www.tmraudio.com (BigCommerce)

www.tmraudio.com (BigCommerce)

5
Based on 1254 reviews
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Steven T.

The Music Room was very

The Music Room was very helpful and very easy to deal with regarding the purchase of this Cardas phono cable. I am very pleased and satisfied with the service from TMR.
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Harry R.

Excellent transaction.

Ayre P-5xe arrived in better cosmetic condition than described and performs as it should. Sales people very helpful. Excellent transaction.
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Todd F.

Really can’t tell you how

Really can’t tell you how impressed I am with Scott & the team; hoping the repair of my Naim unit goes OK.
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David C.

Very Satisfied

The buying process with Ryan went smoothly, taking about 15 minutes. I’m very pleased overall, as doing business with TMR is always a pleasure. The packaging consistently keeps my gear safe during shipping, and the website is accurate regarding inventory. Of course, the selection is top-notch, featuring both quality used products and new equipment.
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MICHAEL W.

An Excellent DAC Upgrade

Like many audiophiles, I tend to upgrade and try new gear with some frequency, always looking for that "perfect (ha) piece". . . A year or so ago I replaced my Chord Qutest with a Soul Note D-1N DAC. Purchased new from TMR; with their generous return policy and plenty of time for auditioning and break-in, TMR is my go-to purveyor. The D-1N was a significant upgrade over the Qutest with a significantly larger and deeper soundstage, far more inner detail, and greater dynamics. The Qutest is an excellent DAC but can sound a little grey and stage constricted. The D-1N eliminated virtually any and all of those issues, albeit at a much higher price. In my system (Devore O/93, LTA Integrated, Aurender Streamer, and primarily Audioquest Thunderbird and Hurricane wire) the D-1N brought music to life. 3D imaging, superb depth of field, wide wall to wall stage width, genuine tone, natural detail (macro and micro), and lots air. My system became a true pleasure to turn on and have a seat, not a session of "what can I nit-pick tonight?" Well. . . being happy with the D-1N, the dreaded audiophile nervosa sometimes reared its head and the D-2 beckoned with its siren song of - more processing power, better power supply, upgraded internal clock, - arrggghh. I silently struggled but determined that the laws of diminishing returns would bite a bit too hard and I was happy with the 1 series DAC. Until. . . TMR put some of their Soul Note stock on sale and I just had to find out if the D-2 would indeed be a real upgrade and not some parallel exchange that offered modest improvement but mostly just presentation change. The D-2 was inbound for a listen. Soul Note's mid level digital unit arrived in perfect condition (thank you TMR). You, "unboxing buffs" will find the triple packaged unit to be a tactile and suspense delight. I personally just wanted to get the thing out, on my rack, and take a listen. Right out of the box the D-2 sounded really good, which I find to always be a great benchmark. I know it would go through its break-in histrionics but the initial sound was most encouraging. (I personally have found that most new gear shows promise if it sounds good initially. I have yet to have a piece of equipment that sounds bad with my other components upon first listen take a 180 deg. turn for the better. Your experiences may vary, of course) The DAC, over successive listens went from very good overall, to a little bloated in the bass, to what I considered to be mild attenuation in the treble, then to a lack of bass, and a tizzy treble, and back again to a great balance. This over the course of 150 hours of constant signal fed through my streamer. The above sequence of aural events during burn-in has been what I've experienced with virtually all new equipment. At no time was the DAC unlistenable it just hadn't reached its potential. My D-1N probably went a full 500 hours before it became fully stabilized and was at its ultimate level of performance. IMO, the Soul Note D-2 is probably a 30% improvement over the D-1N which is no slouch. I believe that many music lovers would be satisfied for a long time, if not forever with Soul Note's entry level unit. However, the D-2 brings more flesh & blood to the performers, they are simply "there" in a more tangible way. Instruments of all manner are spread out before you in holographic placement that is at times uncanny and quite striking. To the point where I have looked around to see who did what to cause that sound. Atmospherics are stunning with every recording venue clearly outlined in the room. Boston Symphony Orchestra recordings are a great benchmark for me having been in Symphony Hall many times. The D-2 portrays that halls special reverb perfectly - the D-1N was good but the D-2 nails it. Dynamics are greatly enhanced, but not overblown in any way. No "shout" or over emphasized "jump", simply honest dynamics - and yes, the D-2 can make you jump if your system allows for that. Tonality is spot on, piano sounds right with no glare (a very positive Soul Note trait) on the right hand and the lower notes are solid and fulsome. Outstanding note decay on everything. This too is something both Soul Note DACs excel with. . . the decays are so natural as they fade into the dark. Fabulous stuff. PRaT is spot on - head bopping, toe tapping goodness here. The upgraded clock in the D-2 shows itself in this arena of sound reproduction. The Soul Note 1 Series DAC isn't in the same league as the D-2; in fact, to my ears I personally haven't heard any other DAC do PRaT as well or as wholesomely as the D-2. I kept finding myself saying, "Wow, this thing really boogies along. " on all music. CONCLUSION: I like the Soul Note sound a lot, it just sounds right to me. Why their gear isn't more heralded I do not know. The designers sound and design philosophy (see Soul Note website) makes perfect sense to my mind and to my ears. Soul Note has achieved their goal as far as I'm concerned and that is the reason I wanted to upgrade within this brand and not to another. If you're looking for a DAC that provides all manner of connectivity, can accommodate an external master clock, has limited (good here) but useful filters including unfiltered NOS, and real presence in your equipment rack, here you go. If you want a DAC with among the best soundstage extant, macro and micro detail at the top of the class, real world dynamics, natural brightness that won't hurt your ears, tight solid bass, excellent top to bottom midrange, and atmospherics to die for. . . this is it. The Soul Note D-2 is more than just worth a listen, it's a DAC that might just change how you think about digital.
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