Euphony’s got it in for me

[Citrus]

Hi

Im trying Euphony and it just crashes or freezes much of the time. Every time I open it I have to sign into Tidal again and then get error codes. I use new device codes and they don’t work then it will suddenly decide everything is ok?

Surely something is not right here?

I tried it a couple of years ago and didnt like the sound that much and it did the same crashing and freezing and all the other bits. As I’ve had an upgrade in audio units I thought id try it again.

This time it sounded really good but the app just did all the same things. This shows its not my pc etc.

Im puzzled? If this is the case with every install I cant see where all the good reviews come from?

Im basically giving up on it but thought id try the forum for a last attempt at enlightenment : (

C

[Joerg D]

Hello,

on my System is Euphony very stable and reliable. With Win 10, i had some problems. Do you have made the complete installation or do you boot from the stick? The complete installation on an SSD is better for me.

Jörg

 

[davide256]

23 minutes ago, Citrus said:

Hi

Im trying Euphony and it just crashes or freezes much of the time. Every time I open it I have to sign into Tidal again and then get error codes. I use new device codes and they don’t work then it will suddenly decide everything is ok?

Surely something is not right here?

I tried it a couple of years ago and didnt like the sound that much and it did the same crashing and freezing and all the other bits. As I’ve had an upgrade in audio units I thought id try it again.

This time it sounded really good but the app just did all the same things. This shows its not my pc etc.

Im puzzled? If this is the case with every install I cant see where all the good reviews come from?

Im basically giving up on it but thought id try the forum for a last attempt at enlightenment : (

C

Check your BIOS if you have an Intel processor and see if you have any memory accelerator options enabled... I had to disable something called XMP on my desktop.

HOWEVER... don't expect good things from a random PC buy/build... never got much joy from Euphony in my DIY build vs a NUC which had better hardware integration.

 

[Citrus]

Thanks Guys

Davide256. What exactly was you spec for your NUC. Actually, more to the point, how was the software installed and what software was on it. Im guessing W10 wasn’t on the list?

I like basics. Imagine the first book you read when you were still learning your abc’s : )

Im still just trying to get that little tweak more and thought it was there with Euphony.

Grass is greener......perhaps!

C.

[davide256]

1 hour ago, Citrus said:

Thanks Guys

Davide256. What exactly was you spec for your NUC. Actually, more to the point, how was the software installed and what software was on it. Im guessing W10 wasn’t on the list?

I like basics. Imagine the first book you read when you were still learning your abc’s : )

Im still just trying to get that little tweak more and thought it was there with Euphony.

Grass is greener......perhaps!

C.

I've run Euphony on 8I3BEH NUC and right now on 8i7BEH NUC, both bought barebones

Sounds best if you buy 16 or 32Gb Optane memory to run as an M.2 boot drive and use music stored on NAS or shared from separate PC.

Euphony USB boot works well with NUC but is so slooooowww.

Most of what screws up USB audio out seems to be electrical noise from component operation, a better DC power supply helps reduce this.

The 8 series will operate fine with a 4A 12V DC LPS vs the stock 19V SMPS  but the newer 10 series do require 19V

 

My desktop is a Win10 i5 I built in December for gaming, works great for that but USB out for audio is hopeless, even with a Seasonic Gold PS.

[Citrus]

Thanks guys

Too much to sort out really and starting my whole system all over again.

Going to try Roon server and endpoint as ive got most of the units etc.

I think it ridiculously to put something on the market that can be installed on a W10 pc but is basically useless.

Ill turn the title round ‘Ive got it a bin for Euphony’ (process begun; usb destroyed with hammer : Not really although tempting : ) 

C.

[kelvinwsy]

The software that you pay for network headaches bcos of the software designer's paranoia about unauthorized users. The Trial software with the Trial PW worked twice and twice only. Since then, Just cannot connect to http://euphony.local.  Used bridging, same connection to the router, used a switch ... everything does not work. To struggle with network recognition issues where there are non in so many competiting Music Player OS's just does not make it worth all the headaches. During the 2 times it worked, the SQ from the SW was atrocious bad, Mid rangy, bloaty bass and rolled off HF's. 

FGitIt. I say.

 

[Citrus]

Glad im not the only one!

