Peter, I am not sure if I understand you correctly but the the tags disappeared completely even those that used to work properly.
I am not sure about association bit. Files even that was ripped before I used dbPoweramp used to show tag information as well but now
even files that were ripped by dbPoweramp initially do not show tag information. However, under window explorer, all tag informations showed up
ok. It is not a big deal but it would be nice to have this feature back

In the past, with dbPoweramp installed, when I use embedded window explorer to choose tracks in XXHighend, when a pointer is on a track, dbPoweramp window automatically opened up to show tag informations which is very nice and is handy. However, over the past several weeks, this feature disappeared. I cannot remmeber if it happens after installing 9z-3 or when I switched back to Vista or when I built my new computer.
When I am in window explorer outside of XXHighend, dbPoweramp tag window still shows up when a pointer is over a track.
Using window explorer under explore original location in XXHighend only showed a  small window giving track size and file type but not the full
dbPoweramp track tags.
I wonder if this is the case for everybody else with similar setup to me as well?

There are already plenty of media players that can store music files on HD and either has built in DAC or have digital output for external DAC such as Sonos, Logitech Squeezebox and some that can output both music and video such as Dune, Dvico etc etc. There are all rather inexpensive and have good networking ability for multiroom purpose. However, I find sonic quality is still not comparable to computer music server (Personally I used Sonos, still own Dune and Dvico). There are good for what they are and much more convenient than XXHighend but SQ needs to be improved. Personally, I also prefer
XXHighend/PC over Qsonix music server as far as SQ is concerned also.

Window X, please be a bit careful. Esoteric even with Rubidium master clock, while considered one of the best digital front end is by no mean, the only reference or absolute best (there is no such thing). Other people find dCS with inferior clock (according to Esoteric dealer), EMM XDS1 (with no master clock), MSB, and a handful of other digital front end superior. Much will depend on personal preference as well. Esoteric has its own house sound that some like a lot and that other prefer other. Same goes for Rockports, Karan, Spectral, etc etc. The gap that you hear as significant between computer and CD transport is there but is it neccessarily the deal breaker for everybody? Wilson Maxx3 does something better than Rockport that we heard the other day but I would not presume that just because I like Maxx3 better, it automatically means that Wilson is absolutely better than Rockport in every way.

I heard what you and Esoteric dealer tried to point out as deficit for computer music server. Unfortunately, I dont hear that as big a deal and I heard other quality in music server that I prefer over CD but you and Esoteric dealer does not seem to hear or care. Does that mean that I have no clue because I don't appreciate what you hear as much? I will not impose my exposure to live acoustic instrument and say that I hear the real thing everyday so I really know  what is best or accurate music reproduction kind of argument (even though it happens to be true) because I don't think it will serve anything much nor should I try to tell you how to listen to your own music system.

Your knowledge is very impressive but when you start imposing your own reference/standard/taste/perception as the absolute and try to forcibily shove it down everybody's throat, that is not going to create a friendly and productive discussion.

I think you have a lot to contribute but your way of delivering the message is rather counter productive. If you approach the discussion in a different way, I really think that we could get something going in a very useful way here.

The system we used in the test was Rockport Aquila, Karan mono, DIY preamplifier,
Esoteric D-07 DAC, for transport, it was EMM Lab, I can't remember which one but
not the XDS1 with Esoteric drive and not the older one with disastrous Philip drive.
I am not sure about wiring used. There were some monster cables and some Virtual Dynamic
cables from what I recalled. The system was incredibly dynamic, excellent soundstaging and depth.
Mid/high were a bit cool,a bit more on analytical side than I like. I left before I had to chance to hear
the system with their new Esoteric K-01 and dCS Puccini due to other commitment.
Cables used for my computer was Locus Design firewire to Weiss and Stealth Sextet from Weiss to DAC.

Thanks all for suggestion regarding power supply for Weiss. I don't have a clue about DIY but have many friends
who does. One suggestion that my audio friends who is also a car audio enthusiast suggested using capacitor banks
which helps battery to deliver much faster power than battery alone (I think!) at least that's what lots of people
use in their rather expensive car audio. I will also look into option of better linear power supply as well and will wait to see
how Mani's project turns out.

