Starre Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 I have been using a rather simple laptop with Celeron CPU and internal SSD and 6 Gb memory and Windows 7 but had the feeling that a better machine could improve sound quality with my Meitner ma-1 dac and the old one be a good back-up in case of trouble. New one use a Core i5 4210U (low power) with 4Gb memory and a very power effective SSD and Windows 8.1. It has almost only the software for playing music and will be used only for that, I will test and optimize it further. Well, I heard at once it sounds differently: more low level info and cleaner with a tighter more articulate bass. Now I can hear what this dac can do much easier, so it was well worth the money for this new laptop (not very expensive). Some recordings though sounds a little clinical compared with the old laptop, I think it might be because of a more revealing character, or it is something not quite right yet, I have to try some more to be sure. Link to comment
James1776 Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 I had an iMac failure recently and replaced the thing with a basic Lenovo laptop. I also notice a difference, not sure which was better but there is a difference. I have found you an argument; I am not obliged to find you any understanding – Samuel Johnson Link to comment
Starre Posted January 2, 2015 Author Share Posted January 2, 2015 Just don´t forget to optimize the computer, I have just started with mine and oops I had not turned off WiFi, big mistake! Looked over the power management settings too and next I will turn off unnecessary services running in the background. Some interesting things here which I will try later: Black Viper’s Windows 8.1 Service Configurations » Black Viper | www.blackviper.com Link to comment
gmgraves Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 I have been using a rather simple laptop with Celeron CPU and internal SSD and 6 Gb memory and Windows 7 but had the feeling that a better machine could improve sound quality with my Meitner ma-1 dac and the old one be a good back-up in case of trouble. New one use a Core i5 4210U (low power) with 4Gb memory and a very power effective SSD and Windows 8.1. It has almost only the software for playing music and will be used only for that, I will test and optimize it further. Well, I heard at once it sounds differently: more low level info and cleaner with a tighter more articulate bass. Now I can hear what this dac can do much easier, so it was well worth the money for this new laptop (not very expensive). Some recordings though sounds a little clinical compared with the old laptop, I think it might be because of a more revealing character, or it is something not quite right yet, I have to try some more to be sure. I use a Toshiba laptop with a Celeron processor/Win7 for my computer music server and frankly I'm fed-up with the entire process. If I haven't listened to it for a while, and decide to add to new music to it, I generally find that when I get ready to play something, that it has quit working and I'm in for at least an hour of time-wasted fiddling to get it up and running again! Yesterday was pretty much the last straw. I found out that Linn Records had put up a free sampler of their wares ("24-bits of Christmas, 2014") on their web site (linnrecords.co) and I downloaded the 24/192 FLAC version of it and installed it in J River Media Center on my laptop. I connected the laptop via USB to my iFi iUSB power supply and my iFI iink USB-SPDIF converter. But Windows wouldn't load the iFi driver. I tried swapping USB cables, that didn't work. I re-started Windows, nothing. I rebooted the laptop, no-joy. In desperation, I tried to attach my DragonFly. Windows wouldn't load that driver either. Finally after messing with it for more than a hour, I suddenly heard the encouraging "bong" from the laptop suddenly emerge from my Martin-Logan speakers telling me that the driver had finally loaded, and I could get-on with my listening session! I still don't know what the problem was, but I seem to have this problem a lot and I'm really fed-up with it. I figure that that the only solution is to dump the computer-based server, and USB interface all together for this application, and do a proper NAS server permanently connected to my stereo and use a tablet/smart-phone as an interface. I have a cheap Android tablet that I can probably press into yeoman's service for this purpose (it's too slow for anything else, anyway). Bah! More expense, more trouble. If hi-res audio didn't sound so good, I'd say, the hell with it! George Link to comment
Starre Posted January 3, 2015 Author Share Posted January 3, 2015 Strange, my setup has never refused to play unless a few times when I forgot something and then it was up running again (very few occasions). Some have reported problems with USB 3 ports and I have never tried it, are you using USB 2 or 3? Old laptop was a HP and the new one is from Asus. Link to comment
gmgraves Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 Strange, my setup has never refused to play unless a few times when I forgot something and then it was up running again (very few occasions). Some have reported problems with USB 3 ports and I have never tried it, are you using USB 2 or 3?Old laptop was a HP and the new one is from Asus. USB2. I just chalk it up to the primitiveness of Windows. My Mac (my Main computer) is connected to a generic 24/192 USB DAC in my office, and it always works, first time, every time. Windows? Always a problem, no matter what I want to do. I think it knows that I don't like it, and so, it doesn't like me either... George Link to comment
Jabs1542 Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 USB2. I just chalk it up to the primitiveness of Windows. My Mac (my Main computer) is connected to a generic 24/192 USB DAC in my office, and it always works, first time, every time. Windows? Always a problem, no matter what I want to do. I think it knows that I don't like it, and so, it doesn't like me either... And here we are thinking bits are bits, clearly your computer has an attitude that is interfering with your bits Analog: Koetsu Rosewood > VPI Aries 3 w/SDS > EAR 834P > EAR 834L: Audiodesk cleaner Digital Fun: DAS > CAPS v3 w/LPS (JRMC) SOtM USB > Lynx Hilo > EAR 834L Digital Serious: DAS > CAPS v3 w/LPS (HQPlayer) Ethernet > SMS-100 NAA > Lampi DSD L4 G5 > EAR 834L Digital Disc: Oppo BDP 95 > EAR 834L Output: EAR 834L > Xilica XP4080 DSP > Odessey Stratos Mono Extreme > Legacy Aeris Phones: EAR 834L > Little Dot Mk ii > Senheiser HD 800 Link to comment
gmgraves Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 And here we are thinking bits are bits, clearly your computer has an attitude that is interfering with your bits I think so.... George Link to comment
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