XACT S1. The music server you've been waiting for

JCAT WILL LAUNCH ITS OWN HIGH-END MUSIC SERVER AT AVS 2022 - XACT S1 – FEATURING WORLD’S 1ST 100% LINEAR POWERED MOTHERBOARD.

Designed from scratch, XACT S1, is a purist’s dream for those in the know. Based on JCAT’s ZeNA (Zero-Noise-Architecture) motherboard, the S1 does not rely on switching DC-DC converters. Instead, super-low-noise linear regulators are used exclusively making XACT S1 the world’s first music server running on linear power alone.



The market lacked a genuine audiophile-grade motherboard. Most of the available streaming products are assembled using general-purpose PC motherboards. According to Marcin Ostapowicz, JPLAY & JCAT Founder, such motherboards with noisy switching converters all over the place should not be used in a high-end audio system.



XACT S1’s proprietary motherboard, apart from linear regulation, features extremely low-jitter OCXO clock with ±5 ppb frequency stability. The extensive power supply section based on JCAT’s renowned OPTIMO linear PSU delivers 140 000 uF of capacitance provided by Nichicon’s flagship Muse and Fine Gold capacitors series.



Software is custom made and finetuned personally by JPLAY’s Founder, Marcin Ostapowicz, who promises superb sound quality and ease of use via included brand new JPLAY iOS app which combines Qobuz, Tidal and local content in a single beautiful interface.



According to Wojciech Pacuła, chief editor of High Fidelity, the sound of XACT S1 is 'insanely difficult to distinguish from an analog source'. Come and hear it yourself.


When: 28-30th October


Where: Warsaw, Poland. Radisson Blu Sobieski Hotel, Room 718

1 minute ago, Gavin1977 said:

Very nice!  You have a lot of good stuff coming up.

Thanks, Gavin 🙏

The XACT S1 is special to me. It is my statement product. 

Regards, 

Marcin

5 minutes ago, Marcin_gps said:

 

Thanks, Gavin 🙏

 

The XACT S1 is special to me. It is my statement product. 

 

Regards, 

Marcin

Exciting times! I have no doubt it will succeed. Looking forward to hearing more about this server.

2 hours ago, Marcin_gps said:

brand new JPLAY iOS app which combines Qobuz, Tidal and local content in a single beautiful interface.

Also looking forward to this!

Hello Everyone. This is my first post here. I have found a place in my listening room for the JCAT Xact S1 Server/Player. I have only had for 2 days. In that short amount of time, I have discovered nuances in the music I love. If I have to descibe what I am hearing in a few words, I would say Open, Rich, Dynamic, Revealing. Previosly using ROON, I am somewhat unfamiliar with the operation of JPALY and still on a learning curve. I am a limited user of PC and a new user to the world of Apple iPad. Suffice to say user interface is surprisingly simple. Marcin included a few tracks and albums on the 4TB SSD and music SQ I am hearing is revelatory and astounding. I just subscribed to to Qobuz yesterday. While not a big fan of streaming, I must say that the sound is superb. Not quite the level of what I am hearing on the local storage, but better than my previos streaming encounters and deemed worthy enough to be considered.  

To those of you who have explored JPLAY, and JCAT through their NET Card, various Optimo linear supplies, and server upgrades, the XACT S1 is everything Marcin says he has learned in more than a decade. I beleive him. I must say upfront, other than being a client in the USA, I have no other affiliation with JCAT, JPLAY or Marcin.

While not inexpensive, neither is TAIKO or Aurender. and many others. I am not familar with TAIKO, but I am with Aurender. For me it is is all about SQ.  Let me say now that Xact S1 more than holds its own to any server/player I have encountered. It deserves to be considered when looking at this high level of digital playback. Bit are Bits, but how they get to your ears is where the science & Art truly resides. 

As I get more familiar, I hope to give you more information but now I have to figure out how to move my music files to the Xact. Thank you for reading. I hope you find it helpful.

HiFi Knights reviews and awards our XACT S1 Music Server!





Hello everyone,

I'm thrilled to share that the XACT S1 music server, one of my proud creations, was recently reviewed by HiFi Knights. We appreciate the depth of their analysis, and I'd like to share some highlights for those interested:

• The reviewer described the XACT S1 as having a sound "as analog and natural as it gets," high praise especially from someone deeply rooted in the world of vinyl records.
• He observed remarkable and consistent performance when the server was paired with three top-tier D/A Converters from LampizatOr, Playback Designs, and Weiss.
• An interesting observation was the near-indistinguishable quality between music streamed from platforms like Qobuz & Tidal and music played directly from built-in drive.
• The included JPLAY app offers an experience similar to Roon, ensuring ease and pleasure of use.

The full review can be found here: http://hifiknights.c...ources/xact-s1/

Best regards,
Marcin

Hey Everyone, 

I'm incredibly proud to share that our XACT S1 music server has been reviewed and awarded by Mono and Stereo. The review is available here: https://www.monoandstereo.com/jcat-xact-s1-digital-transport-music-server-review/
 

On 6/2/2024 at 1:52 PM, Patatorz said:

Hello What are the evolutions of the S1 EVO vs the first version ?

The improvements in the S1 EVO compared to the S1 are:
- better clock; our own Master OCXO Clock board
- our in-house developed ceramic-aluminum footers 
- upgraded cable for the internal music drive 

Best regards,
Marcin
 

Hey everyone,

I wanted to share some exciting news with fellow audio enthusiasts! The XACT S1 Music Server just received an in-depth review from HiFi Advice, and the feedback is fantastic! 

"Exceptional in every way" is just one of the many praises our S1 Music Server received in this detailed review. The article highlights the S1's superior sound quality, innovative design, and user-friendly interface.
Please check out the full review: https://www.hifi-advice.com/blog/review/digital-reviews/network-player-reviews/xact-s1-music-server/

Best regards,
Marcin