New Filter request(s)

[CoenP]

Will make a 352.8 filter when I have some time. But we can already see (from your post) the permutations occurring ...

Peter

I guess 24 bit output versions of the Custom filter are also on the to-once-do list?

regards, Coen

[charliemb]

But WAV should work.

Indeed, it does, well, sort of.  By that I mean that the first time I tried a wav file, it did not work. (huh?)  So I stopped the loading, clicked on [c], killed engine3,   and tried it again.  Then it worked!   Well, again sort of.   By that I mean that for that particular album, only 7 out of 12 cores (hyperthreaded) lit up.  Huh?   why only 7.

So I found the few other wav albums that I have and they had no problems lighting up all 12 cores.   What's up with that?

And playback drive, or not, made no difference.

So, okay, new datapoints.

(been busy and I could swear that I have already posted about this but I don't see it.   maybe it was just a dream.)

[charliemb]

Sound impressions of new Custom and AI filters.

Firstly,  I should preface this  by saying that I'm running my Sabre32-chip OS DAC  (Wyred 4 Sound DAC2) with the PCM filter set to SLOW, which except for the sampling frequency +-20% is like having no filter at all almost everywhere.  Meaning: I'm relying on these XX filters almost entirely for the sound.   But also, running the DAC like this tells me much about the filters themselves.  And also, it is closer to an unfiltered NOS DAC which shall remain nameless.

The sound.  These filters sound fantastic.  So far I've only used the Custom 176 filter and AI using only one setting which is with the % pre-post ringing set to 17% (which I imagine is like 34% toward linear phase from 0), plus noise shaping dither.  To various extents, they bring to XX what was missing, which over here was an overly clean sound which sometimes sounded dry.  Not that I ever heard a problem.  It was more that I knew something was missing.  For example, I have some tracks by female vocalists and I know, because I've heard them before, that I should be melting in my listening chair.   But there was no melting.   Bit perfect would solve this but was too rough.  Once you hear the smoothness of AP it is hard to go back to bit perfect.

So I found myself using AP for rock, instrumentals, and male vocalists.   But for female vocalists, flutes, violins, violas and such, I had to turn to AI or no filter, or HQPlayer, and for all of those the melting happened / happens.   But all of these alternatives had their down sides as well.  For HQPlayer and to a less extent the old AI, the soundstage and imaging was nothing like AP.  Big losses there.

Then came these new filters in 186a and i.  We are already well past the melting.  The harmonic richness, which is what was missing, along with a correctness are now extremely satisfying for both Custom and the new AI.   And as expected, to varying degrees.

Custom still sounds a little like AP, and now only rarely exhibits this "something is missing" harmonically situation, but retains the amazing soundstage of AP.   And I'm glad to hear Boleary write that it exceeds AP.   I've not noticed that it exceeds but I will listen for that.  Certainly AP continues to be amazing in this regard and Custom is close, at least. 

The new AI is also a bit of a miracle.  Certainly is sounds better than any HQPlayer filter right now.  That's amazing when you consider the refinement of HQPlayer's filters.   But like HQPlayer, the new AI (@17%) looses a lot on the soundstage and imaging..   But what it looses in imaging it compensates in harmonic richness.     Where Custom can sometime sound a little lacking harmonically,  the new AI never lacks, and perhaps gives a little too much (GOOD for an alternative).  Have a dry sounding CD?   No problem:  just throw the new AI 17% at it.   Also amazingly,  the new AI never trips.  It never stumbles,  and everything seems to sound great.  Oh, except for the lack of soundstage in comparison to the amazing AP and Custom.

Hint hint...  I'd love to see something Custom that was asymmetrical in between this current custom 176 and the new AI set to 17%, more or less.  And okay,  if too much soundstage is lost,  then closer to current custom 176. 

Very very happy to have these filter choices.  Thank you Peter.  You are either very lucky or you are a genius.  It's always hard to tell between those two.

[boleary]

So for months now I've preferred 8x to 16x oversampling. 16x was just too refined and flat sounding. However the new Custom filter checkbox with the "Preferred" 705 setting has not only put the punch back into 16x but the tonal quality is in another league from anything I've heard from a digital system. Entirely natural and balanced. Nora Jones like never before. Thanks Peter!

Now what about hi res stuff? Previously I'd turn off all upsampling for hi res. If I do that now I guess I have to turn off all filters? Haven't tried yet and am just wondering.

