Operating systems and their sound signatures

[semente]

6 minutes ago, esldude said:

So if the OS in use effects sound quality upon playback, I would assume you'll think it effects sound quality during recording/mastering.  If that is the case, then it seems likely there could be interactions where playing back a Windows mastered digital file might respond to Windows playback differently than Mac playback.  So with all the trillions of possible permutations how likely is it that one OS simply has better sound than another?  And that is ignoring how OS activity varies tremendously depending upon the thousands of possible permutations of hardware it runs upon? 

 

I wouldn't lose too much sleep, I'm sure that MQA will be able to solve all those OS interaction problems with its magical filters...

[semente]

23 minutes ago, esldude said:

But if bits ain't bits because filtering isn't perfect, how can filtering (which is by its nature imperfect) make bits perfectly bits??

 

MQA-Many Questions Abound

 

Trust.

 

[semente]

6 hours ago, PeterSt said:

From again another angle and only mentioning it because I saw it passing by as a subject :

 

Yes, the more powerful the PC, the better the sound will be. This has always been the general consensus, and in 100% of cases where people thought they'd be good with their laptop or other "mini" system, they had to admit they were no good at all, after finally implementing the hefty desktop.

 

General consensus too is the more processor cores the better, and what's fairly standard by now is 20 core hyperthreaded Xeons. But mind you, without anything further in that cabinet, and preferably fully powered by a linear power supply. So no fans, no disks, no SSD, no USB connected stuff and also no SD. Nothing. Only LAN and the music stored somewhere there.

 

And regarding NAS ideas : Might that be beneficial in the first place, then try to envision it is not about any peripheral which doesn't spread noise to your precious Audio PC; it is about the Audio PC being able to run lean. Run evenly (no spiking).

 

Have you ever tried your software with a low-power renderer/buffer akin to HQPlayer's NAA?

[semente]

52 minutes ago, PeterSt said:

 

 

Hey bodiebill,

 

If you'd use the RAM-OS feature then no SSD (or anything else) is needed.

When playback has started (for as much as your memory permits, say 4 Redbook albums) you can pull the LAN cable as well. And, because you're "obviously" working headless (no keyboard, mouse and monitor), you'd have to put back in the LAN cable for remote control.

I myself only pull pork but I know of people who pull the USB cable for the USB connected disks (instead of LAN) once playback has started.

 

Regards,

Peter

 

Can't you add a script that turns the Ethernet card on or off?

I find this kind of extreme behaviour somewhat paranormal...

[semente]

53 minutes ago, PeterSt said:

Maybe it makes sense to some when I myself add to the OS pile that the most important to SQ degradation is the use of a monitor. No wait, video card. So that should always be the base.

IMO this is not electrical noise related. Just OS related matter.

 

Benefits from not using a video card or any USB peripherals seem to me a good enough reason to use a renderer/buffer NUC with minimalist OS.

 

[semente]

6 hours ago, PeterSt said:

 

Sure !

But you make us one which turns it on again when we want, OK ? 

 

Easy. When the selected track or tracks end, the music player restarts the Ethernet card.