I say NO to SSD for music playback.

[Gerard]

Everyone,

Today i made a fresh install of W7-SP1 on a HDD. So at the moment i have it on a SSD and a HDD. Really no way for me that i would like to go back to a SSD anymore. Since the latest version of XX there was to much of the highs. Some metal irritating sound.

After the first track it was obvious that the irritating sound is gone. Now i can even play SFS 40. With the SSD I had had to use SFS 1 to get rid of it a bit. The overall sound is much more relaxing IMO. In a few weeks i hope i can explain it a bit further but for now the new pc builders may think twice. Since a SSD is a bit expensive.

That where two expensive SSD'S that i bought I still can use one for the Galleries though.


 

EDIT: I have an SSD with Vista also and that to delivered to much in the upper region. So i really think it's the SSD that is causing it. (OCZ V2 and Intel)

[PeterSt]

Eh Gerard ...

Do you realize that this was about your very first remark on SQ ever ?

So how confident must you be ?!

Haha. Now let's get rid of the RAMDisk.
Mine has gone for a few days now; yours may be tomorrow.

[Gerard]

Eh Gerard ...

Do you realize that this was about your very first remark on SQ ever ?

So how confident must you be ?!

Haha. Now let's get rid of the RAMDisk.
Mine has gone for a few days now; yours may be tomorrow.

Hahaha 

Yes that was in my head also  Really the dac does make SQ differences more recognizable that is what i think. And maybe some self-confidence that is grown is part of it.

 

 

[PeterSt]

And maybe some self-confidence that is grown is part of it.

Well, if that is not honest, I don't know anymore (this will be "dutch", but I'm sure you'll understand). But after so many years, this should be your victory.
It is not without a reason I said it you know. So what I really want to say : confidence in someone else is one, but confidence in yourself is quite something else. Now go for it. I think you deserve it.

[juanpmar]

Now that it seems that both the OS and XXHigEnd should be in a HDD in place of in a SSD for better sound, wouldn´t be a good idea to have it in the fastest possible HDD?, I´m thinking about something like a VelociRaptor. The 150Gb are now around 100€. http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=20

[PeterSt]

If you can't find a 15000 RPM (which theoretically exist), yes.
But have SATAIII on your motherboard for the 6GB througput ...

[juanpmar]

So, there not difference between a 7.200rpm and a 10.000rpm HDD? I mean talking about improving sound.

[PeterSt]

I really don't know ...

You could look at the Wattage used though. And next *I* still don't know.

[Gerard]

Now that it seems that both the OS and XXHigEnd should be in a HDD in place of in a SSD for better sound, wouldn´t be a good idea to have it in the fastest possible HDD?, I´m thinking about something like a VelociRaptor. The 150Gb are now around 100€. http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=20

That was what i have been thinking for the last weeks. If i recall there was someone who used a very slow HD was that for the heat or SQ.

[pedal]

Well, I don't know if it's anything wrong with my SSD...

I run my XX on a SSD.
All music on a separate SATA II 2TB HD.

...And the sound quality is ABSOLUTELY stunning! Featuring the 0.9z-4-1 with the new settings from Peter today, it is just perfect, perfect, perfect. Treble is 100% integrated with midrange and bass. It's extremely 3D, detailed, dynamic and natural. My vinyl itch dying today. Period.

At the moment I dont feel like changing anything. My SSD stays in the game! Never change a winning team 

(I will follow up on my new killer settings in the other thread).

[PeterSt]

Shall I be honest ? I do that too ...

But the OS in on a spinning disk.

Maybe it emerged like that because I can't take out the SSD because my development environment is on it, and the only thing I recall is that (for me) it really started to workout after the OS was not on the SSD anymore. I never took it out though, also because my Galleries are on it.

[praphan]

Hi Peter,

I have both XXHE and OS installed on HDD. SSD is sitting idle doing nothing in my PC. Although Z4-1 is the best sounding XX I have ever had, but it is a bit rich and thick on the mid bass. Too forward as well. This may be due to : "special" + "scheme 3" + "SC".

What is your experience on OS installed on HDD and XX on SSD ? Should be generally better than both on HDD?

