NOS1a and Q5 & W7 vs W8

[CoenP]

Hi,

In anticipation of my NOS1a this spring, I reconfigured my audio PC for convenience rather than best audio. This was under the assumption the the expected SQ for the 1a -in my setup(!)- would be unaffected by these changes.

Making the DAC sing proved more of a challenge than I expected: it needed extra attention on the powersupply and I've been fiddling with Osses, settings, USB cables, pci cards, powerarrangements, cables, etc.

Only recently I arrived again at excellent sound and guess what: I'm completely back on my pre-1a best sound setup (save for the dysfunctional usb cable).
Unexpectedly the biggest progress was made by removing the second music harddrive, so much so that I consider to get rid of one of the remaining two.
Also the 'best' settings in XX are identical too.

Anyway it is now vey clear that the 1a is vastly superior to the nos, but also that I'm kind of stuck in win7 and 09e. Stuck but statisfied that is!

Again the PC and surroundings is the all determining factor for SQ. It all starts with a sufficiently quiet and stable powersupply. Maybe there has been enough progress on supplies that can do better than the current seasonic...

Regards, Coen

[PeterSt]

Hmm ... in itself nice Coen !
Luckily I never admitted that the PC does not matter. Hard for me to try. What I do know is that I still have that one spinning small OS disk in it only, the music obtained over the LAN from another PC.

Regards,
Peter

[juanpmar]

Again the PC and surroundings is the all determining factor for SQ.

Hi Coen,

Very interesting your conclusions of that there is influence of the PC hardware in the SQ or, in other words and if I´m not wrong, that the NOS1a is not totally isolated from the PC hardware. Although I understand Peter´s last post this isolation issue maybe would need further details.

Taking a look at the configuration of your PC I see that you are using a Megahalems passive cooling (no fans running), would you tell me please what Megahalems model are you using and, if possible, could you put some pictures of your PC? I still have three fans in my PC and I would like to try it totally passive.

You have also the "Power cable PE not connected, together with nos1 and poweramp in "audio" strip". Does it mean that the PE not connected is only the one in the cable from the power strip to the wall? or the power cables from the NOS1 and power amp have also the PE disconnected?

Would you please put your XX settings in your signature? sorry but I don´t remember.

Regards,
Juan

[boleary]

I'm not getting the NOS1a upgrade till sometime after the new year, but I've been wondering what folks have experienced regarding XX/PC settings. So, Coen, I really appreciate your last post! But now I'm a bit concerned that with the NOS1a, setting up an RDC with a laptop to control XX might cause SQ issues. Setting up such a connection is something I'm very much looking forward to. Maybe there is a trade off with an RDC connection which then lets one disconnect mouse, keyboard and monitor? Just wondering.

One more thing, maybe Coen's post and replies should be in a new thread about XX/PC settings with NOS1a?

[PeterSt]

if I´m not wrong, that the NOS1a is not totally isolated from the PC hardware. Although I understand Peter´s last post this isolation issue maybe would need further details.

That isolation is 100% alright, but there's the mains part of it all. So like I always told : the influence by the (XXHighEnd) settings is one (I don't see that happening any more) and the "hardware" part is another. Thus for example how the USB connection can be better and worse and (surprise ?) how now the USB cable matters. Or possibly that always did, but now you can hear it (the NOS1a being so much better again).

It is really hard to work out the influence over the mains, but my guts always told me that the PC must be as lean as possible on the power consuption. Or better : as even as possible. So that is what I still do (like still using the 430MHz "speed") and no further devices attached to it. But I did not try to do it otherwise either ...

Peter

[CoenP]

Hi,

This is just about me having changed a highly tweaked  PC before the arrival of the nos 1a.
If you have good sound now, you will definitely have much better sound with the 1a.

Like Peter said, it's much more about PC psu noise than anything else. Contrary to the hardware changes, the software influence is much smaller than I was used to. Still cpu and memory can still pose a signature to the sound via the power consumption patterns of the BIOS and OS/software. Like having another device in the USB port or Ethernet enabled.

I also believe that the PC supply has a dominant role in suppressing this noise (or by not doing that). I am thinking right now about a linear base supply and switching local regulators. These linear supplies are much less tightly coupled to the power line. For an all linear supply I have to get a new system with less power consumption.

