Euphony OS w/Stylus player setup and issues thread

[bodiebill]

I followed the instructions to make a euphony bootable usb stick. After the initial menu with Euphony as the first (and chosen) option, the boot gets stuck at:

 

ERROR device UUID=[.... long string] not found. Skipping fsck.

mount: /new_root: can't find UUID=[.... same string]

You are now being dropped into an emergency shell.

sh: can't access tty; job control turned off.

[rootfs ]#

 

I normally use this PC to boot into Gentoo(Player) from a stick and load everything in RAM. There is no SATA disk in the PC. Is this a setup that would not work with Euphony?

[bodiebill]

My initial impression beta-testing Euphony with ramroot:

 

I currently only use Euphony as endpoint with NAA, feeding it with DSD128 files (ASDM7EC) from an AL machine with HQP embedded (still trial). This in turn is fed by a server PC with Windows attached to my NAS library. I run Euphony from a usb stick (also still trial).

 

Of course it takes some time to start ramroot, which apparently also requires a reboot. In future I could switch to a much faster usb stick.

 

As to sound quality. Normal vs ramroot are very close together in SQ to my ears. Ramroot may be very slightly opener and smoother, but it could be my imagination...

 

I prefer the new HQP EC modulators and with those I can go no higher than 128GB on my machine with i7.

Later I may try DSD512 with a more lenient modulator...

[bodiebill]

14 minutes ago, lmitche said:

Did you remove the USB stick after ram boot was complete and before playback?

 

No, but I did now, and it seems another micro-step up in SQ. Wonderful.

[bodiebill]

I was considering to put an Optane M.2 drive in the Euphony endpoint PC, but is this a good idea when using ramroot? After all the PC can then run fully diskless when the usb stick is removed...

[bodiebill]

39 minutes ago, Holzohr said:

 

Do you still have your GentooPlayer USB stick? I had abandoned the NUC-as-endpoint-thing when I bought the Matrix Element H card for my server (Euphony) but then because I am still not really convinced of this card I have reactivated my NUC7CJYH (not possible to put an m.2 drive there) one-two weeks ago as NAA (Audiolinux ramroot) and now I use it as NAA with Euphony (trial) root loaded to RAM. 

This dual pc setup seemed to sound better to my ears already with AL and now with Euphony and activated Networkaudio, too.

I guess I will have to buy a NUC7i7DNBE.

 

Before making a final conclusion about using AL or Euphony with the NUC as endpoint I would like to try GentooPlayer again but run out of USB sticks at the moment. From my memory GentooPlayer gave me the most listening pleasure compared to AL or Jussi's NAA image. Maybe because of Alsa 1.0.29?

 

Yes I still have my GentooPlayer stick, now with the latest version which has alsa 1.1.8. This new alsa version sounds really good and I'd see no need anymore to go back to 1.0.29. I very much like the sound of GentooPlayer, but I find the added richness of Euphony really tempting. The question is whether it is worth the cost, but that's why it is good to have some time left on the Euphony trial.

 

Familiarity with the sound signatures is more important than impressions from a quick A/B comparison. What impresses in the short run could irritate in the long run. And what seems boring in the short run could become addictive in the long run. So I take my time.

 

One practical advantage of GentooPlayer is that it loads its ramsystem very fast, without rebooting. Is this not possible in ArchLinux?

 

Still in doubt whether to use an Optane M.2 drive (which is possible in my Supermicro board).

 

And to finish with a confession: I sometimes dread to be influenced by extra-musical things, such as the beautiful yellow color of the Audiolinux screen, the euphonic name 'Euphony', or its smooth visual design. Could these influence my perception of the sound?

 

[bodiebill]

12 minutes ago, dctom said:

can  you purchase just the Euphony end point and use, say, AL and  HQP on the server side?

 

yes

[bodiebill]

9 hours ago, bobfa said:

 

I am interested in the system design.  I have never been able to get windows to sound right to me.  The more we know the better.

 

This Linux-Windows thing tends to become segregational.

 

I know the psychological trap of tending to like and justify the system you built with so many effort and cost. The fact that one invested so much in it biasses us into liking the result. Alas it is impossible to objectivate this, also because any character differences between Windows and Linux SQ-wise are a question of taste. I know as I spent a lot of time with both systems, trying almost everything. I ended up with Linux, even after initial disappointments. Now very happy.

 

I realise that I am not exempt from bias. Sometimes I think I like Linux more because I can relax more, because the options for tweaking are less manifold, and less costly than for Windows. This relaxation influences the subjective appreciation of the sound.

 

With the increasing complexity of the systems we build, real comparisons become harder and harder. Of course it is attractive to reduce things by saying that one operating system sounds better than another, but I am afraid that is just another welcome simplification, allowing the mind to relax a bit further as it does not have to try everything in two OS'es, which would be mind-boggling.