Thanks
Praphan

[PeterSt]

Hi Praphan,

Please allow me to not know this for 100% (yet);

The only thing I know is that currently I don't perceive "strangenessess" anymore, nor do I have a reason to believe that the SSD improves sound otherwise (because it just can't, and when it does something else MUST be wrong).
The reason I have the SSD in I already talked about, and the reason I would *want* it in is because of the speed on the Galleries.

But what I can't judge (because I didn't compare - can't take it out) is what happens when it is not in there at all. I think it won't matter, and I sure *hope* it won't.

Although Z4-1 is the best sounding XX I have ever had, but it is a bit rich and thick on the mid bass. Too forward as well.

Well, here is an answer you may not have heard from me before, but I wouldn't like to put it otherwise per today :

Can't tell.



No. Because things have changed. Somehow things are "all over good" now. So, nothing wrong here or nothing wrong there, and try to get in the middle of it somewhere, or at either end so someone's subjective likings. You can see it by the late posts. I won't say "nothing to complain", but what there's left to complain seems to be about different things now. Like my own example about the inconsistent buffer settings. Pedal's response to it (and complaints about the same before that). But there's suddenly a difference, which wasn't there before : the NOS1; The more I work with it myself (or maybe I should say : the more I work on things arounbd it) the more I learn that this stupid thing *indeed* lets  hear anything just how it is (these were Mani's words, or maybe his visitor's), and things have become "absolute". This wasn't before because the playback software wasn't good (enough -> XX).

It could be a psychological thing as well (on my side I mean), because this has slipped into my mind, and won't go out of it anymore. But in fact a very important step.

Ok Praphan, maybe it starts to sound like advertising the NOS1, but I'm not doing that, at least not towards you. On that matter I hope it's okay to tell that your NOS1 is on its way already, so I don't think I need to sell it to you. Haha. For others ? well, difficult.

To be very honest, when discussions are going on in other forums, it's often that I think (or even say) : "yeah, well, you don't listen to any truth anyway". I have *never* said this in here, although one time it was very close (about buying interfaces instead of DACs).  There was no reason to.

All 'n all the kind of strange thing for myself is that applying wrong(ish) buffer settings now totally kills all, while on the other hand something like playing Attended (see Pedal's post) doesn't matter much anymore. This just is true, but (looking back) it all fits. But :
"destroy" this by means of the DAC again, and all becomes subjective. That this merely is about the OS vs NOS debate is something else (but mighty important), and that no other good NOS exists than the NOS1 (as far as I can tell), is something like a coincidence. In the end this is not all that much about "good", but merely about "doing 100% nothing to the sound you stuff it with".

So, all is logic, as long as we can take it that the playback from the software is quite allright now.
This should be completely "absolute" to me, but will be subjective to you for another few days. After that ? we just copy eachother's settings and we can talk about it.

But one last thing : I sure and sincerely hope we can continue to do this with everyone, although this post seems to let you think otherwise.

Sorry for a long answer without answers.
Peter

[BertD]

At the moment I dont feel like changing anything. My SSD stays in the game! Never change a winning team 

Well, I exchanged my SSD for a 10.000RPM WD 2,5" HDD from where the speed is acceptable but for most, it sounds better to my ears (less artificial being more black than grey without losing any information..).

I cloned the SSD and listened to both using the same settings (disconnected the Sata cable and power from the other disc simulating it was out of the system).

Now the SSD is permanently out of the system (its a dedicated PC for audio only). Never tried with the SSD still connected to the system though (it confuses the boot sequence being a cloned disc) but I could format the SSD and plug it in. I do not think it will make the sound any different anyhow though as nothing is linked to the disc making it active in the background... 

Cheers,

Bert

[Gerard]

At the moment I dont feel like changing anything. My SSD stays in the game! Never change a winning team 

Well, I exchanged my SSD for a 10.000RPM WD 2,5" HDD from where the speed is acceptable but for most, it sounds better to my ears (less artificial being more black than grey without losing any information..).

I cloned the SSD and listened to both using the same settings (disconnected the Sata cable and power from the other disc simulating it was out of the system).

Now the SSD is permanently out of the system (its a dedicated PC for audio only). Never tried with the SSD still connected to the system though (it confuses the boot sequence being a cloned disc) but I could format the SSD and plug it in. I do not think it will make the sound any different anyhow though as nothing is linked to the disc making it active in the background... 

Cheers,

Bert

Hey Bert,

Why a 2,5 and not a 3,5? And which model you have?