The Full Download (2.10) is at the bottom.
UpgradePatch on to 2.04 and beyond is below the Full Download.
For those without Paypal - other means of payment and Activation are possible. Contact sales (at) phasure (dot) com for that.
For the Release Notes of 2.00, look here : XXHighEnd Model 2.00 - New Filters & Extended Remote Control (http://www.phasure.com/index.php?topic=3184.0).
Install any new full version in its own folder (your 2.00 Activation could be violated otherwise).
Install the UpgradePatch only over version 2.04 or any newer version (up to 2.09b). Thus, the UpgradePatch210.rar file does not go into a separate folder but is to be pasted over the XX folder you are currently using (and don't forget to unzip it)
XXHighEnd runs fully fletched on Windows Vista, Windows 7 (advised SP1), 8, and 10 , advised Builds 10074, 10565 (both formally expired now), 10586.0 and 14393.0. Please notice that for Windows 10 it is best to use the advised Builds (see the four mentioned) because each Windows Build changes and when not anticipated, it is usually not for the better regarding Sound Quality.
Release Notes 2.10- The lower ranges of the Split File Size (SFS) could not be set permanently to an uneven number. Now it can.
It is to be noted that for some people the uneven numbers can bring a significant SQ improvement. Generally, the sound may be quite different when uneven numbers in the lower ranges (say under 10) are dialed in.
- A cool new feature for those who use the Library Area ( [ L ] button in the top) and select albums from there : subsequently selected albums in the Library Area appear in that sequence in the Playlist Area. Notice that the real value of this comes forward when the (selected) Items in the Library Area are Demo folder Items and you so can select groups of "demo tracks" by means of tapping (clicking) around in the Library Area - that finishing off with pressing Load, and see the groups of tracks appear in the Playlist Area in the sequence of you tapping the Items. Example :
| (http://www.stordiau.nl/xxhighend/SelectSeq01.png) | (http://www.stordiau.nl/xxhighend/SelectSeq02.png) |
Here (left) firstly the Johnny Guitar Watson album was clicked.
Then (right) the Frankie Goes to Hollywood album was clicked.
Now we press load and :
(http://www.stordiau.nl/xxhighend/SelectSeq03.png)
we see that the Johnny Guitar Watson tracks appear first, and the Franky goes to Hollywood tracks appear after that.
- Proceeding on the above, we can similarly select the tracks to play from the Playlist Area, and these they will be played in the sequece we selected them.
| (http://www.stordiau.nl/xxhighend/SelectSeq04.png) | (http://www.stordiau.nl/xxhighend/SelectSeq06.png) | (http://www.stordiau.nl/xxhighend/SelectSeq07.png) |
Above again from left to right what we selected. But now watch the implemenation if this; here's what the Playlist Area looks like when we now press Play :
(http://www.stordiau.nl/xxhighend/SelectSeq08.png)
... and what we did not select previously just disappeared.
From here we can add more tracks with the notice that by no means it is mandatory to use the Library Area (see previous topic) fo fill the Playlist Area and select the sequence of playback of the tracks. Anyway we can keep on adding tracks *and* select them for the sequence of playback.
A few tracks (from e Genesis album) were added here :
(http://www.stordiau.nl/xxhighend/SelectSeq09.png)
but when I see it I decide to play the two Genesis tracks first and use the same means of sequence of selection as just explained :
(http://www.stordiau.nl/xxhighend/SelectSeq10.png)
Do notice that first unselecting all is usually convenient, and the quickest way to do that is click the [ P ] button in the top (with the Playlist Area already active).
This summarized : we've done away with the akward(ish) dragging in order to organize the sequence of tracks to play.
- There is new context menu at rightclick of Library Items :
(http://www.stordiau.nl/xxhighend/SelectSeq11.png)
In the line of the other new features with the play sequence, we can also now easily select or remove tracks from of a selected track. So suppose we want to apply some function on all the tracks from of the George Michael Hand to Mouth track, downwards, we choose the "Select under current" option which will give us this :
(http://www.stordiau.nl/xxhighend/SelectSeq12.png)
Obviously if we now press Play, only these tracks will remain in the Playlist Area, ready to play or further manipulation, or, if we'd choose for "Remove from Playlist" (see first choice in the context menu) they will be removed.
