Just wanted to note that I now having 0.9y4 running flawlessly on my Win 7 Pro 64bit Zalman music server with a Lynx AES16 card with 64 bit driver.  And it is the best digital I've heard.  Using the unattended setting makes a very noticeable improvement.  And I prefer using the Arc Prediction on CDRB...to my ears it greatly improves sound quality....one has the very real sense that detail has been added back on these 16/44.1 recordings.

I want to thank Peter and Roy who were of great help in helping me not only get it running, but understanding the optimal set-up parameters.  I'm going to read everything on this site to accelerate my learning curve. 

BTW, I want to be clear that the issues I was having had nothing to do with XXHighEnd or Win 7, but were rather in selecting the correct AES16 PCI card channel in the XXHighEnd Settings.

Anyway, I would definitely recommend the move to Win7....  This is Microsoft's best operating system IMO.

Just tried the unattended settings....wow....now that was an immediate improvement in SQ.  Music became more relaxed, nuanced, detailed and with less glare....  amazing how reducing latency and power supply transients just a bit makes such a big improvement. 

Thanks for the comments on the Berkeley.  It was by far the best DAC I auditioned and easily bested my previous reference and it was the least expensive of all of them as well.  Have to admit I didn't try any USB DAC's.  If you just spend 5 minutes talking to Michael Ritter at Berkeley you realize what a brain trust these guys have.  I'll be interested to follow Peter's design for a non over-sampling DAC.

I love my Atma-Sphere OTL amps as well.  They really took my system to another level of realism,

Thanks for the note on tweaking Win7.  I had tweaked XP Pro using the BlackViper registry changes.  It definitely helped SQ.

BTW, what have you found to be the best CD ripper software?

Best,
David

Thanks.  Trying it now.  What does the Q1 control do anyway?

Peter!  I got it working on engine 3!  I ended up trying Play 07+08 (Lynx AES16) and I could see on the Lynx Mixer than I was getting sound....but oddly it was showing up on channel 4....so them since my HD26-to-XLR AES/EBU cable was designed for channel 1 I simply remapped channel 4 to channel 1 and BINGO we got tunes playing!  Sounds great so far!  Got to experiment with the Arc Prediction. Also, my DAC is showing the proper incoming sample rate and the volume control is working for the first time.  Would you recommend using it versus the one in the Berkeley?

The only thing I'm hearing now is intermittently I'm getting crackling sounds on the playback...if I stop or pause and restart it then goes away....I think some other posters noted this as well.

THANKS so much for being so responsive through this process.  Very much appreciated.  We'll have to make sure this intel gets passed on to other Lynx AES16....I'm going to play around some more and see if it works on other settings.

Best,
David

Here are the pictures.....

Peter/Roy, thanks for your continued assistance.

Here are 3 screen captures of my Control Panel Sound manager plus 2 of XXHighEnd Settings.

Note, that I disabled the two HDMI objects, but the problem with engine 3 in XXHighEnd continues.  I also tried disabling the SPDIF object.  The settings for Digital Audio SPDIF are set as per Roy's instructions, but again I still have the issue. 

Question....why would the SPDIF object settings even matter since I am not selecting this in the Settings in XXHighEnd?  I'm selecting Digital Audio Interface Lynx AES16.

I look forward to next steps.

Best,
David

This poster on Computer Audiophile is using WASAPI with his AES16 card using Vista 64.
http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/Lynx-AES16-Occasional-Jitter-issues

The Lynx AES16 supports auto rate switching.  Using Samplitude v10 I can play 44.1/88.2/192 and the AES16 and Berkeley Alpha DAC automatically switch....and I can verify the rate and HDCD flag on the Berkeley display.

How do you do I copy and paste a dialog box into a post?

I don't see anything in the drop down list about exclusive mode.  How do I troubleshoot why this isn't showing up in my Control Panel, Sound Device manager?

The items in my list are: Digital Audio (HDMI), Speakers, Headphones, Digital Audio (SPDIF), Digital Audio (HDMI), Speakers (Lynx AES16), Digital Audio Interface (Lynx AES16), Play 03+04 (Lynx AES16), Play 05+06, Play 07+08, Play 09+10, Play 11+12, Play 13+14, Play 15+16.

Second error code when selecting 24 bit (vs 32) in Settings is "2/24/44100/264600/6".  This is with DAC set for 24/192.

Second error code when selecting 24 bit (vs 32) in Settings is "2/16/176400/4".  This is with DAC set for  16/44.  Note, when I select 16/44 the volume control becomes active.  In the 24/192 it is greyed out.

Peter, just read a bit about ASIO vs WASAPI.  As I understand it, both of these sit in between the sound card driver and the application.  Is this correct?  If so, shouldn't the Lynx 64 bit driver work with either ASIO or WASAPI?

Peter, thanks for the response.  The second error reads "2/32/44100/352800/8". 

If I select the SPDIF High Definition Audio Device in Settings XXHighEnd functions properly without error codes....trouble is no sound comes out of my speakers.  I configured the SPDIF in Control Panel for 2 channel, 24 bit, 192Khz.  I also have set in Settings the DAC for 24/192 and 32 bit as you suggested.

In Settings and Sound Control Panel there is a "Digital Audio Interface / Lynx AES16" as well as "Speakers / AES16".  When clicking the properties button you just get details on the driver.  This is what I select (i.e. "Digital Audio Interface / Lynx AES16") when using engine 2.  Nowhere is there a reference to SPDIF, although as you know the AES16 has two 26 pin AES/EBU outputs.

