Pure Music 2

[lgoler]

Thank you for passing this on.

 

I never use the dithered volume control but thought I would try it in the new upgrade. Now that I have I'm experiencing something quite weird. PM decreases the volume on a continuous -1db on every playback. Nothing I do seems to stop it including a restart of both the program and my MacMini. Rob's mailbox is full so curious if anyone else has experienced this?

[Axiom05]

Version 2.0.2 is available for download.

 

"The 2.0.2 Update eliminates an issue causing tracks (particularly FLAC) to be skipped when Gapless playback is enabled, as well as including additional bug fixes and performance enhancements, and is recommended for all users."

[Panelhead]

Thanks for the heads up. I need to read the release notes.

[Tomasz]

"Improvements to gapless..." - it traditionally does not apply to dsd files.

Unfortunately: "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here."

How to listen to Genesis or Pink Floyd rips without that feature?

Not to mention classical music.

[Panelhead]

Installed PM 2.02. It does not sound as good as 2.01 in my system.

Need to look over the settings. Some may have changed after yhe update.

The Less is More sounds like too much silence, too black between the notes. The normal iTunes integrated mode more hifi than 2.01.

The Channld we page shows the download as 2.01. But once downloaded it is 2.02.

[Ale]

Hello dear forum writers of Computer Audiophile

I apologize for any errors of translation from Italian.

I, just this morning, installed the new demo version of Pure Music.

And well,

opening the preferences tab you can see many possibilities of sectarian here if you do not know if he already has spoken or not, in case you have tips to suggest?

I noticed on the Audio Setup, a voice that indicates - Enable Exclusive Access ("Hog" mode) - and alongside - Native Integer Format Support.

And 'advisable to check both?

Thanks in advance.

[Bob Stern]

Benvenuto, Ale!

 

Yes, it is desirable to check both to maximize audio quality.

 

Exclusive Access ("Hog" mode) always is possible and beneficial.

 

Integer Mode is beneficial but has some limitations:

1. It precludes any modification of the audio data such as software volume control, sample rate conversion, or Audio Unit plugins.

2. It does not work in OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion).

3. There is a small minority of DAC's that do not support Integer Mode.

[Ale]

Bob Thanks for the greetings,

I use it on a mac mini 2013, with the Mavericks.

As I have a Wadia 121 DAC, I have used both modes "hog" and "Integer Mode" and I have not noticed any problem listening.

with the sound of this pure music is wonderful (albeit expensive), you know if there is a detailed description of the network settings?

Or print to video cards with the various settings correct?

What is the gapless?

Thank you the answer.

[Tomasz]

Hallo Ale.

"What is the gapless?"

You can find lots of important informations about Pure Music and computer audio in the Pure Music's User's Guide, which is included with the software download, on the disk image.

If you didn't save it before you can download it again from

CHANNEL D - Download

website.

Greetings!

[Ale]

well,

I just downloaded the demo version, in short it will buy.

Thank you.

[REShaman]

PM 2.02 downloaded and installed without incident. Loaded Bill Evans' The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings 1961, HDCD 20 Bit, XLD conversion to AIFF. Loaded instantly, and played each track gaplessly. SQ is very good.

 

Thank you, Rob. The update is excellent as far as I can tell. And given a software program's penchant for peccadillos with a program in evolution, enjoying the music with a modicum of or no impediments is a blessing.

 

With appreciation,

Richard

[Just4fun]

Happy to report that PM 2.0.2 has solved my two main issues : Gapless playback of FLAC’s and playback of DSD tracks. What a relief !

To be honest I haven’t yet taken the time to check out the remaining quirks. I’ve been so tied up in listening to my music. Once started on an album, I find it very hard to interrupt the music because the sound is just so emotionally involving and “genuine” from this player.

 

So, Richard I’m really “enjoying the music” and that’s what it’s all about.

 

PS. I’m still on Mountain Lion, so my experience with non DSD tracks is without the benefit of integer mode. My Mac is an early 2009 Mac mini with 4GB RAM. Anybody wants to recommend for or against Mavericks and PM with only 4 GB ?? (I’ve been eagerly awaiting a new Mac mini from Apple in 2014 – but no luck so far).

