XXHighEnd

I tried to get this done before the WindowsX reinstatement thread disappeared but I failed. I was moved enough to finish it so here it is:

The reinstatement of WindowsX was just an amazing thread in this forum and I just cannot help adding my two cents: It is always surprising to me that people  become upset when Peter stops them from taking a direction that goes against what I presume to be the essential purpose of this forum: via feedback, to benefit (Peter and Us) from the development of two products: XXHighend and the Phasure NOS1 dac. While Peter has unleashed a project whose force and beauty arise, in part, out of the committment to the sharing of ideas and experiences with XXhighend, it is in the end Peter's project and no one else's. That this project has been intentionally set up to rely on our willingness to contribute and share, is a fact that Peter has amply acknowledged and thanked us for in numerous posts. Reliance on feedback, and the ability to use and manage it, is a testament to who Peter is.

So it strikes me as really very ironic that in this thread there was a public apology from Peter (he did, after all, reinstate WindowsX), while those who have crossed the line and have, intentionally or not, gone against the essential purpose of this project continue to remain silent (Josef) or publicly instruct Peter on how to apologize (WindowsX), or chalk Peter's behavior up to "Having a bad day!" (Marcin). 

What the Fuck!

I know its bad form to call people out and name them but my purpose here is not to start a fight. I just want to be as specific and transparent as I can be. Josef and WindowsX  offered actual "alternative products" to XX, while Marcin offered extensive system tweaks that Peter warned were untested and not always the best. (I was one who didn't listen, applied some of those tweaks and completely crashed my system) Thus Peter asked that no one respond to Marcins last post of extensive tweaks. (One could go on and on here explaining all the reasonable and necesary reasons why Peter needed to slow Marcin down, but it's really not necesary to do that, is it?) Since that time, ego bruised, Marcin has had an "edge" to some of his posts, if he posts at all.
 
Although there are several reasons why these developments have been unpleasant to watch, the one that saddens the most is that Josef and Marcin  once made important contributions here (Sorry Windows X, with my rather limited understanding and your not being a user of XXHighend, I've never understood a thing you said.) There was a moment in this forum where the pace of collaborative thought was dizzying yet, from my seat, exhilarating . To now see anger and hurt feelings troubles the soul.
 
I am heartened though that Peter acknowledges and takes steps to correct his occasional overreaction to what amounts to the abuse of this forum. Like the reinstatement of WindowsX, I'm also heartened that one can still access information on JPlayer through this forum. I'll bet Marcin got his code too.
 
Extraordinary work Peter, you set a fine example. Thanks.

+1

Hi All,
This is sort of off topic but strangely on topic at the same time. After this paragraph is a post I just wrote on another thread not having seen this thread (I decided to copy it here for convenience--it's not very long). I was sort of tuned out to the WindowsX thing, as he seemed like he was ranting for the most part (I'm not saying he was, I just didn't pay close enough attention to his posts to get any other opinion) so I didn't even know he'd been banned. But I was thinking along some of the same lines as Boleary inspired by a different situation. I think we're making it too hard on Peter (and us in the long run) to develop XX. Unintentionally, I'm sure, but still. I think things could be at least somewhat simpler and clearer and the following is an attempt at going in that direction. Any thoughts, additions, changes or just pain pooh poohing are allowed.

Please feel free to move this or whatever if it's not appropriate here.

>>>>Peter, I'm not quite sure what all you meant and if you were even replying to me, but after trying to understand what you're saying and thinking about it, one thing seems clear. We, the users of XX should use XX on a clean basic system (no registry, memory or esoteric tweaks) to have any chance of helping you understand what's going on and therefore helping us understand.

To remedy the situation (ok perhaps I'm being a bit over optimistic) I suggest another stickie, called something like "Must read for everybody and tweakers in particular."

It would say something like:
-------------------------------------------------
1. Do not ask me for help or make comments about the sound/performance of XX unless you're running it on an untweaked system.
2. If you truly feel you've discovered some wonderful thing while running XX on a tweaked system, please list every tweak you've implemented in detail and everything you're doing before and while you're using XX.
3. If you like to tweak and want help XX grow, run parallel same OS's (dual boot) one plain vanilla and the other tweaked to the gills if you like.