BTW, this is what I select in Samplitude v10 as well and it works without error.  However, in Samplitude it shows up as an ASIO driver.  Could this be the issue?  Does it need to be a WASAPI driver?

Thanks for the help.

David

Thks Roy!  Yep, I am very confident that Peter will work through these issues.  I have been very impressed with his responsiveness and communication skills....I think his technical skills speak for themselves!

I can't wait to hear engine 3.  BTW, does Arc Prediction only work on engine 3?

BTW, are you running 0.9y4 on Windows 7?  If so, what has been your experience?  I'd feel better knowing if other Windows 7 users are experiencing the same issues.... otherwise, there might be a config or machine specific issue on my server.

Best,
David

I never tried Vista, rather stuck with XP Pro.  Compared to XP Pro Windows 7 is a BIG improvement.  It is smoother, much faster and more stable.  In terms of sound quality, it is noticeably better than WinXP Pro (I've been using Samplitude as a player before getting XXHighEnd). 

But....I'm having issues with 0.9y4 on my Windows 7 music server - you can see my other thread detailing the issues.  Peter is working with me, but right now I can only use engine 2 and even then I am getting errors and it takes multiple attempts to get a file to play.

BTW, I do have my uncompressed XXHighEnd-09-y4 folder that I'm running the player from on my desktop.  Not sure if this is a sensitive variable or not? 

Regarding the intermittent problem with engine 2 it's weird.  Sometimes when I click on Exlorer tab I'll get "can't creat sound device error".  Then when I go to play the file I've selected initially I'll get a system I/O error...if I keep clicking this same error will come up 6-7 times, then the error will change to the "insufficient system resources (memory)" error and it will keep coming up, and then finally the file will play.

Now, when I just went to play a 24/192 recording I got "If you have 2Gb of internal memory, please inform your developer of your sound card and OS".  I got this error 4-5 times each time closing it and trying it again....finally the file played. 

I have 4GB of RAM....do I need to put in more...could this be causing the various errors?  I am still only getting 44.1 input at the DAC no matter what rez my source file...

Thanks,
David

Peter, thanks for the welcome and kind comments. 

Regarding system set-up....  RDC has three sound settings - direct output to the server, host or neither.  I've got the flag set for the server (i.e. the Zalman PC).  Lynx drivers are written by Lynx and I don't see SPDIF speakers in the settings or control panel.  Slider is up.  Q1=4.

Regarding performance.....  Engine 1 does not work at all.  I get a "cannot create sound device" alarm.  Engine 2 works....but, apparently intermittently, a file will not play - I will get a "insufficient system resources (memory)".  If I click the settings, QC, analysis tabs multiple times, then that file will play.  However, the slider does not change volume.  Also, my Berkeley Alpha DAC is showing that everything I'm playing is coming in at 44.1 and I'm playing hi-rez (24/192), 88.2 and 44.1 source files...  It doesn't matter if I engage upsampling or upsampling/arc prediction.  Perhaps these functions don't work with engine 2?  But then, why wouldn't a 24/192 source file output from XXHighEnd at 192?

Engine 3 doesn't work either.  I get an "unsupported format" error followed by a second error followed by a "device cannot play" error. 


So, in summary, I can listen to music with engine 2 with the caveat that I need to click around to get files to play when I get the "insufficient resources" alarm, but.... the volume slider doesn't work (not a big deal sincet the Berkeley has a pre-amp section.  And all output to the DAC is 44.1 regardless of input file and upsampling. 

I hope this helps in diagnosing the issues.  The sound I'm getting on engine 2 is awesome and I can't wait to experience engine 3.

Best,
David

I'm new to XXHighEnd and this forum.  Just bought 0.9y4 after a short demo.  It sounds fantastic and easily bested by previous reference player - Samplitude v10.  And I haven't even heard it at its best as I am unable to run engine 3 (see below).

Just as background.  I use a Zalman Silent Music Server with solid state drives and a Lynx AES16 PCI card and just upgraded from XP Pro 32bit to Win7 Pro 64 bit, including the new Lynx card 64 bit drivers.  I use a netbook running Remote Desktop Connection to control the Zalman.  The Zalman feeds a Berkeley Alpha DAC (24/192 capable) which then feeds Atma-Sphere M60 monblock OTL amps.  I use Cardas Clear cables for all cabling.  I have Geddes Abbey 2 way monitor speakers which are 8 ohm 95bd efficient and use a constant directivity design.  They are a sealed box design with a 12" waveguide with foam plug to kill defractions mated to a compression driver and a 12" pro woofer.  The Abbey's sound like horns, but without the honk.  I use multiple Rythmik Servo subs for the LF.

I found the Win7 upgrade gave a nice improvement in sound quality.  XXHighEnd 0.9y4 in non-oversampling, non-Arc Prediction mode easily bested my Samplitude v10 reference player.  I haven't tried the Arc Prediction mode yet and I haven't A/B'ed it since activating the software (i.e. my evaluation was just using the demo software).

I have found some bugs with 0.9y4 running Win7 Pro.

(1) Engine 3 doesn't work at all.
(2) A large number of my WAV and FLAC files generate errors when loaded and will not play.  I get an array of errors.  It's weird.  Some play fine.  Others simply don't.  All were ripped with the same software.

Congratulations to Peter for this significant step forward in digital playback SQ.  I hope the above bugs can quickly be resolved so I can fully enjoy the 0.9y4 player!