[Ale]

@ Just4fun,

 

Congratulations and best wishes for your search.

I have a Mac Mini 2013 with 16 GB of RAM,

just wonderful with iTunes and Pure Music 2.

I still have the demo version of PM, but in short it will buy.

I'm still looking for a Manual in Italian it can be configured in the best way possible (HOG MODE AND INTEGER MODE) to my Wadia 121 DAC with USB port ASYNCHRONOUS.

Greetings.

[atletico]

Happy to report that PM 2.0.2 has solved my two main issues : Gapless playback of FLAC’s and playback of DSD tracks. What a relief !

To be honest I haven’t yet taken the time to check out the remaining quirks. I’ve been so tied up in listening to my music. Once started on an album, I find it very hard to interrupt the music because the sound is just so emotionally involving and “genuine” from this player.

 

So, Richard I’m really “enjoying the music” and that’s what it’s all about.

 

PS. I’m still on Mountain Lion, so my experience with non DSD tracks is without the benefit of integer mode. My Mac is an early 2009 Mac mini with 4GB RAM. Anybody wants to recommend for or against Mavericks and PM with only 4 GB ?? (I’ve been eagerly awaiting a new Mac mini from Apple in 2014 – but no luck so far).

Hi Lars,

My Mac Mini is a 2011mod. and with only 4GB RAM. I'm using Mavericks with PM 2.02, with gapless, memory play and integer mode with great result! My Mac Mini is only set up and used for playing music,connected to a Ayre usb dac. The new PM 2 sound just better than the rest...

atletico

[Panelhead]

This is my experience also. After going through the preferences, PM 2 is the best sounding in my system. Only comparing to the latest A+.

It really is working well integrated with iTunes. The Less is More is also operating smoothly.

[Tone Deaf]

Happy to report that PM 2.0.2 has solved my two main issues : Gapless playback of FLAC’s and playback of DSD tracks. What a relief !

To be honest I haven’t yet taken the time to check out the remaining quirks. I’ve been so tied up in listening to my music. Once started on an album, I find it very hard to interrupt the music because the sound is just so emotionally involving and “genuine” from this player.

 

So, Richard I’m really “enjoying the music” and that’s what it’s all about.

 

PS. I’m still on Mountain Lion, so my experience with non DSD tracks is without the benefit of integer mode. My Mac is an early 2009 Mac mini with 4GB RAM. Anybody wants to recommend for or against Mavericks and PM with only 4 GB ?? (I’ve been eagerly awaiting a new Mac mini from Apple in 2014 – but no luck so far).

 

Lars,

 

Unless someone else here says otherwise, gapless playback still doesn't work perfectly with FLAC and Integer mode.

 

I think 1.86 was that last version where gapless playback had worked well for me, but I kept reading on this forum that it was working well for others. So with 2.0 figured I would give getting gapless playback to work another try. Spent a few hours playing with 2.0 with mixed results.

 

For me, gapless playback works well with FLAC files. but only if not using Integer mode. In Integer mode, Pure Music plays some tracks gapless, some not. It doesn't "flip" to the "on deck" track and then back as it is supposed to.

 

While I was trying to set this up, I noticed gapless would work with Integer mode using my ALAC (Ipod) iTunes library, so I converted some of my high res files to ALAC and AIFF. With "link to next track", gapless worked perfectly with them. Rob (Pure Music) wasn't aware of a FLAC / Integer mode / gapless issue, but said they would take a look at it.

 

So good news and bad news for me. I didn't really want to convert to ALAC or AIFF. But with all the switching back between FLAC and ALAC, I also noticed that the ALAC files sounded better to me - noticeable on pretty much all the music I compared. The bad news: I spent the last day and a half converting my FLAC library to ALAC. The good news: gapless works well, and I have a better sounding system as a bonus.

 

Jury is still out whether AIFF sounds better than ALAC for me….

[Panelhead]

[quote name=Tone Deaf;331

 

The good news: gapless works well' date=' and I have a better sounding system as a bonus.

 

Jury is still out whether AIFF sounds better than ALAC for me….[/quote]

 

The issues with Direct Integer are invisible to me, the dac is an upsampling model.

