A novel way to massively improve the SQ of computer audio streaming

[StreamFidelity]

11 hours ago, amolan said:

Anyone have some tips about how to setup ? also I notice the increase of latency using latency Monitor, I tried to change some parameters as per the manual shows but no luck, using the basic default config it`s sound amazing already.

 

One of the most important settings is to avoid busy cores. Look in the manual:

 

Quote

 

RSS Base Processor

For a Solarflare network adapter, the RSS base processor is 0 (zero), which means it starts processing on CPU core 0 which is also the default processor for all other general Windows processes and will likely be the default for all other network adapters in the server.

To avoid this unnecessary contention, set the adapter RSS base processor to another processor on the NUMA node the Solarflare adapter is assigned to.

 

 

The same applies to LatencyMon. I always only take the last two cores. 😉

[fds]

10 hours ago, auricgoldfinger said:

The 1321 finally arrived, but I have not been able to compare them to the 1318.

Great ... please let us know about your impressions once you find time for this comparison. I have a pair of 1321's too but not yet tested since the Planet Tech transceivers currently used in oM and oR are working very, very nicely.

 

[lake_eleven]

3 hours ago, fds said:

Great ... please let us know about your impressions once you find time for this comparison. I have a pair of 1321's too but not yet tested since the Planet Tech transceivers currently used in oM and oR are working very, very nicely.

 

I will give 1321 to break-in for another week. Below post in this thread has good words on 1321 compared to 1324

 

[lake_eleven]

13 hours ago, kennyb123 said:

Which SFPs?  Also my question about “plugged into” was aimed more at the power side.  Mine is plugged into a Shunyata Denali v1.  The V14D seemed to improve the Denali in the sense that it seemed better at dropping the noise floor.  The noise reduction built into Shunyata cords actually filters what’s coming out of the cord so that the noise passed onto other components is reduced.

I am using Finisar 1321. V14 is plugged in to the switch from the wall outlet. Trying to move Hydra so I can use V14 from hydra instead of wall outlet. 

[MarcelNL]

Finisar 1321 for me too as I went with the info above and from a later thread(not sure which), yet without any other comparison than the stock SFP the router came with (those were rubbish) 

[MarcelNL]

Anyone here who knows how to get Intel Optane NVME to work on a GB Aorus X570 Mobo?

NMVME is enables, stick in slot 1, but it's not recognized and the BIOS appears to lack further settings, or I am missing something...or...can it be that I need to format the stick first (bought it used but it's likely used in a intel based windows computer.

Meanwhile some further (basic) BIOS adjustments pay off sonically (internal LAN, HD Audio and USB disabled),

[Gavin1977]

Software for lossless digital volume control within windows, ideally at the system level.  Are there really no solutions for this?

 

Alternatively via Linux?

 

I used to use HQPlayer for volume control, but overkill since I no longer upsample and HQPlayer volume control will not integrate with a bluetooth/IR remote I believe.

[MarcelNL]

there is one solution called LEEDH (unless I misspelled it) but I'm a bit sceptical about that too...digital volume control yes, but lossless??

https://www.processing-leedh.com/copie-de-presentation

https://www.audio “science” review/forum/index.php?threads/leedh-digital-volume.15582/

 

 

[MarcelNL]

Metrum claims they have lossless volume control over a wide enough volume range in the Adagio, they do it by adjusting the voltage reference for the R2R ladder. That approach sounds more viable to me, yet I have to confess that much of the LEEDH algorithm wizardry is beyond me so all I can do is regurgitate the info.

[Gavin1977]

25 minutes ago, MarcelNL said:

there is one solution called LEEDH (unless I misspelled it) but I'm a bit sceptical about that too...digital volume control yes, but lossless??

https://www.processing-leedh.com/copie-de-presentation

https://www.audio “science” review/forum/index.php?threads/leedh-digital-volume.15582/

 

 

Unfortunately not available as standalone software, only through manufacturers.

[MarcelNL]

6 minutes ago, Gavin1977 said:

Unfortunately not available as standalone software, only through manufacturers.

I know, still I think you are better off with f.e. a Khozmo shunt stepped attanuator using one z foil in series in the analog domain, they can add a remote function.

[Gavin1977]

2 hours ago, Gavin1977 said:

Unfortunately not available as standalone software, only through manufacturers.

Unfortunately the Leedh Volume Control is lossless only down to -30dB and only under certain conditions (link).  Taiko have also not progressed with Digital Volume Control (DVC) and it's not on their development roadmap.  So, looks like I'm back to looking traditional volume control methods (passive in my case).

[drjimwillie]

Do you use a preamp that has infrared?

I use an infrared repeater.  
Because my system is in the basement and my listening room is on the first floor, I have wired an infrared repeater, which is a little IR light that you tape over the infrared receiver on your preamp or DAC or however you control your volume. These are wired connections and you use your Remote from where ever you have placed a wired receiver, which can be anywhere. It works great for me when I am on the first floor and when I am in the basement using my headphones. And, the real volume adjustment remains in the analog domain.

[lmitche]

On 3/25/2021 at 6:57 PM, MarcelNL said:

Anyone here who knows how to get Intel Optane NVME to work on a GB Aorus X570 Mobo?

NMVME is enables, stick in slot 1, but it's not recognized and the BIOS appears to lack further settings, or I am missing something...or...can it be that I need to format the stick first (bought it used but it's likely used in a intel based windows computer.

