Creative Titanum HD and XXhighEnd

[sinister]

Hi,

I have a Creative Titanum HD sound card and WIN7x64, install the demo version 0.9z-5, but I can not start 4 Engine  , why not working? Can give full settings for ultimate quality?

[PeterSt]

Hi,

Are there any KS: devices listed in the drop down for Sound Device ?

If yes - and assumed you chose one, what happens ? "Can not start" doesn't tell me much !

Thanks,
Peter

[sinister]

In the setting of sound card I can choose the frequency 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96 kHz, which is better to choose?
Will it sound better if I install XXHighEnd on RamDrive?
In the setting of Output XXHighEnd I chose Device - Speakers (Creative SB X-Fi),
when trying to choose the # 4 Engine error message: "The Core Audio Engine can not explicity be
chosen; Instead select a Sound Device (above) and notice that:

- A device prefixed with KS: is Engine # 4/Kernel Streaming
- A device not prefixed with that is Engine # 3/WASAPI.

Engine # 1 and # 2 are obsolete and only bit perfect playback is possible "

[PeterSt]

In the setting of sound card I can choose the frequency 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96 kHz, which is better to choose?

The maximum supported bit depth and sample rate of your soundcard.

Will it sound better if I install XXHighEnd on RamDrive?

I don't think so. But use W7-SP1 (RC preferred) and the latest XXHighEnd version. Search for ramdisk or ramdisc and you will find quite some topics/posts about it.

In the setting of Output XXHighEnd I chose Device - Speakers (Creative SB X-Fi),

That this no Kernel Streaming (Engine#4) device. They are preceeded with KS:. Of no such a device shows up, your soundcard doesn't support KS.

when trying to choose the # 4 Engine error message:

I'm afraid the message says it all. Select the Sound Device by means of the drop down above it. You will see the other drop down change into the Engine# chosen (which can only be 3 (WASAPI) or 4 (KS).

[sinister]

Just means the card does not support KS. And you have a big difference in sound between KS / WASAPI? Which is better to choose the settings for: clock resolution, SFS (MB), Memory Organization and Q1?

[PeterSt]

KS is what almost everybody uses. WASAPI is more accurate, but also more "sterile" and with less emotion.

For now, try a low SFS (like 40 or so) and use Straight Contiguous (if you have 64 bits and more than 4GB). Later you can make 240 of it (if you have 8GB) and try to perceive differences.
And avarage Q1 for Engine#3 is 14. 4 may be the lowest and more towards the accurate direction. Under 4 things may start to sound digital.

There's no real golden rule for everything, although eventually many people (no matter DACs etc.) end up at similar settings. You may look at people's signatures to learn what they use (but sadly this will be Engine#4 without many exceptions, so it is quite unuseful for you).

[sinister]

Thank you, it's better to choose in Clock Resolution parameter?

[PeterSt]

The Clock Resolution is a far more difficult one. It can have effects out of your control and logic. You *really* must try this yourself.
I always say : compare 15 and 5, and see what a huge difference. However (sadly again), WASAPI does not allow for 15, and will tune into 10 (unless you make it under 10).

My real advise would be : just tune in some settings of which you think they may be good. No start listening (instead of fuzzing around each 2 minutes). Just let it stay like that, unless the sound is exceptionally bad (which will be rare, but it can happen with very low Q1 values (< 4) and Engine#3.
Learn how it sounds, and learn how it differs from what you are used to. Try to get the underlaying merits, which you will only perceive after a few albums. *Then*, after listening to those few albums with the same setting, do something drastical (changing Q1 from 4 to 17 would be drastical). If you don't hear the difference, you are not up to it. This sounds strange, but I'm serious.

Regarding the latter : you will know about all those many people (or complete forums) about not being able to hear the difference between even USB and SPDIF (to name something), while in here (this forum) changing the smallest imaginable thing is audible quite immediately. But people are used to it, and learned what to look for.
Start with focusing on the bass, and maybe compare with a random other player first. Hear it ? then you have a start.

*If* you can get hold of a Kernel Streaming enabled soundcard (or DAC), go for it. The real differences are in there, and the MOST easy to show to yourself. With WASAPI this is much more difficult (and not the best anyway).

Peter

[sinister]

Do I understand correctly, that the higher Clock Resolution then the better must be the sound quality?

[sinister]

Player works fine with the configuration of 1ms in a Clock Resolution, it is high or low resolution?

[PeterSt]

1ms is high resolution and 15ms is low resolution.

No, I certainly won't say that the higher resolution (the lower number ) is better. I also won't say the lower resolution is the better, but, for me it works out like that (ok, to my ears). It just depends on very many things, the interface to your DAC being only one of those things. The audio engine another. This settings within that again playing a role.

