I was thinking the different ratio of highs to bass that I was using was maybe because at this analog vol level (full up bass/close to full highs) the resistor ladder was different than at lower analog settings....I don't have any home brew resistors in the path... just the volumes from teh passlab xover.

When I go into vol properties for the usb-dac I have only 3 choises
1) 16 bit 32000 Hz FM quality
2) 16 bit 44100 Hz CD quality  (*what i have chosen)
3) 16 bit 48000 Hz DVD quality

These are the only option I'm given... so that's all the dac can accept, right?  On the Stello usb-dac itself I have a switch that "upsamples" to 192 KHz (I don't use it; I have it set to bypass)... doesn't mention bits on the dac face, but...

I wonder why the usb doesn't except more rates than the 3 presented to me in vista vol properties if it can upsample on the dac itself... can't listen to any "hi-rez" WAVs... I have all CD stuff right now anyway, but someday ... I'll have to watch for that when I figure out what new DAC I may want ... I've figured NOS dac was good for CDs... but what about future hi-rez....and being able to control vol but not take bits away from the music would make me happier heh...

Hiyall

The systems been on most all the day (breaking in new vol placements I thought'd be good), but I didn't go in to sit and listen but for the last two hours.  Not enough time for conclusions, but thought I'd post.  First off... right now everything seems to be apples and oranges; meaning things are different, but I haven't been able to determine if things are better or worse....or just different.  That's a good sign; it means things don't strike me as being completely whacked.  Cymbals do seem very lifelike...nice decay.  I've got my 4 xover volumeS all turned up and am using the digital vol on XXHE.  That means the bass vol are full on but my high vol is cut back a little.  I have not gone back and forth on players yet... only listening to 9u0a.  At the xover I've always known a certain ratio of bass to high volumes to use.... I don't know if that ratio holds up at these full vol settings (or with this new player).  So differences I perceive might be explained by me trying to learn where to set vol controls to match what I've known.

At the moment I've been playing music probably louder than usual, but I don't hear any distortions (harmonic or otherwise yet)... it all sounds very good, clean but full.  I feel I need to cut back on the high end vols to pick up the same balance I had before... but that is a lot different ratio of volumes than I was listening at before (bass would normally be too loud at ratios I'm using now compared to before, but that doesn't seem to be a problem; cleaner/better defined bass? maybe...xover bass volumes control the 2 pairs of 12"s in the main speakers and 3 subwoofers).  Trying to match the same volumes between players is going to be much more difficult... I need to just find the best setting for each player and judge which one I like better... regardless of vol. (btw I would really like up down vol buttons and a window showing vol setting/number so I can turn off tool tips...)

I have not tried putting my vols back to where they were and putting XXHE at 0... i should probably try that too.  Right now XXHE vol is at -18db...I hate to go lower/move away from 0 because as I've said my dac only reads 16 bits (i think) and I hate to take away from that...am I taking away from the 16 bits by playing with the XXHE vol (staying out of the red area)?  All right, more listening now.  later all

ouch
I'm just getting started this morning on the set up.  Just dled and waiting for tubes to warm up.  Have to admit I'm a bit scared of this all.  My dac only accepts 16/44 or 16/48 (i've been setting Win at 16/44) so I'm not sure having a digital vol in there will be good....but ya, bout ready to try it all here.

I know Andrey has pretty good ears (having found an upper mid range peak I had when he listened here.. which I've gotten rid of and isn't prominent at higher vol...), but I'll still go in listening to this new version with open ears... wish me luck, heh.

hiyall/Peter

Well after being sick a big part of this winter, I'm finally able to breath/hear well again with opened up sinuses.  I have not installed the new player yet as I've been messing with other parts of the system (new usb cable eval) and wanted to get a handle on that first... but today is the day to try it.

My "preamp" is also my electronic xover for the speakers.  It's from Pass Labs, the xvr1 (of course someday peter is going to allow me to get rid of this when he adds xover control to XXHE... aren't you Peter hehe).  Anyway, I've always had to mess with 4 volume controls when I change the volume (two for low end and two for high end).  I can't open all volumes up fully because the low end (bass) has to have more gain than the top high end... is this going to be a problem?  By not being able to have full volume in my top end that will have resistors in the path.... guess this might influence phase is why I think you say "do NOT solve this by means of a resistor"... but I don't think I'll be able to help this :/

Well, I'm off to find a 6 pin to 9 pin firewire cable/converter to hook up another HDD. chk back later

Raise your hand if you recognize the saying:
Chomping at the Bit

If I remember correctly HDCD was bought by Microsoft and I think they've let it die.

I'm out on this race.  My head has been stuffed up with a cold for over a week :/ 

Ya, I agree Peter should try to contact them and talk to em about Vista.  This is a quote from the article, "...We're only working with Windows XP, because Windows Vista is currently a disaster for audio," says Martin. "Vista tries to control and play files its way, which is not what we want. . . .Meanwhile, one of the programs we've been using is a free one called Media Monkey. It goes up to 24/176.4 without messing up and changing the files and bits."

Yep I've Had this happen.

Also, a file that was not too long, might become too long when added to a gallery because of adding on the .mta extention in gallery? (am i right about this?)

Ack yes
This is one of the reasons why I've not started in on my classical rips, and I wanted to make sure I had my folder/naming scheme lined up first.  One reason I now have my music in only one folder ie Miracle Fortress - Five Roses
With Classical it will be harder, but i'm still only putting the rip into one folder level.....Probably put "main" composer first then... hmm thank goodness for galleries though.

36' is a good distance, what do you use to connect them?  I'm a bit worried to be running wireless stuff and audio stuff on the same computer...doh

Nice Peter.  That goes firewire out to your fireface?  Is it in the same room as you?  Not too loud?
My backup is all manual and I like it like that.  After a rip I send a copy to my main music HD and a copy stays on an internal drive until I put it on a backup HDD that is only in the machine long enough to take the backups. I basically never have the main or the backup running when the other is up and running.

When/If you try the usb input on your twin+ dac, make sure it is the only thing on usb.

Anyhoo, I don't see how firewire would be any better than usb,,, but I do know I can hear differences in usb cables (type/length), and if it shares any usb hub with something else that will affect SQ too....

I'm beginning to setup a friend's computer frontend.  He only needs a dac with one input.  I'm thinking about steering him toward:
http://www.scott-nixon.com/
the scott nixon UFO usb I2S tube dac.... (bottom of his page)





hmm I went into computer audio thinking this would be getting away from the tweak world.

hiya
I've had almost the opposite feeling about 95-T  I like it a lot.  I'm not getting errors at the moment... but I certainly am not asking XXHE to do all it can do, I'm sure.  I really started to explore Q1 more for .95-T: I've been slowly moving it up from 14 to 18 normal, where I find it sounding very musical and lively.  If the upper mids start to punch out too pronouncedly I go down to Q1 17.  If I go up to 19 or 20 things start to sound strained and out of phase,,, I still need to go up there and try invert more, but I don't think that did it.

Anyways, My concern is that SQ stay as high as it's gotten; I like what I hear out of .95-T

This looks to have solved my problem! Thanks