Thanks for the information to you all. Anthony, I'll wait for the results of your work.

Best regards,
Juan

Thanks Coen, I´m considering to get one and see how it affects the SQ

Regards,
Juan

Hi

Could someone tell me (Peter, Anthony or others) if this Teddy Pardo linear ps would work with the Silverstone card?

When I asked Teddy for a ps to power the Silverstone he told me that "We have a 5V 3A power supply which we can provide with a bare end cable to which you can connect the connector of your choice"

So it could be connected to the card 4pin power connector.

http://www.teddypardo.com/powersupplies/teddy5-3.html

Juan

The best words I can use after reading your long post is: cryptic for me but interesting (I mean the part I'm able to understand).
My system is so different than yours, big horns vs little paper cones, that I'm afraid that your Ssssss is different than mine. However although I can't help further I try to learn from what you wrote.

Kind regards,
Juan

Yes I also find that sssss in the Silverstone and those hard highs are the bad part of the card, for the rest the sound is fantastic.

For when we will be able to enjoy your linear ps?. Maybe a small model for the USB3.0 card as the one you're using for the Silverstone would be fine to start.

What cable you are using to connect the Silverstone with the NOS1, an USB2.0 or an USB3.0 cable?

Juan

Ok, thanks Anthony, that´s fine if you are absolutely sure that both cards are using the same driver.

Btw, I´m not sure if you are using a linear ps with the Silverstone card, if so, what are differences you find vs this card powered by the pc power supply? (Sorry if you already have posted about it)

Cheers,
Juan

Thanks Stanley, I´ll be glad to hear from your listening tests

Cheers,
Juan

I realized that the driver I have installed with the Silverstone card is the version 3.0.23.0 (the one that came with the cd).

For the ones with this card, what´s the driver version you are using?

Juan

Hi there Alain,

By chance I was taking this afternoon chocolate with churros. Do you know what are churros? Take a look: https://www.google.es/search?q=chocolate+con+churros+madrid&espv=210&es_sm=93&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=vhXTUtDSBqbP0QWSy4DYBA&ved=0CE0QsAQ&biw=1920&bih=1075

Chocolate con churros are very popular here. The most common shape of a churro is like a ribbon and that´s why the word "churro" is used also to say that something has gone wrong. If I wanted something went right (straight) and if it went wrong (crooked) I´d say "this has come made like a churro"

  Juan

Hi Georg,

Just a couple of questions:

- In the Silverstone site there is one driver for W8 (the one you mention) and a firmware update: look in this link for Accessories and EC04-P http://www.silverstonetek.com/download.php?area=usa
Have you installed also the firmware? So far I´m using the driver that comes with the little cd inside the card pack, have you tried it? Maybe it is not for W8, I´m not sure, but it works...

- What´s the linear power supply you are using to power the card?

Thanks,
Juan

Hi Peter,

I´ve been trying with other settings, like Q1:6,3 and xQ:7,3,2,1 and others in between. Even some of those settings at Device Buffer Size: 2048. In my system I can´t notice substantial differences as to confirm that a setting is better than others. E.g. to Q1:6 and xQ:3 it seems to have less sibilances in the sssss vocals in the track I´m using to test it, but at the same time the fuller sound (the more organic or with a more integrated body) seems to be with the Q1:6 and xQ:10 (I´m always keeping the other Q values at 1 and SFS:120). So, I maintain my preference for the Q1:6 and xQ:10 but what I did is to toe a few mm. the speakers toward the out side of my centered position.
As you don´t want to have only one listening position and you rather to have a good listening position from anywhere in your room I´d suggest you to move a bit your speakers to find again that sound from anywhere. Sometimes the changes in sound are so big with e.g. a new player or in our case with a new software or hardware that could be necessary to rethink again the acoustics in our room or perhaps at least the placement of the speakers. Often a slight change in the position of the speakers returns a sound that´s according to our preferences.

This is just a humble suggestion...

Kind regards,
Juan

Now YES!. I´ve installed the Silverstone USB 3.0 SST- EC04-P card and the sound is much better than with my previous Tecknet card. The sound stage is big, really big, even with my little Chartwell ls3/5a speakers, good bass, the best one I could get with this speaker considering its limitations. The highs are not smooth nor dry, are just as they should be: natural and clean.
The sound is better than with my other card no matter the settings but I find that the settings suggested lately by Peter are the best ones so far with 1.186-a (Q1=6, -, Q3,Q4,Q5=1. xQ=10. SFS=120)

I agree totally with the ones that have this card, it is a fantastic achievement. It should be mandatory to install it.

Regards,
Juan

I tested Q1:6 xQ:10 / 1,1,1 / SFS=120 and I found also a very different sound compared in my case with Q1:6, xQ1:1/ 1,1,1 / SFS=2,0. With the first settings the sound is much more in front and the soundstage is reduced in comparison with the second settings that have the voices more in the rear part of the scene. I found the sound with the first settings a little dry and artificial. I prefer the second settings although maybe I´d like the voices a few steps in front from its position. Perhaps changing the SFS values to something in between 1,0 and 2,0 I would find the best for my taste. I´ll try it.

Juan

It gives the feeling that we are treading on difficult terrain, if we can not keep a guide reasonably safe and suitable for all we have the risk that ultimately only two or three people can enjoy the best sound. We have mentioned here the problem that every time a new Windows OS shows, we should go to XX to adapt it to sound in the best possible way. This way XX is subject to the vagaries of Windows. The solution would be to create a new OS specific to XX, tough work I guess.
We are seeing also the hardware problem. We are trying to build a linear power supply (well, Anthony is trying) and constantly we are fighting with mother boards that have not been created for what we pursue but for gaming, graphic design, etc..
As I have no idea of electronic design let me imagine a solution and forgive me if it is too naive.The same way that in the world of high end audio there are components that were created specifically why not also create a motherboard only for audio?, Should be versatile enough to use sound cards or able to adapt to the requirements of certain software like XXHE . If the audio world evolves in the direction of using the computer as a source, and I think it will, leaving other sources obsolete, will emerge hardware manufacturers that will create high end components. Probably prices will skyrocket because the high end is only for an elite. The only possible solution would be that we build  this hardware. If Peter could do that with XXHE and the NOS1 Phasure, why would not to try to create from the base a new and specific OS and a specific hardware for our computer (motherboard, linear power supply, etc)?

Dreaming is free ...

Best regards,
Juan

Hi Georg,

Thanks for your help. In the overclocking section in the bios of my Asus Sabertooth I can change the DRAM speed and the CPU clocking but I only can get 1.200GHz as minimal speed, no way to go as low as around 0.45GHz. I tried 1.200Ghz some time ago but never found a noticeable improvement in SQ. Have you found a better SQ with your 0,45GHz?

Best regards,
Juan