It's late and I've just returned home after some work travel. Although I'm absolutely shattered, I just had to write something before going to sleep.

I think the new 768 driver might be the single biggest improvement Peter has ever made!

Why? Because it finally allows Arc Prediction to sound as it should. I've just compared 4x, 8x and 16x AP, and it seems pretty obvious to me that none of us have really been hearing what AP is really capable of... until now.

Peter, thanks so so so much for sticking with the challenge of getting 24/768 out of a computer. I don't know how much effort you put into this, but all I can say is that it has paid off.

For the rest of you, I know that sometimes my enthusiasm can get the better of me, but nevertheless, I've always tried to be as objective and fair as possible in my posts. But to hell with objectivity right now. Beg, borrow or steal (well, preferably not steal) what you need to get hold of a USB NOS1 - it's the only way you'll ever be able to hear 16x AP.

I'll post more thoughts tomorrow...

Mani.

Congrats KnB!

Thanks for humouring me! I'll get the file to you once I'm back home (this weekend).

Would be interested in hearing your thoughts anyhow...

Mani.

Well, I did set out to do something 'important', but soon realised that it was a stupid idea and a total waste of time.

What I wanted to do was to determine how 'perfect' the NOS1 really was. The method would be simple: record the NOS1's analogue output and compare the recorded file (played back on the NOS1) to the original file (played back on the NOS1). The idea was that any 'distortions' in the NOS1's output would be compounded on playing back the recorded file (because it would have passed through the NOS1 not once, but twice)... Therefore, the closer the original file and recorded file sound, the more 'perfect' the NOS1 must be. If they sound identical then the NOS1 must be perfect.

That was the idea. BUT... of course it assumes that the ADC is perfect! Well, I have a good ADC, but I'm not sure it's 'perfect'.

FWIW, the recorded file does sound remarkably similiar to the original file, but not quite. Interestingly, the hiss at the beginning sounds totally different - more 'grainy' and quite a bit brighter. I'm pretty certain that this has more to do with: 1) the analogue cables; 2) the ADC used; and 3) (and most importantly) the firewire interface used with the ADC... than the NOS1 itself.

So, really a total waste of a couple of hours. But to make 'something' of this time, I thought people might like to hear the recorded file anyway, just for the hell of it. This in itself is totally stupid though, because they'd just be hearing their DAC and not the quality of the NOS1!

Peter, you're usually correct on most points. But on this one, you're completely wrong - I was trying to talk about something serious, but failed miserably.

Mani.

Well, not really of course.

BUT... the other day, I thought I'd try something that I've wanted to try for a while. I played a 16/44.1 file through XX and captured the output of the NOS1 on the PM2 at 24/192. Comparing this recorded 24/192 file (non-upscaled) with the original 16/44.1 file (upscaled) shows that the recording has captured the output of the NOS1 really well. The only cables I had to hand to connect the NOS1 to the PM2 were pure silver, and these have added a bit of brightness to the original sound. But otherwise, it's pretty accurate.

Now, the file happens to be 'So What' from 'Kind of Blue'. Being a 1959 recording, this is now out of copyright - I can distribute it freely. If anyone is interested in hearing the 24/192 recording, I'm happy to place it on a free file-sharing site.

Of course, the 24/192 should NOT sound better than the original 16/44.1 (which I'm sure is in your collection) played back on whatever DAC you have. But I think you'd find that it sounds at least as good, if a little brighter though. And this is remarkable...

... considering that the 16/44.1 has been upscaled in XX, passed down a USB cable, through the NOS1's D/As and its output stage, into the PM2's input buffer and through its A/Ds and finally through the Weiss AFI1 back to a second PC which captured it.

Anyway, let me know if you'd like to hear how an async-USB NOS1 sounds... but not really of course!

Mani.

Hi Juan, if/when you get your NOS1 upgraded to async-USB (and I recommend that you do), I'll just remind you that the optimum settings are:
- KS Adaptive
- device buffer 4096
- Q1=30

I know this doesn't affect you yet, but it might do the future...

Mani.

Hi Nick,

Congratulations! If your experience is anything like mine, you'll have a great time re-discovering your CD collection. But hopefully you'll have more time to devote to this than I've had lately.

I had a bit of time this morning though and 'forced' my wife to take a proper listen to the NOS1. She said that it sounded great, but insisted that she still preferred the sound of the PM2, which itself had remained switched off since the USB NOS1(s) arrived back. So, I switched the PM2 on and let it warm up for an hour. I then dragged my wife away from what she was doing and played a Bill Evans track back-to-back, with each DAC connected directly into the power amp in turn and the vol adjusted as equally as possible. Well, it was absolutely no contest. And even my wife now says that the NOS1 is substantially better than the PM2 in every conceivable way. Of course, I totally agree with her.

