After starting up with my NOS1 USB I got those anoying messages too.
But they disapeared after I did the following:
Reboot PC.
Starting to use "minimize OS".
Adopted some clock and memory settings, essentially those in Peters signatur.

No, because it is not USB 2.0 High Speed.

Yes of course, he-he! 

-Actually this was only me doing a little advance planing. I had a USB DAC 3 years ago. At that time I kept my music-PC in the basement, with a 10m USB 1.1 optical cable running through the floor and up into my living room on 1st. floor. The USB cable is still there ready to be used. However after checking the numbers I realized today that it's capacity of 12Mbts is too low for the NOS 24/768. So I was looking for a USB 2.0 optical cable replacement.

But it can wait. Now, I will be a nice boy and let the PC remain where it is and use the enclosed short standard USB cable. In this way there will be no changes to the system, enabling me to focus solely on the SQ of the NOS1 update. 

--------------

I guess NOS1 USB does not use the 5V option? If so, there is also less reason to shop for "dedicated" USB cables, because the cable will not carry any voltage.

Yes. And the only one I found so far is this "professional" solution providing true 480Mbps at 500mtr: The USB Ranger 2224 Multimode Fiber Extender. The only downside is the cost of $900.-...

Product link: http://www.smartvm.com/usb-ranger-2224-multimode-fiber-extender-p43447.htm


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Also, I found a related thread on the ComputerAudiophile forum in this matter.

When searching the WWW for a suitable solution, the keywords are "USB 2.0", "fibre", "extender", "galvanic isolation" etc.

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For example, I found this clever product costing only €34.-, BUT after reading the fine print it is restricted to only 12Mbps... 

http://electronicsshop.dk/?id=1038

This afternoon I will become the lucky owner of the NOS1 24/768, returning from upgrade. 

But, what is the "best" USB cable to use?

Can we use any standard low-price cable, or what about the upgrade versions from companies like Wireworld, who provide extra shielding of the 5V carrier inside the USB cable?
Example: http://www.wireworldcable.com/categories/usb_cables.html

Or what about an optical USB cable? It will provide 100% galvanic isolation from the PC!
A long optical cable is tempting, also because I can hide away the bulky and noisy PC in another room. They can be sourced from several places.
Here is one example: http://industrialcomponent.com/opticis/opm210003.html
-But it is only restricted to USB 1.1 capacity. 

To put this in perspective:
2 channels of Red Book CD: 2*16* 44100 = 1.4Mbps.
2 channels of 24/96         : 2*24* 96000 = 4.6Mbps.
2 channels of NOS1 USB   : 2*24*768000 = 37Mbps.

USB 1.1:  12Mbps max capacity. 
USB 2.0: 480Mbps max capacity.
USB 3.0: 4-5Gbps max capacity.


-PETER: Do the NOS1 USB connection require any specific technical minium standard?

Everything is clear! My first post was "serious". The second was only for fun, but with a nod to your achivement in developing XX from scratch to become THE player in the world!

[serious]An XX integrated RIAA software function will outperform analog phonostages costing $$$. In combination with an AD converter in NOS1, users can do State Of The Art vinyl rips. Something to consider in the future.[/serious].

A plug-in functionality in XX could be useful anyway. "Nice to have". For HDCD-decoding, various EQs, RIAA, XO, etc.

But, HEEEY, you allready made the HDCD decoding function. And when I mentioned the "F@@bar" word I realize I triggered a reflex mechanisme inside Peter. I mean, it's like trying to teach the Dutch how to make Gouda.

Of course, you are never going to follow in the steps of Foobar. Instead, there will be propritarian solutions taking us places where no man has been! 

Hi Peter,

Previously you have mentioned the possibility of adding multichannel (4 or 6 channels) in combination with a digital XO function.
The aim is to have a complete source for an active system, with digital volume and without passive crossover network.
A digital XO provides better functionality, with infinity choices of crossover frequencies, sloopes, baffelstep corrections, etc.

Now, here is what I thought:
-The easiest way would be to provide a "plug-in" function in XX, in similar fashion as Foobar2000 does. The filter itself can be made by an external DSP software. There are many existing programs in the marked, some of them are freeware.
With such a solution, the plug-in function can be used for all kinds of DSP filters. Not only for a XO-filter, but for acoustic correction, EQ, RIAA correction, etc.

The user can keep several filters in a folder, and load it in the plug-in when needed. Let's say you have a EQ filter to cure very bright CDs. Or you have a filter reading/converting DSD to PCM on the fly. Etc.

-Just a thougt.

 

Mani,

It seems being first in the line is a curse, not a blessing, he-he. My condolences.