Meanwhile some further (basic) BIOS adjustments pay off sonically (internal LAN, HD Audio and USB disabled),

Hi Marcel,

 

The idea is to use the Optane as a boot drive not as a cache for a hard disk as originally intended by Intel. Here is the original description of this use case for the Optane for audio:

 

Optane SSD as Boot drive - SQ Nirvana? - Disk Storage / Music Library Storage - Audiophile Style

 

Just install or copy an OS on to the Optane and take it from there. It is the speed of the Optane on short bursty traffic generated in apps like Roon, or chatty OSes like Windows that improves SQ.

 

These drives are at End of Life(EOL), so we need to find a substitute for this use case with good speed on short randoms writes and a quiet controller.

[MarcelNL]

I know, it's not how to use it but the moBo does not recognize the Optane ...it almost seems as if the chipset does not recognizes it on purpose 

[Nenon]

On 3/25/2021 at 5:57 PM, MarcelNL said:

Anyone here who knows how to get Intel Optane NVME

 

On 3/25/2021 at 5:57 PM, MarcelNL said:

NMVME is enables, stick in slot 1, but it's not recognized and the BIOS

 

On 3/25/2021 at 5:57 PM, MarcelNL said:

bought it used

 

Since it was bought used, most likely it's encrypted. I've run a couple of times into this issue with Optane. You need to wipe out the drive. 

 

Boot a Linux OS, run:

fdisk -l 

 

Check then name of the drive. Let's say it is /dev/nvme0n1.

I forgot exactly what I did to wipe it out (it was more than two years ago), but I'd try this first:

dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/nvme0n1

 

Once you wipe it out, you should see it in the BIOS on the next reboot.

[MarcelNL]

Thanks a lot @Nenon ! I will try that, my linux skills are approximately 1%.. 

Good that I have the AudioLinux SSD lying around, perhaps I can use that for this purpose!

 

 

[Johnseye]

On 3/28/2021 at 6:31 AM, lmitche said:

 

These drives are at End of Life(EOL), so we need to find a substitute for this use case with good speed on short randoms writes and a quiet controller.

 

I believe it is just the retail versions. There will continue to be pro Optane releases. Still obtainable.  Have you heard anything different recently? 

 

[MarcelNL]

On 3/28/2021 at 1:31 PM, lmitche said:

Hi Marcel,

 

The idea is to use the Optane as a boot drive not as a cache for a hard disk as originally intended by Intel. Here is the original description of this use case for the Optane for audio:

 

Optane SSD as Boot drive - SQ Nirvana? - Disk Storage / Music Library Storage - Audiophile Style

 

Just install or copy an OS on to the Optane and take it from there. It is the speed of the Optane on short bursty traffic generated in apps like Roon, or chatty OSes like Windows that improves SQ.

 

These drives are at End of Life(EOL), so we need to find a substitute for this use case with good speed on short randoms writes and a quiet controller.

I do plan to use it to boot the OS from, and to store some files I want to play direct. I found that (weird enough) files playing memory sound better if those are retrieved from Optane (sounds better than when the source was the SSD)

 

 

[lmitche]

5 hours ago, Johnseye said:

 

I believe it is just the retail versions. There will continue to be pro Optane releases. Still obtainable.  Have you heard anything different recently? 

 

Nope, I am sure you are right.

[KK Ho]

Some Crazy work done

 

1. onboard OCXO, no more wire 

2. Onboard 2 stage LPS for OCXO

3. on board capacitor array parallel to main 12V 

4. copper base

5. direct 12V input with Audionote Kaisei capacitor

6. S100 stock flash ROM on BS-GS2016, very difficult reverse engineering work by Broadcom SDK + special programmer

7. Improved shield inductor for DC-DC

8. onboard capacitor change to Panasonic OSCON

9. Murata common mode choke on board (replace the 0 ohm resistor)

 

absolute no wire, everything plug and play just like a LEGO

Develop by Hong Kong KK.Ho, Mar-2021.

 

 

 

 

 

[MarcelNL]

@Nenon So far using Lubunto on a stick shows no nvme at all, all I see using sudo fdisk -l are 1.9 Gb of something, the USB stick (some 60Gb , close enough to the nominal size of 64) and what I think is RAM (showing as /dev/zram0 to zram15 in block of 248.78 Mb 

that latter comes down to 4 Gb which is half what is in the PC.

 

Guess I'll be looking for an NVME PCIe to USB adapter so I can try from within Windows, using rufus or something...my Linux experience is very very basic....

 

would the BIOS not show the NVME but it being inaccessible in the OS if locked? the Bios does not show NVME in either slot even if both are populated with optane, or either.

[MarcelNL]

BTW Linux tries to tell me NVME is not ready while BIOS does not even see it, so it may well be the Optane being locked!

[lmitche]

3 hours ago, MarcelNL said:

BTW Linux tries to tell me NVME is not ready while BIOS does not even see it, so it may well be the Optane being locked!

I've had a couple Optanes, of the dozens used here, get into an unresponsive state where they are no longer recognized. A warranty return to Intel was the only solution. 

[MarcelNL]

thanks! I don't think I'll be claiming warranty for having bought used Optane sticks...16 and 32 Gb costing a 15 euro or so each.

I'm going to try a NVME PCIe to USB case as I anticipate having one with a regular SSD is handy, and I can use it to troubleshoot the Optane some more using f.e. Rufus. Brute force formatting should IMO always work unless it's bust.