XXHighEnd settings for the NOS1a

[PeterSt]

Henk,

If you do what I proposed in response to your earlier post, your Audio PC is not connected to the Internet anywhere. Only your "Music Server" is. But whether you really want the latter is up to you.

Btw, didn't look into the link you provided. Maybe tomorrow ...

Regards,
Peter

[Stanray]

So this "music server" needs 2 LAN ports and therefore can't be my old lappie?

Am I correct?

Regards,
Stanley

Hi,

if you have a free USB port you can use an adapter.

http://www.advancetec.co.uk/edimax-eu-4208-usb-2-0-to-fast-10-100-ethernet-adapter-perfect-for-ultrabooks-pc-mac.html

Joachim

Thanks Joachim, I wasn't aware of these adapters.

Stanley

[Stanray]

So this "music server" needs 2 LAN ports and therefore can't be my old lappie?

Am I correct?

Stanley, essentially Yes. But then of course you can use the LAN cable to connect to the Audio PC directly (better think like connecting the Audio PC to the Laptop = your Music Server for easier functional thinking) - and use WiFi for connecting to the router (with WiFi capabilities).

OK, getting dizzy of it myself. Better make such small schematics yourself, so I can see what the full picture is. So notice that your case seems to imply a laptop as "Control PC", that also containing/providing  the music, but which connects to the Audio PC via LAN cable. Can be of course, but why to have the next LAN cable then ? Internet ? so then counts what I said : do that through WiFi (from the laptop).

Peter

Thanks Peter,

So it will be either:

(Tablet -> WiFi ->) Router -> LAN Cable -> Music Server=Laptop+USB HDD -> LAN Cable -> Audio PC

or

(Tablet -> WiFi ->) Router -> WiFi -> Music Server=Laptop+USB HDD -> LAN Cable -> Audio PC

Are there any differences in functionality in these set-ups?

Regards,
Stanley

[PeterSt]

Hi Stanley,

No, there won't be much difference;
Your first schematic requires two Ethernet ports in the Music Server (= your laptop and it won't have that by standard) and the second setup requires an Ethernet Port and Wifi in the Music Server ( = your laptop, and likely to be present by standard).

One addition :
Possibly you may notice a little more lag in the second setup, because of the slower (responding) WiFi now also needed for the RDC connection from the Router to the Music Server. So two WiFi connections for the two cascaded RDC connections, which connections of course word 2-way (send commands to the Audio PC, which responds by screen updates).

Regards,
Peter

[PeterSt]

So I could basically buy one of these:
http://tweakers.net/pricewatch/268169/icidu-gigabit-pci-card.html

and connect the audio pc to the control pc directly instead of the router.

Henk, Yes. And get it from Dixons. But I guess there must be some error in order there.
So that card goes into the Music Server which now thus provides two Ethernet (LAN) connections.

And a maybe bit longer answer to this now :

It's just that I feel that this still doesn't really answer my initial question... The audio pc will still be used as administrator, without virus scanner, and without UAC. And it will still be connected to the same network, right? So I have the feeling that even if I do this, it won't be too difficult to get infected by anything without even noticing (initially) Or am I wrong here?

Yes, it will be on the same network (almost - see below). However, looking from the Audio PC's side of matters, that can not reach the Internet. At this time I don't know by heart what I explicitly did for that, but say "nothing" (which right away would be the reason why I don't remember it ).
So this connection (from Music Server to Audio PC) is on a separate LAN "Adapter" which automatically springs from the separate Ethernet Interface. Now again seen from the Audio PC, it requires a special setting on the Music Server (containing the both interfaces) so the *both* connect and allow passing on (through) the data from the Audio PC to the Router. Without that connection (which by default is never there), the data can not be passed on.

I must honestly say that I never tried to look at this from the Music Server's perspective. But think like this for hopefully better understanding :

Tablet(RDC) -> Router -> Music Server(RDC) -> Audio PC.

Thus, in my case the Music Server is a Remote Desktop, actually working on the Audio PC. The Tablet is a Remote Desktop working on the Music Server.
What you see on the Tablet's screen is virtually (but for real) the Audio PC's desktop.

When those two "Network Adapters" in the Music Server are set to connect, then I would (could) do this :

Tablet(RDC) -> Router -> MusicServer -> Audio PC.

Notice the "(RDC)" lacking in the Music Server now. This is because I now can use the Music Server as a sort of electrical connection point between Router and Audio PC.
Now the Audio PC for sure will be able to be reached from anywhere, as it would be possible to let the Audio PC access the Internet.
Regarding the latter : That is, assumed the Router is connected to the Internet, which is not necessary at all (get yourself an extra one and don't put in the (A)DSL etc. cable).

