Apart from the KS device showing in the device selection box, 0.9y-5-01 works in exactly the same way as 0.9y-5-00 for me.

@ Attended:
I get about 10 secs of sound, and then nothing at all for a while. The length of the silence depends on the split file size - the smaller this is, the shorter the length of the silence before music resumes for another 10 secs or so. If split file size is reduced to 12MB, then there is no silence, but I get 'jumping' instead, like a badly scratched record. In this respect, 0.9y-5-01 really does sound analogue
BTW, DPC shows latency going crazy.

@ Unattended:
Does not play. XXHE just comes back, as though I've pressed alt-X.

I think all of this is to do with my Weiss firewire driver. I get the exact same behaviour on two totally different machines*. Also, my CPU load goes up considerably once the Weiss is switched on. Changing the 1394 host controller driver can change things dramatically - with the 'official' TI driver, I get CPU oscillating periodically going from nearly 0% to nearly 100%, with nothing playing. The best behaved seems to be the 'legacy' driver.

* Engine#4 plays (in the way described above) on both machines. Engine#3 only plays on my regular machine (with a TI 1394 chip) - but this is to be expected as the Weiss is incompatible with the 1394 chip (Ricoh) on the other machine - although Engine#4 'works' on this incompatible machine

Any ideas Peter, or should I look to getting another interface? (I hope not, but I sure would like to get Engine#4 running properly.)

Mani.

Engine#4 works absolutely fine for me...

... for about 10 seconds... then no sound for a short while (depending on split file size)... then sound again for about 10 seconds... then no sound... etc

Reducing the split file size to 12MB helps, and there is sound all the time, but a lot of skipping going on. DPC shows massive spikes in latency (over 50ms!) coinciding exactly with a skip.

I have no issues with device selection and QAP 'works' too (but as described above).

Mani.

My understanding is that it's $12K for the Pyramix software and the Mykerinos card...

Mani.

Ditto.

Absolutely no need to apologise. You know, I really could live with 0.9y-4 indefinitely. But of course, if there's something 'better'...

Mani.

Dan, was this Tim Marutani's system that you heard?

Chris Connaker of Computer Audiophile believes it will take computer audio to another level: "Based on my experience I don't think this solution [Pyramix software and Mykerinos card] can be beat by any USB or FireWire interface or DAC available today."

I hope not... I've only had my AFI1 for a year!

Mani.

Yeah Peter, when we gonna get the new version, for God's sake? I sat next to my PC waiting for it all weekend...

... It had better be good!

Mani.

I know nothing about the AX24, other than it uses multibit delta-sigma chips (as does dCS). I didn't realise that you could use these without oversampling/filtering...

Mani.

Peter, quite a while ago, I posted this:


Mani.

For the record, I want all our German friends to know that I do not drive an Opel Manta.

Mani (not short for Manfred)

Interesting. But I bet he hasn't heard the Model Two with QAP. I really can't stress enough how much better it sounds when set to 176.4K and fed from XXHE with QAP.

The ULN-8 uses delta-sigma chips [EDIT: the AK4395 with 128x oversampling]... that's a bit like buying a front-engined/front-wheel-drive 'sports car'... which is an oxymoron IMHO. Yes, they can be very good, but never ever as satisfying to drive as mid-engined/rear-wheel-drive cars (or indeed the Teutonic engines-hanging-out-the-back/rear-wheel-drive cars ).


Yes, totally nasty on Chris's part. I'm dumbfounded as to what it could be...

Mani.

Well, there are a lot of components that need to be gotten right - the power supply, the oversampling/filtering, the use of true multibit DAC chips, a bomb-proof output stage, etc, etc. There is no 'integrated' DAC that I know of that hits the mark, regardless of price. Certainly, no AD/DA converter like the Model Two will ever be built again - it'd be way, way too expensive.

Mani.

Well, that's the problem with analogies - you open yourself up to being shot down And with our decimated car industry, maybe I should keep the car references down to a minimum.

Back OT, when is the NOS1 going to be available? I think you said it won't be until February at the earliest, right? I can't wait to take this 'Dutch Koenigsegg' on with my 'ceramiced-McLaren'.

Mani.

I think this is worth stating again:

This is what I find so exciting. The best sound and measured performance is with oversampling... BUT done right. And this is exactly what QAP gives (and OAP will give) us.

One of the biggest issues with 'old' DACs like mine is that they just didn't have the computing power back then to do oversampling/filtering as well as we can now. But if this is now done in the software, and the inferior oversampling/filtering in the DAC can be defeated, then such DACs are given a new lease of life.

In a way, this is a bit like the original McLaren F1 road car. Put it on a track against a 'modern' supercar, and it will struggle (see Martin Brundle's video from a few years ago). However, replace its brakes with modern ceramic ones... and I know which car I'd take.

Mani.

Sorry, I have no idea what to go for around the $1500 mark.


I'm not so sure that I would... if it's just 16/44.1 capable.

You know, there are some 8x oversampling DACs with PCM63K or PCM1704U-K chips that sound great. Quite honestly, if it weren't for computer audio, I'd be quite happy to stick with my made-in-1995 Rotel RHCD-10 CD player...

Mani.

Firstly, you need to understand that all NOS DACs are multibit. But not all multibit DACs are NOS.

Oversampling was a method employed en-mass in the late 80s and early 90s (no delta-sigmas, only multibits then) to help the filter do its job more effectively. And it works... if measurements are what turn you on. (Dan Lavry is obviously a fan of measurements, which I think is a good thing.)

However, a multibit DAC does not need oversampling... But IMHO, it only makes sense to go non-oversampling if the sample rate of the material is high enough (in my belief, at least 176.4KHz, which is 4 x the sample rate of redbook CD, or 4fs).

Now, there isn't much 4fs material. But that's OK, because with Quad Arc Prediction engaged, all of your ripped CDs become 4fs (and 24bit)! Now all you need is a NOS DAC on which to play them.

And there's the rub - there aren't many 24/176.4K NOS DACs available. But Peter's NOS1 (I believe) will be a NOS 24/352.8K DAC. To use it effectively, Peter will introduce 8 x Arc Prediction for you to use with your CD rips and 16/44.1K downloads.

In short, Peter is creating what I believe is the world's first NOS 24/352.8K DAC.

Mani.

PS I've never even met Peter, so I hope most of what I've written is correct!