworld, Kimber, PMC EB1i, JL Audio f113
VINTAGE - McIntosh MA230, Tandberg 3011A tuner, Olive 04HD, Sony DTC-59ES DAT, McIntosh 4300V, JBL 4312A
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  #7  
Old 07-18-2010, 05:28 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jdandy View Post
Victor.......Reading about the loading chores returned memories of my MS750 loading. It is time consuming at best, and in your case requires constant watching to ensure the cover art, and meta data are correct. I don't envy the event. There is satisfaction at the end of the tunnel, though. Congratulations on an amazing piece of legendary audio gear.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 80B View Post
Victor,
Thanks for sharing and the well-written account of your setup. You're absolutely doing the right thing with getting the metadata right - just went through the same pain-in-the-*** process with a 70-disc set of Vladimir Horowitz recordings on iTunes/Gracenote. It will pay off over the long run, and at the end of the day there is no rush to have it all done if other, more important things come up (another lesson learned from rushing a different boxed set of classical music on the server).
There's no doubt that loading the music is a huge pain with any server, box sets are the worst! I have a few 2:1 CDs that I have split into 2 different titles, these can be a pain finding pics and info for also.

I know the extra effort now will pay off in the long run but I'm greatly looking forward to the day that I'll be done loading.
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Old 07-18-2010, 05:30 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Masterlu View Post
Great to hear Victor, when you have a chance throw up some pics.

Congrad's!
Quote:
Originally Posted by jdandy View Post
Victor.......Still no Sooloos photos. We are such visual creatures. Please don't deny us this pleasure.
I did take some pics but I can't figure out how to upload them. I don't think I have permission.
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Old 07-18-2010, 07:21 PM
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Victor,
How is the web interface with the SooLoos? I really like the GUI but having to get up and walk across the room to use the touchscreen defeats its effectiveness. How are you handling this?
Jim
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Old 07-18-2010, 09:07 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Still-One View Post
Victor,
How is the web interface with the SooLoos? I really like the GUI but having to get up and walk across the room to use the touchscreen defeats its effectiveness. How are you handling this?
Jim
The iPad and PC web interface is just so-so. It's a little better than the Olive web interface but not much better. With the Sooloos iPad interface you can easily view and create play lists and see what is currently playing but you can't view the cool meta data features like reviews, credits, track/CD ratings...

My "sweet spot" listening position is the left seat of my couch in my listening room. This spot is close to the middle of a 26'x19' room, the right side of the couch is close to the corner. Initially I setup the Control 10 touch screen on a table next to my main listening position, with this setup obviously the Control 10 is in easy reach. With this setup I felt a little crowded by the big Control 10 screen (and it makes a little heat and just a faint transformer noise). So, I decided to put the Control 10 on a table at the right side of the couch. This new spot for the Control 10 kind of hides it in the corner but the seating position on the right side of the couch is still over 8 feet from the corner so it still sounds pretty good in that position. If I'm listening in the sweet spot I can easily slide over to the other end of the couch to play with the Control 10 touch screen. If I don't feel like sliding over on the couch I can grab my iPad to control the Sooloos. This is working out pretty good so far. I have the Twinstore in a second bedroom that I'm using for an office, this keeps the hard drives out of my listening room.
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