Peter, feel free to hi-jack any topic I post.  Reading your thoughts is always entertaining and informative.

Thanks again,

Glynn

Thanks so much, Peter.  I knew you would have an answer for me.  Your server looks spectacular.

For the last 4 years my dedicated music PC has served me well, built around a Core 2 Duo, 3.16 ghz w/ 4G of DDR3 ram, which was way hot back then.  Peter and several others were instrumental in my choice at that time so I want to seek advice here again.  I have decided to move my current PC into the case of an antique radio (to each his own insanity, if you please) and the possibility of updating parts is wide open.  I am considering going to an all-in-one mini-ATX format (whatever the smallest I can find)  just for convenience although I still have room for a full ATX if needed.  What should I look for in a CPU that will hopefully serve me well for the next 4 years.  The case will be cooled and quiet enough for me to use a nuclear powered chip if necessary.  Some say only a simple CPU is needed, others claim only the fastest will do.
  My question is - what does Peter think?

I cannot offer a solution, but FYI I have ripped a couple of thousand CDs with dBpoweramp and have never had this problem.

I am currently still using 0.9Z-3. I recall a message saying the latest might not work with Windows 32 bit software.  I currently have Vista Home Premium 32 on my music computer.  Can I safely try the latest XXHighend version or not?

I would just like to comment that in regard to Nick's post above, large speakers in a domestic setting are a very god thing for me

YAWN!!!

Enough.

I would love to see a controlled shootout  with multiple listeners between the various formats, but until then it is all just so much gas.  I have friends who can sit with me and listen to the same system and come to different conclusions. 

On to more positive things, please.

It looks like my problem is solved, at least for now.  Since I had plans to take it all to a repair place tomorrow, I decided I could take a few chances and delete some things.  Got rid of XXHighEnd, XMPlay, dbPoweramp and then looked at almost every file, removing things that looked out of place.  Then shut it down, reinstalled Juli@ sound card, fired it up and it worked.  Downloaded XXHighEnd and fired it up and it works flawlessly.  So finally I can proceed with what I started almost a month ago - comparing the Wavelength Brick DAC (USB 24/96) with a Benchmark DAC1 (SPDIF 24/192).  Just think about how much money I am spending because of you Peter 

In the 3 weeks I have had the Juli@ soundcard, it has only worked 2 times.  Every other time (about 40-50 attempts) I get a blue screen of death whenever I turn the computer on after installing the card.  In the 2 times it worked, I was able to use 24/176 through the SPDIF output and all worked properly, but when I turn the PC off I get the blue screen the next 10 times I turn it on, at which point I yell a lot and remove the card and then the PC works fine.  I don't know enough to diagnose the problem, so Monday I am turning it over to a local repair shop who assures me he can get it to run (although he admits to having very little expeience with sound cards).  The ESI site forum has several instances of others having a simlar problem.  Anyone here have any suggestions before I pay someone to work on it?

I just lifted ground (degrounded?) the power bar that both the computer and DAC were plugged into and that noise is now gone. Will do some more switching to try to figure out what I need to do to ground components and keep this noise out.  It's a good thing I had nothing else to do this evening,

When using my Wavelength Brick (USB) I am getting a very slight static type of noise at certain times when using the GUI.  This is not an issue in playback of music.  But, for example, when using unattended, right after I press play, while the tracks are being highlighted, there is a slightly audible noise - kind of a hum or ZZZZ sound.  Also when the quality panel slides in or out.  This doesn't happen when I use the Benchmark  DAC1 coax or a Musicstreamer USB.  I can't figure out if the problem is with the Brick or if it is the only one that is able to play back the noise.  This is something I can live with, but I do wish it were not there. Anyone else getting this?

And Peter, I REALLY like the new GUI!.. I can sit in my chair and control everything wih a mouse, including the volume.  I still am using a preamp most of the time though, to have a balance control.  I recently bought a Krell integrated amp to see if my tube amps really were the source of any imbalances, but I get the same just off center signals thorugh it with some recordings, so I am going to need a balance control in any system I finally settle on (as if I will ever finally settle on anything ) .  After much experimentation I decided I was more upset by an imbalance in the sound stage than in ultimate resolution.

Finally have Juli@ installed and (apparently) working.  After 24 hours of frustration and several blue screens, at the advice of a friend I tried installing the Juli@ card in a different PCI slot on the motherboard.  This worked.  When I play back a 176400 signal on XXHighEnd, this shows up on the Juli@ monitor, so I am assuming all is well.  Do I need to install any of the other things, like Cubase, Cakewalk, etc. if all I intend to do is use the SP/DIF output?

I just unplugged it all and let it sit a while and not everything is back to the normal.  I have no idea what that was all about.

Today I successfully installed my new Juli@ soundcard, but when finished my  usb Wavelength Brick had disappeared as an audio device.  I am unable to reinstall it now and Wavelength says I may have corrupted the driver scheme by installing Julia.  However, I can get a usb Music Streamer to work.  It looks like I am going to have to reinstall windows and start all over.  Any ideas?

Thanks guys.  The Benchmark Dac1 I have purchased is not the USB model, so I am going to purchase the Juli@ soundcard.  Not only will I be able to compare it to my Brick this way, I will have the ability to try a greater range of DACs in the future, particularly if I desire to use sugnals greater than 24/96, which USB at this time cannot handle.