Euphony OS w/Stylus player setup and issues thread

[ArthurPower]

On 3/17/2019 at 1:01 AM, dc-audiogeek said:

 

I sent an email to Arthur letting him know of all the recent interest in Euphony on this forum. I'm sure he'll drop by soon.  😉

Greetings computer audio enthusiasts. I will do my best to check on this thread and answer some questions.

[ArthurPower]

11 minutes ago, kravi4ka said:

Dear Arthur,

 

You are most welcome! Euphony gives us hope that we have found a good sounding, stable and easy to use OS.

 

I sent a question through the site if Firewire cards work with Euphony but never got a reply, any one tried it?

I don't think firewire audio interfaces have been tested. Arch Linux does have support for many firewire audio devices so there is a good chance it should work. 

[ArthurPower]

17 hours ago, RickyV said:

Hi @ArthurPower and welcome to AS 

I am in the process of building me a dual pc setup and I want to keep it like that. I have learned from @bobfa that Euphony os can be configured as both a server as well as the steamer so that is good. But if I go for Euphony do I need two copies/licenses at two times the prices?

 

Rick

We have some others running a dual Euphony system like this. Yes, it requires purchasing two licencees since the licence is tied to the hardware in use. When you compare the amount of money we spend on gear in this hobby it really is very reasonable to spend a few hundred on software that has a much bigger impact on the over all sound quality then the computer hardware in use. The amount of work that goes into Euphony is tremendous. We are constantly getting feedback and releasing updates to address bugs, new hardware, and add new features. We thank everyone for their support!

[ArthurPower]

4 hours ago, Poldi said:

BTW the Guys at Euphony told me that the trial version of Euphony OS can only be booted with legacy boot and not with UEFI boot. It doesn't matter whether it's flashed to an USB flash drive or a SSD.

They know that this creates problems for some people with devices without legacy boot but they don't have a solution for it right now.

Only after buying the full version you can install it to a SSD that can be booted with UEFI boot.

A UEFI trial version is in the works. 

[ArthurPower]

On 3/20/2019 at 5:19 PM, BigAlMc said:

 

I was wondering the same.

 

@ArthurPower Great to see you join this discussion and I look forward to your input.

 

Leaving aside the cost of Euphony licences and the relative value/expense in this hobby, here's the question that's been bouncing around my restless mind.

 

For Audiolinux NUC server and endpoint combos the general consensus has seemed to be that the endpoint contributes 80-60% of the SQ improvements (largely because it's closest to the DAC) and the server contributes 20-40% of the SQ improvement.

 

So if I was to only buy one Euphony licence then it seems intuitive that it would be better for SQ to use it on the endpoint rather than the server.

 

In your opinion is my logic missing anything here?

 

Also given Euphony is essentially server software that will work as an endpoint are there any compelling arguments for ensuring the server and endpoint both run on Euphony?

 

Finally, in the Euphony universe do your users seem to agree with the 80-60 endpoint and 20-40 server contributions that I've quoted above.

 

Many Thanks,

Alan

 

PS as someone that works in software development (non audio alas) I totally get the argument that better support costs more. Just saying I'm not being critical of the costs. I'm simply trying to assess the options here.

I think Euphony is about 80% of the SQ improvement. We have never recommended that anyone use Euphony on a two computer based playback system, but some customers just like the idea and implemented it that way in their setup. When you're streaming over a network there are a lot more variables to consider. From cabling, the router, the power supply for the router, and the computer that is streaming the audio. So the OS on the streaming server can make a difference, but I think you need to consider all the pro's and con's of having a two computer based playback system. Any Linux distro on the server is going to be better then windows.

[ArthurPower]

4 hours ago, Dutch said:

 

Sorry to be blunt and this is not an attack, but this type of response from a commercial party worries me a bit since it seems to ‘down play’ that what many have found to be true in at least setups not using Euphony: the distributed setup sounds better. They don’t ‘just like the idea’. You’re making counter arguments to not use/be careful of this type of setup instead of constructively entertaining the idea that it might actually be or could be better. Perhaps you’ve tested it, I don’t know since you don’t mention this.

 

Also, most of us here have a streaming setup anyway since we use Tidal, Quobuz etc.

 

Perhaps we here are not your average customer  Of course whether or not you’d like to cater to our needs is up to you.

We have found the best audio results are achieved playing from a local SSD with a single box system using Stylus. Our original goal when adding other players and services was to simplify Roon and HQPlayer deployment while maintaining great audio quality. Most audiophiles don't have the computer skill set of the guys on this forum. They want a simple one box turn key system. There will always be some advantages if you spend time to build a system that factors in every possible way to improve sound quality. The point is we are not trying to sell people two license or tell customers this is necessary if you want great quality computer audio. 

