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Ultimate Audio Playback / Chatter and forum related stuff / Re: A Visit to Nicks and a Surprise Finding
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on: July 31, 2013, 04:23:45 pm
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One other thing. The Seasonic vents from the top "Two Heads Are Better Than One" Anyway Nick's turn to come here next to listen to my new speakers which are nearing completion. Paul, I could not agree more ! and I cannot wait to hear your new speakers next trip down. Thanks again for lugging all of you fine kit to mine. Its so useful having known reference points to work with. Best, Nick.
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Ultimate Audio Playback / Playback Tweaks and Source related subjects / Re: C1E and E1ST speedstep BIOS
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on: July 29, 2013, 10:52:10 am
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Nick, if you can mount a couple of floating boats under your heli there, we're all set !
But wait, I have a heli platform ... let me look for a pic of it.
Peter, I can see how that could work haha. Alas the helicopter is not mine it just dropped into our paddock on a visit a while ago. The boatcopter may have to go untried Diede, Love your GTR must be fun on a track Nick.
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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, 08:52:33 pm
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Not supposed to want to get home this much when you are on vacation! Thanks Nick.
Adirondaks, upstate New York. It's a shame people mostly just think of NY as the City. Adirondak Park is bigger than Grand Canyon and Yellowstone combined. If you are looking for lakes it's the best.
Hey Brian, I just Googled Adirondak, I would not be rushing home too fast, looks really beautiful. I worked a little in New York a while back and never knew where to head on the rare occation that I got a little time to myself. Now I know Regards, Nick.
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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, 05:53:06 pm
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Alain expresses well my predicament! Would love to see those starter settings. Thanks Nick.
Brian
Hi guys, This is what I plugged in. There is not much science at work other than trying stuff out and trying to stop the digi+ feature from doing its own thing on the fly. It did work well here, maybe a little forward in places but I am using some interconnects that are quite forward so a change should address that. Could be lots to try and understand. See what you think. Regards. Nick.
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Ultimate Audio Playback / Chatter and forum related stuff / Re: A Visit to Nicks and a Surprise Finding
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on: July 27, 2013, 05:44:22 pm
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Hello!
I changed a Corsair With a seasonic 520 FL, and there was big differnce in sound quality. Much less noise, and all over better sound.
Arnt
Arnt, Very pleased to here that it has worked well. I was a bit concerned that people would give the change a try only to find it was my particular ax750 which was not working. Evidence could be mounting that as the seasonic may just be better for music. Regards Nick.
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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, 12:54:18 pm
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Hi,
I'v been playing with declocking for a while since Peter mentioned this a mothe or two ago. Now that the ATx supply problem is fixed I can easily hear the differences of settings.
Rather than adjusting the CPU clock frequency down, I have been lowing the clock multiplier in bios. Standard setting on my PC is 32x giving 3.2ghz cpu frequency, lowering it to 24 improved dynamics detail level and blackness it can go as low as 12 but I'm sat listening to 18 and on my PC, this appears to be a sweet spot. Very nice.
Nick.
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Ultimate Audio Playback / Chatter and forum related stuff / Re: A Visit to Nicks and a Surprise Finding
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on: July 27, 2013, 12:51:47 pm
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Juan hi,
The main reason was that it was way was in Paul's PC and I was keen to use exactly the same. I put a mains power tester on the PC (3037 CPU) and found that it only uses about 120 watts whilst playing music at normal CPU clock speed so that checked out ok.
The reviews on line of the 400 460 and 520 versions show the larger versions making just a small amount more ripple noise but not sure that this was a problem so I went for the 400w version in the end.
Brian is switching out a corsair ax750 for a seasonic I think so his experience may help understand if my corsair was just a poor unit or if the seasonic is generally a good upgrade.
Cheers,
Nick.
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Ultimate Audio Playback / Playback Tweaks and Source related subjects / Digi+ voltage control
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on: July 27, 2013, 12:44:10 pm
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I was getting round to looking at noise levels on my DAC outputs and I2S lines this morning with the new Seasonic ATx supply fitted and decided to look at something that has been on the 'to do' list for a while. More recent ASUS mobos have something called Digi+ Power Control options. This seems to be a chip which can "tune" voltages and currents and mobo power phases to main components on these mobos. I'm not much of a fan of these things as you could have all sorts of nonsense happening to power on the mobo on the fly at speeds that effect music. So I went into the 15 or so bios parameters and started removing "auto" settings and replacing with basic settings to reduce in flight tuning of voltages. I'v ended up with quite a difference in SQ, [very] good it think. Just listening to Sash! now and the synths are like never before with an exciting and pure top end. These tracks have always been a system test for me because the highs usually make the system desolve into producing a "tish tish tish" version of what is happening in high hats, cymbals etc. Now is riveting It would be very interesting if anyone with Digi+ features on their mobo wants to give this a go. Happy to post some starter settings. Regards, Nick
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Ultimate Audio Playback / Chatter and forum related stuff / Re: A Visit to Nicks and a Surprise Finding
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on: July 25, 2013, 03:14:00 pm
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Brian hi,
Your description of sound with and woithout the PCIe X-Sound card is very similar to what I was finding, the ATx replacement coule be a good direction to try. I hope the Seasonic works for you as well.
Best Nick.
Ps I keeping meaning to post the location of SpeedStep and C1E settings in our BIOS for you after you question in the C1E thread. Do you still need to know where they are ?
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Ultimate Audio Playback / Chatter and forum related stuff / Re: A Visit to Nicks and a Surprise Finding
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on: July 24, 2013, 04:02:30 pm
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Ah well, I use a Seasonic X-460FL in Le Monster.
But I will try my other two PCs in my main system. I'm particularly interested in hearing how a system with really ZERO SMPSs sounds.
Going on the reviews the 460FL seems to have the ~same noise performance as the 400w version give or take a mv of ripple or so. I can see why your satisfied with them. Going Linear would be very interesting. I put a Watt meter on the mains lead to the Asus P9x79 PC. Running at normal CPU clock speed it consumes about 125 watts at idle and running XX it is the same so it should be possible to achieve linear supply even with a "fast" PC. Have you see these ? http://www.coreaudiotechnology.com/products/music-servers/atx-linear-power-supply/It would easily deal with 125 watt draw. ItemAudio are reselling in the UK IIRC.
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