Right lets kick off this discussion

I'm sitting looking at my current collection of about 700 CDs and wondering how to start this storage process?

I tend to select my music to play by browsing through a particular genre, but it would also be useful, if possible, to search by artist or album title.

I can certainly do it using Windows folders, but I cant see that its going to be very attractive, so what are the options?

I want to file initially by genre such as Irish, Country, Pop, Classical etc, then subdivide into solo, groups, then again into male, female etc

I would like to see the album cover appear at each selection and a list of tracks.

I am hoping XX will allow selection of individual tracks or "play album in full"

Excellent stuff Peter, I am learning as much about computers as I am about music at present, but its all good fun

Now my Vista machine is in and running, I would be happy to give this a bash.

If there are bugs to be found, you can rely on me.

Cheers Chris

I have now compared XP engine2 doubled with Vista engine 2 (non doubled)

Vista is equally impressive, but subtly different to XP. I found XP to be a bit livelier, but Vista wins out for me on its smoothness of performance. Its very relaxing to listen to, yet still very dynamic and XX remains far in advance of any CD player I have heard.

One example of the smoothness.
I mentioned before Shania's badly recorded CD which can be far too aggressive. On the track "your still the one" vista engine2 lifts her voice just far enough away from the backing chorus so that a nasty interaction is all but gone.

One down side to the vista engine2 is that it has lost some of the stability of XP, it doesn't crash out, but playback is populated by occasional drop outs of sound for a split second (maybe every 5 minutes or so).
I have the Fireface buffer set at high figures.

All together a very successful package.

We have music

YESSSSSS drivers updated. Nothing as sweet as a problem you solve yourself

Just remembered you have to update drivers from the devices settings. Will give it a go

More problems

I download the new drivers as a zip file, extract all 13 files, than find the two .exe file amongst them and run them, but nothing seems to happen and even after rebooting both the PC and the Fireface the driver software has not been updated. 

Bloody hell . I was turning off the PC.
All is well with the firmware update.

Now for the driver software

Computers can be soooooooooooooooo annoying

Have downloaded the firmware, run it (what appears) successfully and then it says I need to shut down for it to take effect.

I do this but the firmware doesnt upgrade. Help!

Just looked at the properties of the software on the supplied CD.

Driver date 19.06.06
Driver Version 2.55
Hardware Revision 1.52

As you say these are well old

Hi Peter
My new Vista PC is here .

XX is loaded together with the appropriate software and seems to be operating OK, however I am getting no sound through the Fireface.

I went to audio properties to select SPdiff as before. There are lots of options shown for the Fireface but they are all the same , gone are the options for spdiff/ADAT/MME etc, etc

I am guessing that perhaps the Fireface software needs to be upgraded/downloaded to get it to work on Vista. What do you think?

Cheers Chris

When the DAC you used is the same (or better : when the whole chain after the PC is the same as that after the CDP), then, yes, I would dedicate that to more dynamics (and you probably read my descriptions about that). But *was* the chain the same ? I can imagine that with the CDP you at least didn't use the Fireface ...

Then, at using the Fireface, be careful dat the sliders are at the 0dB position. You can easily get them there by means of ctrl-click on them.
Higher is dead-wrong, and lower is not good also !

You are right about the Fireface being an extra bit in the chain. Next time I listen I will make sure the sliders are at 0dB and report back.


Since this, so far, works everywhere, [/i]

Interesting, as I was having this discussion with Gerner and please correct me if I am wrong, but all the systems you observed this on were front loaded horns. I would love to hear otherwise 

And Chris, I don't say this to be right or for a whatever unreal reason, I say it because it works everywhere, and when it didn't it was always solved by searching for the culprit as long as it took to get rid of the room anomalies.
I *know* that your TacT will do it better in the case there's something going on, just like the TacT will get rid of the anomalies at using Foobar. So the real message is : don't use filtering cables to get rid of harsh highs and find the culprit instead, which would be in the same leage as saying : don't use your TacT and find the real culprit instead (no matter how unbelieveable it comes to you).