If I'm honest, this saddens me quite a bit. The big decision I now have to make is whether I put my PM2 up for sale on Audiogon/eBay... It seems total overkill having a PM2 just for digitizing vinyl, which is the only need I now have for it. But maybe I should just keep it and sell it to an audio museum in 30 years time.

Mani.

Karma, you're going to find it pretty difficult connecting a CD transport to a NOS1. The original NOS1 needs a computer with a PCIe slot and the new USB NOS1 needs... you've guessed it... a USB connection. I don't know of a CD transport that has a USB connection as an output.

You can always use the computer's CD-ROM drive to play CDs of course. You can't do this with XXHighEnd, but something like HQPlayer would work fine. I've never tried this and have no idea how it would sound. I'm travelling for work at the moment but am happy to try this when I get back if you like. Though I strongly suspect your question was aimed at eliminating a computer altogether... Can't be done, as far as I know.

Cheers, Mani.

I've just been listening to Keith Jarrett's Koln Concert and this is one example where the merits of vanilla W7 really shine for me. The piano has tended to sound too thin in the past... especially with the NOS1. But now, it has so much body and harmonic texture. Oh and even the clapping sounds more real. And this really helps with conveying emotion of the music. I can kind of understand why some people prefer the sound of tubes if they artificially create this sort of sound. But the great thing is that we just don't have to...

I'm really, really enjoying the improved mid-/upper-bass performance of vanilla W7. Yes, the highs are now less emphasized, but that's OK by me.

As an interesting aside, I can totally destroy the merits of vanilla W7 by simply switching on my 'Schumann Resonator' (set to its highest setting). The mid-/upper-bass vanishes and the 'brightness' of W7 SP1 returns in spades. I wonder if the SR is creating a bunch of LF harmonics (based around the 7Hz fundamental) that have a cancelling out effect - I don't know, but I definitely know that I don't like it.

Mani.

Just uninstalled SP1 and most updates - three 'KBs' remain which I can't uninstall.

Ummmmmm...

There seems to be a marked increase in upper bass which makes the overall sound much smoother. I mean, totally, totally analogue-sounding. Rich and full harmonics. Utterly listenable. Nothing disturbing.

BUT... I'm not hearing the extra detail that some of you seem to be reporting.

Mani.

Haha, here is what Matan goes on to say:

"Since the FireWire and USB interfaces are actually PCI devices inside the computer, I would bypass them if possible, as Peter does in his Phasure DAC and its PCI Express umbilical."

Peter, apparently you've gone the wrong way going from PCI to async-USB.

I think Matan's favourite DAC is the Pacific Microsonics Model Two. Being able to compare the two, I know he'd be blown away by the async-USB NOS1.

Mani.

OK Peter, I'm dying to ask you this: would you see this level of performance from the output of your power amps? Actually, with your 115dB/W@1m speakers, I wouldn't be at all surprised if the answer is 'yes'...

Mani.

Adrian, you are aware that B.M.C and Aqvox are closely related, right? (Although we all know that husband and wife teams are a nightmare ) Also, if you look at their respective phono stages, the AQVOX (which I actually have) is substantially cheaper, though I'm sure not as good quailty.

The B.M.C. amps look really interesting, on paper at least, and seem pretty well-priced too. I've read the reviews on the B.M.C. website, but does anyone have any first-hand experience?

Mani

Hi Mike, this is an interesting question. And I really don't have anything very insightful to share with you I'm afraid. But I felt compelled to respond nevertheless.

The only thing I know is that I wouldn't go the 'traditional' route of approaching an 'high-end' dealer. Last week, in my search for the perfect amp, I spoke to a number of such dealers (in the UK) over the phone. And my God, did they invariably drive me up the wall within a minute or so. I mean, their sheer arrogance... They'd ask me what I'd got and I could just hear in the tone of their voices their total disgust that none of it was the branded stuff they peddle for a living. And you know what, I don't think they really know much about the 'faithful reproduction of sound'... or that they really care.

I wish you all the best on your own journey. My advice: follow your own path, or failing that just follow the wise on this forum.

Mani.

Us British men have a lot to learn about romance...

I'm kind of confused. Looking at the datasheet for an LM3875, the slew rate is given as only 11V/μs. These gainclones should sound terrible. How come they [apparently] don't?

(Just for reference, my Sanders Magtech amp has a slew rate of 500V/μs.)

Mani.

Oh and I forgot to mention that it took me 15 mins to get everything working perfectly on my second PC. Totally straight forward.

Mani.