Here's another application of these new functions :
(http://www.stordiau.nl/xxhighend/SelectSeq13.png)
Here we rightclicked on the Monkey track, and if we now choose "Unselect above current", all tracks (though including the current one) are Unselected, leaving the remaining selected tracks :
(http://www.stordiau.nl/xxhighend/SelectSeq14.png)
and of course when we now press Play, this is all what remains :
(http://www.stordiau.nl/xxhighend/SelectSeq15.png)
Etc. !
Then there's this convenient just different option :
(http://www.stordiau.nl/xxhighend/SelectSeq16.png)
Notice the two selected tracks, and the choice applied. This is what will come from it :
(http://www.stordiau.nl/xxhighend/SelectSeq17.png)
Please notice that these means of selection are certainly not Windows-standard and were relatively complicated to make. Obviously this is all to the benefit of touch control and how to conveniently do what a mouse in combination with keyboard keys (like shift and control) would do otherwise.
Might you run into an issue, please don't hesitate to make a nice topic for it and write it out so it can be solved, but, please be sure that the behavior can be repeated.
- Watch out : In consistency with the above new features all had so be made so that an "isolated" RightClick on a Library Item now does not select the Item (previously it did). You can see this (not) happening by means of the background of the Item not being "greyed" and a "nothing happening" when proceeding with whatever is chosen under the RightClick. To test/practice this : RightClick on an Item and chose Show/Compare Tracks. You will see that an empty screen with a mysterious CancelDummy button shows, instead of the contents of an album (Library Item) :
(http://www.stordiau.nl/xxhighend/rightclickmouse02.png)
Notice that no Item shows the selected-colour (while the right-most ZZ Top Item was RightClicked).
The credo : first Normal-Click (or tap) an Item before it can do anything with RightClick.
- Speaking of which ... The appearing individual grids from Show/Compare Tracks showing the contents per selected Library Item, now also appear in the sequence of Selecting (tapping) them.
(http://www.stordiau.nl/xxhighend/TracksCompareSeq01.png)
Here the right hand one was clicked first, then the middle one and then the left hand one. After this, RightClick and Show/Cmpare Tracks, and now the sequence of selection pops up.
On a side note, notice that you can randomly click in either grid for obtainment of Tracks in the Playlist Area anyway (and then Play them of course) and that respecting the sequence of this particular means of selection already worked (for ages). So the point here is about your recognition that your selecting in the Library Area and which you will very well know for the sequence as such, results in the same order of Items (albums) then you just selected. The value of this may be more apparent if you regularly use the [ R ](andomize) button to obtain a viewport on the Library Area which is always different.
(http://www.stordiau.nl/xxhighend/RandomizeLibrary01.png)
So that [ R ] button.
- For MQA albums too, Volume Normalization can now work "on the fly". Previously it had to be done in a separate step or else an error occurred.
- When one of the "toggle" buttons is used from the menu in the left pane :
(http://www.stordiau.nl/xxhighend/ToggleMenu01.png)
the Result List appearing in the Library Area now starts at a random Item in that Result List. It is the idea that you're more motivated to "for once play something else" and besides that will not be confronted with always the same "faces" which appear at the start of the List (which could be annoying).
- The latter new feature implies a kind of "toggle" between positions in the Result List, when a same toggle button is used subsequently. Thus, would we use the [ D ] (Demo Gallery) button we'd go to a random first Item when we use that button a first time, using it a second time another Item will be implied at the top of the List but using it one more time again will show the same Item on top as the first time. And so on.
This is reset when another toggle button is used (like [ N ]) but with that other button the same thing will occur at subsequent usage.
- Annoying right-left movement of beforementioned menu when the buttons were used, has now been eliminated.
- A new "copy paste" feature for the Search screen has been made for this kind of Tidal URL :
https://tidal.com/browse/album/80965002
- It appeared that when XXHighEnd was started for other purposes that Audio Playback, the processor speed was throttled down regardless - denoted (implied) by XTweaks settings. This, with the notice that XXHighEnd can be used for other purposes than Audio Playback indeed and going to Minimizes OS can be a purpose in itself (next changing settings in there, all for better PC performance);
To solve this, XTweaks should be disengaged. On the other hand, when the "Audio performance" is required anyway, XTweaks should be (should remain) ENgaged. So it is just what one wants with it.