All my cables etc have been chosen for maximum transparency, audionote silver etc and quality mains cables, so I dont think that the problem.

Of course you remember the nos-DAC thing (as a prerequisite to let it all work(out)), so here is reason #1.
But of course again, in your situation it would be a rather awkward solution, because the first thing you'd have to do is get rid of the TacT as well. That is, you'd be only allowed to let it pass through everything 100%.
Also, do note that squeezing out the peaks is different -and not as bad- as pulling up the dips, and that dips of 0dB SPL exist which just can't be amplified (1000 x 0 = ... ?).
Yes thanks, I know all about this
Might you be able to get hold of an nos DAC loaner, don't hesitate to try whether I could be right ... 
If I am, it would be worth it. You know that ... 
[/quote]

I do still have the Counterpoint DAC. Here are the specs, but it looks to have oversampling.

UltraAnalogue D20400 hybrid
Internal 8X oversampling digital interpolation filter
Dual 20-bit converters, a stable bipolar reference and two distortion supressing output deglitching amplifiers.
Proprietary architecture assures no transitions of Most Significant Bits at near-zero signal levels.
20 bit resolution provides 120db of dynamic range

OK while writing, I have formalised a plan. Because I like to mature properly on each improvement here is the order I will do things

1. Instal XX in the new Vista PC when it arrives (my current system is easily able to hear differences).
2. Work out how to store and archive my music using EAC
3. Evaluate all improvemments using the Tact so that my subs remain properly integrated.
4. When all is settled, borrow or steal a nos DAC and search out the additional benefits you and Gerner describe.

In case it helps development here are a couple of things that happened during my listening sessions

I tried to create a play list and this seemed to overload the software. The playlist box was filled with a big red X and the whole thing crashed out. After this XX would not launch properly. The tab was at the bottom of the page but no matter how many times I pressed it, it would not expand to fill the screen. I had to clean all the associated software off the PC and reload before I fixed it. I don't play around much now.

On one occasion the music was just a series of rapid ticks - I have now learnt this is due to running with too small a buffer in the Fireface.

After leaving the system on, but not playing, for about an hour while I watched my favourite TV program I put in a list of about 6 tracks and sat down to enjoy. Superimposed on the music were a series of infrequent but annoying scratching sounds. I wiggled all the cables (as you do) but it was only cured by rebooting the PC. No idea what it was

All the XP engines so far are good, but my personal preference is #2 doubled.

I have it playing from an XP laptop through Fireface 400 into a TACT 2.2X DAC, then to an EAR 861 driving DX4s in Hornet Hedlunds and a Sugden A21 driving BD15s in 'Reference' cabinets

The sound is wonderful, open, clear and full of the body normally associated with high quality vinyl.
Notes such a a plucked guitar string are beautifully formed both in build, decay and timbre, but most importantly it gives music of such quality that I now consider my CDP and DAC redundant. This combo cost £4200 when new so this is no mean achievement.

I have listened to old favourite tracks which are given a new lease of life and to tracks such as Shania Twains "Your Still The One" which is so badly recorded that normally I enjoy it only at modest volumes. This evening I payed it loud and I wont kid you that it was perfect, but I didn't wince at the harsh parts .

Some further observations:

I compared XX directly with my CDP.
XX seems about 2-3db louder (more dynamic?). I needed to pursuade myself that this was not cheating on the comparison, as playing one bit of equipment a bit louder is often used by salesmen to impress and sell their gear. Not so, I turned the volume on XX down to subjectively be the same as the CDP and it still romped it.

Bass seems fuller, crisper and better defined.

One test of a good Hi Fi for me is the ability to be surprised and even startled by elements of the music. XX passed this test easily.

I don't yet hear any of this room correction stuff (though I listened for it and have an open mind), and the TACT, for me, pushes the performance to a higher level still, but XX is very, very good.

With luck my Vista laptop arrives tomorrow and we'll see how that does.