[PeterSt]

Brian, your up times in prison are quite strange. But I don't care of course. Hahaha.

But no, these filters are not much suitable for hires, although you can try it. Well, "suitable" is not the correct word, but at least the roll off will be unnecessary "fast" (should be more upwards the frequency band).
Otoh, it shouldn't be audible if my theories are somewhat correct ...

Peter

[PeterSt]

Sound impressions of new Custom and AI filters.

Hey Charlie,

You provided there a very good description which will allow me to proceed in certain directions. All spot-on what it's about (in my view).

So thanks a great bunch,
Peter

[boleary]

So I tried to revert back to 186.a last night and could not overcome repeated preset errors. Unfortunately, when I removed the 186.a XX.exe and engine3 files from my XX folder it had presets active. Moving them back into the XX folder all I get now are preset errors and going to a "previous preset " setting doesn't work. Do I have to reinstall 186.a from the beginning or is there a particular preset file I could delete to get my original 186.a files to work?

[PeterSt]

Brian,

In your XXData folder for each day a backup is made of the active preset file of the previous day. So use one of which you know it still worked for the version concerned.

Let me know whether this helps you.
Peter

[boleary]

In your XXData folder for each day a backup is made of the active preset file of the previous day. So use one of which you know it still worked for the version concerned.

Let me know whether this helps you.

Yes, but only after deleting the PresetLoader.XXSI file. Then and only then was I given the option of selecting a previous preset loader file. Hope this makes sense.

Before deleting the XXSI, if I just tried to swap the engine 3 and .exe files, I got the following two errors:

1. Error at initializing conversion from string "to type "Decimal" is not a valid setting: 63, and after clicking OKAY on the error dialogue box,

2.Error opening settings: Preset file

From there I was not given a choice to load a different preset file until I rebooted. But that "choice" happened while rebooting. After the reboot I'd get the same series of errors. As stated above, this was only solved by deleting the PresetLoader XXSI file.

[PeterSt]

Thank you for the feedback Brian.

Let's say that the whol eprocedure anticipates on not even being able to start XXHighEnd any more. So, that would be a manual job anyway.
Otherwise, but depending on the situation, indeed there will be the auto-question about wanting to load back a backup, but possibly this does not lead to a normalized situation again. What I recall though is that when this happens - after selecting the backup file, XXHighEnd quits and all should be fine. If it did not quit at all then nothing will be fine.

Lastly, I'd say that explicitly using the [...] button next to the Load button (or somewhere there) should replace the file as well. But after that similar anomalies might happen, again depending on how bad the situation is.

Summarized, think of this as a manual emergency situaton. So the replacing how you did it should always work. Thus outside of starting XXHighEnd.

Lastly, I guess that "backwards compatibility" could be difficult (so going back to older version with newer Preset file). I always take it into account (so should be compatible) but probably it is not in this case (of upgrade).

Again, thanks,
Peter

[boleary]

Two things with 186i: sometimes when changing volume during unattended playback the track will "skip", like a needle bouncing on a record, as the volume is changing. One time I had to stop the track because it wouldn't stop skipping. This is very inconsistent as I can often change the volume with no skipping at all. Secondly, I played a 24/96 track yesterday and it sure sounded good! I unticked "Custom," did not tick arc Prediction, and turned off all upsampling. Very nice.

Okay, three things: I'm really surprised that more NOS1 owners, standard and upgraded, haven't posted 186i impressions. The sound on my system is the best ever, again. 

[PeterSt]

Hi Brian,

Change your SFS to attack that skipping (to higher I'd say). If that doesn't help change Q1.

I never noticed such a thing; just looked ... SFS=2, Q1=14, (x), ClockRes=1ms (Core-3-5). Q3,4,5 = 0,0,3.
Of course I needn't worry about SQ (NOS1a) but you can try these settings.
Oh, PC still runs at 430MHz.
And played from RAMDisk (XXHE and Playback).

Regards,
Peter

[acg]

Okay, three things: I'm really surprised that more NOS1 owners, standard and upgraded, haven't posted 186i impressions. The sound on my system is the best ever, again. 

I can't find where to download it (must be blind).  I suppose I could send Peter an email.

Anthony

[AlainGr]

Hi Anthony,

I will find it here
http://www.phasure.com/index.php?topic=2944.msg31692#msg31692

Alain

[boleary]

Thanks Alain, Peter hasn't "officially" released 186i so it's only been posted in this thread as a "Beta" for those who are particularly impatient.....thanks Stanley!