The ALAC files sounding better is a surprise. May be a PM artifact. Many claim the opposite.

[Ale]

I have converted the entire library from FLAC to AIFF time ago,

not knowing anything about this gapless PM2 I heard on albums that already have breaks between songs. Today, listen to Pink Floyd album to see if it fits me with integer mode also breaks where there should be.

 

PS. 2 PM today will buy the license ... until now I've listened to the demo version.

[57gold]

Anyone else hear a richness, image density...not sure show to describe sounds in words, but PM has more color than A+ current version on my system (Mini SSD 8GB RAM > Mytek > McCormack DNA 500 > Aerial 10Ts). And do not miss any detail, which old A+ did without losing the middle in past and PM used to miss a bit.

 

All relative, both great programs.

[Panelhead]

Anyone else hear a richness, image density...not sure show to describe sounds in words, but PM has more color than A+ current version on my system (Mini SSD 8GB RAM > Mytek > McCormack DNA 500 > Aerial 10Ts). And do not miss any detail, which old A+ did without losing the middle in past and PM used to miss a bit.

 

All relative, both great programs.

 

The richness is a good description. I do not know if you use Less is More, it removes a filter. Or it sounds like it does.

I had heard others say that playback without iTunes integration sounds better. The ease and quickness of toggling LIM on and off shows me that even minimal iTunes integration degrades the sound. Significantly.

This reminds how much better I liked one of the euphoric versions of A+ over PM. PM 2 is not euphonic or pleasantly colored.

It is just a superior playback software. The best thing is it will make A+, Amarra, JRiver, and the others better.

Keep hearing the next A+ is a game changed also. Honestly, never dreamed software could improve on iTunes until I heard PM. Then A+ seemed to have extracted all there was on the files. Now another level of playback sound quality.

How many more are there?

[LBob]

Less is more is now "working" for me. I followed the instructions Rob gave me. Turning off integer mode allows me to then enable Less is More. I can then re-enable integer mode and all is well. Well except for one thing: I can start an album or track fine, but I cannot pause/stop the player. I emailed Rob about this. He's says it is a known issue, has nothing to do with headless mode, and that it will be addressed in a subsequent upgrade. Good news is the Less is More sounds very good, bad news is that playing without control (except to exit Less is More) makes me crazy.

[Ale]

Less is more is now "working" for me. I followed the instructions Rob gave me. Turning off integer mode allows me to then enable Less is More. I can then re-enable integer mode and all is well. Well except for one thing: I can start an album or track fine, but I cannot pause/stop the player. I emailed Rob about this. He's says it is a known issue, has nothing to do with headless mode, and that it will be addressed in a subsequent upgrade. Good news is the Less is More sounds very good, bad news is that playing without control (except to exit Less is More) makes me crazy.

 

Hello!

What are the advantages in select Less Is More?

I ask, because reading (and trying to translate in Italian), the very complete manual of PM2, I thought it would be enough to activate the mode "HOG MODE" button to get audio playback that wonderful.

Happy listening to all the forum writers.

Alexander.

[Panelhead]

That is what I thought also. With Hog mode and memory playback the interaction with iTunes would have no sonic impact.

But the difference is very easy to hear. Less is More is more better. Very clear, normal iTunes integration has a muffled sound. But only by comparison. I thought it was great until trying LiM.

[Axiom05]

That is what I thought also. With Hog mode and memory playback the interaction with iTunes would have no sonic impact.

But the difference is very easy to hear. Less is More is more better. Very clear, normal iTunes integration has a muffled sound. But only by comparison. I thought it was great until trying LiM.

 

With the exception of Less is More mode, PM will always have some level of interaction with iTunes. For example, it still receives track information from iTunes and also uses some of the iTunes interface controls. That being said, the interaction is minimal. In Less is More mode there is absolutely no interaction with iTunes, however I personally do not feel that the complete loss of control is worth it. I do have the "Update Track Position in iTunes" and the "Manually Adjustable" options off which gives you the least possible interaction with iTunes without resorting to LiM.

[Panelhead]

Maybe just my system. It is surprising. LiM is much better sounding.

Try it.