Just wondered if you had heard of Euphony? Or was it Choke up and sick on me. Cant remember but I do remember it was crap just incase you were interested. (Ha Ha : ) Seriously what can you say really!!!

C.

[davide256]

3 hours ago, Citrus said:

Thanks guys

Too much to sort out really and starting my whole system all over again.

Going to try Roon server and endpoint as ive got most of the units etc.

I think it ridiculously to put something on the market that can be installed on a W10 pc but is basically useless.

Ill turn the title round ‘Ive got it a bin for Euphony’ (process begun; usb destroyed with hammer : Not really although tempting : ) 

C.

Roon is a good choice if you want to use a standard PC.

[Citrus]

Hi Davide256

Seems im going down the ‘ROON Route’.

I wondered if you might now if a W10 machine with the server would ‘talk’ to something like a NUC Endpoint with ROCK (As they are 2 different OS) Im guessing if the signal is wifi then it doesn’t matter?

[davide256]

1 hour ago, Citrus said:

Hi Davide256

Seems im going down the ‘ROON Route’.

I wondered if you might now if a W10 machine with the server would ‘talk’ to something like a NUC Endpoint with ROCK (As they are 2 different OS) Im guessing if the signal is wifi then it doesn’t matter?

CA knowledge base article on Roon Rock below. Roon server talks to devices that are Roon ready or running RoonBridge. As best I can tell Roon Rock includes

Roonbridge which is pretty normal for Roon server installs... in this case you would enable the PC as your Roon server and select the Roon core NUC under audio

as your Roon device for audio out. But would be a waste as i3 or better NUC should have better USB out using the PC as file server.  Regardless of which is core,

you can control the Roon server from a tablet or smart phone.  Andy you can always start with just a core server USB connected to DAC, and using Roon

audio casually with a smartphone and headphones, iPhone sounds surprisingly good used as a Roon endpoint.

 

 

 

[Citrus]

Hi Davide256

Marvellous : )

very helpful thanks.

plenty of juicy material to read up on

thanks 

C.

[kelvinwsy]

Hi there all on this thread

I persisted and got Euphony working but rewriting the USB Drive and re-registering it.

Got to understand the loading of the Music library. Once I connected up my 5 TB Music drive, I got down to reviewing for real

 

Observations - Same HW 

Euphony on USB drive boot device

HQplayer 4.10.3 on same PC 

DAC - iFi micro BL - on Bit sample Perfect mode - Straight thru - no DSP processing

44.1khz files source - playback 44.1khz 

On Sennheiser HD800.

 

I equalized as much as I can

 

On the same tunes - as we all know PCM vs DSD upsampled has a bit more dynamic drive but the SQ is rougher. I mean rough and quite noticeably digital HF, bass is strong but bloated and Mid range is there out in front.

 

Even then I find (YMMV) Euphony playback - The bass line is somewhere at the back of the Sound Stage and is not as pounding strong as in say HQPlayer.

Euphony is Midrangy, the vocals and mid range instruments are out there Forefront and a bit in your face. Very Nice to listen to, but in my opinion not quite accurate....?

High frequencies is slightly raspy for music source with an abundance of HF music - more so than say HQplayer 4.10.3

 

Vs  JRC MC26 

Memory playback - full track loaded onto my 48gb ram PC. 

DSP off and 

bit perfect on iFi Micro BL.

The worst of the 3 - Bass line is bloated and inflated

Mid range is a bit similar to Euphony 

HF is unlistenable on material that has too much HF signal

 

I dont think Euphony suits my music taste.

 

 

 

 

[Citrus]

Hi Kelvinwsy

Thanks for the comments. Sometimes you need a nudge from someone to no when to quit!

You got it too work : )

The few tracks I played on Euphony sounded great but some tracks seem to sound great on a lot of set ups

and your its when you try more of your catalog you find out if its any good or.

Definitely giving up on it this time. How bizarre trying to market such a piece of junk!

If some people think its great and they’re enjoying it then thats what matters.

what are your thoughts on HQ player?

Im useing Tidal through Roon at the moment. Actually im not up on HQp. Is it a streaming service or player?

I got the idea it was a player?

I use roon cos it works!!! and Tidal as it has a very extensive catalog but I find its always best to keep an open mind?

whats your opinion on HQp

C.

