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

[Mike Gillespie]

I hope this isn't too off topic. I am on the verge of building a single PC setup with Win server 2012 plus the optimizer. I am moving from my logitech media server/squeezebox system (transporter/touch) which has served me well for many years.

 

Has anyone made this switch and can you comment on the change in sound? Obviously the DAC needs to be the same to really compare apples to apples.

 

dminches, this is really off topic... Would be so much better if you could make this a different thread.

 

Thanks.

 

Mike

[mtan002]

Dminches

 

I think you will hear the difference quite easily. I also moved from squeezebox to a dedicated music server. That was some 5+ years ago. I am now in the process of moving the music server from Windows 8.1 to 2012, initially as a dual boot system. Once settled, I will decide which to keep.

 

Good luck.

[AudioPhil]

Hi

 

I am sure that even without my Optimizer you will very soon know what the right direction is. switch to core and put the Optimizer on top of it, then you will hear what's really possible today with computer audio.

 

Best,

Phil

[AudioPhil]

Hello Folks

 

A standard IBM Laptop equipped with Server 2012, JPLAY 5.2 and AudiophileOptimizer 1.21 is playing on the same level as like a Linn G-ADS DAC or a LaRosita Beta Connect. Read about the shoot out here (german): aktives-hoeren.de • Thema anzeigen - Daniel (AGM 4.4, Genelec 8020)

 

What do you think how a fully tuned Highend-AudioPC will sound like compared to those devices?

 

All the best,

Phil

[tboooe]

Hello Folks

 

A standard IBM Laptop equipped with Server 2012, JPLAY 5.2 and AudiophileOptimizer 1.21 is playing on the same level as like a Linn G-ADS DAC or a LaRosita Beta Connect. Read about the shoot out here (german): aktives-hoeren.de • Thema anzeigen - Daniel (AGM 4.4, Genelec 8020)

 

What do you think how a fully tuned Highend-AudioPC will sound like compared to those devices?

 

All the best,

Phil

 

This is great info as I was contemplating either building a new music server and using my existing Win7 license or purchase Server + Optimizer. It sure seems like I may get more incremental improvement by using Server + Optimizer on my current Atom based PC than building a new pc and adding Server later (limitation of funds wont let me do both at the same time).

[professor_henry]

I just set up a new Windows Server 2012 R2 Core Installation with AudiophileOptimizer 1.21 and JPLAY 5.2 Beta 14 and it is buy far the best SQ I ever had. The System is configured with lowest USB driver latency and JPLAY set to KS/directlink/native bitstream. The results with 24/88.2 and 24/96 flac files are just amazing.

[tboooe]

I just set up a new Windows Server 2012 R2 Core Installation with AudiophileOptimizer 1.21 and JPLAY 5.2 Beta 14 and it is buy far the best SQ I ever had. The System is configured with lowest USB driver latency and JPLAY set to KS/directlink/native bitstream. The results with 24/88.2 and 24/96 flac files are just amazing.

Professor_henry, what is the configuration of the PC you are using?

[BobSherman]

This is great info as I was contemplating either building a new music server and using my existing Win7 license or purchase Server + Optimizer. It sure seems like I may get more incremental improvement by using Server + Optimizer on my current Atom based PC than building a new pc and adding Server later (limitation of funds wont let me do both at the same time).

 

You can use your Atom with good results. Even with Server 2012 Core + The Optimizer + JRiver + JPlay and up sampling I can keep my CPU utilization under 50% on a single Atom Caps Server. I would not hesitate using 2012 with Phil's Optimizer. It is amazing!

[professor_henry]

Professor_henry, what is the configuration of the PC you are using?

I have a Dell Precision M 4700 Mobile Workstation, i7 2.7 Ghz, 2x SSD, 32 GB RAM. I use a single PC setup with JPLAYmini.

[Granthar]

Came across this thread by accident, had never heard of the software. Am currently running whs 2011 and was looking to change to server 2012. Is this only a player or can it steam to upnp players, have to be honest the website wasn't that clear. Have a Naim Unitiqute 2.

[AudioPhil]

Hello Granthar

 

My hompage as still a lot of potential to improve. The AudiophileOpimizer is not a Player, it is a Software that makes roughly 300 modification to Server 2012 which will make it Sound very amazing. Basically you can use what ever Player you like. Most of my users do Jriver, Jplaymini or Foobar. But i have also some who use it with other Players, basically there are no restrictions. Not every Player does work in core mode, but the AudiophileOptimizer takes care o that as well. It will make JRiver and Foobar2000 work in core mode as well.

 

The PDF Guide show's how to properly set up your System and how to use the AudiophileOptimizer. If done correctly, you will achieve truly staggering results. PDF Guide: http://highend-audiopc.com/PDF/audiophile_optimizer_setup_guide.pdf

 

Please let m know if you have any other questions.

