Red Wine Olive Mods
by Josh Ray, Apr 27 '06
Vinnie Rossi, he of battery-power fetish, brings his extensive modding skills to the highly publicized $800 Olive Symphony music server. If you don't know what a music server is, it's a computer-in-a-box with music ripping and playback capabilities (aka jukebox for your living room). Read the Stereophile review and Design Technica cover for more. And if you're interested in Vinnie Rossi's Red Wine modding pedigree, check out our coverage of his iMod iPod hot rod.
The $649 Red Wine mod gets you complete battery power conversion for total isolation from the noisy grid as well as analog input and output stage and digital output mods. Vibration dampening is also added. How does all this change the sound?
The modified analog line output provides highly resolving, spacious, rich and warm sonic qualities that will rival some of the best dedicated CD players and external dacs on the market. Gone is the strident, “etchy” sound that is so typical in many costly CD players. Expect a warmer, more musical tone that emerges from a very silent, black background that only an all-battery powered source can orchestrate.
If you have already found the perfect external dac for your system, you will still need a first-rate transport to supply to it a clean digital signal. Count on the Red Wine Audio modified Olive Symphony or Musica to provide you with the very best digital audio output quality that only an all-battery powered transport can provide.
There you have it. Check it out.
The Wi-Fi aspect is a smart move, but I don't understand why Olive doesn't allow you to connect 3rd party external HDs to increase the storage capabilities.
I realize that they want you to buy the more expensive model with a larger HD, but I think it's a foolish move considering how many people have ripped their music libraries to external HDs.
Any software hacks know how to get around this?
Ian
Posted by: Ian White at April 27, 2006 4:55 PM
I know a hack: Mac Mini and a USB DAC.
Posted by: Josh Ray [SonicFlare] at April 27, 2006 4:58 PM
I already have one of those.
:-)
The Red Wine mod allows you to use it as a transport via BNC, which would work superbly well with the Audio Note DACs.
My DAC Kit 1.2 is already crying.
Ian
Posted by: Ian White at April 27, 2006 5:49 PM
USB bandwaggon, USB bandwaggon!!!
hehe... seriously, what is USB anyway?
Posted by: Danny Kaey at April 28, 2006 7:10 PM
J-Ray sez:
"I know a hack: Mac Mini and a USB DAC."
Right? Better interface, more storage (with really cool stackable upgrades from Lacie, etc...) and, um... it's also a fully functional computer. Why is everyone so excited about this? Just get a cheap USB DAC and connect!
Resistance is futile.
Posted by: john at April 28, 2006 9:33 PM
hate to burst your bubble but a "cheap usb dac" will still sound like a cheap usb dac.
Posted by: Danny Kaey at April 28, 2006 10:51 PM
Posted by: john at April 30, 2006 12:09 PM
Mac mini w/ 120G HD: $775
15inch LCD, keyboard/mouse: $400
Red Wine Audio USB Select DAC (fully loaded): $500
Total: $1675 vs. $1450
That DAC has got to be better than what there're trying to shoehorn into the Olive enclosure. Right? More storage. Better interface. More reliable (see user reviews of Olive in the attached "Design Technica" link above--not good). Way more upgradeable. Way, WAY more upgradeable. And, heck, it's also a really good computer, so sell your old one and buy some more CDs/downloads.
That's all I'm saying.
Posted by: john at April 30, 2006 12:33 PM
John, you're absolutely right.
Heck, cut out the monitor and hook it up to your TV with a wireless keyboard and you've got a full media center PC for under $1000.
HDD music server = convenience
USB DAC = performance
Besides, USB DACs are an easier sell -- everyone already has a PC.
Posted by: Josh Ray [SonicFlare] at April 30, 2006 12:52 PM
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