The reason for the above rules is that when a system is tweaked it introduces many new variables when we already have far too many. Now it makes my responses virtually worthless, as opposed to only somewhat worthless. haha. That's you laughing Peter.
-----------------------------------------------------

There are probably other things to add like what constitutes a tweak as opposed to a change in basic function, etc. Whatever, I should help some in your understanding the feedback you get and it would also help us, the forum readers since the posts would be more relevant and applicable for all of us. Also, your replies could be significantly shorter and to the point.

It might also be good to have a special area for tweaker posts so that they're not mixed with the "regular" stuff.

Just a thought that makes sense to me, hope it makes sense to you.

Chris <<<<

End of copied post. Chris

Boleary,

I think you misunderstood things here. The reason behind me not taking part in discussions anymore is because I hardly use XXHighEnd. If my posts regarding tweaks etc make you feel uncomfortable or sth, then why haven't you told me about this? My tweaks were experimental and directed to advanced users. I don't think anything could go wrong if applied correctly. I think that you should ask Peter, why we (Marcin, Josef) appeared on the black list so suddenly. Note that few months ago when our, currently regarded as 'controversial', posts appeared, nobody knew they were controversial and Peter never wrote about this in public. So if Peter deleted our posts after few months it would have been inconsistent IMHO. But if you (boleary and the rest) feel they're harmful then I may ask Peter to delete my account with all my posts. It would be a shame though as there may be many useful amongst them. And about Josef, if it wasn't for him we wouldn't have straight continuos in XXHE, at least not now, so maybe a bit of gratitude instead of complaining?

Marcin

The world is wide. Don't try to make the whole world in little head of yours. Let it go man and enjoy the world. Commercial may ruin one's soul and gratitude from sharing alike and giving may have higher values than what we shall expect.

I alwayes admired that peter leaves his forum open to controversial conversation and that he allowed people that sell competive products join the discussion sometimes (ar-t, jkeny...). This is not riskfree if you earn your money but there is also the chance of progress and in the end, exchange of information grows xx. Also it makes the forum more interesting.
I don't know where the line was crossed for peter to ban windows x in the first place. But comments like
crosses a line for me. I knew this forum as a place where discussions were made in a respectfull way. Everybody has a bad day, as marcin said but windows x seems to have these days more often then the average user. From the beginning he appeared, it was rather an ugly kind of discussion. I don't say he was completly wrong with what he said, it was more the way he did was unproductive.
So my point on this subject is, controversity, yes please. Rudeness please not.
Greetings Adrian

The reason why Peter banned is he thought I copied his recent updates and make own free version to abuse his forum while the truth is I don't even check on his release notes nor have interests in downloading XXHighEnd. The reason for my existance in XXHighEnd is solely for pursuing the truth if someone actually trying to do real competition against real hiend cd transport and I want to know their results while sharing mine. But well, truth hurts and I admit what I said back then is like putting salt on wounds.

My goal for Fidelizer is to improve Windows system for better sound reproduction in every player including XXHighEnd. I believe it's an act from good will for everyone including XXHighEnd users. Who would have thought Peter's just update some features overlapping this last week as I've been using it since months before joining XXHighEnd? I joined because Peter himself invited me so I thought people in here is opened mind and willingly to share daring stuff but I guess I was wrong after all.

I apologize if some of my statements being too offensive. I was upset with the situation that Peter started without leaving room for me to explain anything. As thing spread to people outside XXHighEnd community, he made even it more outbreak and I don't think that's fair. Try to put yourself in my shoes.

Links ?

http://www.audioasylum.com/forums/pcaudio/messages/8/86441.html

I think you should have made it short and honest like saying I misunderstood you and sorry instead of making long explanations about your past, your work, your updates against Fidelizer, etc.

You didn't start that sub-thread, it was Edward. He started accusing while there is nothing to accuse, so I layed that out. It was combined, because you responded to him. Just a normal response to such a thing. The "apology" couldn't get bigger in there, and I tried. I think it was clear enough. And to keep in mind : Edward's point about the cics stuff seemed to be a bigger problem to him than the subject about you. It is not true anyway, including the RAMDisk (where I am the one who explicitly did NOT want it, and which *I* banned out of my system).

