Zappiti Pro 4k Hdr Audiocom Cinema Edition Review
Color me impressed. With Zappiti that is. The standard Zappiti Pro 4K HDR scored a whopping 85 points. I remember describing it as the near-perfect loftier-terminate media player in the determination. What happened next? I dug a little deeper in the Zappiti website to observe out there'southward a 'Audiocom Cinema Edition' of that same thespian. Audio what? Yeah, Audiocom. Who or what the hell is Audiocom AV and why do they offering a modified version of the Zappiti Pro 4K HDR at €1.799 while the standard version sells at only €799? We must exist talking major upgrades here to justify that kind of price crash-land!? My sensors were triggered. Since I've just finished reviewing the standard version, I was very curious to come across and hear what all the fuss is nearly. In the past I've encountered a lot of modified audio and video players. In most cases, there's a lot to exist gained with proper upgrades. Curiousity killed the cat, so I got back in touch with Zappiti, with Mark Bartlett from Audiocom AV the same mean solar day. Let's get this review on the road!
About Audiocom AV Ltd
Audiocom AV Ltd is a British company that distributes Howdy-Fi and Home Movie house equipment and specialises in sound and video modifications. The visitor was founded in 1996. They started by reselling sound grade components to the DIY market before moving into the sector of aftermarket modifications and product development. 1 of their spear products is a 'Superclock' depression jitter clock. In 2008 the company decided to focus on developing modifications for OPPO products for the next 10 years. Next up were the latest Pioneer UHD players. The by few years Audiocom expanded into the distribution market of select AV products which includes the Britain distribution for Zappiti. That's that. Now you understand that this is not their first rodeo. The Zappiti Pro 4K HDR Audiocom Cinema Edition builds on the solid platform of the Zappiti Pro 4K HDR and takes vital parts to the next level to offer the ultimate abode cinema experience…to boldy get where no one has gone before!
Discs versus streaming
One of the first questions that I fired at Mark Bartlett was how do streaming players perform in comparing with traditional disc players? He came up with a very interesting answer!
Although streaming devices are a relatively new platform compared to disc based players, they can be designed equally well equally their disc spinning counterparts. The design of the streaming device would make up one's mind any weak points. Providing that the blueprint is well executed and that care is taken with robust build quality, a streaming device (or HDD based thespian) tin lucifer and fifty-fifty surpass a UHD disc player. One advantage that a HDD media player has over a UHD player is in that location is no optical bulldoze. By eliminating the optical drive we are removing a source of jitter.
Mark Bartlett from Audiocom AV
Modifications under a microscope
Which parts of the Zappiti Pro 4K HDR are modified? Here'due south a detailed overview…
Ability Supply upgrades
Audiocom'southward Pro 4K Movie house Edition features an improved power supply using components especially selected to attain the everyman dissonance; including loftier current Schottky diodes, audio-grade depression ESR capacitors with additional flick bypassing. The benefits are a reduction in noise artefacts at the output resulting in a cleaner power supply.
Chief Board and Zero Signal board Modifications
The standard SMD electrolytic capacitors on the mainboard for bypassing and decoupling are upgraded to the best depression ESR OS-CON polymer capacitors. These capacitors provide first-class noise reduction to the local regulation and integrated circuits for optimum data processing. The performance of the Nil Bespeak board is also enhanced past utilising OS-CON Polymer decoupling capacitors.
Femto Clock
Realising the importance of low jitter in the video domain, Audiocom installs a very high precision reference clock for the Realtek RTD1295 processor (SoC) to optimise the video and sound information processing. The new clock is highly authentic to inside 0.01ppm with an extremely depression jitter figure of 77 Femtoseconds RMS (0.077 Picoseconds) at a frequency measurement of 100 Hz to 100 kHz making it one of the lowest in the industry.
New Power Supply Filtering
Audiocom equips the Pro 4K HDR Cinema Edition with enhanced power supply filtering; for a cleaner AC mains supply. A very high-quality Furutech NCF IEC inlet with 6N Copper wiring is fitted to the power input lath. Furutech's NCF technology provides the ultimate electric and mechanical damping to the incoming electric line achieving a lower dissonance flooring.
EMI/RFI Workout
A digital media player is a busy environment for electromagnetic noise. This high-frequency noise spectrum can pollute the sensitive ability supply circuits and reduce performance. Audiocom applies a fabric that works to cancel out the negative furnishings of EMI racket and meliorate the conditions for video and audio signal transfer.
Goal of modifications
What does Audiocom hope to achieve with these modifications or upgrades?
In a perfect scenario with a video playback organisation all the data would be processed without any jitter with nix noise on the signal output. Just the reality is all video and audio components have varying degrees of jitter and noise which limits the systems operation. The objective with Zappiti is to take an already fantabulous platform and release its full potential. This is achieved past careful analysis of the excursion design and by using the highest quality componentry and materials to effectively reduce dissonance and jitter.
Mark Bartlett from Audiocom AV
The Audiocom Cinema Edition is the only modification certified by Zappiti with official warranty. The players support feet are unchanged from the original unit. Several types of isolation feet were evaluated with dissimilar equipment racks and the results were varied, inconclusive and in some cases the performance degraded. Zappiti recommends customers to try their ain choice of isolation feet or platforms and decide if there are whatsoever operation benefits. Zappiti and Audiocom recommend a 400 hours burn-in to reach the optimum video and sound performance.
Video operation
The Zappiti Pro 4K HDR Audiocom Movie theatre Edition raises the bar for video and audio playback, taking film and sound quality to heady new heights. The video playback has improved picture depth, deeper blackness levels, greater contrast, increased dynamic range, more natural tones and colors making movie watching an immersive feel.