Thankfully I have my v.1 NOS1 running perfectly at 384, so no hurry in upgrading before the initial problems are solved by Peter.

Well, Chris, it's "the most famous rock song in the world"... Tease, tease.

Flute trivia: Peter Gabriel picked up the flute to "have something to do" while the rest of Genesis did their usual 15min instrumental thing.

Quite a few english rock bands featured the flute. Camel, Genesis, King Crimson, Gentle Giant and of course Jethro Tull. Even mighty Led Zeppelin!

I guess it is their folk music heritage, combined with the fact that many of the british prog rock musicans had proper classical music education.

Interesting! I have been digging into these matters too. Do you have a link?

Dear Peter,

Re. Upgrade of my NOS1: When should I pack it down and ship it to you?

Best regards
Petter

I have 2 Neil Young albums in hi-rez: Harvest and On The Beach. Both sounds good in stereo version. That is "good", relative to the CD.

What I notice on my system is that albums from late 60s/first half of 70s have big track-to-track variation. Songs with simple arrangements sounds better than the complex ones.
-You can "hear" the excesive use of overdubs, when their mixing console didnt have enough tracks available in the first place. Doing this, they quickly ran into a noise problem (tape hiss). So they applied Dolby noise reduction which (at the time) did reduce the audible noise, BUT also robbed the natural "sparkle" and "life" in the treble range. The artist and producers didnt care or notice about this negative side effect. The audible tape hiss was main enemy. They didnt consider us, audiophiles, who 40 years later want to squeeze out maximium sound quality with modern equipment.

On the Beatles White Album, there are some simple songs sounding very good. On the Beatles Anthology #3 (the one covering the final periode), you can hear the outtakes/rough mix from The White Album sounding even better than the official album. On track Julia you really get intimate with John Lennon. And you can hear he is pissed drunk/stoned while recording it!

Or, try Led Zeppelin II: Some songs are mixed to death, while the drum solo on Moby Dick sounds fresh and clear. They were recorded without overdubs, of course.

Back to Neil Young/On The Beach: Initially I got disapointed when I heard it the first time. The first tracks sound quite "muddy", with little "low level" detail. But then I realized that the sound quality of (vinyl) side 2 is much better! The last 3 tracks has a *reasonable* high amount of acoustic ambience, which give me a wall-to-wall filling soundstage in my living room. Check out the title track On The Beach.

You will like it too! Beautiful vocal arrangments, acoustic bass and gitars on a big stage, live recording of old folk songs.

-------------

PS: It is not a coincidence that we have a big number of legendary recordings dating back from the periode between end 50s and middle 60s. (Miles Davis, Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans Trio, Muddy Waters/Folksinger, The Weavers, Harry Belafonte, etc) was recorded BEFORE Dolby A noise reduction came into studio use (end of 60s). Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolby_noise-reduction_system

Additionally, these old albums were recorded more or less "live" in the studio with no or minimum overdubs. The jazz trio went into the studio and recorded the song in one take. If they were not happy, they just did another take, rather than trying to "correct" the track in the latter mixing process.

Legendary studio engineer Rudy van Gelder even bypassed the mixing console, hooking the mics directly to the input of the tape recorder. He hot-roded the whole recording chain, which partly explains the extremely clear and transparent sound of his 50s recordings. [Rudy seems to have Dutch ancestors, of course!] He did a huge catalogue of great jazz recordings.
Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudy_Van_Gelder

Dear Alain,

MACHINE HEAD
I dont have the album as CD (only mp3), but some tracks are common from the ANTHOLOGY 2CD (1991). The best songs from this album I prefere in the live version of Made In Japan. Frankly, I dont care much about SQ on this particular kind of music from the 70s, because I listen to them (a lot) on my iPod/Koss Porta Pro headphones while jogging or through my average car stereo, he-he.

I love this music, but the original sound quality is normally so-so, due to the poor studio equipment and the many tracks and overdubs etc. And perhaps - most important of all - the playback monitoring equipment was far more colored sounding in the early 70s. Loudspeaker cabinets from cheapboard, paper cones and peaky treble drivers. Todays equipment is much more clean sounding and resolved, making those old rock recordings sound dull. (There are a few exceptions, of course).

I love all kinds of music, especially rock and jazz. But also some folk and pop. Not so muc classical, though.

I have been planning to make a list of recommended hi-rez titles I have purchased, but cannot find the time.

PC SPECS
I build my PC last year when I thought it was important to have a very fast/powerful PC, but it seems it is not necessary with the latter versions of XX. A "normal" PC might sound the same. Ask PeterSt.

NOS1 DAC
You should really start saving for a NOS1 DAC. It is really something "special"!


Best regards and good night from Norway!