- It appeared that the set Volume in XXHighEnd did not sustain after a reboot. This is now solved.
- For many people regularly a message "This should not occur ..." etc. at the start of XXHighEnd, with the hint to better restart XXHighEnd. This latter for a longer time already appeared not to be necessary at all, and so the (annoying) message could disappear just the same.
So it did.
- It may not be commonly known that the [ P ] button in the top unselects all tracks (but it does for already ages (only when the Playlist Ares ia active)). New now is that this can also be done with the [ L ] button when the Library Area is active, in order to unselect all selected Items in the Library Area. This is convenient because previously we had to find some empty space in the Library Area to accomplish the unselecting, and especially with fingers (tapping) this was not always easy.
- It is now possible to use RAM-OS as a computer name twice in the network. Obviously (to those who pocess it) this is related to the RAM-OS Disk and how the Operating Systems in there were dedicated the standard Computer Name of "RAM-OS". And, since changing that would lead to anomalies within the OS itself *and* the Windows requirement to have unique names in the same Network, this possibility is crucial for those who use more than one PC with the RAM-OS Disk (in one Network).
- With the notice that in XXHighEnd a Playlist as such is a saved copy of the contents of the Playist Area (which copy can be restored to the Playlist Area) : A Playlist can now be added to existing contents of the Playlist Area; previously a Playlist could only be loaded when first the Playlist Area was emptied.
- The selection of a Playlist goes by means of where you see the mouse arrow below :
(http://www.stordiau.nl/xxhighend/Playlist01.png)
and nothing changed about that. What changed though is that a scrollbar now shows and thus the number of saved Playlist can be significantly larger than previously (because they can be utilized).
Also, typing a left part of a Playlist Name (this is actually typed in the boxt next to the mouse pointer you see above) scrolls into view the Playlists starting with that left part of the name.
- The new Crack Detect tripping mechanism from v2.09 (avoiding a burst of noise when something is/goes wrong in/with the music data (file), was set a bit tight and tripping could be "too soon". It has been set wider now (but still avoiding any burst of noise).
- It appeared that the Nervous Rate (part of XTweaks settings) would reset to 100 at a restart of XXHighEnd. This has been so for a longer time (quite some XXHighEnd versions) and was unintentional. This is now again as should (set setting sustains).
- It appeared that Track Names shorther than 5 positions would not show up in the Show/Compare Tracks functionality. Now solved.
- There's a new Clear Flds button in the Search screen. This obviously clears the contents of the fields for Search Terms with the notice that it also clears the internal field which "remembers" the last Search Term when a next shortcut button (left pane) is used twice.
Small reminder regarding the latter : when you search in e.g. Nice Stuff for Eagle and next press the Demo shortcut button, then pressing that button a next time subsequently, searches for Eagle again.
- Yellow Bordered Items in the Library Area (as the result of failed Tidal searches (Sampling Rate is not in CD quality available) could abusively be moved to the Tidal Streams folder. This is prohibited now.
- XXEngine3.exe (the Sound Engine) now shows its own version number in the X3PB Log File. Usually it shows in the first line and can look like this (the 2nd example is the current one for the new 2.10) :
Log Open (2) 209.5
Log Open (2) 210.0
- After (really) years of looking for it, a redundant 2nd thread was found where one instance of it should be there only. This has been the main cause of implying static (very) occasionally.
Do notice that by now (since 2.09) other provisions were made to prohibit static in the first place. But let's say that now it is "more decent".
- A really great improvement has been made on the MQA decoding, which up to 2.09 had to run on the "Tidal PC" as well, but most often wouldn't because of a too old PC (OS) or an upgraded OS which simply won't allow the necessary (KB) patches. From now on only the Audio (playing) PS requires the environment for the MQA decoder and this PC usually is more modern and more "freshly" set up (so contains the environment to begin with).
Also see this forum post (http://www.phasure.com/index.php?topic=3940.msg42745#msg42745).
- In the Library Area, Ctrl-PgDn and Ctrl-PgUp always required two times this button combination before it actually worked (go to the bottom / top respectively). Now this is is solved.