Regards, Coen

[christoffe]

Hi,

I also believe that the PC supply has a dominant role in suppressing this noise (or by not doing that). I am thinking right now about a linear base supply and switching local regulators. These linear supplies are much less tightly coupled to the power line. For an all linear supply I have to get a new system with less power consumption.

Regards, Coen

Hi,

This might be (is) the reason that the SQ with my laptop is better than with the PC, much better.
The laptop sees the 19Volts only.

Now I have to look for a linear power supply for the laptop.

Joachim

[CoenP]

This might be (is) the reason that the SQ with my laptop is better than with the PC, much better.
The laptop sees the 19Volts only.

Now I have to look for a linear power supply for the laptop.

Hi,

Like the Velleman regulated supply. Cheap and effective? (!)

With my MacbookPro (i5, 2013) laptop I also got excellent sound with the 1a. I play tunes on A+ and a demo version of HiQplayer. On batteries it is slighly better than on mains not a night and day difference. Unfortunately no XXHE on the OS-X platform if it were only for the ArcPrediction filters.
The OS-X NOS driver may need an update since my little iFI nano DAC plays 384 without hickups even when I keep on working on the PC. No such thing with the NOS, i have to put up with an intrruption every now and then.

Regards, Coen

[PeterSt]

Coen,

I just sent you a possible newer OS/X driver (logically it is because your NOS1(a)-USB is older than that.
Let me know whether this helps.

Peter

[CoenP]

Hi Peter,

Thanks for the effort. There are still hiccups especially when I move the arrow around the screen. That is at certain specific moments, probably when track loading takes place or there is competition over CPU priority. Something like that.

Also a new OS-X version since yesterday that I have not installed. (yet).

..On batteries it is slighly better than on mains not a night and day difference....

FWIW there is a (expected) difference between a charged laptop and a charging one with the power cable connected.

regards, Coen

[Mamba315]

I just sent you a possible newer OS/X driver

Is this the awaited NOS1a driver? 

[PeterSt]

No ... That was supposed to work last Friday but did not.
Soon ...

[michaeljeger]

Hi Peter

I also hope there will be a Mac driver.
I just think Macs deserve a more prominent role in your system.
The hardware is just so much nicer.
The minis look so good and yet are quite powerful.

Regards, Michael

[PeterSt]

Hey Michael,

Maybe I don't understand - maybe you don't understand - and possibly we need to define "your system" first, but ...

This forum originally is about XXHighEnd which runs on Windows. True, this becomes a bit not-so-visible because a.o. we are now posting in a board dedicated to the NOS1 D/A converter.

Possibly you are not aware of the fact that the Mac has been supported by the NOS1 right from the start of the USB version. Ehm, including a driver for it. It is only that the "a" version requires a new driver version which - and this is also good to understand - is as difficult for Windows as it is for the Mac to realize. Both for totally different reasons, but still true. There is one important difference between the both though and this is that for Windows I (we all) can do without the driver change because I can do what is needed from the Playback software just the same, while for the Mac I have no playback software and so I'm stuck to the Mac driver requireing that change. But FYI the Mac driver will be there sooner than the Windows driver (for now obvious reasons, but about your "prominent role").

If "your system" is meant to be about that I better make a Mac player, then what to say. But I don't think you meant that ?

Edit : You can also mean that you don't see much about Mac's in here in relation to the NOS1. But *that* is everybody's own choice ...

Best regards,
Peter

HEY, Welcome here !!!
(you must soon put something in your Sig - )

[michaeljeger]

Hello Peter

With system I mean a computer + the Phase NOS DAC.
The computer is important because the filtering is done in the computer.

My observation is that most people in the forum use Windows based computers, because your software (XXHighend) works only in Windows.

I would love it if more Mac users to be also vocal on this forum and report about their experience with the Phasure Nos1(a) DAC.
What kind of software they are using, what settings etc.

I think you could attract more users on the Mac side as well if you offered your software for the Mac as well. I assume though that maintaining code for 2 different OSs is too time consuming.

I used Windows machines a lot in the past but switched about 6 years ago due to the fact that Mac Hardware is just so much nicer My personal taste obliously.
And my hassle to maintain the system in the MAC is basically zero. Do not get me wrong, i do not want to start a MAC vs PC discussion, just my personal experience.

It just occured to me that when I saw in another thread here the photos of the gear people use, the PC usally had the least apealing look

Best regards, Michael