I picked Weiss INT202 over AFI1 mainly because my PD MPS5 does not offer clock input. It does have clock output  but not on BNC
but some proprietary connector for what purpose I have no idea but PD does not recommend using it as master clock to control other equipments
either.

Also PD is coming out with new USB module that will at least accept upto 24/384 sometimes next year. I will have to see how that go as well.

WindowX, definitely we can have another listening session soon but let me try a couple of things with battery first, it should not take too long krub.

Let me put in my 2 cents worth since I was at the one providing my computer/XXHighend for comparison. The test was done in a local dealer's showroom with quite an impressive system but unfamiliar to me.  I also have to add that in my system, I switched to Weiss INT202 a few weeks ago from Lynx AES16 so I am still experimenting a bit. The test was interesting but unfortunately for me,it was rather poorly handled. First of all, when we first listened to my computer with my Playback Design MPS-5, my PD was just turned on with warm up time of about 1 minute. I always find PD to be rather unbearable until I get a good few hours of warm up time and usually at home, I never turn off the unit unless I am going away for several days.

Then we switched to XWindow's system for a little while with Playback then switched to EMM/Esoteric for comparison to CD (I forgot to bring my PD remote so I could not switch to disc from AES/EBU input so we could not compare playing CD in PD vs computer into PD unfortunately). After that, we turned back to my computer and played 2 tracks with my computer/XXHighend after we listened to CDs for awhile connecting Esoteric DAC. The two tracks were Jazz Variant from Manger's Musik wie von einem anderen Stern and Kent Poon's 24/192 version of YOu've Got a Friend. The local Esoteric dealer was running the whole show so I had no control over selection of sequences of events.

First I have to admit that the CD version of Jazz Variants was certainly better but I don't think that it was all XXHighend/computer's false. I was experimentign with using 12V battery power for Weiss INT202 which gave much cleaner, smoother sound overall in comparison to Weiss's noisy switching power supply . Unfortunately, the bass impact and dynamic could not match the CD. Much false was to blame on the battery as when I burrowed XWindow's 12V linear power supply for his computer and plugged it into Weiss INT202, bass impact and dynamic improved significantly but at a cost of harsher midrange. Vocal became rather unbearable.

The Esoteric dealer kept saying that CD version of Kent Poon's track had more weight and better define bass than the 24/192 version. When I suggest that we ripped the CD to HD and actually compared the same track, there was no response. Actually, I can't even remembered if we even listened to the CD version at all besides hearing the dealer's comment.

However, beside bass impact and dynamic, I heard slightly wider soundstage and depth with CD. How much of that can be fixed via better power supply to Weiss, I don't know. XWindow brought 2 system, his smaller system that was a bit unstable but used the same Weiss's interface. His unit has bigger, weightier bottom end but not as liquid in the midrange. How much of that was the fault of higher latency/buffer, I cannot tell but my experience with Weiss and his linear power supply give me impression that a better linear power supply may improve things quite a bit more for his computer. His main system with RME was very nice. More clarity, very open sound, again much better dynamic and bass impact than my battery operated Weiss INT202. Unfortunately I wished we had more chance to compare other type of music beside the two tracks mentioned, more acoustic music, piano, classical with more variety and not just fixate tracks that only showed mainly bass and dynamic.

I did bring several CDs which I discuss elsewhere with Xwindow and other people who attended the session, some which I preferred CDs over HD and some which I prefered HD over CD unfortunately I never had the opportunity to play those tracks even though I showed them all the the guy running the show initially.

So what I really got from experiment was basically that I need to do more homework with my system and at least part of the weakness that can be improved quite a bit is not the computer nor the software itself (capacitor bank with bigger battery, car battery perhaps!). May be  after all said and done, I still cannot get the computer to perform as well as CD in that respect but I certainly am not as pessimistic about the quality of computer music server.

Also I have to add that Xwindow's may seemed a bit too single minded but I found him very knowledgable and is very sincere in his opinion eventhough sometimes it may rub the wrong way. He is very passionate about the topic but perhaps not the most diplomatic of person but I did really enjoy our meeting.

I hope that once I can sort out the problem with my power supply, we can have another friendly listening session but somewhere a bit more neutral.

