"The Pachanko Labs Constellation Mini SE and Stellar PSU revealed the whole charm of Mendelssohn's Octets (Locrian Ensemble), inspiring much waving of the air baton in a manner best not shared with anyone. I was also impressed by the bass. This is usually a strong point in digital sources, but somehow, it seemed deeper and cleaner than usual here. It meant that all material was more substantial and real than usual and proved that every part of the band is critical if you want truly enthralling results."
"I was very impressed with this pairing from Pachanko Labs. They are easily on par with competitors at notably higher prices. This company clearly knows how to put together seriously good servers and the quality of power supply that allows those servers to perform above their pay grade. I am intrigued by the more ambitious models in the range but more than happy with the results provided by the Constellation Mini SE and Stellar PSU. +"
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"The tension and reach out and touch it realism of good recordings is quite uncanny, electrifying in fact, which as you can imagine makes it very easy to become fully immersed in the performance."
"The Constellation Mini SE is better than all the other devices of this nature at this price that I have had the opportunity to review"
This gives you a taste of just how good these servers are.
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Jason Kennedy
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If you want to Up Level, play streaming to the next level. I really believe that if I had read the above article, someone would "itch" somehow, eliminating the problem on point like this. Now, do you know why Pachanko Labs is a tight Roon Core in this era? Because the upgrade budget is not very high But it's about half a hundred thousand with Diretta Software License and Diretta Target, including one LAN cable...
Thammanoon Prateepchinda
The surprises
I was blown away with some speakers I never had a chance to listen, as some were new models and some I never had a chance to listen to…
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Jean-Marie Liere
"This room lit up my ears .The amp is killer and the speakers that Ken makes are a thing of beauty. The synergy in this room was magnificent. This is a must hear room"
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Steve Williams
"One of the strangest looking loudspeakers at T.H.E. Show also produced some of the best sound driven by the Takatsuki TA-S01 300B Power Amplifier. Bold and beautiful sounding room."
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Robert Silva
"Sometimes I split up my favorite rooms at high-end audio shows into two camps–the finest sound I’ve heard, and the gear I’d most likely pick for myself. These four brands qualify for Best Sound at Munich because they belong to the latter group, the underdogs, the brands that offer incredible sound for the money.
Sonner, Moonriver, OePhi and Pachanko came together in Munich and delivered an amazing system, one that forged emotional connections in a quick and direct way. I expect that from Gunny Surya of Sonner, but he found three other kindred spirits and I think they should do every high-end audio show from now on."
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Marc Phillips
The "Host" (in Diretta's words) used with it is the Pachanko Constellation Mini SE that Mr. Zhang borrowed from me. This is a CAT specially designed for music playback, which is highly optimized in terms of software and hardware: no clock, no fan, no noise, optimized Windows operating system, and minimizes its delay as much as possible . In terms of power supply (12V), I use KECES P6 for power supply (Pachanko also has a Steller linear power supply for purchase). Another interesting thing, do you know where Pachanko is from? Tell you the answer, you don't necessarily know where it is - La Réunion (La Réunion). Go look it up, read this article, you'll be using Google a lot.
Perhaps it is because the host used is already a very particular Pachanko CAT, but the sound is already very good just by directly connecting the Constellation Mini SE to the RMP-DAC3EX via USB. The RMP-DAC3EX has a lively sound, while the Constellation Mini SE provides a cleaner base. The sound from such a source is quite satisfying. After adding RMP-UB1, the change is very subtle...
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u-audio.com.tw
"The Diretta protocol allows good USB DACs to perform better than ever. Better than I ever expected even in my wildest dreams. My favorite DAC, which I normally enjoy my music on every day and which I thought, “this is the limit, better than this I can hardly imagine,” also performs better! For me, Diretta is the most stunning audio discovery of 2022!In the next episode, we dive a little deeper into the installation of Diretta and my own BerryStreamer gets connected to the Diretta Protocol..."
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Dick Van de Merwe
"The Constellation Mini is more than a Roon Core… HIGH-END DIGITAL TRANSPORT from the makers of Perfume City.
Computer Audio Transport redefines a new chapter that must be experienced.
Open up a new experience in listening to digital streaming audio like never heard before."
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Thammanoon Prateepchinda
"Full of information, detailed, well differentiated, dynamic, but at the same time exceptionally smooth and coherent sound. Although it is a digital cable, the sound is definitely analog, relaxed, free and open. It will show high-class recordings in a way that will allow them to be fully appreciated, but it will not massacre the less perfect ones, so the listener will not be able to get involved..."
