OK. I am thinking of putting up the original post I had in mind originally (but saved it elsewhere), that post expressing about the sound. But for now it could only be more confusing when doing that prior to this very post I am writing now, because of new data available ...
Yesterday I have been playing with a 10/20 core. Say that this is the one for fmanheck but only in "test" and to see what the 10/20 core would bring.
Now I understand that the CPU is from the gold serie and not the silver serie. So in therms of CPU it is really a step up from the 26-serie.
Peter, am I right? Any thoughts on this decision?
And that was a still pending question ...
Whether Silver or Gold (or Bronze or Platinum) is maybe not of importance (I do not know of inherent technical differences apart from number of cores and processor speed) but anyway this 10/20 is the 4114 and it should represent the good old 2640v4. Well, for the number of cores, that is. But there the comparison stops. And this is all related to the explicit "Server" environment which is radically different. So I need to say it again : the 26xx Xeons were actually consumer oriented and today no such an environment exists any more for the Xeons, unless it would be the new W series but although looking interesting, this is the opposite of what we'd want and is more "laptop" oriented. So we have the "Xeon Scalable" and it is their architecture which makes them interesting for us. Well, says me and with the hopefully present experience (which often is merely about hunches but alas).
It is also about the six lanes of parallel memory processing.
If I first try to summarize everything : this is all about how the power provision was made "super stable" which in itself happened a bit by accident but had its foundation in the fact that no normal cooling mechanisms exists for this. It anticipates 90dB generating blasting fans (ever been in a server room ?) and with that airflow and in an air conditioned room of 15C or so, it will work. But this is all not really us, right ?
So if I did not tell it yet : there's always one very slow fan running now (not PWM controlled which is good) and the result of that is a.o. a stable power draw. It is way more stable than the Mach II and at hooking up a power consumption meter this is easy to observe (Mach II jumps regularly, Mach II is always the same).
Do notice the importance of this *if* we recognize that the minute differences implied by stupidities as XXHighEnd already implies vast sound changes, right ? Thus, seeing the power consumption change by 2-3 Watts all the time, can't be the example of the
theoretically best sound (about theories, hunches and real empirical experience).
Back to the 10/20 processorWhen I was listening to this setup yesterday, into an hour of it, this text for you all came to me (and I hope you recognize I am always honest) :
This 10/20 processor is for those who do not have the very best system. It now will sound better than the 16/32 (the only other one I have experience with so far) just because the 16/32 demands too much of the system (more elaboration later, if I don't forget).
A few hours later, partner in crime Ciska arrived back home and I know what she sort of complained about the past few weeks, which I will tell about later as well, but which made her say literally this :
"Hmm ... maybe the one processor is better for more inexpensive systems and the other for the more expensive ones". And the sweet question : "how's that actually with the Orelos ?" ... and then I started taking about small chips producing the sound instead of a 1000 components etc. with the question what could be better when. And also about the speaker itself of course and how its speed matches, well, the 16/32 processor's exhibits. So ...
So let's quote myself from the text I did not put up, actually for the reason of too much of theory at the time (which was a small week back) :
Sound ... literally shattering good.Yes, the keyword is "shattering" here. I wouldn't know a better description, although to you it may come across as a negative. But the contrary is the case.
Let's first try to see that all wht you'll hear from the Stealth III is delineated like crazy (that word again). Each is on its own and with that in mind now think "shattering". Or better : how shattering (like copper instruments) can really shatter. How it creates a crazy amount of layers and fills the whole room with sound, this time not with low frequency only; Supposed you play something of not the most common instruments and you may never have witnessed those instruments live, then such an instrument can/will now sound all over different than you ever imagined. And, as so often, you won't even be able to recognize the track/album. I had an example the other day I now forgot, but think like a most normal Steely Dan of which you have to look twice whether you did not put up a(n unknown) coverband. Com-ple-te-ly different.
Bass is like you ended up in hell.
Deep Thunder is like ... OK the same. But there wasn't deep thunder previously in tyracks accordingly.
The highs are so so idiotly "short" and bright and whatever superlative more we can try to think of, that all else now sounds like dirt. And yes, I have serious problems with listening to the Stealth II now and if I had to go back to it I'd give up the hobby first.
