BACCH4MAC Short Review / first impressions

[Gwreck]

I’d check with their support.

 

[Dialectic]

I’d check with their support.

I try not to bother them with these banalities!

 

[doorofnight]

Without a problem.

 

[Dialectic]

I have, without a problem. View attachment 392690

Thank you!

 

[Dialectic]

I have, without a problem. View attachment 392690

Thinking I was ugprading to 14.6.1 this evening, I mistakenly upgraded instead to the newly released MacOS 14.7, with which there is a slight hiccup running BACCH.

When ctrl-clicking on BACCH from the applications folder to initialize the application (as required after every MacOS upgrade), MacOS will prompt the user for permission for BACCH4Mac to control other applications. You have to tick the box for this option and then restart the application.

No issues thereafter.

 

[onion]

Thinking I was ugprading to 14.6.1 this evening, I mistakenly upgraded instead to the newly released MacOS 14.7, with which there is a slight hiccup running BACCH.

When ctrl-clicking on BACCH from the applications folder to initialize the application (as required after every MacOS upgrade), MacOS will prompt the user for permission for BACCH4Mac to control other applications. You have to tick the box for this option and then restart the application.

No issues thereafter.

Did you upgrade to Sequoia (which is a 15.0 release)?

 

[Dialectic]

Did you upgrade to Sequoia (which is a 15.0 release)?

Nope. I never upgrade to a totally new version of Mac OS until I confirm that BACCH and my RME boxes will play nicely with it.

P.S. Funny coincidence that the most recent two MacOS releases have had the same names as DSD DAWs that I had mostly forgotten about (Sonoma and Sequoia).

 

[doorofnight]

There are more threads about Bacch, but since this is the Bacch4Mac thread, I'll post here. I started using Bacch with "normal" speakers. However, I liked the Bacch effect so much that a friend told me that the Bacch effect is better with more directive speakers. So, I purchased large Audio Analysis Omega speakers, which are ribbon dipoles, and placed a lot of rock wool behind them to cancel the backwave. The result is an almost 3D sound bubble; music can sometimes be heard behind my head. I also noticed that I am achieving almost 80 dB of crosstalk cancellation. I've seen situations of 23db or something like that. What is 'normal'?

I am sorry for this. Just diving deeper in this subject. After changing from no filter back to the filter and refreshing, more normal values are being shown, like 18dB.

 

[mieswall]

There are more threads about Bacch, but since this is the Bacch4Mac thread, I'll post here. I started using Bacch with "normal" speakers. However, I liked the Bacch effect so much that a friend told me that the Bacch effect is better with more directive speakers. So, I purchased large Audio Analysis Omega speakers, which are ribbon dipoles, and placed a lot of rock wool behind them to cancel the backwave. The result is an almost 3D sound bubble; music can sometimes be heard behind my head. I also noticed that I am achieving almost 80 dB of crosstalk cancellation. I've seen situations of 23db or something like that. What is 'normal'?

I am sorry for this. Just diving deeper in this subject. After changing from no filter back to the filter and refreshing, more normal values are being shown, like 18dB.

This may reveal an issue updating graphs in b4m under some circumstances. Your second graph is identical to the one I got in one of my bins (with orc, without head tracking in my case). In fact I also published it in another thread here.
Anyway, b4m sounds spectacularly good and realistic. Restored reverb of the recording venue - instead of the one added in your home- seems to be the key.

 

[DocC]

Even with the uBACCH my effect is not that far from the audiophile versions (with the in ear measurements).

This is something I've been looking for information about.

The basic Bacch4Mac Intro level package was a thrilling additon to my modest system. Now, I am thinking about upgrading to the Audiophile+ level, but would like to hear informed comment regarding how much of a difference it provides.

I know this is subjective, but I'm reluctant to drop five grand if the improvement is marginal.

Your thoughts are welcome.

 

[goat76]

Anyway, b4m sounds spectacularly good and realistic. Restored reverb of the recording venue - instead of the one added in your home- seems to be the key.

I’m sure uBacch can give you the impression of a “restored” reverb of the recorded venue thanks to the widening effect outside the loudspeaker planes, but as recordings to recordings are made in so many different ways with different microphone constellations, real or added artificial reverb (even when it comes to classical music recordings), it is close to impossible to be sure what is actually heard, the “true” separation of sounds of the recorded venue or just a convincing effect of envelopment. With that said, as long as it sounds truly convincing with some recordings, it shouldn’t matter if it’s real or not, but to say it “restores” the reverb of the recorded venue is something that maybe suits the team behind uBacch as a selling point but it shouldn't be put out there as a hard fact truth.

 

[Gwreck]

This is something I've been looking for information about.

The basic Bacch4Mac Intro level package was a thrilling additon to my modest system. Now, I am thinking about upgrading to the Audiophile+ level, but would like to hear informed comment regarding how much of a difference it provides.

I know this is subjective, but I'm reluctant to drop five grand if the improvement is marginal.

Your thoughts are welcome.

If your system is well optimized for BACCH the effect is very similar but without head tracking and the ORC. I estimate with my system uBACCH is 95% of the audiophile version in the XTC. I have Sanders ESL’s in a treated room so my setup is fairly optimal for BACCH. The ORC makes a big difference in overall audio quality and is as big of a deal as the head tracking imho.

 

[DocC]

Thank you.

Recently I retired so funds are a little tighter than they used to be. A five percent improvement would be nice but is not probably not advisable.

 

[Gwreck]

Thank you.

Recently I retired so funds are a little tighter than they used to be. A five percent improvement would be nice but is not probably not advisable.acoustic tr

Thank you.

Recently I retired so funds are a little tighter than they used to be. A five percent improvement would be nice but is not probably not advisable.

Acoustic treatments can go along way to improving BaCCH and the new m4 Mac mini (has 16gb ram)can be had for $500 on Black Friday deals which is all that is needed to run it. The old Mac mini was close to $900 e/16gb ram.