Beresford USB Output

Got my Caiman run in now - nice box.

Have been using it with a coax connected Squeezebox.

I thought I would try USB from my Vista`Laptop.

Vista does`indeed recognise the`USB device immediately.

BBC iPlayer Works. Mozilla Songbird works. Foobar`works with default output but the music skips`along and is`full of errors when switching to WASAPI mode.

I guess getting WASAPI to work without special drivers`is`a vain hope.

Has anyone tried this?

I have`all sorts`of background noises from the`laptop. I don't get the noise when I connect the`laptop by HDMI to the TV for playing a` DVD - even if I then loop the sound from the TV to the Beresford by Toslink.

Apart from the noises, even when playing well, I haven't the first idea what Vista is doing to the bit stream.

This, of course, is why I choose the Squeezebox`option months ago.

Has anyone got a first class bit perfect Vista-Beresford installation using Foobar, MediaMonkey or something else?

Pulling out USB connection till further notice!

use aiso.. hold on il find a link

Done some more reading, and had another go.

The buffer has to be reduced to the minimum in WASAPI mode.

Foobar/File/Prefs/Output - set Output Device WASAPI - set buffer to minimum

Digital noise gone. Faultless playback.

Listened to a bit of the Sibelius Violin Concerto and some Beethoven Piano music.

Sounds fine.

Nothing works on the Windows Mixer, so WASAPI must be engaged.

At present Foobar is playing

http://radio.cesnet.cz:8000/cro-d-dur.flac

Yes, the one losslessly encoded radio station.

Quite amazing! Not heard it before - Squeezebox will not stream it.

If I am on the move, I can pack the Caiman, the Laptop and a pair of decent headphones (yet to buy) and I can get the best wherever!

Foobar works extremely well, but ain't pretty!

Has anyone got WASAPI working with Media Monkey or anything else.

Songbird would be nice, but I don't think it will do it yet.

Note:

USB limit with generic drivers is 48K I think, so I cannot play my Gimmell Studio Master Downloads this way (24/96). Those Squeezecentre downsamples to 24/48 and streams to Squeezebox.

Note 2:

I have a nice Laptop briefcase from the days of bigger Laptops. My 13" screen Samsung Q210 will go in that case with the Caiman and a pair of headphones.

<Grin from ear to ear>

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hamish_gill

use aiso.. hold on il find a link

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ASIO is XP only, I think.

Now got WASPI working

well heres the link to the aiso support info.. scroll doen to snokflakes post
http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=2373

not that you need it now anyway

i use aiso with vista no probs.. in fact very pleased with it

Thanks for your efforts, Hamish.

I will stick with Foobar-Wasapi for now, but may experiment when I have time.

Do try the FLAC Radio Station, if you like Classical Music.

Still listening!

i have been meaning to for a while actually.. my 7520 is temp wired into my system in such a haphazard way (i broke a cable) that i dont think i would get the full benefit of the experience.. i will def have a go when i get it sorted
what sort of bit rate are these stations?

let me know if you have a go with asio id be interested if you find one or the other better... id do it myself but it was such a faff getting asio doing what it was supposed to i dont want to balls it up unless its really worth it.. im not so hot on computers these days... i got a bit lost after windows 98 went out

[QUOTE=hamish_gill;57058]
what sort of bit rate are these stations?

QUOTE]

Foobar is playing the station, but not reporting any data - but over 2000Kb/s

An essay on USB DACs here

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/co...B-Audio-Primer

As an aside, as part of the Naim Roadshow I went to last week they gave us the opportunity to listen to their new DAC in a few different ways.

One was the USB (via an iTouch using WAV's), one was from the new CD2XS (via SPDIF BNC) and finally from the HDX (SPDIF but not sure of the connection)

The USB was by far the "least best" sounding. The HDX was a definite improvement but the CD2XS was excellent.

is that down to the limitations usb, or the source its self
the cd2xs is pretty rocking and i have also heard that the hdx is overpriced for its performance and suffers due to having the hdd in its box... and itouch with wavs could surly be bettered??? im a bit out my depth here!

To be honest there was a minimal difference between the HDX and the CD2XS.

The iTouch was noticably worse.

I'm guessing that the USB implementation wasn't the priority for Naim or that USB isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Yes, ASIO works in Vista as well. It's worth trying both ASIO and WASAPI side by side, and if you're running Foobar, try Kernel Streaming as well.. All 'bit-perfect', yet they all sound different, go figure. My personal preference has always been for ASIO.

Back to the digital noise from laptop. The later comments I wrote yesterday were with the laptop running on batteries. As`soon as I plug the mains in the noise is back. Nothing wrong with the sound quality - just a noisy Windows Laptop.