Can't imagine that eh ?
Here is where I decided not to put that up because I couldn't talk existing Stealth II customers into spending another 4K+ euros only because of something new again, the old for some only months old. But I also seriously started to wonder whether what I perceived over here could work out for others elsewhere. I mean, that "shattering" won't come automatically; it requires speed speed and more speed. Like one small chip processing all of the sound (as how the main amplifiers in the Orelos do it). What would happen when this speed is no available ?
Now, together with Ciska talking about "maybe too cold" (which is an exhibit of "super speed" because of all the highs coming to you) I started to wonder whether I could do something to tame the speed. And I found ...
Q1.
It was a kind of logic (for thought) because we all just started manipulating that one for more speed and after trying a bit, I ended at 30x10 (instead of 30x40). Now there was less of the super speed and more of the necessary warmth.
Well, day before yesterday we both explicitly checked that, and all what I heard over and over was "this is not what I expected (it could do)". So to a large surprise now and the warmth was back, and the speed was there just the same. But her surprise was about S-es remaining normal, while all the highs seem to incur for "overing" that. But not so. Not so at all. And now it requires my original post about the SQ impression, but never mind; I can refer to the "Addictive" I put up for the replacement post. Highs which clearly incur for the worst (like shattering braking windows) while nothing is wrong with S-es. How can it be.
Wait, we were talking about the 10/20. And btw, this is not 4K+ but 3K+. Also I must now revisit the prices because by now I know exactly what goes in there. OK ...
What I could sense of that was the better capability of my system. Yes. Well, mind you, I reason towards matter I hear and this is what I am now saying : my system of course is not the best of all. It just isn't. And it is just the same as reasoning with the 16/32 for a base : the system must be sufficiently good to let that processor (setup) excel. It does here all right, but ...
But it needs just that tad more ?
No wait, with Q1 at 30x10 all is fine. Yyyyyess, but what about more speed sounding worse then ?
I hope I am clear a little, but probably not at all. But the 16/32 summarized : for me this is perfect when I don't dial in the max possible for speed (as how I perecive it now).
The 10/20 is perfect at 30x40 although I can't check beyond that.
The 10/20 sounds totally different again and it is the "woman's" processor. It is more slick (sound wise). It shows all the (crazy) speed of the world more downwards in the spectrum. It is more easy on the ears. It is not as 100% interesting compared to what the 16/32 can do.
And mind you, between the 2640 (10/20) and the 2660 (14/28) I never perceived a real difference "but if anything the 2660 sounds better". Not so when the "Scalable" 10/20 and the 16/32 are compared. The difference is huge again. And btw as huge as the difference is between the 2640 (mind you, for a whole computer system) and any of these two.
See the "dirt" remark more above, from that post I did not put up. It really is so.
So finally the verdict between the 16/32 and the 10/20 through these ears :
- 16/32 exhibits speed that at least lets my system run into limits, as it seems. Not 100% sure yet as more settings exist than Q1. Bass excels, highs excels up to shattering good, mid is just very good but may stay behind a bit caused by the overwhelming highs. Can be tamed by Q1 towards more warm sound, but it seems a waste to do that (the super special may disappear somewhat).
- 10/20 exhibits speed in the mid, is warm up to being in a warm bath. Bass excels possibly even more. Maybe no real shattering highs but easy on the ear always for those who want easy on the ear.
So, done.
The 10/20 was a test. Next up could be the 12/24. I expect this to be "better" again than the 10/20, just because the 10/20 does not let me (with my system) run into limits that I can see (OK, after one day of listening !). Point is that I can't get it at this moment. And, going to the 14/28 is a bit moot because of the price approaching the price of the 16/32. Also, I obviously can't be obtaining processors forever just for testing them. Not at these prices. They should be feasible to sell. And well, the 16/32 for sure is (I probably get one for myself) and the 10/20 for sure is too (I will keep using that if nobody wants it
).
Now I hope you don't regard this as the most idiot blabla reasoning ever (about system limits and such) but anyway it is really how I now think.
Regards,
Peter