 

Best,

Phil

[hols]

Hi Phil,

 

Can I ask if I am going to set up a new PC set with window server 2012 standard with your audiophileOptimizer would it make any difference in sound if I use a notebook or a minimum ATOM motherboard like the DN2800MT or a powerful motherboard with say i7 CPU? Similarly any effect with 16G of RAM or just 4G ? I am thinking about the fan noises and interferences from powerful motherboards. Thanks

[tboooe]

Phil, I ran your Optimizer but now my USB wifi adapter is no longer working. Any ideas?

[ted_b]

Hi Phil,

 

Can I ask if I am going to set up a new PC set with window server 2012 standard with your audiophileOptimizer would it make any difference in sound if I use a notebook or a minimum ATOM motherboard like the DN2800MT or a powerful motherboard with say i7 CPU? Similarly any effect with 16G of RAM or just 4G ? I am thinking about the fan noises and interferences from powerful motherboards. Thanks

 

An i7 (or equivalent power, like a good Xeon) is a great music server, as long as the details are taken care of (like thermal management via heatpipes, not fans... and good clean power, a subject worthy itself of several good threads here). An i5 or i7 sized cpu can do things like very high sample rate upsampling or format conversions and other types of DSP that the DN2800MT just can't do...especially if you use something like jPlay. Both my DN2800MT (controlpc) and my i7 (Audiopc) have been using Optimizer since day one (alpha tester). I will soon retire my 2800 Atom (Caps V2+, aka Lagoon) due to underpowered cpu and instead build an S1200KPR/Xeon machine as my new audiopc.

[tboooe]

Phil, I ran your Optimizer but now my USB wifi adapter is no longer working. Any ideas?

Not sure what happened when I switched to core mode but wireless services were uninstalled. After re-installing I can now connect the Jriver media center via Jremote but now my mapped drive from my NAS is no longer connected. When I try to map using the net use command I can't connect. The NAS is definitely available as I checked from another PC. Any ideas?

[AudioPhil]

Hi Tommy

 

please use the official support thread on jplay or my email support. But please do not cross post your questions in all theads regarding the topic. Thank you.

 

Phil

[k6davis]

Has anyone made this switch and can you comment on the change in sound? Obviously the DAC needs to be the same to really compare apples to apples.

 

To dminches and anyone else who may be wondering if this upgrade is worthwhile, here's what I tried. It didn't cost me a penny and allowed me to see for myself, with my own ears my own system, if this is real and if it's worth the considerable investment. If you want to know the answer without having to read this whole long post, the answer is an unqualified yes!

 

I downloaded the 180 day free trial of Win Server 2012 from the link on AudioPhil's page (Highend-AudioPC | Order) and used this free software tool to create a bootable USB flash drive (Microsoft Store) to install it to an old computer that I just had laying around. It is not in any way optimized for audio. I installed Win Server 2012 with its full GUI.

 

Once the OS was installed, I copied the following to the USB flash drive: the JRiver install file (free trial), drivers for my DAC and a good number of my favorite audio tracks.

 

Getting everything set up to this point was simple, intuitive and quick (for an OS install). By design, Win Server 2012 has a very different purpose than Win 7/8. Its interface presented several "server administration" functions that I didn't understand, but I ignored all of that and just ran JRiver as I normally do. In the basic capacity that I utilized for this test, the look, feel and operation of JRiver was no different than it is on Win 7/8.

 

My purpose was to see if, as I'd read, "the worst" (non-optimized) configuration of Win Server 2012 is superior to "the best" (optimized) Win 7/8 configuration. I wanted to establish a baseline for what this change could mean.

 

So... I've been running run Win 7 with a fair amount of software optimization. I have tried Fidelizer and JPlay, both of which made an improvement. But I was not prepared for what I heard from Win Server 2012. The change wasn't at all subtle. And again, this was as "bad" as I could make Win 2012. The PC I installed it to is poorly suited for audio. It has no audiophile USB card. I did nothing to improve its power conditioning. I wasn't running Win 2012 in core mode. I obviously wasn't using a Dual PC configuration. And last but not least, I wasn't using the Audiophile Optimizer we're discussing in this thread.

 

Still, the improvements in sound that I heard with *just* Win Server 2012... just amazed me. I'm not really going to try to quantify it the sound with words, because we've all heard the words many times and for me at least, the superlatives start to blur into one another. What I will say, is that I heard a quality of sound that was beyond what I thought digital is capable of. It's less accurate to say that the sound was "improved" than to say that the sound seemed "transformed" - into something fully better. That's big talk, I know, but it's free to find out for yourself.

 

Needless to say, I'm making the move to Win Server 2012, and I'll also be making some of the enhancements I described above. For example, I've got a Paul Pang USB 3.0 card on the way.

 

In terms of cost and value, the Audiophile Optimizer is relatively inexpensive and it's far cheaper than Win Server 2012 itself. For me, justifying the cost of the new OS was the large hurdle - a hurdle I've now cleared. Spending approximately $100 beyond that for the Audiophile Optimizer to get significantly better sound than what I'm hearing now is a no-brainer for me.

 

The only thing I'm having trouble with is figuring out how much better the sound can get! But I'm definitely going to find out!

[ted_b]

Keith, Great post!! Welcome to the "WS2012 Wow, It's Way Better" Club.

