706
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Ultimate Audio Playback / Playback Tweaks and Source related subjects / Re: Digi+ voltage control
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on: July 27, 2013, 10:57:25 pm
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Hi Nick,
Thanks, I played a little with the config and removes the "AUTO" from most of what I could see. I see though that you have some adjustments to "EXTREME" ? I leave whatever could be left at their minimum configuration. I did not have the time to test it yet. And even if I don't hear a difference, just deactivating all these AUTO modes should surely cut an important part of those "controlled fluctuations"...
Regards,
Alain
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709
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Ultimate Audio Playback / Playback Tweaks and Source related subjects / Re: Digi+ voltage control
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on: July 27, 2013, 01:31:47 pm
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Hi Nick, Well yes, I am interested ! I was not sure about this (Sabertooth x79), but when in ignorance, I hesitate in asking myself if fiddling with something would be for the better, as in "secure". As you saw from this CPU frequency thing, I thought wrongly that it would not be harmful... This inclines me to apply the brakes, as my ignorance (or lack of information) can sometimes lead into costly mistakes. But this "DIGI" thing had me scratch my head for a while... While I understood it had something to do with regulation, I was not tempted to try something with it. I will try it. I feel like a guy in a wheelchair trying things in hope he will walk by himself You guys keep me trying to walk faster Regards, Alain
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710
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Ultimate Audio Playback / Playback Tweaks and Source related subjects / Re: To reduce the CPU frequency
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on: July 27, 2013, 01:24:18 pm
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Hi Nick, Thanks for the input. I have to talk myself into being more precise with what I did, because it is the ratio that I turned down to 12, this after moving the AI (ASUS) overclocking from "AUTO" to "MANUAL". I am not sure if that "MANUAL" is a prerequisite, but I did not want the motherboard to go up and down... Regards, Alain PS: Have you tried filters to eliminate noise from DC to DC convertes ? I am not sure I am using the right designations, but I saw this: http://ppastudio.blogspot.ca/Could this be a good alternative to the expensive linear power supplies that would power a pc ?
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715
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Ultimate Audio Playback / Playback Tweaks and Source related subjects / To reduce the CPU frequency
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on: July 26, 2013, 12:08:12 pm
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Some may wonder how to reduce the CPU frequency. I tried something simple for this I go to Power Options (in Control Panel) and I select "Change Plan Settings" (located at the right of the power scheme that you use). In the next window that appears, scrolling through the different options, you should see "Processor power management". Open the sub options by clicking of the "+" sign. You will see "Minimum processor state". Click also on the "+". For the example, adjust the value to 50%. You will also see "Maximum processor state" sub option. Click on "+" sing, then adjust the value the same as the one you entered for the "Minimum processor state". Then click "OK". It worked for me, but at a certain point, even adjusting these to lower values will not really change the CPU frequency. This should be the "lowest" adjustments you can make - possibly because going lower either is a physical limit that the motherboard BIOS allows, or it would need further tweaking directly at the BIOS level... This will work provided that something was not done in BIOS to "block" the OS from managing the CPU frequency... If only the BIOS was better explained, it would be easier to do this at the BIOS level. It's the different designations used that are complicated... Alain EDIT: I have W8, but this should be applicable to W7 the same.
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716
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Ultimate Audio Playback / Playback Tweaks and Source related subjects / Re: I replaced a wall wart with a linear power supply
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on: July 26, 2013, 11:52:11 am
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Hi Alain (and others),
I've finished my listening impressions with powering my SSD with a good quality power supply and also with an expensive 'audiophile' sata cable. Please note that I neither run XXHighEnd nor a NOS1 (although plans are underway to change that) so of course take this with a grain of salt.
I could hear no sound quality difference from a ssd regardless of whether it was powered by a good quality linear psu or it was fed smps pc power. There may be a difference in a more revealing system than mine, but I could hear nothing. Likewise, when the pc was devoid of power from any linear psu i.e. was powered entirely by smps I could detect no difference between the expensive and generic sata cables. But, when the linear psu was applied to either the PPAstudio usb card or the ssd and the expensive sata cable was in place I could hear a difference: a general crispness across the entire spectrum. Did this sound better? Maybe, I am undecided. Was this difference significant? Not in my system. The difference was pretty faint really and considering the cost of the linear psu and the cable certainly the expense is not warranted for me. I've heard much bigger differences tweaking the operating system or changing cables, even digital cables.
The interesting thing in all this is that the SATA sounded different when linear power was applied to the pc and it did not seem to matter if the linear power was supplied to the ssd or not.
Anyway, I'm glad I could contribute a little.
Cheers,
Anthony
Hi Anthony, Thanks for the output. Maybe the wall wart powering the SSD is good enough, so the linear power supply does not provide an audible improvement ? As I mentionned in my first post, the iUSB did not provide audible results ni comparison with the original wall wart... That SSD contains both the OS and XXHE. With the music drive though, the difference was "stunning", but it could be because the wall wart with that enclosure is really cheap - I don't know. Though the "recipe" to access a silent system would depend a lot on the parts and their interactions, I suppose that the results will vary from one system to the other. On my side, there is a frequency I can hear at times and I have not been able to get rid of it yet. I can hear it when the music finishes. I don't know where it comes from. Maybe disconnecting a few things will help to pin point this... Alain
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720
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Ultimate Audio Playback / Playback Tweaks and Source related subjects / Re: I replaced a wall wart with a linear power supply
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on: July 24, 2013, 08:43:23 am
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Hi Anthony, Thanks for the information - really appreciated Noise is hard to conjure, but it was about the first time I discovered its merits when I added the linear power supply to power my music hdd. It really has been a revelation. It seems I am more sensitive to certain aspects of audio, while for other things I can't appreciate a difference... There is something I am not sure. I think that Peter mentionned it more than one time, but can't locate it. It is about elimination of the noise right from the start. Does the noise that would have made its way through the signal prior to the Adnaco still remains even if the data is converted into light, then back as an electrical signal... This I wonder... Would jitter explain the SQ you experienced with the Adnaco, as it is often described because of the conversion at the start and end ? Do you have a link where I could get more information about the USB card you mention ? By the way, welcome among us Regards, Alain
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