It's been a while since I last posted something here and maybe not good to say, but I have also not used XX for a while, too.

But, now Spotify is in my country and I do listen to it. Well, it sounds hell well - both - on my Android phone via Bluetooth phones (especially in extreme quality. I can afford that as in Latvia we have 6th fastest internet on planet, good coverage of 3G/4G and big enough data plans) as well as on my home (W7 laptop based with JKDAC32) setup (the one I used for XX before). I also use to listen via FM modulator in my car and it still sounds wonderful there. So, they manage to do some magic there...

About Spotify stream - they use OGG Vorbis encoding...

Hey,

This is a web-service. So, you say that music via web sounds better than via XX locally? I cannot test as Spotify is N/A in my country yet.
Still, I do use Grooveshark and it sounds good, but it does not use KS, it runs via regular Windows audio path. Have not tried to compare Grooveshark sound to XX sound.

Ivo

I think that this experiment may be interesting if real sound is the goal:

Try to record your own singing and playing something using a good stereo recorder that does it right into WAV file. Then play this file back on your system using different tweaks while you find the real ones that do not color the sound.

I also agree that it very much depends on a recordings, but at least you can try this way to find something. Will try someday and then post as I also like to hear as close to real as possible.

Ivo

I can only join others and say that now sound is simply unbelievable:

1. 3D effect has increased.
2. treble and mids so mild and silky.
3. bass - so tight and clear and deep - no 'clouds' anymore.
4. overall clarity - amazing.

I can finally say that if I add around 800 USD (XX license + USB DAC) to my laptop - I get a High end natural sound out of it which I can be proud off and promote to others!!!

Thanks Peter once again!

Ivo

Hi Peter,

OK, got it. Will try.
But, is it so that XX uses more RAM than I actually see in Task manager? I mean, I have 8 GBs, but only 3.5 are effectively used. Is it so that if I will run @ 8x, more RAM will be used than in 4x?

Ivo

Hi,

I noticed that those who have NOS devices almost as one prefer KS-Adaptive mode. I suspect that is because it is designed for that mode???
Is there anyone with NOS device preferring KS-Special mode?

And now:
I am not NOS user and I liked KS=Special mode before z73. I am interested if that is fine if I start with the same settings in z74 for KS-Special mode as I used in z6?

My main settings are:
Q1=1
xQ1=1 (I suspect xQ1 is more for Adaptive mode)
KS-Special, 2048
SFS=400
Straight Cont.

Ivo

Peter,

Did not know you offer dedicated PCs with XX onboard? Is there a pricelist somewhere online?

Ivo

Hi,

I use JKDAC32 (https://sites.google.com/site/hifacemods/home-1/jkdac32).
It was connected to my own built tower PC, now - to Dell laptop.
Regarding sound: since I have laptop overall sound is cleaner, less dull and more sophisticated than from tower PC.
Otherwise no problems with XX and JKDAC32 (it has custom KS drivers) and all works 100% stable.

Ivo

Hi,

I have a laptop with 8 GB of RAM. It runs W7 x64 Pro. When I boot it up, it on average consumes < 1 GB.
Now, I run XX (z74) and set SFS=400. During playback now I see 3.5 GB of RAM are used. If I increase SFS, I get that error saying I need to choose another type or reboot. Anyway, I cannot get more than SFS=400 with Straight Cont.

Question: Is there a way I can use more of my RAM for XX?
BTW, 8 GBs are sort of minimum according to XX's requirements or prerequisites. See my sig for more details.

Ivo

1) I have Win 7 x64 Pro SP1 dvd, purchased separatly from laptop.
2) Usually after install I do:
-disable set of services I know can be disabled from experience
-turn off scheduled defrag
-turn off file indexing on hdd
-turn off swap
-turn off some windows features
-turn off all sounds
-turn off majority of visual effects
-disable some un-needed HW in device manager
-turn off power management where possible

I have done it previously on my tower PC and all was fine with XX going into MinOS. (Prior to version 7, though).

Really hate re-install all again, maybe I can try enabling back some of things I have stopped?

Ivo

Hi all,

Thanks for sharing minds.
The thing is that I did follow activation steps each and every. And it activated like it should. All works, except MinOS mode. As Peter mentioned there is no connection between activation and MinOS as such.
After I activated and played a little in attended mode, I did a restore point. Nothing has been installed since then.

I guess it is never said that before going into MinOS, one must play in all modes and in all mem organizations.

Of course I can try to wipe all off, make a clean install and re-activate, but then if I again change something later on - for instance do some tweaks to OS, where is guarantee that another re-install won't be needed?

Ivo

So,

Forget about those services I stop (just mentioned them as you said before it might relate to some problem in services). I meant that all services are able to stop, noone needs to be put in Keep services list.


Yes, I press and it says that now will reboot to MinOS. As usual.


After reboot Theme service runs and windows theme stays the same. Also, process and service count running in RAM is the same and network is up however I said it to stop wifi services.

Will send you later a video how I do that

Ivo

Hi Peter,

So, after successful activation yesterday, I also tried the MinOS mode and I was not able to go into that. I tried several times and no way it goes in there. Checked my services - all standard ones, no special non-Windows services are running. All my power management if OFF wherever that is possible. My laptop has only the minimum software and not all that cr*p that comes when you buy pre-installed one.
When I go into unattended I stop 0 services and it works, only 4 processes need to be left unstoppable for unattended to work.
I guess I will leave it for now and play in unattended as want to enjoy a bit of music....

Can you shortly (I know it ain't easy) describe what is so special going on when we choose to use MinOS? I know it grabs RAM in advance, but still....

Ivo (running know the very latest z7-4)

It did not. 

Ivo

Hello,

So, today I got z7-4 and also got a new key (non-refundable this time as am hungry for great playback )

1) Installed, activated and did manual restore point. All works, but so far I have not tried yet un-attended and MinOS.

BTW Peter,
Activation email says we must see red title bar when all is OK, topic here says just check Appointment. In my case latter was OK but title bar still BLUE. Only after reboot I got title bar RED. Maybe a change in manual(s) is needed.

2) Now off for a while, later will try to go deeper into nirvana and find myself in MinOS. Will report.

Ivo