XXHighEnd Model 0.9z-4-1

[PeterSt]

Hi Telstar,

I know it's a bit complicated, but you should leave the RAMDisk out as the first thing ...
Don't call that proper A-B or something (for this version). The RAMDisk makes it worse.
SSD The same, though YMMV here.

On Console.jp or anything ... read the Release Notes (as always ). Exclude it. Well, assumed that's possible.

[Telstar]

I know it's a bit complicated, but you should leave the RAMDisk out as the first thing ...
Don't call that proper A-B or something (for this version). The RAMDisk makes it worse.
SSD The same, though YMMV here.

You are saying that the fact that ramdisk software is running makes z4.1 (installed somewhere else) sound worse?

Will put it on HDD - yes this i have to try.

[PeterSt]

Yes, that is what I say. I myself had it just sitting there, but didn't use it anymore. Still, it couldn't be taken out (bad sound). Now (4-1) it can, and it makes the sound better as ever before.

Peter

[Gerard]

I know it's a bit complicated, but you should leave the RAMDisk out as the first thing ...
Don't call that proper A-B or something (for this version). The RAMDisk makes it worse.
SSD The same, though YMMV here.

You are saying that the fact that ramdisk software is running makes z4.1 (installed somewhere else) sound worse?

Will put it on HDD - yes this i have to try.

Peter didn't you meant OS on HDD and XX on HDD instead of OS on SSD and XX on HDD

Telstar if i am right you have the OS on SSD?

 

[pedal]

Over all, I am very happy with 0.9z-4-1.

On a majority of albums it sounds "just perfect". Extremely 3D, detailed and coherent from bass to treble. [Also a factor of the NOS1 of course!]

But on some albums* I note a slight "forwardness" in the upper midrange. Maybe it's because I play them very loud. Or maybe I can tweak it away with some other settings? (See my signature). Or maybe it is the recording itself...

-At the moment I dont use RAM-disk for practical reasons - too much hasle. XX is running on a SS disk.

*EXAMPLE: Keith Jarrett At The Blue Note/The Complete Recordings CD (The 2 Sunday CDs).

[PeterSt]

I myself am completely satisfied with

- SFS = 240 (SC)
- Soundcard Buffer = 512 (set it there, meaning not (only) in XX as Device Buffer Size !)
- Latency = 128 samples

Also, I hopped back to "just start" (meaning : inactivate Do not start at all). Much more convenient, and it shouldn't matter much anymore.


Side note :

Day before yesterday my wife complained it was all too loud. Well, according to the set digital volume it was the other way around. -33dBFS while more normal would be -25.5 / -24. Of course got a fight over it, and after playing a coule of tracks of Van Morrison (including the fameous Gloria) - and which music at last she liked, I turned that off again and went back to whatever ambient. Turned vM off because of being in a bad mood, but also it souned way (way) too fresh. Too old stuff I guess(ed !).
Next received the message that my stupid ambient sounded distorted as well. Yeah yeah, that's because of the high transients in there.
Yesterday after starting out with some "easy" stuff again, I didn't like it myself. Put on L.A. Woman, because it always works. Good memories about that as well. Sh*t, sounded like, well, sh*t.
Then I checked my settings and found some very "controversial" latency vs. soundcard buffer settings ... 32 vs 2048. Totally inconsistent within itself (I always thing the both should go along for "length"), and I recalled I did that for test purposes on Sunday.
Set all back to normal (see above), and all sounded great again.

I only want to say : you can totally destroy the music by making these settings "inconsistent". Of course 32 samples ( @ 32/352.8 ) is very low anyway, but things just have to "fit".
Listened to Riders in the Storm as a last track from L.A.W. and went along with all so great.


One other thing for you Pedal : This all sounds so normal now, that I have to rejudge my Deep Purple "only a few sound good" earlier statement. This "rock" now suddenly all works, and I can't see why or how I before had problems with some. Try it ! I played many of the the past weeks, even including newer. It occurred to me (only now ) that DP has gone the direction of Trans-Siberian Orchestra at some stage. Oh, maybe you don't know that ... TSO = Symphonic Rock like, spurs of ELO hence classically but towards opera based but turned into pure rock, actually "massive". Massive but very intelligent. And strange, because if you want to play something of them it has to be Christmas time. They (almost) don't do other things on albums. Go figure. Btw, upcoming 26th they perform in Amsterdam.

Ok, I'll stop now.
Peter

[boleary]

I also find schemes 1 and 2 better than scheme 3 ever since I switched to special mode. Scheme 3 definately puts out that "too forward" sound here.

[Telstar]

Telstar if i am right you have the OS on SSD?

 

Yes, and I will never put on a spinning disc because of the noise.

[pedal]

XX version 0.9z-4-1: HOME AT LAST

Today I have reached an all-time-high sound quality, after adopting the settings of Peter, as mentioned in above post.

Yesterday I was “quite” happy, but noticed a slightly “forwardness” in the upper midrange, making some (but not all) piano recordings a little bit unpleasant at high playback levels. (I do play louder than most people, which make any tendency of hardness rather annoying). 

