Audirvana Plus 3 (official thread)

[win32pro]

Hi,

 

I have a strange issue.

When I start Audirvana Plus (3.0), I get the message box that says it is unable to verify the license.

It goes away as soon as I have the internet connection.

Question: is that a bug or an intended behavior?

 

Regards,

    Michael

[win32pro]

18 minutes ago, Innocent Bystander said:

Does that mean that, God forbid, anything happens to Damien, or he decides he's had enough of us naggin, or whatever, and his database disappears offline, anyone who has purchase v3 will cease to be able to use it after a couple of weeks?

 

Hmmm, there's me thinking it is a music playing solution for life (mine)

Totally agree!

[win32pro]

5 minutes ago, Nico said:

@damien78 I think that needs clarification.

Does that mean, that A+ stops working if I decide to live in a place where no internet connection is?!?

@damien78

So this means, you now control my ability to listen to the music?

Really?!

[win32pro]

16 minutes ago, lonf said:

Exactly which version of A+ began doing a network check for authentication?  3.0, or a middle rev?

I've noticed it in 3.0.0 first.

 

[win32pro]

55 minutes ago, pl_svn said:

can't you instead, on first install, do the online check and tie the license to some machine's ID (serial # or any other available)?

 

as others have already said... sure: most are using a shared computer which connects to the internet regularly but... what about those who use a dedicated machine not connected to anything else than *local* network?

(... if connected at all to anything apart a USB HD and a DAC!)

My problems with the new scheme are as follows:

 

1. This essentially treats me as if I haven't paid for all versions I've used (and I have).

2. Assumes I will always have an internet connection (and the check may happen right at the beginning of the summer vacation, thus denying me the ability to listen to my music for the entirety of the vacation).

3. Dictates me what I should and should not have in terms of network connectivity. I do have a dedicated computer that does nothing else but plays the music.

 

I love the sound, I truly do. But this is the kind of thing which may push me to look elsewhere.

People who buy this kind of software are those who actually care.

This is a very niche market, where people are ready and willing to pay the money for quality and convenience.

I'm on the verge of abandoning the Audirvana altogether at this point. It is not what I want to do, but this kind of restriction is something I'm unwilling to live with.

[win32pro]

1 hour ago, Jud said:

For those of you who mind an application or OS checking with a server:

 

- Do you use any computer for anything other than listening to music?

 

- What OS and (main) apps do you use?

 

 I am pretty sure you will find that a great many of your OSs and apps are doing this.

Only plays the music. The OS and Audirvana Plus in there.

So, no. Plus, if anything does, it gets thrown out of any of my computers.

[win32pro]

17 minutes ago, Jud said:

 

So you do no security updates and leave your system vulnerable?

If I do security updates, I'll break direct mode.

And vulnerable to what?

If I don't connect a machine to the internet, the attack vector is minimal.

 

Plus, even if I did put security updates, those come out every few months, and I can use combo updates, thus keeping my machine off the internet, if I wanted.

 

And like I said, the Audirvana check might come smack at the beginning of my vacation, thus depriving me of my music.

 

Who thought that was a bright idea?

[win32pro]

19 minutes ago, Jud said:

 

I wasn't referring to your music computer.  You said if any apps or OSs on any of your computers did the client-server contact you'd get rid of them, unless I misunderstood you.

I think it was my misunderstanding.

 

I have a general policy of a tight control of what software goes where and why.

Any piece of software that refuses to function without an internet connection gets removed.

And it doesn't matter why or how often. Software updates are a manual process for me.

I decide what and when gets updated or even checks for an update.

 

On a music computer - due to the OS/Audirvana conflicts and effects on sound quality, the OS doesn't get updated often.

In addition to that, I would like to be able to take my computer to my vacation, where there might not be any internet connection, and still to be able to enjoy my music throughout the entire time off.

[win32pro]

8 minutes ago, Jud said:

 

It's this piece I have difficulty understanding.  Every OS I know of provides a server with information so the server knows what updates to suggest.  (I, like you, control whether and when updates occur.)  With MS and Apple at least, if you think there is no check to see if you're running a licensed version, think again.

I don't have to think again.

The macOS will survive for years without an internet connection.

So will Windows. 

They will continue to function just fine. 

And for the macOS - there is no check to see you are running licensed version. The hardware takes care of that.

For Windows, once it is activated, you are off the hook as well.

 

Plus, in many corporations, all such ports are simply blocked, and OS is simply unable to get patches from the OS vendor, be it Apple or Microsoft. The respective corporate IT departments push vetted updates to the machines.

Putting an update yourself may cause you problems.

 

So, no, sorry. The OS does not require a successful license check in order to continue functioning. 

I'm not even touching Linux here.

[win32pro]

10 minutes ago, Jud said:

 

Right, that's why I mentioned (if you read all the way to the end - it was a long note, so if you didn't you are forgiven [especially considering the season  ]) audiocanyon's idea, where he talked about an app he uses that if it hasn't "heard from you" in 30 days tells you to connect to the Internet to validate some time in the next 30 days.  I think 60 days to validate would take care of the vast majority of Audirvana users.  But I haven't asked Damien whether this is convenient/possible/preferable for him.

I was under the mistaken assumption that this was all about the convenience of paying customers, not the vendor.

As to the possibility - static license worked in previous versions, it is used by other vendors, so I would assume that yes, it is possible.

[win32pro]

10 hours ago, damien78 said:

 

I'm sorry the acclaimed increase in SQ of the version 3 is revealing some of your system bias. I'll be happy to help you find the settings to compensate this and find the sound that pleases your most.

If you want to lessen high frequencies brightness, you can reduce strongly the steepness of the upsampling filter, while using power of two upsampling.

 

Regarding the licensing mechanism, I'll increase the no connection grace period to 60 days. This means you'll get a complaint from Audirvana Plus if you relaunch it while your computer has not been connected for a consecutive period of 60 days. FYI, it is checking the license only when starting.

And I'm not sure any one here will live disconnected for such a long period.

Thank you very much!

 

60 days ought to alleviate most of the issues, and with the check happening only on startup, that should address all but the most unusual cases.

[win32pro]

4 hours ago, damien78 said:

Just released 3.0.6 update that increases the license check grace period from 14 to 60 days, and also brings:

• Fix surround channels not played on a multichannel system
• Allow only one instance of Audirvana Plus to run simultaneously on same computer to avoid database corruption
• Fix CueSheet not loading correctly album artist for first track
• Fix AudioUnits effects not working when upsampling to DSD
• Starting playback on a track in shuffle mode starts with this track at beginning of shuffled play queue
• Fix discontinuity when playing back some AAC files in 32bit not upsampled mode (files with silence at beginning)
• Fix Smart playlist "is" criteria with empty value

Thank you!

 

May I ask for a favor?

To implement a forceful license check, so it can be performed before going on vacation, thus starting the grace period right before going to places without internet connectivity?