Tweaker's Rash

[jkeny]

How many here have tweaker's rash - (no it's not what you're thinking, "too much fiddling around will cause a rash") - just a bit tired of all the tweaking options associated with computer audio?

I know this may be a contrary opinion on a computer audio section but don't get me wrong, I'm appreciative of all the work/testing/thinking done here & have hopefully contributed a tiny bit to this body of knowledge.

Maybe it's an age thing but I find I'm less & less keen on going through all the variations of computer audio & testing them on my system - it seems that there are just too many variables to contend with. In fact I know it's an age thing as when I was programming I used to enjoy writing & debugging software - now I don't really wan't to have to deal with BSODs or systems that suddenly don't work any more Recently, I had to deal with BSODs on a new laptop after about 3 weeks of using it - had to restore it back to near factory settings. Life's too short for wasting time on that sort of crap

In this CA section we have been exposed to lots of variables - all the various software releases of MQN/JLP - all the different settings (buffers, etc.)/process priorities/bios settings/cables/power supply/etc. It's not that I don't like a bit of tweaking but when the number of variables rises above a certain number it becomes overwhelming & wasteful, as far as I'm concerned.

Does anybody else feel this way?

I've been thinking this for a while now & like a lot here, figured that the way to possibly reduce the overwhelming number of variables was to simplify as many aspects as possible, doh!

I know we have been skirting around this issue here for a while - this may be a possible answer - a Raspberry Pi or equivalent running Squeezelite on a micro Linux OS (RAM resident). This simplifies all aspects - as its an ARM CPU, the power supply requirements are simpler with the distinct possibility of running it from battery. The simpler, RAM based, minimal Linux OS allows better control over the audio task.

The possibility also exists of avoiding another variable - USB (I believe USB on Raspberry is not a great implementation but other platforms also exist that can be used) & running I2S directly into a DAC or a more universal approach - running I2S into a SPDIF converter & then to a DAC. There may also be a possibility of incorporating the JLP as part of this scenario - it probably only requires compiling the source as part of a small Linux core - see Picoplayer https://sites.google.com/site/picoreplayer/home? Gordon might be interested in this area although he seems focussed on Windows JLP?

Edit: Oh yeah, forgot to say that this solution separates the audio rendering device from the audio storage device & can be controlled from a phone, tablet, laptop, PC. You can use a computer (NAS - network attached storage) for storage of your audio files & connect this via Ethernet to whatever is running SqueezeLite

[Aleg]

John

It doesn't have to be overwhelming at all.

IMO it is just a case of not wanting the maximum, but just wanting enough!

In my case I have only relatively few tweaks applied. Basic BIOS, about 5 from JC, windows 2012R2 in Core, Audiophil's Optimiser, 3 relevant Pro Audio registry settings, a permanent timerresolution, MQn and now the affinity and priority settings.

See, I can recall them all from memory :-).

You just should settle with what's enough and gives you pleasure, and maybe cast a casual glance at what others are finding.

In my experience, no Linux sound device has ever come close to what MQn is delivering or even to what JLP is capable of. IMHO that is just a case of green grass and two sides of a fence.

Cheers

Aleg

[jkeny]

I know you are right Aleg that it's a case of settling for what tweaks you are comfortable with doing & being happy with the sound but how many audiophiles do you know that actually follow that sensible advice? I don't think I would - I would always be looking at the other man's grass, as you say.

I've always thought that general purpose computers with general purpose & let's face it bloated OSes, were not a good platform for a specialist task like audio reproduction. I know many here feel the same (or at least I think so). Much too many variables over which the end-user has little control.

This is just my attempt at beginning to investigate some of the recent computing offerings that are beginning to address some of the areas we have struggled with. I take your word that you have not heard a Linux based device that comes close to MQN & to a lesser extent JLP but I guess that's the investigation I'm interested in & what I might learn for myself. What has recently sparked my interest are posts on some forums that a Raspberry Pi running I2S into a DAC sounds very much better than via USB & enough other reports to get me interested that the SQ may well be worth investigating.

