Window 7 updates

[Robert]

Can you confirm after reloading W7 onto computer should I only add the SP1 update and no others. I have deleted all updates up to the SP1 but there are prior updates before SP1, should these go also? I did notice an improvement in sound with the removal of the updates I've so far removed.

[PeterSt]

All I know is that most don't apply the updates. I don't either;
Maybe I saw from one or two that they explicitly applied the upgrades and then it sounded better, but it will be a wild guess what will happen (tomorrow being different than today) - with always the risk of things being destroyed.

If you see a few prior-SP1 upgrades, I would leave them alone. Most probably you can't remove them without uninstalling SP1 anyway, and maybe you will get them back when SP1 is installed again. Otoh, you can be talking about at least one upgrade which doesn't let itself remove (totally unclear what this is about, but probably just an MS bug without them telling it).

Peter

[juanpmar]

All I know is that most don't apply the updates. I don't either;
Maybe I saw from one or two that they explicitly applied the upgrades and then it sounded better, but it will be a wild guess what will happen (tomorrow being different than today)

Well, I was one of the few that explicitly applied the updates and thought that it sounded better. Not anymore. After a few days the charm was gone, why? I don´t know. I´ve reinstalled the OS with only the SP1 (and the only update that can´t be deleted: KB976902) and now it sounds better again. What does it mean to me?, that the weakest part in the system is the OS or myself or both.
To tell you the truth I feel a little stupid going back and forth saying that the sound is fabulous but...the sound is fabulous either way. I hope to keep cool this time.

Juan

[Robert]

Its ok, Juan don't beat yourself up at least you had the good heart to report your findings. In fact your findings are very useful thanks, just what I was looking for.

Microsoft is the problem and always has been, but in saying that they are trying to make a product to suit everybody in the world.

What we need is a dedicated basic OS for audio which we are trying to get by eliminating all the unnecessary cr*p off Windows OS's. I'm not a software man but you certainly can hear sound differences when the OS is minimised.

Perhaps this is Peters next challenge to develop an OS to go with XXHighend in the future!!!!!

All I can say, as a new convert to XXHighend, its so much better than JRiver/Foobar and my Meridian CD transport/DAC playback system I've become an addict again.

[Robert]

I have to report I've removed every update except KB2533552, KB976902 and SP1 KB976932 which can't be removed for W7 Home Premium and listened to Miles Davis-Tutu 24/96(HD soundtrack download originally flac and converted to Wav). Gosh what another improvement in sound to my ears. Hard to believe but real. The bass on this recording is now lower, deeper and cleaner for one aspect.

[praphan]

Congratulation !

As we all know, XXHE is a OS-sensitive application. Any changes in OS may affect SQ. Any updates above and beyond SP1 is subject to risk of shift in SQ too. As for now, there are two leagues in XX community. One is plain vanilla W7 and the other is W7 plus plain SP1.

As for me SP1 has a better result. Please check this :
http://www.phasure.com/index.php?topic=1820.msg18674#msg18674
What I did back then was applying SP1.

If you want to achieve optimum outcome from this fine player, you should consider running it on dedicated PC. Juan has posted an excellent thread on building PC that surpasses performance of most hiend mechanical transports.

I used to own Benchmark Pre DAC. It is a good value for money. XXHE will be best running on NOS1 USB with double octo AP. This is not a propaganda but fact base. Mani on this forum sold his Pacific Microsonic Model 2 and I moved my Berkeley Alpha to another room.

Happy listening.
Praphan

[juanpmar]

What we need is a dedicated basic OS for audio which we are trying to get by eliminating all the unnecessary cr*p off Windows OS's. I'm not a software man but you certainly can hear sound differences when the OS is minimised.

Perhaps this is Peters next challenge to develop an OS to go with XXHighend in the future!!!!!

I strongly support this idea. I really believe that the weakest part of any of our systems is the OS. We all know that the sound in a system will be as good as be allowed by the weakest of its components. So, we won´t get a stable success, even with the best dac in the world, if it is driven by a dubious software.

If you want to achieve optimum outcome from this fine player, you should consider running it on dedicated PC. Juan has posted an excellent thread on building PC that surpasses performance of most hiend mechanical transports.
Praphan

Thanks Praphan.

Robocop, just in case you are interested and can´t find the post, here it is: http://www.phasure.com/index.php?topic=1673.0

I used to own Benchmark Pre DAC. It is a good value for money. XXHE will be best running on NOS1 USB with double octo AP. This is not a propaganda but fact base. Mani on this forum sold his Pacific Microsonic Model 2 and I moved my Berkeley Alpha to another room.

And I'm going to put for sale my EMM Labs CDSD SE/DCC2 SE. That means something!.

Juan