Today I changed my setting to:
KS MODE: Special
Device Buffer size: 512
Julia soundcard latency: 512
Processor Core Appointment Scheme = Scheme-2
Player Prio: Low
Thread Prio: Real Time
Clock: 15ms
Services and OSD: Nothing
SFS: 240
Memory Organization: Straight Contiguous
Q1: 3 (128 latency)
Q2-Q5: 0

Music on SATA II HD. XX running on SSD. RAMdisk not in use at the moment.

Playback: PeakExtend + Arc Prediction x8
(Attended/unattended doesn’t make much difference).
Last but not least: NOS1 DAC.

-----------

The improvements are quite astonishing. First of all, the “hardness” heard on Keith Jarrett Trio/Live at Blue Note CD 5, disappeared. It was replaced with the piano’s true “wooden” tone.

Playing track #05 La Valse Bleue, made my jaw drop to the floor when the drum kit materialized in my living room. Extremely deep and tight bass, explosive dynamics and dry, but pure treble. At that very moment my year long vinyl itch got killed!

Next, I put on Patricia Barber/The Cole Porter Mix (CD rip). Another surprise, compared with listening to it a couple of days ago: Now, listening to Patricia Barber has become interesting(!). Her voice is simply more involving. A slight veil has been lifted from her voice, making it more emotional.

Another frequent test album is Brian Bromberg/Wood, an audiophile trio jazz recording from 2001. The opening track 01-The Saga of Harrison Crabfeathers has a very demanding treble. The piano is recorded relatively “alive”, but it is still OK (very OK!)  as long as your system doesn’t emphasize the treble. Today there was no hardness at all, only the sound of a true and believable piano.

Finally I pulled out an old CD favorite from 1989: Blue Nile – Hats. The opening track #01-Over The Hillside is very well recorded. But with the previous settings the treble was slightly colored, reminding my about “early digital”. After changing to present settings however, the treble became pure again. Listening to this track after so many years was totally FUN. I played it 4 times in a row! At the very end of the track there is a cymbal playing, and now I can better hear its genuine “copper” sound. [It even made me google the metal alloy of typical cymbals. The XX/NOS1 can do that to you!]

---------  

The “problem” with choosing the settings of XX is that most users have different PCs. So maybe there are no universal settings for everybody? Also those without NOS1 or modified Julia soundcard, might need other settings for latency(?)
Nevertheless I urge you to try the above mentioned settings. Or make them your starting point for experiments.

BTW: I have a new PC with a fast quad core processor. All software running on a fast SSD. Music on SATA II HD.


EDIT/Postscript: Woke up this morning and still could "feel" (remember) yesterday's sonic impact of the drum solo on La Valse Bleue! (During my 30years of Hi-Fi madness, perhaps 10 listening experiences from my own/others systems have made lasting impressing. Fex. I still remember, my first listen to a friends highend system at age 15, as it was yesterday).

[PeterSt]

Great report Pedal, thanks !

I've been experimenting a bit with Scheme-2 but or I didn't hear the difference much, or I thought : what the heck, I'm used to Scheme-3, so let's stick to that.

Next I was working on the software, found a few (for now really unimportant) bugs, BUT, reasoned out that Scheme-1 would be the best. So, I used that for the past couple of days. Well ...

It gives me a clear change to the SQ. But also it emphasizes the highs in a sort of snappy way which ... I don't know ... is at micro level too squary or something. Just too much or so. Too much pronounced. Taking away the colour. But maybe also better. Somehow. But now again something is not up to it ?

So after two (maybe it was three) days of it I went back to Scheme-3. More bass. All fits again. Good balance. Nothing to complain about.
Right now listen to Mayall's "Blues for the Lost Days". Plainly superb. Sorry to say it myself.

But I also have changed a few other things to the software.

And onnnnn this mater ... This time I took some serious time to get myself a new "PC". So, for people orienting on a new one, maybe wait a little. I did not order it myself yet, but it should contain everything and all for, well, a new stratgy. It will set you back for some 1300 euros for a mobo/processor alone, but then you'll have something which ... nobody has. Promise !
If now only my theories work ...

Peter


PS: A first glance of it will be in 0.9z-5.

[sergero]

goood`n`cooool .....

[xp9433]

Peter

You said, "I took some serious time to get myself a new "PC". So, for people orienting on a new one, maybe wait a little"

Whenever you are silent for a few days we know you are deep into something new!

Waiting with interest!

Frank

[Gerard]

1300 euros for a mobo/processor alone

   

Is that possible? (Yes i guess) in order to get 8 GB i have been looking around a bit last day's but these prices i did not see.
 
 

[xp9433]

Does it sounds like an Intel Sandy Bridge i7-2600 series processor is included?

[BertD]

And onnnnn this mater ... This time I took some serious time to get myself a new "PC". So, for people orienting on a new one, maybe wait a little. I did not order it myself yet, but it should contain everything and all for, well, a new stratgy. It will set you back for some 1300 euros for a mobo/processor alone, but then you'll have something which ... nobody has. Promise !
If now only my theories work ...

Peter

I recently bought a new PC already so I'd rather wait for a more user friendly and stable player and not spending another 1.300 Euro...

Everybody seems very happy with the sound already (me included) and therefore other things need an update first...?

I still have problems with those Hotkey commands but I guess I am the only one?

Bert