In the Music Server(RDC) situation, the connection goes (very) indirectly by software only and the copying of keyboard commands and screen outputs; just how RDC works.

One last thing :
When you'd work with Minimize OS settings that only allow LAN and Remote Desktop services, *only* the LAN stuff required for what "we" do is present, and this is not Internet. I don't say that this is required (because see above), and I just mention it for completeness.

Hope it is clear a little !
Peter

[hvdh]

Hi Peter,

Thanks for the effort:) appreciated.

I don't even have a tablet, so my set-up would be even simpler:
just router -> Music Server (rdp) -> audio pc

I just wasn't shure that if I do it this way that the audio pc can not be reached from the big bad world:)

On the error side of things: I think I just discovered why that network card is so cheap: No win7/win8 drivers are available.

Thanks,

Henk

[juanpmar]

I noticed also that the SQ is very sensible to the volume, more than before with the NOS1. In my case I need to get at least -21,5db to sound really well, when before it was around -33.0db.

Juan

[PeterSt]

Yeah Juan, I am never sure about that.
Maybe you recall that a long time ago we (so you as well IIRC) talked about how not paying at a realistic level (like a piano plays at 90dBSPL) implies a sort of distortion (in our minds). I still adhere this theory.

Of course this is all related to how "real" as such the sound is to begin with, but I can imagine that the better that gets, the more this "required" realistic level applies.
But mind you, this is quite a BS theory from me, based on nothing much. Still, if we think about how we may compare something we heard at a concert and play similar back home, then our brain will only match with that well when all is the same. And this includes the level.
When this matching does not work out well, it could be a tiring thing for us to make it match. Like watching TV upside down will also work after a while. But in the beginning it is quite tiring. Brain at 100% cpu until it goes automatically.


Peter

[juanpmar]

Maybe you recall that a long time ago we (so you as well IIRC) talked about how not paying at a realistic level (like a piano plays at 90dBSPL) implies a sort of distortion (in our minds). I still adhere this theory.

Of course this is all related to how "real" as such the sound is to begin with, but I can imagine that the better that gets, the more this "required" realistic level applies.

I find it a very interesting theory. The better the media we use to reproduce the reality, the "reality" reproduced approaches to the real reality, (what a tongue twister!). Let me put an example, if we use a lens to look at an object we´ll see that object, some way or the other, in an altered way. As better as the lens is, as "real" the object will be reproduced. But if the lens we use are our eyes the real thing becomes totally real (not philosophical arguments here, just physical). This is how I understand your theory and  I totally agree with you. Now, in our situation, the NOS1a is certainly a better tool than the NOS1, so in this case it reproduces the sound closer to the real sound and the volume is, of course, a quality inherent to the real sound. So, the NOS1a could be a more sensible tool to the volume.

Sorry if I seem confusing in my reasoning.

Juan

[BertD]

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.

Like this?

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

Like this?

Should I shut down more services for better SQ (NOS1a) or doesn't it matter? I do not need anything else than playing tracks from my NAS so if you have some more advice to optimize settings then these will be very much welcome... 

Bert

PS RDC is the next step so please keep this in mind when you answer. 

[PeterSt]

Hey Bert,

Yes, like that and especially for RDC usage.

And as I said, for now this is a kind of "trick" to get where you want, while a next version will do this more intuitively;
Possibly that will again shut off services not needed in this situation, with the notice that at this moment my outlay does not go further than "hey, and next leave all On as it is" ... because that is what it comes down to (see your second screenshot). But :

Maybe nothing will change for Services remaining On because when we dive into the Remote (tablet) screen mapping and more, we will see that there's quite more to it, while actually I have this all running nicely now with the Services ON.
So we'll just have to wait for the next version and see what I could make of it in the end, or wanted to make of it, because all these bits and pieces cost quite crazy much time to let work nicely.

Peter

[BertD]

"hey, and next leave all On as it is"

In other words better do not use LAN (for SQ) but an external HDD with all services down as before?

Bert

[PeterSt]

No ?
I use it myself with all On. And best SQ in the world I'd say.
haha

[christoffe]

And best SQ in the world I'd say.
haha

Haha, yes - are you sure???

Saw the horns here.
http://www.monoandstereo.com/2015/02/tatsuyoshi-moriyama-horn-based-speakers.html

[PeterSt]

Wrong DAC.