 

Take your time to get used to each sonic step, so you can update the group as well as you did in this post.

[TJHUB]

I'm running my single PC in Core mode, AudiophileOptimizer, J.River 19, and no JPLAY. I find Sever Standard GUI unoptimized absolutely unlistenable. That's what you have to look forward to. You haven't heard anything yet.

 

There are some power tweaks that will greatly help as well.

[dminches]

I very excited about all this. Right now I am running win server 2012 unoptimized. Once I get my Lampizator I will move everything into my main listening room and start the tweaking process, starting with Phil's optimizer.

[k6davis]

I very excited about all this. Right now I am running win server 2012 unoptimized. Once I get my Lampizator I will move everything into my main listening room and start the tweaking process, starting with Phil's optimizer.

 

I'm right where you are dminches! I've got an order in for a LamipzatOr DAC too and am very excited about the whole thing! I'm going to run Phil's optimizer as soon as I get my computer(s) set up, since I can run it again once the LampizatOr arrives.

 

It seems as though there have been several relatively recent synergistic breakthroughs in what's possible and I'm trying to combine them to get the best result I can.

 

Many thanks to everyone here who shares their knowledge & experience.

 

It's going to be a very, very Merry Christmas for me.

[k6davis]

Keith, Great post!! Welcome to the "WS2012 Wow, It's Way Better" Club.

 

Take your time to get used to each sonic step, so you can update the group as well as you did in this post.

 

Thanks ted_b. Believe me, it's my pleasure to be a member of that club! And the updates will be forthcoming!

 

I'm running my single PC in Core mode, AudiophileOptimizer, J.River 19, and no JPLAY. I find Sever Standard GUI unoptimized absolutely unlistenable. That's what you have to look forward to. You haven't heard anything yet.

 

There are some power tweaks that will greatly help as well.

 

That sounds unreal, but as I wrote, I'm starting to see the truth of what you're all saying. So all I can say is, I can't wait to get it all together and hear for myself!

 

An i5 or i7 sized cpu can do things like very high sample rate upsampling or format conversions and other types of DSP that the DN2800MT just can't do...especially if you use something like jPlay. Both my DN2800MT (controlpc) and my i7 (Audiopc) have been using Optimizer since day one (alpha tester). I will soon retire my 2800 Atom (Caps V2+, aka Lagoon) due to underpowered cpu and instead build an S1200KPR/Xeon machine as my new audiopc.

 

Whew ted_b... there's a lot to unpack there. But you're addressing my next question, which is: In a dual PC setup, which machine benefits more from increased memory & a more powerful CPU?

 

My control PC would be handling JRiver, DSP, any sample rate conversions, etc, so I'd want it to be powerful. My understanding was that the audio PC in a dual PC setup will be loafing by design, so I would have thought that something like a Core i3 (instead of an i5 or i7) would be more than adequate. On the other hand, jPlay plays music from memory. I would guess that the music is stored in the memory of the audio PC, so I'd want to maximize its RAM.

 

So in short, my theory is: Control PC - more CPU. Audio PC - more memory.

 

I'm doing a lot of guessing & supposing. Can anyone shed some light on that?

 

Also, does WS2012 Core/Audiophile Optimizer impose any networking limitations on the single/control PC? In other words, is it possible/desirable to have my music drives connected via network to WS2012 Core? I'd want to use a laptop to manage (add/move/rename, etc) the files in the music library from a Win 7/8 machine on the network - as opposed to using WS2012 Core's command line interface.

[AudioPhil]

Hi

 

 

I would estimate you currently hear about 30% of th full potential, beeing in unoptimized GUI mode. But still that is better than an optimzed Windows 7/8. And that finally was the reason for me to stop any developments on client OS's. just because Server 2012 is so damn good already out of the box.

 

But indeed, compared to optimized core mode... it's almost not bearable...

[tboooe]

I finally got everything working (seems there is some features and services that are turned off she switching to Core mode). All I can say is Phil is now my hero! I already thought everything sounded better in Core mode compared to Windows 7. I hear a bigger sound as if I was listening to music at the venue versus sitting in my small listening room. After installing Optimizer I am floored at the organic nature of vocals. I listen to mainly female acoustic and jazz vocals. Voices have a weight and texture that I have only heard on really good tube systems. Everything sounds more 3 dimensional. Incredible. Needless to say I am very pleased!

 

Being a true audiophile and want to look for more ways to improve the sound. Perhaps I will start trying out the different filters and sound profiles. Have others tried changing these. I would be very curious to hear what the general characteristic of each.

 

Ok back to listening to Halie Loren.

[AudioPhil]

Hi

 

I'm glad you like wat you hear

 

Digital-Filter A is the cleanest sounding, the purest if you want so. it gives a solid state amp like sound. Mode D for example is not as technically correct as A, but it's sound has more Body, more life, more warmth. Mode D is more lik a tube amp.

 

Effects of sound signatures are not predictable, just try and listen, then choose what you like the most

 

FYI: Both Digital-Filters and Sound Signatures are 100% bit perfect!

 

Best,

Phil