Any ideas?

1. Run off battery.
2. Buy a decent power supply.

Using a Samsung Q210. I have Maplin Universal switching power supplky which I use with my 7510 - that was`not noisy.

you should be able to alter the power settings on to make the laptop run as it does when its runnig off battery

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hamish_gill

you should be able to alter the power settings on to make the laptop run as it does when its runnig off battery

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I don't see what changing any of those setting would do - they are all about power saving. My problem would seem to be the noise the power suplly is injecting into the laptop from its own switching circuits.

oh i see.. sorry misunderstood

i remember some huge dynaudio mono blocks that had huge batteries in them so you could have an hour or of pure listening by unpluggging them from the mains.............

Dynaudio makes power amps too? I can't seem to find any on their website. Do you remember what they were called?

Saw an old "Grand designs" the other day of the building of a Woodsmans Cottage - he had submarine batteries charged by wind and solar power - way to go?

Labarum: You should try using a power conditioner or switch to an optical input maybe.

Just installed Foobar on my wife's Dell Inspiron.

Not quite as bad, but still noisy.

Cheap Windows Laptops! But mine ain't that cheap!!

No other option but to use USB out - unlike the MacBook there is no optical out.

Normally I sidestep all the windows issues and stream with a squeezebox, but Squeezebox won't (yet) stream this FLAC inside OGG container station.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by therockst4r

Dynaudio makes power amps too? I can't seem to find any on their website. Do you remember what they were called?

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arbiter

BAD ASS!! they went with the evidence speakers i dont remember what they cost exactly but it was in the ball park of £200,000 for the speakers and amps

i had the experience of it at uhes when they were at the castle .. they whole system included evidence and arbiter for the front channels and then the small equiv dyns to make up a 7 channel system with a top of the line sim 3 projecter and jod knows what else... i played on project gotham racing through it... awesom!! i wouldnt pay the half a mill it was "worth" bt it was quite the experience


i then went and spent 3 hours listening to pink floyd and smashing pumkins through the naim ref system.. cd555 etc with the old dbl speakers

it shat all over the dyn stuff from a HUGE hight!! after i had listened to a few tracks of smashing pumpkins i started phisically shaking.. no exageration... phisically shacking! i had never had and havent ever since the same experience or reaction to listening to music

anyway im babbleing again... it was an amsome day out though!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lovejoy

Yes, ASIO works in Vista as well. It's worth trying both ASIO and WASAPI side by side, and if you're running Foobar, try Kernel Streaming as well.. All 'bit-perfect', yet they all sound different, go figure. My personal preference has always been for ASIO.

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Installed all three. And Asio4all. All work.

Is ASIO a little less sibilant? A little "sweeter"?

Just a hasty initial impression. But why?

Tis indeed a black art!!

I don't think there is a more comprehensive or powerful player for Windows. (xxHighEnd http://www.phasure.com/ ???) Pity about the looks of Foobar. But it does put the Mac Brigade in their place.

Anyone see the latest Absolute Sound (US mag I guess) poorly investigated article on USB/computer audio? Trashed USB audio in general as convenient but a "shadow of real sound", then the following article praised someone's USB/Dac dongle thingie as a great gift to humanity. Not very useful without better research into all the options. I can't hear any difference between a cd through the 7520's coax or the rip through its USB. Anyone else??

my case the cd player is worse by a good amount
that mag sounds like it needs to get with the times ...... and buy a beresford :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dougr33

I can't hear any difference between a cd through the 7520's coax or the rip through its USB. Anyone else??

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Me too. On the desk of my home office there’s a Beresford TC-7520 connected to a Fatman iTube valve amp. I can’t hear any difference if digital audio from the Mac mini is sent to the DAC via USB or optical cable.

Upstairs in the living room I have a second TC-7520. Input is either via optical from an Airport Express (receiving wirelessly streamed music from my desk) or coaxial from a Yamaha CD player. To my ears the sound from any of these inputs appears the same, regardless if I listen to the Triangle Esprit floor-standing speakers or my AKG K701 headphones.

My sound files are ripped to Apple Lossless format (44.1 kHz/16 bit). Maybe there’s a difference if playing files with higher resolution, but I have not yet tested this.

The TC-7520 USB input has been tested against the USB input on the Wavelength DAC in the last few days. I haven't heard of the Wavelength before, but I understand that there was little between the two DACs in terms of sound differences. There was a massive U$7250 price difference though:).

Stan

Stan, have you, or anyone you know compared any of your DACs driving Quad Actives

http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/p...roduct_ID/3859

£600 the pair + 1 Standac @ £150 = £750

against AVI http://www.avihifi.co.uk/adm9.html

£1100

Or has anyone made a similar comparison?