Looking at this logically, if the tweaking that is being done on MQN/JLP is to simplify & therefore cut down on noise intrusion/PS fluctuations/improve timing then something that is simpler to start with seems to make sense. Our experiments with hardware power supplies even brought us to a point where Pearse felt that there was slight sonic differences between different software players. BTW, Pearse, how did this turn out?

Anyway, it's a cheap experiment in both money & time - it's also a step towards the direction I am ultimately headed - a dedicated, embedded audio processor.

[Sligolad]

John, I do know what you are feeling and have been to that point and back again.
I have stopped looking at all the registry mods and even the hardware mods are becoming a bit tedious now with many pieces of kit surplus to requirements, problem is it is a fast changing landscape so it is good to take a break every now and then.

Regarding the little box with Linux I for one believe this will happen soon and be better than anything we have heard yet.
My optimism stems from discussions with Frederick at Fran's meet who has a similar idea and I hope he follows up on it.
The icing on the cake was when he loaded a track I had on a stick on to his old IBM laptop with a Developers Linux install, he connected up my Meitner MA1 which he never seen before to a USB port on the laptop and after a few minutes of typing text he was sending absolutely amazing audio to Fran's Dubh's.

In unison both myself and Nigel's jaws hit the floor as we were shocked how good the track sounded after we had been playing the same track from MQN off our Audio PC's with all of 2 years of development.

So +1 from me for a small box with Linux.

[jkeny]

Right, Pearse, you posted while I was composing mine.

Yes, a pity I missed Fran's forum birthday GTG - I would have loved to have heard Frederick's system & I know it was something Fran was also interested in hearing. I must drop Frederick a PM - what's Frederick's username?

Pearse, I don't know if you have seen a Raspberry Pi or some of the small ARM based units that are now for sale? They are smaller than my DAC box & could be run from a similar battery or two. The Pi costs about €30

[Sligolad]

I think Frederick uses frd1996 as username here John.

Have been following some of the raspberry Pi stuff but do not think I will jump in to Linux as there seems to be a steep learning curve.
Think Frederick will be designing and building his own board if he does go ahead with his ideas given the quality of the work I seen on his Dac's and PS builds, really nice boards and best soldering I have seen.
Cheers, Pearse.

[nige2000]

I doubt mqn and r2 on a unmodded IBM think pad would sound as good as what Frederick has done with gentoo
I feel that a minimalist pc Mobile
No switching dc converters
With just usb ports
With a specialist OS just for playback
I think it will be opensource linux

Basically we need someone Linux guru to Create and write a player that will need to go through the same testing as jlp and mqn

Wonder what Fredericks linux would sound like on a modded pc

[jkeny]

Thanks, Ill drop him a PM
I know Linux seems like it's complicated but something like this Picoplayer is just a download to an SD & it's ready to go, apparently - no set-up or command line stuff needed https://sites.google.com/site/picorepla ... e/how-to-1

As we are now familiar with Squeezelite there really is no learning curve

[jkeny]

Basically we need someone Linux guru to Create and write a player that will need to go through the same testing as jlp and mqn

First of all we could hear what standard SQLite sounds like on more optimised, simpler hardware. As I said if these software optimisations are reducing noise etc. that is endemic to complex hardware running a complex OS, then softwar etweaks may not be so important with better underlying hardware

Wonder what Fredericks linux would sound like on a modded pc

Why not on a better than modded PC?

[nige2000]

Thanks, Ill drop him a PM
I know Linux seems like it's complicated but something like this Picoplayer is just a download to an SD & it's ready to go, apparently - no set-up or command line stuff needed https://sites.google.com/site/picorepla ... e/how-to-1

As we are now familiar with Squeezelite there really is no learning curve

We should have booted r2 up on the IBM to test mqn vs Fredericks linux

It would have been the only easy way to test like with like

I don't think there's anything digital to rival mqn on a heavily modded pc atm