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Who's used the Audiophile Optimizer for Windows 2012 Server or Windows 8?

Mike Gillespie

By Mike Gillespie
in Music Servers

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dtb300

dtb300

Posted
Posted
Im pretty much with you on this...

I ran an optimized Win 8 setup, imaged the drive, installed R2 (minor optimization) and ran JRiver (with my backed up settings from Win8). I couldnt make out any discernible difference.

So I loaded back my Win8 image...15 minutes from sampling R2, I was listening to it with fresh ears...no difference that I could explain. Both sounded equally good.

Ive also experimented with the Win 8 Optimization script on both OS's (found elsewhere in this forum) and I cant describe any differences.

But with the script being free, I have a little peace of mind that the sound quality should be better! :)

This has to be the ONLY post I have seen where 2012R2 is not seen as an improvement over Win7 & Win8.

DTB Rig:  https://cgi.audioasylum.com/systems/9648.html

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dtb300

dtb300

Posted
Posted

Excellent post Phil....

 

This is why I am considering moving from Win8.1 to 2012R2. No new trails to blaze and a bunch of folks already running 2012 to assist. Win8 to 8.1 was a good upgrade (far less resources used), and with 2012 having a trial version available, it is just my time (effort involved) to get it setup to evaluate.

 

And the cost of AO is well worth it based on feedback here and at other forums - nothing but glowing reviews. The cost is right around what JPlay cost and that was also a great add-on.

DTB Rig:  https://cgi.audioasylum.com/systems/9648.html

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dtb300

dtb300

Posted
Posted
Excellent post Phil....

 

This is why I am considering moving from Win8.1 to 2012R2. No new trails to blaze and a bunch of folks already running 2012 to assist. Win8 to 8.1 was a good upgrade (far less resources used), and with 2012 having a trial version available, it is just my time (effort involved) to get it setup to evaluate.

 

Was at CAD Scripts (Modified) Win8.1+Fidelizer+JPlay. Then went to stock 2012R2 + JPlay and sound was almost the same. Ran AO and now details, separation of instruments, vocals are all improved. And I can now run lower settings in JPlay (Reg and Settings) without the sound turning bright/edgy.

 

And the cost of AO is well worth it based on feedback here and at other forums - nothing but glowing reviews. The cost is right around what JPlay cost and that was also a great add-on.

Well I am now part of the 2012R2+AO Happy Family Member !! i5 Haswell, 8gb, 128 SSD. Working with Win8 really helped with using 2012. If I was coming from WIn7 to 2012 the learning curve would have been a little steeper.

 

I had an Win8.1 (Modified CAD scripts) and Fidelizer (3 & 4), but with just a little listening using settings 4D and RD enabled, and it is an improvement over my previous setup. Have not switched over to CORE yet as I wanted to get all my settings done first, make sure everything is stable, then go to CORE.

 

Worst part of 2012R2 was my NIC Driver - Intel i218-V. No support for 2012R2 in Prowin8 Driver (V18.8.1 release - But read-me says it supports 2012R2). So a little INF hacking (device is 1559) and voila, drivers installed and working just fine.

 

Right now running 4D for sound as a start. I have not had time to test the other settings yet.

 

Thanks Phil for a very nice product.

DTB Rig:  https://cgi.audioasylum.com/systems/9648.html

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dtb300

dtb300

Posted
Posted

Forgot to put this in my last post. Listened to my 2012R2 + JPlay 5.2 and sound was equal to My CAD modified scripts on Win8.1 + JPlay 5.2 + Fidelizer 3. When I added AO to 2012R2 is where the real improvement was. Better detail, better delineation between instruments, and I can now run JPlay with lower settings without it being bright/edgy. Running 4D now until I switch over to CORE mode to see what that is like.

DTB Rig:  https://cgi.audioasylum.com/systems/9648.html

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  • 2 weeks later...
dtb300

dtb300

Posted
Posted

The first one installed without problems, the second one didn't (I tried straight, Win 8 compatibility mode and also Win 7 compatibility mode).

 

However, even the LAN driver failed to install, my Ethernet card seems to work (I checked starting Internet Explorer and opening google.com page) so I left it like that.

 

Later Phil sent me the new Win 2012 driver for the LAN, which he thought might work, but it also gave me the 'Cannot install drivers. No Intel ® adapters are present in this computer.' error message.

 

From a post in WS2012 Thread:

 

Look at this post for help:

 

Anyone find a 2012 Windows Server LAN Driver for the Intel Core i7 3770T processor on the INtel DH77EB Board?

 

You can find the "string" or "number" for the NIC by looking at the properties of it while in Device Manager. For my intel it was a 4 character string "1559". When you click on the self-extracting RAR, it should create a temp folder in users/appdata/local and look for sfxr0 folder (or something like that). Or you can sort the TEMP folder by Date and that folder should be near the top. All the unpacked files will be there. Copy this folder to another location so when you quit the install just to unpack, the files will not be removed.

 

Then find that # or string in the INF files, copy info to the proper section in the INF, run the scripts to stop checking for bad drivers, reboot. You can installed through UPDATE DRIVER and then choose the INF file. Or you can just right click on the modified INF to INSTALL.

 

Do not forget to enable driver checking and reboot.