 

[ArthurPower]

On 11/15/2021 at 2:48 PM, louawalters said:

Hi Guys,

 

Haven't seen an update to Euphony OS since 07/16/21 - does anyone know if there is still development going on?   Not that I have had any issues, Euphony is awesome-sauce.   Hopefully all is good with the developer - I am going to assume they are working on v4... but haven't read anything official...

 

Just checking.

Lou

 

There is always development going on. Since there are no real issues at the moment yes they have been working on V4. Stay tuned...

[ArthurPower]

Greetings everyone. For those who don't know me, I've been handling euphony in North America since its inception. I know the entire euphony team and talk with them weekly. 

 

I was surprised and a little disappointed with the new subscription model myself. Everyone's doing subscription services these days and sometimes with little return. However, I see how hard these guys work on this software. They don't have the resources that a company like Roon has. Yet, they continue to churn out updates and add features. 

 

Someone made a good point on this thread that audiophiles are willing to spend a $1,000 dollars on a power cable, yet they don't want to pay anything for software. I guess I also used to be one of those guys. Keep in mind you don't get any firmware updates for your interconnects. lol  It is a tremendous undertaking to continue to keep this product current, stable, and with the latest dependencies required for all the features people want. 

 

Please try to be patient for the next few days as they work out the details of the subscription service. After using euphony, most people agree it is a significant upgrade in audio quality over competing products. If I told my customers I could make their equipment sound considerably better for only $150 a year, I don't think anyone would hesitate if it was presented in that manner. 

 

Unless you're a programmer or you've worked with programmers, you don't realize the amazing amount of time it takes with any software product, especially an entire operating system like this dedicated to audio.

 

I'd like to thank everyone who beta tested this software which has helped move up the release date and make euphony a better product.

 

Please note: I do not directly benefit from the sale of this software. Only by selling complete systems with euphony (I have to pay the full price for the software) do I make a profit. 

 

Enjoy the music, Arthur 

Power Holdings Inc 

 

[ArthurPower]

Resources are needed for companies to grow in order to provide better support and faster updates. Will you support euphony?

[ArthurPower]

"Why was there no advanced notice about this change in licensing?"

 

They only recently made this decision to go to a subscription model. Originally the version 4 upgrade was going to be like version 3. So now they're still trying to figure out all the details to make this transition. In the meantime everyone is panicking and complaining. Give them a chance to figure this all out so it's a fair an easy transition for existing customers. 

 

They surely are not the first company to transition from a perpetual license to a subscription model. I wasn't thrilled when I heard about it, but I do understand why they feel they need to do this to move forward. What they should have done is waited until all the details were ironed out before announcing this licensing change. Please be patient for a few days until they make an official announcement. 

 

 

[ArthurPower]

3 hours ago, drjimwillie said:

I did not beta V4, V3 is working well and I did not want to mess with it.

 

The one area that I think could use improvement are all of the pick boxes where you Interface with the software. I have a 10 inch tablet, but every place I have to pick is very small.

 

Also the box where you enter the information is not long enough, if you have a track that is very long, it is bigger than the box, so you cannot see the full entry and it is hard to edit. 
 

that is what I would like to see in a new release. Is the new software easier to use?

Did you try using the app?

[ArthurPower]

Zeljko, worked the entire day, answering tickets and assisting customers to successfully upgrade to V4. He worked until 12:00 midnight (Croatian time). The poor guy was exhausted. Now that's customer service! 

[ArthurPower]

18 hours ago, di-fi said:

@ArthurPower Best wishes to you. Maybe before I go you can shed some light how it has been going so far and what about the outlook for 2023? You seem to have better communication with the Euphony team than everyone else here?

 

I just spoke with Robert. Development is progressing and a beta version is now currently available for everybody to download if they wish. 

[ArthurPower]

18 hours ago, BCRich said:

Sometimes I feel its like beating a dead horse. Robert is not the most tactful communicator. I’m sure he is under a lot of stress. How you choose to say things can carry more weight that what it is you have to say. I wish @ArthurPower had more of a presence here. 

 

If I had more info to share I would gladly make a post or two but the euphony team has been pretty tight lipped lately. Maybe they know I have a hard time keeping secrets from customers. lol

 

I did talk to Robert a few nights ago. All I can tell you is that they are dedicated to Euphony despite the slow pace at the moment. Things will pickup and get better. I have known these guys since the beginning. They don't give up.

[ArthurPower]

The latest version of Euphony now contains the 'Summus mode' with all of its optimizations. However, if you are doing a clean install on a Summus (first or second gen) the 'Summus mode' has to be enabled. You will need to contact Euphony support to help you with this.