XXHighEnd settings for the NOS1a

[PeterSt]

All NOS1a owners,

Because of your now isolated D/A converter ("a" version of the NOS1) there are hardly constraints in the playback software and I thought to start a topic for it. Say that all (settings) could be automated by means of denoting "Is NOS1a" in a new field, but this requires a new version of XXHighEnd and I am not up to that yet. Meanwhile many people ask for the settings now, plus you could be using XXHigHEnd in an unnecessary unconvenient setting.

I will keep this first post up-to-date and also make it more complete over time.

Using LAN (and from there a remote over WiFi)

In the 1.186-a (or 1.186-i) version of XXHighEnd it requires a trick to make all more convenient for you :

Boot into Normal OS Mode and go to the Services section in Settings. There denote Stop Desktop Services and Stop Remaining Services. Also denote Keep LAN Services (Persistent if you like but it doesn't matter).
N.b.: For Remote Control via RDC also denote "Use Remote Desktop".
Now reboot into Minimized OS.

Go to Settings again and and now deactivate Stop Remaining Services as well as Stop Desktop Services.

What now happens for more convenience are three things (all Unattended Playback assumed) :

- The Wallpaper Coverart can be normally used in Windows 8 (8.1 the same).
- The LAN connection never shuts down hence doesn't need to come up when needed (the coming up is quite painful in Windows 7).
- You can use a tablet etc. for remote control over WiFi if only the audio PC is cable-connected to the router (which connects to WiFi).

This is all not detrimental to SQ that I know of.

Normal main SQ settings

This should apply to all forms of playback :

Q1 = 14
xQ1 = 1
Q3 = 0
Q4 = 0
Q5 = 0
Device Buffer Size = 4096
SFS = 4
Clock resolution = 1

When you like you can dial in any other setting and it should not be detrimental to SQ. Do notice though that 1.186-i (there for the NOS1a) contains a few things which may imply "problems" with other settings. Thus it is best to just use the above - when SQ does not matter anyway.

XTweaks settings

I would not change these. This is because related to the PC itself and the PC itself still matters (more or less).

BIOS Settings

Same as above. Just let them be as you had those.

Obtain XXHighEnd 1.186-i for the NOS1a

See this post.

[juanpmar]

Thanks Peter,

To complement your post would be helpful also if could be explained in detail (perhaps it is already done in some other posts) a couple of things:

- How to install step by step the LAN

- How to install step by step the remote control to use a tablet or maybe a smartphone over WiFi.

Finally a question: Using the 1.186-i version, is Windows 8.1 as good for SQ as Windows 8?

Regards,
Juan

[PeterSt]

Hi Juan,

Finally a question: Using the 1.186-i version, is Windows 8.1 as good for SQ as Windows 8?

I wouldn't count on that. Not at all actually.

Peter

[boleary]

Hi Peter, are your bios settings the same as posted here:
http://www.phasure.com/index.php?topic=2882.msg30369#msg30369

Thanks.

Brian

[PeterSt]

Brian, yes. I never changed those (without real reason, but also no real reason to change).

Peter

[PeterSt]

I added XTweaks and BIOS little sections to the main post.

[Scroobius]

Peter - I am using these settings and Wallpaper kind of works but not quite!  When XX goes into Unattended wallpaper is shown on the desktop. But the wallpaper shown is for the last album playing. If I then say increase or decrease the volume the wallpaper is then refreshed and shows correctly.

Not a big deal but thought I would mention it.

[PeterSt]

Hey Paul,

This can be because your Q3,4,5 aren't zero.

Otherwise there's this possibility :
If you recognize that you don't have any wallpaper showing after Stop (say black background only) then delete the Wallpaper.bmp from your XX folder and next set a Wallpaper officially. Then it should work.

Peter

[Scroobius]

Bingo - deleting the bmp worked.



Cheers

[Scroobius]

I spoke too soon it does not work same problem. Settings are as you prescribe and I deleted the bmp but no joy same problem. I am sure it started working correctly but now I wonder.

[juanpmar]

Hi Peter,

I´d like to know if now with the NOS1a is still important to not use PMW (Pulse-width modulation) that control the fan´s speed by the motherboard. I tried to let the mb to control the fans speed setting it to "Silent" that reduces the speed as low as 250rpm in the CPU fan which makes it really silent, of course the temperature of the CPU rises until 40ºC (while looking at the bios) although when XXHE is playing the temperature goes down again to 33 or 34ºC (I´m using the same XTweaks as you, Peter). So, the temperature of the CPU is not a problem using that Silent setting (max. CPU temperature allowed is 70ºC). What I like to know, as I say, is if in your opinion now with the "isolated" NOS1a the modulation of the fans by the mb could influence the SQ or not.

Personally I can´t ear any difference in SQ, now the PC is absolutely silent using the PMW and although the previous noise of the fans was not annoying it was nevertheless perceivable.

Regards,
Juan

[PeterSt]

Hey Juan,

It must be regarded that such things still matter. However, (honestly) I can't really tell. If you don't hear any difference then it could be good to not seek for it anyway. Well, that his how I am myself.
Now, net, it is more important that you don't perceive the acoustical noise of the fan anymore, right ?

Peter

[juanpmar]

Thanks Peter, after some more tests I´m not so sure that the PMW has not influence in the SQ. I have to test it for more time to confirm it definitively. What I´d really like is to build a fanless PC. I´ll be aware on others that are building it that way.

Regards,
Juan

[boleary]

Well I'd have to disagree with the idea that XX settings don't make much of a difference. On the first day I received my "a" upgrade, I applied Peters settings above. The sound was a bit strange and, accounting for break in, I immediately reapplied my settings below and the sound was much better, but still things in the DAC needed to have some burn in time. After 10 plus days of 24/7 burn in time, it's clear to me that SFS and Clock resolution settings still make significant differences in my system (this is without any clock upgrade in the PC) I think the most significant change comes with the clock resolution. Before my "a" upgrade I had to set the clock res to 15. Going lower just made the sound too harsh. Now I've found the best setting to be 1, just the opposite from before. If I now set it at 15 the sound becomes noticeably grey. If I go to .5 it becomes noticeably harsh. Though not as dramatic a change, I find that a SFS of .4 works best for me. If I go to 20 or 60 SFS the sound gets too rounded and when I go below .4 it gets too harsh. The changes with SFS are certainly much more subtle than they were before the "a" upgrade but they are definitely there.

I haven't sorted out all the settings but using my settings below I'm currently totally amazed at the level of SQ I'm getting.

[hvdh]

I can't really comment on any of the XXhigend settings yet, I've only been acquainted with xxhigend/nos1a for about a week now.

The difference between what I had, and what I now have is so vast that it dwarfs any changes to the settings that I make:)

However, I do have some concerns about how everything is set up:

I have one Win7 Ultimate/SP1 machine which I use to control everything via  a remote desktop machine (wired, gigabit network). Here I'm not logged in as administrator, and UAC is active.

The remotely controlled audio machine runs minimized OS, unattended, no screen. Here I'm logged in as administrator, I don't use a virus scanner, I never use the internet from this machine, but obviously it is connected to the router, and thus only protected by the firewall.

Is this safe, and if not, what is the best way of improving matters without compromises in SQ?

And please don't ask me to disconnect the ethernet cable:)

Henk