I did a little experiment and it was a bit unexpected. I was using Dataram Ramdisk initially. So after I uninstalled dataram, I downloaded Vsuit Ramdisk professional traial version. I made Ramdisk with 60000 mb (5.8 GB). Now I can play all the high rez file with SFS upto at least 180 but not yet 200.
I am not sure why that should be the case but whatever works, I suppose!
 

Hi Peter,
I removed RAMDisk and have all 12GB RAM available but still the same problem unfortunately. I am wonderng if anyone else has the same problem or not?

Peter, I tried installing XXHighend on my SSD C: drive. Unfortunately the same problem with high rez file still persist with larger SFS
I have virtual memory allocated with maximum of 20GB on my SSD C: drive.

I have been away for awhile after I built my new computer. One thing I just noticed.
With my old computer with 4GB RAM with 1GB Ramdisk, I could play 16/44 file with 4x oversampling
and SFS of 200 but needed to reduced SFS to <100 for 24/192 file to avoid
out of memory exception.
My new computer now has 12GB RAM runnng 4GB Ramdisk. Unfortunately, I still have exactly the same problem.
I still get out of memory exception if I try to increase SFS to > 100 with 24/192 files. This is with
attended mode and only one 5 minutes track loaded in the playlist. 
I still prefer the sound of 16/44 file with larger SFS so I wonder if there is anyway to increase SFS
when playing high resolution file as well? 

I have iPad viewer from Real VNC which works fairy well. My computer is hooked to a router and the router is connected to a wi fi modem/hub (I hope that is allow, Peter?)
You have to install a VNC server program on the computer and basically the computer screen shows up on iPad. It s not exactly touch screen as
when you touch teh screen, you are controlling the pointer/mouse so you have to manipulate the pointer to wherever you want. It takes a little bit of learning to
get equavalent control of right and left mouse button, select, drag etc. I tend to use my monitor to select music and use iPad for
stop, pause, next track, last track control as that is much easier. By the way, you can use any free VNC server program, not just Real VNC  so you only have to pay for iPad viewer.

One concern I had was that during Vista installation, the computer crashed after it reboot. I have no idea if that was from instability due to heat or not. After  reboot, similar thing happened again so after rebooting again, I reduced the CPU speed and temp came down a bit and there was no problem with that.
I have no way of verifying if it was really the temp or not but thought I mentioned it here. Since there seems to be a few people thinking of building a new computer, it was worth mentioning.

Hmmm, I might have to rethink the minimal fan a bit more
I installed Intel i7 950 on Gigabyte X58A-UD7 rev 2, 12GB DDR3 tripple channel.
So trying to use the least number of fans, I use Thermalright HR-02 fanless CPU heatsink
in a full tower Lian Li case with 2x 12cm fans front and back and Seasonic X-series 750W and a nice and cheap ATI graphic card with no fan,
At 3.06 GHz, unfortunately CPU temp went from 37C up to 48-50C during Vista installation. Room temp is around 25-26C
I took the CPU speed down to 2.4 Gz and temp dropped to around 44C. I think I leave everything as is for now but
look like ultimately, I might not be able to avoid fan on CPU heatsink I did get a 14cm 1200 RPM fan just in case.

An interesting development! I just heard that Playback Design MPS-5 that I am using is going get an upgrade USB module (or something) early next year that will
accept at least up to 384 kHz which I assume meaning that I could play 16/44.1 kHz file with 8x AP or perhaps playing those handful
DXD recordings (24/352.8 kHz) that are available. Just to make sure that I I have everything ready, I am not sure how much RAM I would
need for something like this. Currently I am leaning toward 12GB triple channel DDR3. Is that going to be enough for playing say, one single album?
On 2L site, I see that a typical DXD track is anywhere from 500mb (3-4 minutes)-1.1GB (almost 10 minutes). If I have 10GB RAMdisk, would I be able
to play, let say 8 of those 1.1 GB tracks theoretically without any problem. Also would 2GB only assign to RAM be enough?

Hmmm, I did not think of EMI, RFI stuff. So look like closed case will have to do as my computer is placed right next to my DAC and the rest of the stereo system.
Zalman fanless case is not available over here as far as I know and it looks way too involving for me to try to mug around with it myself
At least I will be sitting 4-5m away from it in a relatively large room. When I play music, I can't actually hear the fans anyhow from my current computer.
Just hope that the fans won't add too much of the other noise if I have one or two of those running.