New OSX Opensource audiophile player : Audirvana

[clar2391]

I love the new player!!

 

I do have one problem...when I load new songs (16 or 24 bit) it always changes the bit rate in OSX Audio Midi to 16 bit. I can change it back to 24 bit manually, but when I load or play another song, it changes back to 16 bit.

 

I have both exclusive (hog) and integer mode on. If I turn off hog mode, the bit rate setting stays at 24 bit.

 

I hate to not take advantage of both hog and integer playback since it sounds so good!!

 

[Ajax]

 

Hi Damien,

 

I think I have the same problem as clar2391.

 

When I play Charlie Winston or Gwyneth Herbert, artists recorded by B&W's Society of Sound at 24bit/48khz, Audirvana displays the following at the bottom right hand side of the display.

 

16/48 to 32/192 D/A oversampling converter.

 

In Audirvana preferences I have every box ticked and oversampling set to max, max memory set to 3072MB, and quality set to best.

 

I am using a MacPro 2.66 Intel Core 2 Duo with 4Gig of RAM and OS 10.6.6 ... Audio Midi shows 192000.0 hz and 2ch-32 bit.

 

Despite this the sound is truly wonderful and I sincerely doubt that the file is being truncated from 24 bit down to 16 bit.

 

[happykev]

Has anyone else noticed that iTunes basically becomes inoperable once you install Audirvana?

 

I shut down Audirvana and launched iTunes to try to play a song and iTunes basically rapidly skips through the song list and Audirvana then launches to play a song.

 

Really weird and frustrating. Guess I'll be uninstalling Audirvana.

 

Is it supposed to essentially take the place of iTunes?!?!

 

[diogenis]

Yes, because you are running Audirvana into exclusive access mode. When you do so, it uses itunes as a library management db only.

But if you uncheck exclusive mode, then you also have full control of itunes as well as Audirvana (you can play using both players, even at the same time!)

 

edit: playing together makes for some fun mess with echo lol, but actually you don't need itunes when you run audirvana, so exclusive mode is the way.

 

Very nice changes btw with this patch

 

[CKKeung]

Hi Damien,

 

So the Integer Mode of 0.6.1 version is beneficial to certain USB DAC.

 

How about USB-to-coaxial digital converters(such as Wavelink)? Will the advantages of Integer Mode still apply?

 

Thanks!

 

[diogenis]

Ok I have tested latest patch with several Dacs, and latest test was with a 2GB old mini with the halide bridge. All previous stuttering -if it existed- is now gone, forced to play a 24/96 file using both apple core sound and the other one both at max oversampling, integer on, best quality. No problems at all and it seems that files now load like 2x faster. Is that normal?

Before the patch, checking the max oversampling was producing cpu overtimes, now this has gone. Is that normal?

 

It has like itunes stability on my limited mini but is blazing fast and plays natively flac files!

 

[wgscott]

That's what my applescript and plug-in hack will do unless you turn it off. Did you by any chance install it? If so, there is an option to toggle it on/off in the scripting menu.

 

[happykev]

@wgscott

 

Yeah I did have the plugin installed so I deleted it and itunes started working again.

 

Thx-

Kevin

 

 

[blueheronhollow]

Hi Damien,

 

Just started using 0.6.1 with the new Integer mode code, and it's working great in Integer mode with my Streamer II+.

 

Great work!!

 

Cheers,

Ian

 

 

[wgscott]

Sorry, I should figure out something a bit more user-friendly.

 

[Cherrington]

The new fix in 0.6.1 settled the stuttering and speed issues, and this morning I got my first chance to listen properly to the results. I put on the first cut of Lucidarium by Steve Colemen and nearly jumped out of my chair when his sax came in at the beginning: it was the most live-sounding, natural-sounding, real-sounding saxophone I've ever heard come out of any system. It was absolutely spooky, almost disturbing, how real, how tactile it was. That impression has now carried forward through all kinds of music, from wind ensembles to finger-picked guitars to vocals to drum solos. The main thing that's just knocking me out is that tactile sense, that feeling of fingernails on steel strings, breath over a reed, lips and tongues forming words, and sticks hitting drum skins. And I'm getting this without any apparent increase in treble or etching or edge at all. It seems to be coming entirely from increased resolution. Really quite remarkable. It's elevated my system to a whole new level and made music even more engaging than before. If Damien runs for president, I'm voting for him.

 

[CKKeung]

Weiss DAC202 does not support Integer Mode.

 

When being asked whether there will be driver upgrade in future to install this capability, a Weiss Hong Kong spokeperson commented that Weiss DAC202 runs in 32bit mode so it is superior to and does not need such capability.

http://www.review33.com/avforum/index.php?topic=67100501110516&page=1

 

Agree? Any comments?

Thanks!

 

[Cherrington]

I'm having a strange problem with the 0.6.1 version. When I'm using it, the Audio Midi Setup on my MacBook Pro tells me (and my ears confirm) that I'm getting one channel 16-bit, and it won't let me choose the two-channel 16-bit setting. On the 0.5 version I don't have this problem. I've got the Integer Mode turned off, as my DAC doesn't seem to like it (I'm playing through a Blue Circle USB DAC). Any ideas as to what I'm doing wrong? Is anybody else having this problem?

 

[Jeff In San Diego]

...with your wallet.

 

If not already done so, check out the Audirvana menu..."make a donation" menu item. It is really easy (paypal), and it feels good to give back.

 

 

 

[seta]

Weiss Hong Kong spokeperson commented that Weiss DAC202 runs in 32bit mode so it is superior to and does not need such capability.