 

 

[kelvinwsy]

Hqplayer is my GoTo Music playbk SW

I hv used Hqplayer 3 right thru and upgraded to 4!

The essence of DSD upsampling is the "softening" of the digital music SQ.. and I dont mean the -3db setting on volume pkaybk bcos DSD boost on upsampling and -3 db is to prevent overload on playbk and clipping of mysic peaks.. Even after equalizing playbk vol.. PCM pkaybk sounds "louder"!

To many users of Hqplayer, this "softening " of the digital edge of PCM playbk means easier sound to your ears. Pushing the DSD to DSD256 pushes the HF noise way pass human hearing threshold! The HF sounds sweeter! Much more pleasant and lower digital edge! To take advantage of this DSD256 upsampling especially with the HQplayer's EC modulator(DSP filter in layman's lingo) u need a very high power PC !

And the better power supply to PC and SSD drives and USB decrapifier.. the better u can hear all the DSD Upsampling goodness!

 

I do not subsribe to the "Natural native playbk" belief.  If a tune is recorded with HF hash then I want that fixed!

An example well documented is Stacey Kent's  Breakfast on the Morning Train .. recorded at Too high a level until the HF is distorted.. just listen to the guitar on 2nd track "Landslide"!! 

With DSD256 upsampling the guitar sounds just slightly off unlike at 44.1khz where the guitar notes sound Broken!

 

So My preference is to dsd upsample so that my tunes sound Great in playbk.. 

could never enjoy Foobar and JRiver MC bcos  the playbk does not sound great! Hqplayer 3 was good BUT HQplayer 4with the EC modulators was a sonic quantum jump! Note that I never said accurate native playbk!

Most commercial releases sound bad at CD level. Why shuld I miss out bcos I playbk at native mode!

 

[kelvinwsy]

May I add .. HQplayer playbk thru Roon loses 10-20% of the superior SQ ! I had Roon on trial and it was so obvious. Granted this was abt 5 years I hear from Forums it is still the same..

I just curate my own playlists using HQplayer version 3.25 save it and playbk  on HQpkayer 4.10 .. Headless PC .. no mouse no keyboard no Display running Win Server 2019 Core Mode with AO3 ..optimized direct USB connect to DAC .. all internet and wifi switched off

Wow .. wonderful SQ music playbk  in my music room😁🥰

[kelvinwsy]

May I add .. HQplayer playbk thru Roon loses 10-20% of the superior SQ ! I had Roon on trial and it was so obvious. Granted this was abt 5 years I hear from Forums it is still the same..

I just curate my own playlists using HQplayer version 3.25 save it and playbk  on HQpkayer 4.10 .. Headless PC .. no mouse no keyboard no Display running Win Server 2019 Core Mode with AO3 ..optimized direct USB connect to DAC .. all internet and wifi switched off

Wow .. wonderful SQ music playbk  in my music room😁🥰

 

Hqplayer upsamples Files on your local network AFAIK u cannot upsample music u dont own! U can try Audirvarna 3.25 if u widh to Do Tidal or Qbuz! Understand it works well .. or Just Roon

 

[Citrus]

Great stuff

Your previous evaluation was great by the way.

I will look into HQp later. It sounds promising.

I dont really know about the DSD things and modulators but all to be found out in time. Another nice avenue to explore.

I so agree about purist hifi. What a load of rubbish.

People endlessly go on about which headphone or dac or player they prefer because of more bass or midrange so basically they’re using equalisation to suite there own taste. The other thing is that if the sound was totally pure but you didnt like it whats the point!

I agree about roon. It does colour the sound and detail a bit. My experience with Euphony made it quite clear of some of the floors in Roon.

I listened to one track Inparticularly  and the kick drum was really tight with a real heavy sharp thud. With roon it gave the impression of more bass but actually it was just no sharp and just a bit squishy!

So thanks for the input.

C.

Actually to be fair to purist (difficult I know but someone has to : )

at the end of the day if they enjoy what they’re doing and that purfect untainted sound is their goal then im right behind them.

Enjoying what your doing is the goal.

Euphony I didn’t enjoy : (

[kelvinwsy]

Agreed . Enjoy your music the way you like it. Dont let other tell you otherwise! 

Happy Listening