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Mark Dyba
"In the set, the server and Pachanko Labs power supply made a good quality source for a demanding system. Great, because natural and smooth, open, free, and at the same time properly saturated and dynamic sound was presented in acoustic music. However, when it came to music with the current, even a bit stronger playing, like Aerosmith or AC/DC, this Constellation Mini, especially supported by the Stellar, also did very well. Low extension, good saturation and bass control (and therefore at least correct PRAT), slightly rounded (preventing the unpleasant sharpness and roughness accompanying many rock recordings), but at the same time full of air and sufficiently sonorous treble and the same, dense with information, saturated diameter combined to create engrossing spectacles, with the legs tapping out the rhythm themselves..."
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Mark Dyba
"The use of equipment that works with Diretta is reserved for the time being to builders or buyers of host PCs and to customers with earphones, who experience the added value and want to invest in it. You can also experience Diretta at the DAE in October. But, considerations aside, the Pachanko/SPEC combi ranks among the very best server/DAC systems in the listening room here. The sound quality here is experienced as very special."
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Ruud Jonker
"This is clear that PACHANKO LABS is proposing an exceptionnal product both in terms of design and manufacturing but mainly in terms of SQ supporting high level of performance of a digital system. This is quite often that the server side is underestimated in terms of performance. This product is mainly dedicated to high-end server/server-players through the price requested, but it is clearly a key step forward in the system for the ones looking for strong SQ which is probably the case of people who already invested in products from TAIKO AUDIO..."
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Ludovic Audoin
"Over the years, I’ve met numerous audiophiles from Africa, one of which is CHAN KING Girand (known as “Chan”), the CEO and head designer of La Réunion island’s Pachanko Labs. The island is a French department located off of Africa’s east coast and is known for its volcanic, rainforested interior, coral reefs and beaches! Pachanko manufacturers music servers, a linear power supply, cables, and power cords.
Chan sent me two of Pachanko’s digital cables: the Velvety Ethernet (€1,799) and Nano Silver USB (€2,049 (each 1-meter lengths). The Velvety Ethernet CAT 8 cable features four shielded pair of solid-core conductors (silver-plated OCC copper alloy). It uses custom connectorscontaining 50µ Gold plated PCBs and Zinc alloy to protect from interference and maintain transmission stability.
The Nano Silver USB features one pair of multi-strand, five nines silver conductors. Its connectors contain gold-plated copper alloy contact pins. Data and 5v power conductors are separate and the cable contains a proprietary noise cancelling ground plane. Both cables are cryo treated.
Pachanko’s cables are audio jewelry and have beautiful build quality. I compared their performance to numerous cables that I had around. They create a very transparent, precise, and detailed sound and are in no way harsh. Lower midrange was lush and liquid. I was very happy when they were in my systems.
I have included a shot from Pachanko’s website of its Constellation Masterpiece server, (€15,999.00), which is uses high-end and custom parts such as Pachanko’s "Stellar" Serenity SATA cable."
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Howard kneller
"After few hours, let’s say around 50 hours, the Serenity Silver started to provide improvement compared to the Pure Reference. The major improvements lies in two major axes : more deep/impacting (you feel more material density) meaning more presence in the 100-200Hz frequencies range (Example : Interstellar / Day One) and more resolution and air around the instruments in the higher frequencies (Example : the Cymbal in Sophie Hunger / le Vent nous portera)"
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Ludovic Audoin
"Ce câble USB a dû demander beaucoup de travail aux artisans qui l'ont conçu, tant il est efficace et équilibré. Il apporte une évolution sur la plupart des critères que l'on peut avoir en écoutant de la musique. Il ne le fait pas avec des artifices ou avec des contreparties (on gagne souvent quelque part en y perdant ailleurs). Il reste fidèle au signal originel et permet d'aller plus loin dans le message sonore."
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Lionel Amounie
"Je me rappelle que lorsque j'avais branché pour la première fois cet Ethernet sur mon système, j'avais écrit à son concepteur : "ce câble a énormément de personnalité, il a une vraie signature, il risque de ne pas plaire à tout le monde".
En réalité, ce n'est pas tant le cordon qui amène sa personnalité, c'est seulement qu'il est intransigeant et droit. Il ne cherche pas à adoucir le rendu. Non, il est rapide, droit et vous fera peut être découvrir la vraie signature de vos électroniques utilisant la liaison RJ45.
Cependant, n'imaginez pas qu'il transforme le rendu en quelque chose de froid et d'analytique. En effet, pendant mes essais j'ai pu remarquer que ce gain de vérité se faisait en faveur de la musique et de la communication avec l'auditeur, comme si les artistes jouaient devant nous."
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Lionel Amounie