Well my findings so far are starting with seeing how this behaves without wrapping it up in any fancy software.

So to begin with, playing the Consonance Wireless DAC using the drivers that get auto-installed by Windows Vista work well with a good vivid sound produced.

I thought I would go further and plug the USB transmitter in a Lubuntu netbook - here again the drivers would install automatically by Lubuntu (a whole host of then to choose from however). But playback quality was much worse, and at a lower volume too. Some of the USB drivers installed cause the Consonance to play music at a significantly faster speed???

I honestly thought that if all it was doing was sending TCP/IP to the Consonance DAC, then all sound should sound the same. But in this case something more must be going on!

Why would the drivers in Linux act so differently than the drivers in Windows?

Some more information for you - I'm using it right now and I can control the volume of the music from the PC so I guess that's not good news for ultimate sound quality (is it?).

But is very convenient for me seeing as this thing does not have a preamp.

It manifests itself as a USB Audio Device on the computer...

Its "rumoured" to work - I will try it for myself.

Anyway - you said XXHighEnd as a player could improve the sound coming from a PC - can you give me an example of a configuration that would help? Then I could give it a go.

One of the main reasons I wanted a wireless DAC was to keep the PC completely isolated from the DAC. Therefore no need to tweak the PC forever with quiet components at extra cost keeping the noise at bay (this process can go on forever with Audiophile Nervosa). Makes my life easier. However I accept there could be some software based improvements via players like yours.

So how?

You can see also see that its possible using the Consonance as a bridge to output to another DAC - it is also possible to do 24/96 streams over this wireless which can pass through to any connected compatible DAC.

However, I don't really plan to do this - I will experience for the first time a NOS / filterless multibit DAC - supposed to sound very musical.

OK, so because it's physically limited to 16 bit then upsampling beyond that will not be possible. What about upsampling "to" 16 bit from lower res files such as 320kb from Spotify?

Therefore, Spotify plays on the computer XXHighEnd upsamples Spotify playback to 16 bit, then the final output transmits to the Consonance receiver.

Or does it not work like that?

I am soon to receive a wireless DAC called a Consonance Wireless DAC 1.0, which is a TDA1543 non oversampling, no upsampling, design. I totally agree with your philosophy about letting the computer up or over sample then sending the manipulated stream to the DAC - I am hoping this basic DAC which uses a chip that does not have any internal computational algorithms will benefit from your XXHighEnd Player - is this likely to be the case do you think?

Information about it here: http://shop.grantfidelity.com/Consonance-Wireless-DAC-w-Linear-technology.html

I wondered if either your software could do it, or something like JRiver running on the PC (sending playlists out to the Marantz).

Are you saying that if the device shows itself as a sound card to the computer (for example the NAD DAC-2 wireless streamer which I have been considering) then adjusting the volume is possible?

The Marantz is only DLNA compatible so does not show itself up as a sound card - instead you push the music out via UPnP.

...for example - a Marantz NA7004 is a streamer but does not come with a preamp/volume control - so is there anyway to attenuate the sound using software on the computer where the music is being streamed from (probably not because its just streaming binary but I thought I would ask).

Perhaps I am over complicating things - and should perhaps go for a Squeezebox Touch which is already a mini computer ready optimise for dealing with sound only. And no doubt the SB Touch should at "least" be a lot better than any CD player based transport.

Sad thing is that the SB Touch does not have async USB out. Can't have it all I suppose - at least the SB Touch should act as a very high quality transport at the very least.

OK - I am currently in a garage waiting for my car to be MOT'd - so thought I would take the opportunity to reply while waiting...

If I use the Coax out on the NAD DAC 1 this give me the chance to use my other DAC which is a NOS DAC - the Goldenote DAC-7, perhaps then I will not get any failures? What do you think?

Obviously I am using the same wireless link to connect via NADs coax connection - but the DAC that I will actually use will be the Goldenote.

There again - I expect it won't work because the link over wireless to the DAC will not allow the OS to interfere again no matter what DAC I piggy-back it to..

Conceptually I suppose - from NADs point of view - not allowing the OS to interfere is a good thing. And of course wireless means you can bypass all that noisy PC architecture too.

Peter - I have tried all the DAC settings (leaving all the other settings as default - and default does not have the UpSmp selected) and I keep getting this error - I also get 'Engine #3 did not start within the expected time' - and XXHighEnd stops working when trying to select 24 bits (untested).

I have a utilitiy where you can take over my PC and take a look if you wish - if you think that's a good idea them PM me.

I am using Windows Vista Professional.

Hmmm - the wireless DAC does not support the byte sequence when using XXHighEnd ??

OK, so it's more likely the netbook is stopping the significant SQ upgrade I am seeking - fair enough - and it makes sense due to its lack of power and memory.

I do have a more powerful computer upstairs - but I would rather keep it upstairs because big computers do not look good in the lounge (netbooks are at least small).

To make the most of the far more powerful PC upstairs and to keep it out of sight - can I use a wireless DAC I have in my possession? The particular DAC I have for that is a NAD DAC 1 which streams wirelessly "in the native digital format" for the best quality sound (analogue conversion uses premium BurrBrown OPAmps and 24/192 DACs with selected passive components).

Hopefully the wireless link won't be a significant weak link in the chain when used with your software (because I can still upsample on the PC before it transmits). And of course being wireless bypasses all that noisy analogue circuitry in any PC thus conveniently isolating it.

The NAD DAC also has the option for me to connect via COAX to the Goldenote DAC-7 (so I would stream to the NAD which will pass on the DAC function to the Goldenote).

Yes this might not be perfect - but will this be better due to the more powerful PC upfront in the first place (with the added bonus of complete PC isolation)?

I would like to buy something that works no doubt about it - but I can't do that if I don't hear significant improvements (not just little improvements). I tried JPlay (and you can try their full optimised version if you can put up with the pauses) and I could not hear a significant improvement in sound (if any) so would not part with 99 Euros - and I was told that I was the only one who could not hear improvements. So bearing that in mind the same could be the case with XXHighEnd. To make matters worse (and to perhaps discredit myself here - sorry) I couldn't readily discern the difference between Spotify Premium and the CD's I had ripped using EAC! And of course Spotify gives me all the music in the world without be having to do any hard work. But I would love to hear significant improvements from the digital realm and thought that XXHighEnds upsampling with my DAC might actually allow me to hear a significant change for the better.

I can however hear differences between amplifiers - pre-amps  and loudspeakers. Now I am looking for a jump in improvement from those digital bits (to my ears anyway - and my families for that matter who help me prove it is not just me).

Reading more into XXHighEnd - am I able to evaluate it using its full sound potential at least for a limited period? I like the idea that XXHighEnd can transform the sound to such an extent that the room acoustics may not be a problem any more. I would like to be able to evaluate that aspect at least. And will my Netbook be up to it processor wise?