The Alpha 3SX is a big step forward. The Alpha 3 was already our most capable Alpha, a Stereophile A+ Recommended Component and an indispensable source for mission critical audio sessions. The Alpha 3 SX is quieter, more natural, and better sounding than anything you are listening to now.
Wolf Audio Systems constantly assesses new technologies and materials in the technical and sonic advancement of its products. The Alpha 3 is the favored choice of many high-end manufacturers displaying their own products at Hi-Fi shows here and abroad. The Alpha 3 SX server represents the latest performance upgrades resulting from our work with Stillpoints and eXemplar Audio. The objective of the SX project was to make improvements in three key areas: micro-vibration control, electrical grounding, and RFI (Radio Frequency Interference) suppression.
All the right places…
Utilizing Stillpoints patented vibration isolation technology, the SX package isolates the power supply and critical components employing Stillpoints circuit-board Isolators. The increase in clarity, dynamics, focus of image and broadening of the sound stage made themselves known immediately. The sonic benefits are indeed palpable. Wolf Audio Systems has taken the time and effort to deploy Stillpoints’ materials precisely in areas where a little bit of Stillpoints technology goes a long way.
Wolf has deployed Stillpoints’ ERS material exactly in areas where limited amounts of the ERS material works exceedingly well. The ERS material gives the Alpha 3 SX the perfect balance of naturalness, air, dynamics, transparency and clarity while limiting the noise from Radio Frequency Interference that’s automatically generated in every digital circuit.
High power and Total Control
eXemplar Audio’s ability to identity and suppress RFI penetrating the Wolf Alpha 3 and exiting the unit via the AC mains results in lower noise floor throughout an entire Hi-Fi system and creates an increase in low-level information retrieval, micro dynamics, soundstage, stereo imaging — sharpness and depth. In summary the SX package induces longer listening at lower volumes with even greater satisfaction. One giant step for Digital Audio.
High Fidelity Audio Servers
The best sounding and most powerful system on the market
So what is the HFAS+ Apex?
High sample rate multi-channel audio? No problem. DSD1024? Easy. This is the fastest, most powerful version of this server. In five years, it will still be fast, and you’ll still be very happy. 12 Hyper-threaded CPU cores, 32GB RAM and 1TB of 3.5 GigaBytes per second system drive. Play DSD to multiple DACs at once while sending a movie to the living room and browsing the web with 100 open tabs. Or just sit back and listen to some FLAC files, knowing that you could do any of this when you need to.
Playback and Streaming
AUDIO OUTPUTS |
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Digital Output | Ultra Low Noise USB 2.0 supporting USB Audio Class 1, USB Audio Class 2 and DSD (Native & DoP)
TOSLink Optical SPDIF Port Optional Flux Capacitor USB Card: 24MHz USB Clock (32/1,536KHz & DSD1024) HDMI 2.0, Display Port 1.2b (Video Port) |
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CONNECTIVITY |
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Ethernet & WiFi | 1 RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet – Network (Data & Audio)
802.11ac 867Mb/s WiFi + BT 4.2 |
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USB | 2x USB 3.0 (DAC), 6x USB 3.0 (Mass Storage) 1x USB Type C 3.1 – (Mass Storage & Future Module Connectivity) | |
Video | 1x HDMI 2.0a – HDCP 2.2 and HDR, DisplayPort 1.4 | |
PHYSICAL DISK FORMATS |
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Physical Disc Formats | Red Book, DVD-A, DVD-V, BD-A, BD-V | |
Disc Compatibility | CD, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-A, DVD-V, BD-R, BD-A, BD-V | |
Audio format for stored CDs | FLAC (zero compression), WAV, ALAC, OGG, APE, MP3, MPC, MQA | |
Audio Formats Supported for streaming and playing | WAV, AIFF, FLAC, ALAC, AAC, OGG, SHN, MP3, APE, APL, AC3, MPC, WMA, DSF, DFF, SACD, MQA | |
SAMPLE RATES |
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Sample Rates | 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz. 192kHz, 352.8kHz, 384kHz, 768kHz
DSD64, DSD128, DSD256, DSD512, DSD1024 Native and DoP |
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Bit Depths | 16bit, 24bit, 32bit |
PHYSICAL MEDIA |
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Physical Disc Formats | Red Book CD, DVD-A, DVD-V, BD-A, BD-V | |
Disc Compatibility | CD, CD-R, CD-RW | |
Audio format for stored CDs | FLAC (zero compression), WAV, ALAC, OGG, APE, MP3, MPC, | |
Audio Formats Supported for streaming and playing | WAV, AIFF, FLAC, ALAC, AAC, MP3 |
SOFTWARE & SERVICES
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Included Audio Software | JRiver Media Center | |
Compatible Software (Additional License Cost) | Roon, Audirvana, Amarra, HQPlayer | |
Streaming Services | Qobuz, Tidal, ALL the rest | |
Software
JRiver Media Center
Media Center is the application we love. In its 24th version, Media Center is the gold standard application that will allow you to do almost everything you could imagine. Our optimizations and customizations let you skip over a year of trial and error and listen to your music right out of the box.
Audirvana+
A brand new application that has us very excited. It looks great, sounds amazing, and has Tidal, MQA and Qobuz integrated right in. It also has a tablet app, just like Media Center and Roon, so running the system headless is a possibility. We are going to be taking a very hard look at customizing the application for our own purposes and to add some features specifically for Wolf customers.
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