 

The ESS 9018 chip used in the Weiss DAC202 is the only chip today that can accept true 32-bit data path up to the conversion stage. Since Apple CoreAudio is 32-bit floating, that may be where he is coming from. Unlike for Halide Bridge, for instance, where it can accept only 24-bit, then mapping a 32-bit coreaudio floating down to 24-bit is probably inferior to 24-bit integer mode direct.

 

[Sasaki]

New integer mode works great. First I tried using Wavelength Proton and the Proton sounded more transparent with integer mode. The difference is obvious I think.

Also I tried other DAC/DDC. I found Japanese Phasetech HD-7A and CEntrance DACport works fine with integer mode. But hiFace does not run in integer mode.  Music playback is normal but no integer sign on the panel and the debug log does not show that is run in integer mode. 

So I guess drivers also matter since both of HD-7A and DACport employs standard USB audio class driver. It would mostly be capable of run integer mode but custom drivers won't. (there could be an exception though)

HD-7A employs async transfer but DACport employs adaptive transfer so the transfer scheme does not matter here I think.

 

 

[MyDoppelganger]

"I'm having a strange problem with the 0.6.1 version. When I'm using it, the Audio Midi Setup on my MacBook Pro tells me (and my ears confirm) that I'm getting one channel 16-bit, and it won't let me choose the two-channel 16-bit setting. On the 0.5 version I don't have this problem. I've got the Integer Mode turned off, as my DAC doesn't seem to like it (I'm playing through a Blue Circle USB DAC). Any ideas as to what I'm doing wrong? Is anybody else having this problem?"

 

This happens to me, as well. I think the slowdown is fixed, but now my DAC is playing back in 1 channel.

 

I also have to turn Integer Mode off, otherwise I get no playback at all.

 

[damien78]

From its datasheet, the Sabre ESS 9018 takes up to 32bit INTEGER data, so that's truly high precision.

And this is not the same format as the 32bit float of standard CoreAudio. (FYI, 32bit float has only 24 bits of real precision only).

So the DAC 202 would also benefit from having an Integer mode.

 

BTW, the ESS 9018 also handles DSD data, so maybe the DAC202 could also be a true DSD DAC with only a driver/firmware update ?

 

In addition, don't pay too much attention to the bitdepth values given by AudioMidi or HALLab when playing in Integer mode. As this is not the standard mode for OSX, these apps can be confused. Trust the value displayed in Audirvana (bottom right), and of course your ears!

FYI, HALLab was not able to display the stream info when using int mode with the Halide Bridge. And I heard the SQ was much better (able to hear distinctively instruments I was not able to hear before)!

 

Damien

 

[damien78]

I noticed a stupid issue (bad copy/paste like) for Int Mode play in less than 24bit. I'll fix it tonight to bring back stereo in Int Mode.

 

For those who have these one channel issues also in normal (not Integer) mode, can you (re)send me the debug info (when playing) by PM ?

 

Damien

 

 

 

[khollister]

Damien

 

I am using a HiFace EVO, and while everything plays normally whether Integrer Mode is checked or not, all tracks now indicate 32 bit in the display regardless of whether they are 16 or 24, even with integer mode off.

 

[damien78]

This may be because there is a 32bit (float?) physical stream format.

It'll be fixed in next release.

Can you send me the debug info on 0.6.1, that'll help me confirm it.

 

Damien

 

[4est]

The Weiss manual states that it is 24 bit only. I am hoping that is a driver issue and that Weiss will code for Integer mode now that there is a player program for it.

 

Thanks for the good work Damien!

 

[ted_b]

"Hello Ted

 

Don't know what the "integer mode" involves. I thought transfer via Firewire was in integer mode anyway, but maybe his integer mode is something else. I suggest to try the new player versions with the DAC2 and see what happens.

I do not see what should be gained with "integer mode". If a player is bit-transparent from file to DAC then it can't get "more transparent".

 

Regards,

Daniel"

 

and from Gordon Rankin, about integer mode and firewire.....

"......there is another issue with Firewire units. They just don't look the same at the driver level as USB devices do. They don't look like stereo units and they some of them support big enddian or little enddian (bit format MSB first or MSB last). This all has to be considered in a real application."

 

My debug info certainly shows like its a one channel DAC (although lord knows I can't read debug reports):

 

Audio buffer frame size : 14 to 4200 frames

Physical (analog) volume control: No

Virtual (digital) volume control: No

Preferred stereo channels L:1 R:2

Channel mapping: L:Stream 0 channel 0 R:Stream 0 channel 1

 

1 output streams:

Stream ID 0x103 2 channels starting at 1

6 virtual formats:

Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32bits little endian Float @192.0kHz

Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32bits little endian Float @176.4kHz

Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32bits little endian Float @96.0kHz

Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32bits little endian Float @88.2kHz

Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32bits little endian Float @48.0kHz

Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32bits little endian Float @44.1kHz

 

6 physical formats

Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24bits big endian Signed Integer @192.0kHz

Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24bits big endian Signed Integer @176.4kHz

Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24bits big endian Signed Integer @96.0kHz

Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24bits big endian Signed Integer @88.2kHz

Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24bits big endian Signed Integer @48.0kHz

Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24bits big endian Signed Integer @44.1kHz

 

 

[leo1311]

In my case, when integer mode is marked, I can´t play music. I use MBP 13", OS 10.6.6, Audionirvana 0.6.1, Wavelength Wavelink.

 

Damien, congratulations! You are doing a great job! Thank you very much.

 

[4est]

I am not sure what that truly means, but this gives me hope that it is possible and he'll do coding!