Audio performance
The sound quality is every bit thrilling, reproducing a captivating sound both from the HDMI audio and digital audio ouputs. Spoken phonation is cleaner and more discernible. With picture scores the modifications offering an increased sense of acoustic space, greater dynamics, improved depth and a more natural tonality.
Let'south see if the described performance upgrades lucifer with the audiovisual reality.
Retesting 1,2 … 7.2.half-dozen
If you lot would like to know more nigh on how to operate the unit of measurement, allow me to refer you to my review of the Zappiti Pro 4K HDR. Let's focus on comparing the performance of both units with the same flick clips. Does that seem fair to you?
Avengers – Endgame
Where the epitome was crisp, brilliant and filled with natural details with the standard unit, colors rendered more than vibrant, blacks appeared deeper and the overall image was more stable with the Audiocom unit. Sound is more detailed and focussed. What stands out is that you go a much better sense of the acoustical envirement. Now that'due south what I telephone call immersive! This Avengers episode bathes you lot in sound effects, literally surrounding you with the soundtrack. Voices are presented in a more than open way and are much easier to understand.
Maleficent – Mistress of Evil
This is such a fantastic production! Colors really pop out of the screen. Because this picture has the character of a romanticized fairytale, information technology turned out a very colorful production. The Audiocom unit goes the extra mile, with deeper and richer colors. I'm not only talking virtually improved blacks here. The prototype is very coherent and offers more subtle details, while the standard unit of measurement produces a flatter prototype. On the audio side of things, the modifications succeed in creating a beautiful soundscape, a landscape full of sound(southward). It'due south the sound bubble versus sounds hanging about the speakers. That's a major upgrade!
Spies in disguise
Instead of getting a adequately good representation of the acoustical space with the standard unit of measurement, the Audiocom version offers a spot on reproduction of the original acoustical envirement. This is a whole new level of 'audio' experience. As a listener you go pulled in more to the story and become a better understanding of the producers intent. Animated films are packed with sound effects. Yous gotta honey'm for that! All these entertaining sounds have increased bear upon, dynamics and more punch in the bass surface area. On the moving picture side…well, information technology's all CGI or computer generated images. The HDR offered a vibrant experience. Color accuracy was impecable.
Jurassic earth – Fallen kingdom
Steven Spielberg did an excellent chore producing the Dino saga. Fallen Kingdom remains my favorite because of the balance between the storyline, tension build up and the correct corporeality of dino'south. The Zappiti Pro 4K HDR Audiocom Movie house Edition puts you right in the eye of every scene. At some point things became very creepy! The increased level of actuality intensifies the overal involvement and literally gives you the creeps in some scenes. Cinema at its best! Since there are a lot of dark scenes in this movie, I noticed that improved black levels offered a amend HDR experience. Differences between nighttime and low-cal elements in scene became more obvious.
Ford 5 Ferrari
Where I was complaining that the sound needed to be more open, refined and holographic with the standard unit, the Audiocom version didn't lack in any of these departments. Looking at Matt Damon driving his Ford traded places with me driving the motorcar. The adjacent level of appointment. The cars made even more detailed sounds. At some level I would innovate the term microdetail. What a nice compliment! A lot of television brands parade with the quality that they reproduce the content as intented past the producer. Part of this is nice marketing. How can nosotros reference the intentions of the studio? What influence do players and screens actualy have on 'the original'? In my opinion the less anything before the screen 'adds', the better. LG OLED is reference for me in terms of color accuracy. But that's a personal choice. The Zappiti Pro 4K Audiocom Cinema Edition turns out to be a keen companion for the LG in terms of existence the perfect 'pass through'.
Price
At the time of the review the Zappiti Pro 4K HDR Audiocom Cinema Edition is priced €1.799.
Software
- Avengers – Endgame
- Maleficent – Mistress of Evil
- Spies in disguise
- Jurassic world – Fallen kingdom
- Ford vs Ferrari
Hardware
- LG OLED65C9
- Lyngdorf MP-threescore AV processor
- Zappiti Pro 4K HDR
- Zappiti Pro 4K HDR Audiocom Picture palace Edition
- Genelec 8040 (7)
- Genelec 8030 (5)
- Genelec 8020 (7)
- Genelec 7350 (ii)
- Vovox cables
- Procab cables
- Supra cables
Zappiti PRO 4K HDR Audiocom Movie theater Edition review
The i.000.000 dollar question is if the Audiocom Cinema Edition is worth the extra investment of a €1.000? Yes, aye and yes once again! The implemented modifications/upgrades to the already very potent Zappiti Pro 4K HDR platform transform this player into a high-cease media player pur sang. Audiocom did an excellent job in elevating the audio and video performance to reference level to satisfy the almost demanding dwelling cinema enthusiasts. If you would blind exam these units, I'yard non sure you lot would doubtable that they are from the same brand! That's how distinctive the differences are. The upgrade is like moving from a BMW 3 serial with a three-liter engine to a magical M3. It's all about performance and that extra horsepower. There'southward all the same one thing missing though: Dolby Vision support. Peradventure nosotros'll get that with the next generation of processors? Best of loftier cease AWARD!
Positive points
- Reference image quality
- Outstanding sound operation
- Total media solution
- Intuitive user interface / operation
- Ease of use first pattern
- Heavy, solid housing
- Loves almost all codecs
- Command app
Negative points
- No Dolby Vision support
- DSD support using 3rd party software
- No XLR outputs
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Source: https://www.bestofhighend.com/zappiti-pro-4k-hdr-audiocom-cinema-edition-review-9/