No real rules, but quite easy to perceive the differences.

Peter

[sinister]

Ok, still has not been accurate examination of the sound but at first glance XXHighEnd is more detailed than the foobar2000 with ASIO (1ms).

[PeterSt]

It certainly should be. But comparing between ASIO and e.g. WASAPI is difficult anyway (personally I don't like the sound of ASIO, which is why it's just not supported).

But is it correct that you indeed can't use Kernel Streaming with your soundcard ?

Btw, can you please put your found best settings (so far) and relevant gear in your signature ? (you can take mine as an example). By that means we can always see at a glance what we are talking about and provide better help. Thanks !

[sinister]

# 4 Engine does not work, as I have written an error: "The Core Audio Engine can not explicity be
chosen; Instead select a Sound Device (above) and notice that:

- A device prefixed with KS: is Engine # 4/Kernel Streaming
- A device not prefixed with that is Engine # 3/WASAPI.

Engine # 1 and # 2 are obsolete and only bit perfect playback is possible "

[PeterSt]

# 4 Engine does not work, as I have written an error: "The Core Audio Engine can not explicity be
chosen; Instead select a Sound Device (above) and notice that:

- A device prefixed with KS: is Engine # 4/Kernel Streaming
- A device not prefixed with that is Engine # 3/WASAPI.

Engine # 1 and # 2 are obsolete and only bit perfect playback is possible "


See the bold text.

And see picture below. That is where you choose the sound device. The KS: devices in that list are Engine#4.

[sinister]

Only works # 3 Engine, other modes are inactive.

[PeterSt]

What means "inactive" ?

a. can choose it but doesn't play
b. no KS: devices are in the list

?

[sinister]

In Device, only Speakers (Creative SB X-Fi) can be selected, and in the Engine list only #3 work.

[PeterSt]

I just tried to find whether it somehow can support KS, but I didn't find it. Takes too much time too.

I assume you have the newest drivers ? ( http://support.creative.com/downloads/?h=7 )
But the poblem will merely be that you need OLDER drivers (like made for XP or early Vista). But now the soundcard is too new for that.
I would try to find drivers from older X-FI cards, and try them. But that is me, and maybe you are not comfortable with such a thing.

Otherwise ... bad luck.


PS: For your orientation : Kernel Streaming may also be called WDM. So, you would be looking for "WDM drivers" ...

[sinister]

I installed the latest driver, the Device list has only Pimary Sund Drever and Speakers (Creative SB X-Fi), i can choose only the second (Speakers). When try to select any Engine except #3 appears the same error: "The Core Audio Engine can not explicity be chosen; Instead select a Sound Device (above) and notice that:

- A device prefixed with KS: is Engine # 4/Kernel Streaming
- A device not prefixed with that is Engine # 3/WASAPI.

Engine # 1 and # 2 are obsolete and only bit perfect playback is possible "

In foobar2000 KS also does not appear, possible at the hardware level, is not it assisstance.

[PeterSt]

As I said, too bad. But although of course I can't help this, I am sorry for you.

When try to select any Engine except #3 appears the same error:

Just don't try to select that. It will NEVER help. At further attempts, just select the Sound Device as indicated earlier today.

I realize we have a small language problem, but I hope this is clear now !

[sinister]

Besides this in my signature mode: Device - Speaker / Engine - #3 the rest is not working, I had already tried on every.

[PeterSt]

Yes, thank you very much. I used it to find whether the "modes" of your soundcard could do something to make it work, but I don't think it can (plus you already have selected the proper mode (Audio Creation)).

[sinister]

I do not think that #4 mode substantially exceeds the #3, the sound of the current configuration suits me. Both affect the sound - Processr Core Appintmnt Sheme in undemo player?

[PeterSt]

If you are asking about what Processor Schemes do in the activated version ? ...

It appoints priorities to the processor cores you have in there. It depends on your CPU of course, like I have 8 cores and others have 12. But with the Schemes you can select presets (preset by me in XXHighEnd) which will spread tasks for the better over the processor cores. The original intention is vastly improved SQ again.

But is is also about the sheer possibility to run at lower latency levels which for everybody imply better SQ again. Maybe hard to explain, but first the processes in the PC are optimized over the processor cores, so next the latency on the audio engine can be improved. Think like other processes are finished faster, while the audio engine already wants its share of the CPU. Thus, faster response (= lower latency) that by itself improving SQ.

The shutting down of *all* unnecessary services and processes is another feature lacking in the demo version, which again leads to the same as the above.

You could summarize it by saying that where now you may run into clicks and glitches because you pushed you system too far to the limits, by applying the above mentioned things, you have far more headroom and the limits are farther away.