Thanks Juan. By turning the PC case upside down, I was able to follow exactly those Seasonic instructions. Now the PS is on the bottom of the case but by flipping it, the vent is on top with nothing obstructing it. 

Thanks Georg. You turned me upside down too until I get a new case!

Had a good "listen" last night. Best ever, one would think I mounted a turntable somewhere inside the PC. Is it the speed of DVI that makes such a difference?

Hey Nick, here are a few preliminary observations. After applying all underclocking and DIDGI+ settings you posted above, it seemed there was a slight improvement in clarity and dynamics, though I wasn't sure if this was placebo because it was not a significant difference. Previously I was using the "OC Tuner" option on the AI Tweaker tab main page, running the memmory at 1330 instead of 1600. However, I was very pleased that my cpu temps dropped by about 5 degrees centigrade: from around 40 to around 35. I then borrowed a monitor with a DVI input because my cheap Dell only has a VGA input. I was pretty shocked at the difference the dVI connection made. Definitely smoother and more relaxed! However, I only had about 20 minutes of listening time so I didn't do any fine tuning with XX settings.  Will let you know more when I get a chance to know more.

Again thanks for sharing your tweaks! 

Hey Nick , based on your signature I assume you are not using the APEXI card?

Nick, will let you know how those settings sound here as soon as I get a chance to spend some time on it. Always appreciate your tweeks. I'm still getting used to the incredible difference the Seasonic PS has made. Many, many thanks.

Hey Peter, if your travels to California bring you to the east coast, there's plenty of room at the Inn in Philly. As I just ended vacation last week, there's no chance I can head west.

Peter, yes, we are talking completely fanless designs. I'm amazed at the difference in SQ cause my Coursair PS fan only turned on above a certain temp, and, as far as I could tell, it never got hot enough to ever turn on!

Juan, yes, its the Platinum version of that 400 watt model.

One other thing. The Seasonic vents from the top so if your case requires a top mount PS, like mine, you will likely need a new case. My Seasonic is currently sitting on top of the PC, on a mouse pad should case vibrations cause it to want to slide around. Need to start looking for a new case.

So, I received the Seasonic yesterday, installed it last night and had a good two hour session. As Nick found, from the first note I experienced a transformation of my system. A significant layer of glare, which I previously only heard as HF distortion when, say, a vocalist goes from 0 to 60 mph in an instant, was removed. Suddenly  quiet pieces or parts of tracks,where I thought there was no glare,  sounded completely different: more detail, air, and presence. Overall everything sounds way, way less aggressive (Thanks for the glossary!).....and, before yesterday, I never would have described my sound as aggressive.

So Nick, thank you so much for being so conscious of and determined to figure out your noise problem. Thanks, really, for those trips in your car noise hunting. Can you now say that you found the source of the problem? Also, thank you Paul for lugging your gear to Nick's to help trouble shoot the problem. Not an easy task with those Reserator umbilicals hanging off the cpu.

I know its been said a bunch of times before, but I want to acknowledge again what a great community this is. Though we each sit "alone" in our rooms, that we manage to maintain a mutuality  that benefits Peter's project overall and each of us individually, without great sniping or ego upset, is remarkable. It's just so important that folks be willing to share their respective experiences regardless of how experienced or knowledgeable one may be. Given my lack of knowledge and experience in the audio world, it just makes me laugh that I am a participant in this "discussion." 

One last thing, several years ago, sitting on my couch, the wisest audio guy I know told me that in audio everything is relative to each person's system, or, as Paul Simon sang, one man's roof is another man's floor. That for the last fifteen months I've been mostly blown away with the sound of my system is what it is. The Seasonic revealed that that sound, in part, was cr*p! Another good laugh!

Hey Juan, how fast can you get to the store. 

Thanks Juan. Got home this evening. Am expecting the Seasonic by Wednesday. Will hopefully post impressions  soon thereafter, but it could take a bit of listening. 

Spent a couple of hours listening tonight and I just don't see how it can get much better.........

Not supposed to want to get home this much when you are on vacation! Thanks Nick.

Adirondaks, upstate New York. It's a shame people mostly just think of NY as the City. Adirondak Park is bigger than Grand Canyon and Yellowstone combined. If you are looking for lakes it's the best.

Alain expresses well my predicament! Would love to see those starter settings. Thanks Nick.

Brian

Thanks Nick, yeah, figured it out. Will see how the Seasonic sounds.

Well, looks like I have a Coursair 750 for sale. However, I have been so pleased with my sound that I believe Paul's terrific description of evolution versus revolution will likely be my experience. Then again maybe not, cause I'm using the APEXI Capacitor card. Without the card my sound is less musical and  is a bit harsh. With the card the sound of "robots" goes away, everything relaxes and I believe i"m in the venue where the music is being made.  Also, my current Q5 setting is 2, which I attribute to my use of the capacitor card. Q5 at 5 is way too flat sounding. So I'll know more about evolution v. revolution after I give the Seasonic a listen. Will be ordering one in the next few days.

Thanks guys for being so damned determined in the quest for great sound!