Thanks Peter, all works fine now that I have removed the explorer7 folder...

I only did this test yet, but I am impatient to go further, in hope that what I experienced with plain W8 will be a thing of the past...

Regards,

Alain

Thanks Peter... Now you have me very curious about the differences you perceive with less "crisps highs" that I find "too much" with W8...

I will do some backups and then put my music pc to work...

Alain

 

Hi Cohen,

Yes, I could use the words you picked to precise what I hear with voices.

That would sound like a microphone that picks up all that comes from one's throat... Some artists have a sizzling air blast with their voice... This is exaggerated with W8. Would "sibilance" be the right word ? I can't tell...

I still have a long way to go for audio vocabulary, but like you I feel the need to listen to W7, to "breathe" for a moment. I need some rest, just listening to music... And hoping

It comforts me not to be alone in our journey...

Regards,

Alain

Thanks Peter. I had the same thought about my ability to discern differences (...). At least I can through enough time.

I will do the turn to W8.1 in the following days (this week-end is one of those where I can't do much listening). 

But... I am not very optimistic...

Regards,

Alain

I never thought I would write this. Since I switched to W8, my intention was to go forward and never turn back, whatever W8 would have something inferior or not compared to W7 (unless it would have been too obvious). At the time, while I was unable to differentiate the 2 of them, now I can better express how each of them behaves.

In comparison to W7, W8 is precise, forward and detailed.  It acts like a "lense" that increases definition to a level that W7 can't pretend to reach and it really gets the best subtleties from the instruments. As for tonality, I am less sure that W8 beats W7, but for definition, there is not much comparison (to my ears) - W8 is a clear winner.

In comparison, W7 sounds a bit "blurred", without the deep LF and HF that I can hear with W8. It is "softer", less clinical... Peter used the word "distorted" and I believe him. At the 2 extremities of the spectrum, W8 is the best, while in between, W7 feels a little more natural. Again, I could be wrong, but I feel that W7 is less affected by different situations that could emanate from problems in the chain.

Living with W8 for almost a year now and switching to W7 brought this as a surprise. There is something so precise about W8 that the word "surgical" comes to my mind, but not as a negative note. I have always liked definition and micro-dynamics.

Recently I changed a VGA cable to a DVI > HDMI  cable. Right after that, it started. I began to hear something around the singer's voice. This reminds me of a similar phenomenon when I changed many of my AC cables for "audiophile" ones: there was a "halo" around some women's voices, but it finally disappeared after a few months. I can't explain this, so the word "break-in" could apply here.

With the DVI > HDMI cable it started with many voices exhibiting a strange sound, something like a microphone saturation, a kind of "edgy wrap", sometimes "granular", not always stable though. Certain passages show this. It is audible not only with women, but also with men's voice. In fact, it acts like the AC cables did a few years ago, but it does not look as if it will disappear through time.

I brought back the VGA cable. But after observing this, against my will, I started looking for that strange behaviour around voices... Now, each time there is a man, a woman or a group of singer's, I am watching for this. I wish I never did, because I can't get rid of it now !...

Since I have 2 pairs of speakers and 2 power amps, dacs, PCs and USB cables (one PC and a laptop), I tried different combinations to see it that was coming from one of my components. I even brought back my bad habit of using networking to access my music PC through Remote Desktop Connection (RDC). Direct connection between dac and power amp or through the preamp did not change that behaviour. I swapped the AC cables since I have 2 different kinds. I switched from the electrical AC outlet, disconnected everything that could have some effect on my components (TV, router, subs). I even disconnected the supertweeters, assured that there was no other speakers around. I even got my Paul Pang USB 3 controller card that replaced the SOTM USB 3 PCIe card (was removed), reinstalled W8 from a backup (was backed up right after its activation, without any attempt on my part to "tweak" something, nor deactivate any port from the PC)... Of course the PP card has to break in, but this started well before its arrival (about 3 days ago).

No matter what I did (playing with all possible adjustments through XXHE), nothing seems to tame this. I played with the NOS1 buffers (from its control panel) also.

It is as if the microphones were saturating with the voices. There is too much details, up to a point where it "wraps" the voice tones with a "granular halo" that badly affects SQ. Nothing of this happens when there are no human voices ??? I thought about a lot of potential culprits, but I can't find a common denominator.

I still have to get a different power bar just to check if this can explain that, but what I can't explain is how could I let this pass for so many months without hearing it ?

So for the moment, I am back with W7... Until I find what is causing this, I will alternate between W7 and W8, but I sure wish I can use W8 without this happening... I have to think about a few potential solutions (line conditioner, different earth connection, regular AC cables, etc...). This will take some time, but while I am not asking for a solution in the forum, I am a little exasperated about this. Always remembering that this is a hobby, I also repeat to myself that all I have spent is aimed towards music and the pleasure if brings.

Turning back to W7 does not eliminate totally the behaviour I describe here. Now that I heard this, I can't help myself but always look for it. This is now an obsession and sometimes I am so fed up with it that either it dictates my choice of music (like instrumental) or I don't listen to music at all.

I still hope I am forgetting something. Maybe the change of season here (less humidity since I started heating), maybe noise in AC line...

Maybe I should call this "The Windows 8 sensitivity syndrome"...

Alain

In hope that this will help...

http://www.askvg.com/fix-windows-8-genuine-product-key-doesnt-work-for-windows-8-1-clean-installation/

Alain

I can only mention that to upgrade from 8 to 8.1, there was no new activation to key in...

Alain

EditL: Sorry Peter, I read the question too fast... I answered backwards...

Hi Peter,

It happens sometimes after an unattended session. XXHE sometimes displays differently than before that session.

What I normally do is set a "user preset" when XXHE starts the first time, so I can select that preset to bring back the screen as it was.

But when I do this, the Minimize OS button disappears. I need to close XXHE then restart it to have it back.

I did not play with the fonts nor anything else regarding the display, except maybe to "strech it".

Not that it is really important, since I can bring it back, but in case this happens to others...

Thanks.

Alain

I read a few things this morning about differences between DVI and HDMI... Earlier DVI connections were not carrying sound, but it is possible now, if the graphic card is set for that...

I am also waiting for Peter to aknowledge if the glare I hear from the singer on a specific song is also present for him. I wonder if this kind of thing could be recorded like that...

Alain

Would ThightVNC (a VNC) be an advantage replacing RDC if you eventually use the LAN OFF and ON ?

Alain

But two... ? Did you loose your breath while typing ?

Alain

Hi Brian,

Ah... I did not think about that... I have another monitor with a DVI connection (I think)... I will try it.

Thanks !

Alain

It could be the reason yes... Or it could be the power (120V) that also brings its problems... I will try my old Viewsonic (17 inch) screen. It only carries VGA, but maybe it will change something.

Alain

Thanks. I don't understand why this is happening like this. I thought it would be the contrary - the DVI being the better, then the VGA, then the RDC being the worst... But no...

And yes, I see what you mean by the noise.

The only thing I do for RDC is disconnect myself from the music PC as soon as I have pressed PLAY...

Maybe I should send you a file showing that "glare". It's in the singer's voice...

Alain

EDIT: BTW the DVI connector on the cable is a DVI-D (Single Link). Wikipedia has a picture with the 5 different DVI connectors (mine is the third).

The PPA would be a good candidate for the iFi iUSB I suppose. I intend to have a cable made with a USB male A at one end and a molex at the other end with the required 5V...

Alain