- (Too) Long Track Names obtained from Tidal could cause problems when obtained in a Gallery. This is now solved (but only after re-obtainment from Tidal or removal from the Galleries of concern and re-obtainment in there).
- It was found that most probably Windows 10 Build 10074 can not digest the Update Prevention functionality, which is logic because 10074 wasn't a self-updating OS yet. However, it hanged on the attempt (say when invoking RightClick on the Stop button). For this reason 10074 is now excluded from the application of preventing Windows Updates.
Watch out : While 10586.0 is the only W10 version in between 10074 and 14393.0 (the poor sounding 10240 not counted) which is used by people and which could be subject to Windows Updates just the same, it
- is included for all its sub versions as it is hard to tell whether people use updated 10586 versions by now;
- is only included on 14393.0 and nothing higher.
The latter is because the Update prevention mechanisms were fairly much alive already when 14393.0 was introduced while being further already with Builds will miss the purpose of preventing further Updating (further Updating might even be useful because it may kill anomalies). With this it is also explicitly taken into account that applying the prevention to 14393.1944 (or whatever Crazy high number we saw passing by) errors out.
Do notice that for this moment no newer Builds are prevented because we may expect things to work differently now, like the 14393.1944 Build already being rejective.
Moral : Do not use not-formally recognized Windows 10 Builds because you will be missing out somewhere. The latest is 14393.0.
When we attempt to stop Windows Updates (RightClick on Stop etc.), a message will appear telling you that Updates were stopped. However, when it is rejected and when entering the menu on the Stop button again, we will still see the option to Stop Updates; Apparently is failed.
We can see it failing right away when after the attempt a second message appears :
(http://www.stordiau.nl/xxhighend/StopUpdates01.png)
Reminder for Windows 8 users :
As an option, don't forget to install the Windows 7 Shell provided with XXHighEnd. See the Windows7_Shell folder in your XX folder and don't forget to read the readme's in there !
Notice that this
Windows 7 Shell does not work for Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 and instead it will render your OS Install useless (black screen) when you install it anyway.
New since XXHighEnd 2.03 the Windows 7 Shell is mentioned "as an option" because Windows 8 now just runs as well on the Metro Desktop *IF* you get the habit of selecting the Windows Desktop first from where you do all with XXHighEnd.
After copying / unzipping the install files, just start the XXHighEnd.exe file; no Install as such is needed. See below at the mouse arrow.
(http://www.stordiau.nl/XXHighEnd/XXHighEnd04.png)
However, when you are running Windows 8 or higher - have not used XXHighEnd before - and are not connected to the Internet, first read this : Windows 8 Tutorials - Install .Net 3.5 (http://www.phasure.com/index.php?topic=2348.msg23844).
We urge you to read this : Windows 10 Tutorials - Wallpaper, Core Schemes, Q4,5 and more (http://www.phasure.com/index.php?topic=3228.0).
Please report as much as you run into but do so in a dedicated topic with a catching title.
Right below here you will find the full install of XXHighEnd.
Below that you will find the UpgradePatch install which can only be used on/over the previous XXHighEnd version, but only from of 2.04. Do *not* installl this UpgradePatch on its own in a new folder because nothing will work ! Only paste and unzip over the contents of the existing XX folder where 2.04 up to 2.09 (and beyond) is installed.
For the existing XXHighEnd user,
in order to avoid anomalies which are difficult to comprehend, it is best to kill XXEngine3.exe and AutoHotkey.exe (via TaskManager) prior to the install.
If you run into .exe files doing nothing (XXHighEnd.exe ahead), investigate whether the file is "
blocked". If you rightclick on it, chose Properties, then in the first tab you will see an "Unblock" button close to the bottom if this is the case. Click that button and all will be fine.
Edit, April 7, 2018 : There's a 2.10c version in XXHighEnd-210c-X for download at the very bottom. This solves Music Server PC's (accessing Tidal) requiring MQA decoding while that should not be necessary since 2.10. This 2.10c improves a few things which were in an earlier 2.10a and where 2.10a was for the Music Server PC (Prepoaring the Streams) only; 2.10c is best installed on the Audio PC (playing the music) as well.
If you want to download one of the two other files, always download (unzip) the 2.10c as the last one.