DTB Rig:  https://cgi.audioasylum.com/systems/9648.html

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  • 5 months later...
dtb300

dtb300

Posted
Posted

Phil....

 

With the new version coming, have you ever thought of having a screen/menu which would appear after selecting "A"dvanced Mode where you can select all your options then proceed (check box or radio buttons) Then AO would perform all your choices that are usually made manually but with the menu selections as your choices? Just a thought. Love the program and the results.... Not a .cfg file fan, but that too could be an option for "A"dvanced settings.

DTB Rig:  https://cgi.audioasylum.com/systems/9648.html

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  • 1 month later...
dtb300

dtb300

Posted
Posted

CloneZilla just works for me and being an IT guy, I have no issues working with it. The question was not to be a dig, just curiosity more than anything.

 

I looked at the Paragon stuff and really did not see anything for my needs/tastes that warranted shelling out some $$$ compared to what I do with CloneZilla.

 

In fact after reading all over the Paragon site, it motivated me to take a clone of my server once again with CloneZilla.

DTB Rig:  https://cgi.audioasylum.com/systems/9648.html

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dtb300

dtb300

Posted
Posted
Dumb question why do we want to clone. Just do a reinstall what am I amissing. ?

 

Say I have a SSD failure. After removing old SSD, and installing new SSD, with a drive clone (exact copy), I can be back up and running in about 20 min - and that is with restore verification. The drive is just like it was at the time of making the clone.

 

Now I also backup all my JRiver folders and library backup with a nice little batch file, then it gets backed up to another drive separate from my music system. So restore the clone, restore JRiver settings, and voila, no more settings to change, no more items missed, etc. Copying these files and folders may take another 5 min after the clone restore.

 

Just experience a complete failure one day of a drive and having no backup of your library (the backup is on the boot drive by default but you can save it anywhere) and you have to spend the time to reinstall the Server software, reinstall JRiver, get your key (unless written down), re-import all your files, fix any art that is not with the music, correct any tags you may have done manually. You could be talking a long long long time.

 

This type of tragedy will get you hooked on clones and backups of settings and folders.

DTB Rig:  https://cgi.audioasylum.com/systems/9648.html

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dtb300

dtb300

Posted
Posted

Jitter....a lot of discussions on Audio forums and not just computer audio. Like PPA and their products to improve audio playback in computers, this company did it for stand alone players and they had an interesting take on Jitter that may be worth reading.

 

What is Terra Firma?

 

I will not post anything more than this as not to get off topic from this Thread about Phil's excellent AO product.

DTB Rig:  https://cgi.audioasylum.com/systems/9648.html

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  • 3 weeks later...
dtb300

dtb300

Posted
Posted
I hooked up the system that is runs on and I believe the files I had to copy in the the HQplayer folder were msvcp100.dll and msvcr100.dll. They are C runtime library files. The file system in HQplayer needs explorer so you will have to make playlist in GUI or copy and paste files in core mode.

 

did you have to modify registry to auto start HQ Player in Core since not an option in Service Tool for default program to start?

 

in Core you can still see the HQ Library window and move files from it to Transport window? So the only issue are playlists that need to be made or updated correct?

 

i tried HQ a bit ago but floundered not knowing what to do or set. But after finally seeing Geoffrey's QuickStart guide I am getting some questions together about HQ Player then "hopefully" Miska will grant me another trial license.

DTB Rig:  https://cgi.audioasylum.com/systems/9648.html

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dtb300

dtb300

Posted
Posted
I just start it manually from the desktop dir. You can use something like total commander for easier navigation. You can have playlists already set while in GUI mode and access them or drag folders or files into the player window using total commander.

 

HQ Player sounds amazing in GUI mode already, more realistic more live than a slimmed down Win 8. I was unable to get any sound out of my Exasound DAC so far in Minimal Server mode. I think it might be a problem with the USB driver not being woken up. The SQ difference was a real surprise, over the last 2 days I convinced my self that the SQ difference would be small, boy was I wrong !

 

So far I have been able to get HQ Player up and ready to run and I am now in GUI mode with no AO optimizations run. I was missing a DLL but found that and compied to HQ Player directory.

 

Right now when I go to play either PCM or DSD I get no sound and the counters do not even move, they all stay at 0:00. I have Min and Max sound set to 0, so my Pre and/or DAC take care of the volume.

 

I have a Wadia Di122 DAC with their 1.0.57 driver in place. I can go into Control Panel, Sounds, and have the Wadia as Default. I can go into properties for the Wadia and choose anywhere from 44 to 192 and run TEST and hear sounds from my speakers.

 

Not sure what I may be missing here to get the player to play a song. I only have 2 albums in my library at this time, a PCM and a DSD album for testing.

 

I am thinking it is the Wadia driver, but wanted to make sure I was not missing something else.

DTB Rig:  https://cgi.audioasylum.com/systems/9648.html

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dtb300

dtb300

Posted
Posted

When I changed from the Wadia ASIO driver to the Wadia WASAPI driver, I got sound, both from PCM and DSD. Sent off an email to Wadia trying to find out why the USB ASIO Driver would have an issue. BTW, same issue with JRiver where I have to use the Kernel Stream ASIO driver. The USB ASIO driver does not work, so something with that driver.

DTB Rig:  https://cgi.audioasylum.com/systems/9648.html

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