Incredible audio server

I would like to share with you my positive experiences with Pachanko and Chan the developer. In this case it's specifically about the Constellation Masterpiece, which I bought about two months ago. Communication with Chan the developer was always excellent and very timely. He also helped here and there with the installation (driver selection), although overall the setup was child's play. The server consists of three units (power supply, high grad precision unit, server) with each unit weighing around 20kg and being built very well. You could also say built to last. The capacitor unit is supplied by the transformer unit with two power cables in the upgraded version. The streamer is connected to my DAC via USB. I don't have a music collection but only stream the music via Qobuz. Immediately after switching on the Masterpiece it was clear that the Masterpiece would transform the music to a completely different level. Clarity, body transparency, and size of the stage in all directions increase significantly. A completely new musical experience on a much higher level. You should give the masterpeice four weeks of break-in time. During this time the sound slowly becomes more analogous and harmonious. I have the impression that this process continues to progress even after eight weeks. During the setup phase I then took a closer look at my other components. To date I have used two switches. A switch is enough. I connect the switch directly to the Masterpiece using a DAC cable. At this point I would recommend experimenting as much as possible to find the best type of connection to the switch. I tried several Finisar modules and the connection with the DAC cable turned out to be significantly better. I could well imagine that a DAC cable would also beat a LAN connection. Since my setup is about 5 meters away from my network, I couldn't try the LAN version. When it comes to the playback software, after several comparisons with Ronn stand alone, Roon with HQ Player embedded and Audirvana, it turned out that Audirvana sounds best to me. (a free three-month trial subscription is included by Pachanko) In the next step I will integrate a Spec Diretta Bridge into my setup, which will certainly take the sound impression to another level, although I can hardly imagine that at the moment. When the time comes, I will be happy to report on my experiences with integrating the Diretta Bridge.

Like you Perry1 I have truly loved my Masterpiece. After listening to many servers over the years, I have yet to find one I like better. It is truly that good. 

BryanS, it's great to read that you're so enthusiastic too. Perhaps we can exchange our other experiences with the masterpiece here. Until recently, I used the SFP port via transceiver to connect to my network switch. At the moment I'm using the Taiko DAC cable because it sounds even more natural and organic. Do you use Diretta?

Sure, my setup is CAT Masterpiece, Diretta fed by Stella LPS. I also have Stella LAN and NANO USB cables. For music management I go back and forth between Roon, Roon w/HQPlayer, and Audirvana. All of them have pros and cons. 

Adding the Diretta was probably the biggest improvement. But honestly I have been enjoying everything about it. 

I'm currently trying the Masterpiece DC Power Cable that Panachko just came out with. 

Audirvana works best in my setup at the moment. I'm currently using the power cables and USB cables from Acoustic Revue. I'll also try the cables from Pachanko. Diretta is next on the to-do list. I'll try Roon again in the next few days because I've heard that the sound quality has improved significantly since the last update. Here's another review: https://the-ear.net/review-hardware/pachanko-constellation-mini-se-server/