I also have in mind that it is me who got WASAPI running (and presented as a player to the public) over a whole year before anyone else did on this globe (XMPlay was the second, Foobar the third). This may tell that I know quite some things about it, and this includes the "out of the blue" telling Marcin that his tweaks from back then wouldn't do a thing. I did so, and it still holds true. If you think this is different this is very okay, and I only want to say with this that you create an atmosphere of you being the first to invent it all which still is going on - but not the truth. It doesn't even work. I don't care much, but now don't require too many apologies for something you started, not me. I mean, it *does* look a little strange to put some Fidelizer over something which does the same and more (or less which we don't know). No, you didn't know, but it still is so. If you worked six months on this (to imply you were first), all ok. But I work nearly 5 years on it all, so who was first anyway.

Again an explanation you didn't ask for.


Oh. I actually wonder where your apologies were after finding out about release notes and stuff. Instead there was more shouting again.

I was offended and you said so. If I were to apologize, it should be about mixing up posts to edward with me and that where confusion lies.

Anyway, 6 months is for your recent geeky update not when I start. Do you think it takes only 6 months intead of years for over 90% of world's best audio interface, software, os and optmization stuff? I just try to convince that I didn't copy you.

Anyway ... Are you more close to your Esoteric now ?

I can't using atom+hdsp aes-32 to beat P-05. I used to try quad core with various optimzations but making decent linear PSU for at least 200w is almost impossible from size and heat and elimating noise/heat in big machine is tough and cant be satisfied with result. Maybe others can though but I can make it sound more musical and pleasant in system with best dCS+Boulder powering Wilson MAXXX3 what $50k cables (call him all you like :D)

I talked about it long ago, but if all is right within a couple of months I may have a 350W linear PSU - matchbox size ...

Do you use ultra low-noise toroidal transformer? I hope it's not something as large as power amplifier.

Do you mean a PSU for the pc Peter? And can whe buy it too?

 :)

Sure and sure.

Btw, matchbox-size is the size of a match box. 6x4x2cm or so. Includes all ATX output voltages.

Ok and is that any difference than my Winmate things? Or is it simulair? Small it is. And can you use more than one to give each there own PSU. Or doesn't that make any differences.
 
 :) 

No no, it is nothing of the kind (and much smaller). And just meant to officially mount inside.

Yes, you can use more of them I guess, but I sure wouldn't do that in one and the same PC.

I guess that's all I want to say about it now. Took too long already ... ;)

Ok Thank you!! We will wait for further development posts ;-)

Hi Marcin, if you're still around here somewhere,

I'm just curious why you no longer use XX. Particularly as you've always been so interested in bettering it (tweaks etc) and it now seems to be at it's very best, and much more stable contrary to Peter's trepidations.

In the past I'd been fed up with the tweaks (not anyone's in particular and only because it meant too much time to invest to implement them) and endless versions and also endless "WOW the sound is Sooooo much better," every version and tweak--how much better can very good initial sound really get, over and over again? Same kind of stuff as "crazed" audiophiles of The Absolute Sound and such--they've been improving audio starting at the best ever and gone up from there in leaps and bounds since before the beginning of Quad, never mind Quantz and Mozart--but don't get me started--sorry not my fault I'm in the hands of--just ignore the earlier parts of this sentence, I really curious to know why XX is out of your life (for the most part) at this point in its development.

So anyway re pre rant, I'd stop using XX or go to an old version for a while. But now, it really does seem better and stable, XX-Geeky that is. So just curious, if you have the time and inkling to reply, after the rant in a frenzied Db minor.

Chris

Not to offend anyone here, but in my experience of working with IT people, "they" can be difficult to communicate with.  I would say, take an engineer and then remove any sense of perspective and this doesn't come close.   ;)

They don't suffer fools gladly that is for sure :(

The whole IT business is layered between users and the chaps that produce the goods and those layers are simply in place to allow "simple folk" to communicate with "the ones that know". 

The effort and concentration to get stuff to work is very fatiguing so if they lack the social graces who cares as long as they deliver?