TWEAKS for PC USB DAC SETUP


I’m wondering what others have done with their personal confusers & DACs using an USB interface.

I recently added more Bright Star iso nodes, small & large to see if some betterment could be had. I used the small ones under my USB HDD… and the large ones under the desktop…. MUCH IMPROVED!

Cleaner, clearer, and more discernable range articulation became evident.

I also use a PS Audio UPC 200 & Duet, for the desktop and some peripherals. That helps two ways… it makes the FILE playback better, and seems to aid the maind systems sonics too by helping to eliminate the influx of wall wart, printer, etc., from introducing artifacts to it.

Has anyone yet confirmed or dispelled the USB cable controversy?

With which USB cable are you running?

Anything you’ve done which has proven to exhibit audible enhancements to the overall sound waulity would be greatly appreciated to be disclosed here.
hdd format... ntfs, fat 32, Which RAID, etc.

Thanks very much.
blindjim
Mr_bill

Here's my understanding of the ASIO driver.

The big deal with Windows production of Audiophile sound quality is getting around the Windows Sound Mixer inherent to the operating system. The ASIO driver circumvents the mixer by sidestepping it.

I'm using a USB sound card of sorts, A Bel Canto DAC 3. it connects via USB in my rig for listening sessions… and the integrated sound chip set for normal use of the PC as a prerequisite..

Drivers are used to allow software to talk to hardware.

Windows will put/place A driver for it by default when it sees the DAC.

Try the Windows default driver for yourself. or others, if you like, and as well, the USB FOR ALL German offering... the latter is a trial which will beep at 30 second intervals... until you buy it and enter the unlock code. There are some freee one’s out there too, though so many notes of those using both, pointed to the ASIO for all as the better one, so I just bought it and didn’t spend a lot of time trying out this one and that one and doing all the reconfiguring I presumed would be needed..

The main thing about the ASIO driver is the lessening or prevention of latency. Dropouts. Skipping. The JR software is doing the decoding and providing the improvement to the sound… the ASIO driver is just the conduit or carrier of that to the DAC/soundcard.

You can download it here:

http://www.asio4all.com/

..and try it for free.

J RIVER
J River has some Playback options. Included in there is the ability to use differing output devices, Windows, your sound card, an ASIO (Auto sound input output) driver. A couple minor means to configure it are directly under the playback device selection, giving you some more flexibility with the ASIO Driver. Other mo' betta means of configuring it can be done with other sound recording softtware who also use ASIO's. Those configurations are ‘global’ and not local settings so whatever changes are made in there, will affect it when using it with say, J River. It’s a little obtuse IMO, but if you wish to tinker around….??

ONce the ASIO (trial or not) has been downloaded, and JR restarted, it will see the new ASIO driver. Using the above path in JR, select it as the default output device.

One other step maybe necessary, and that involves going to the Windows Control panel, > sounds & audio devices > Audio tab > select the (once intergrated and energized) USBAUDIO DEVICE. vIOLIN! aLL IS WELL….OR should be at that time. A restart of the pc usually isn’t needed. Sometimes a restart of JR is though.

Checking the box labeled ‘use only default devices’ will make this a more permanent thing, and to use some other output sorce for other instances, the box will need to be unchecked.

play whatever... the ONLY issue I've yet to resolve is playing back some older MP3 files. The "ASIO for all" driver is ONLY 16/44.1K Hz. And I may have done them at a higher sampling rate.

Either the ASIO driver, and definitely via USB to the DAC3, won't deal with higher word lengths, or sampling rates.

Given the USBB through put of the DAC 3 is exactly the same, well, fine. Were I to desire to begin using 24/96 or 24/192, I believe I’d need a sound card or DAC that supports it… as I’m not sure if it’s the ASIO limitations in truth, or merely the limitations of my present PCs audio device.

The bottom line is simple… this path allows me to emulate almost completely the audio quality I get using my SCD xa777 + BC DAC3… yet I can now stop running back and forth from the listening room to the electronics room to flip discs. I’m a great ‘taker outer’ but I’m not a great “putter backer”… and this way also allows all the ancillary bennys. Tons of whatever music, a few keystrokes away.

Lastly, as you’ll see at the above website, this driver works with loads of other sound cards… PCI or USB, if you wish to use another interface than the USB with your DAC.

Itunes however still sounds lackluster as I’ve not been able to find out how to get iTunes to see that driver. Though I think it’s not too hard probably. So I still use iTunes to rip and sort, then import to JR and play. JR also has an iTunes GUI/Skin so it can look nearly identical to iTunes if you wish.

Hope that helps.
Blindjim

Thanks for the notes - I appreciate it!

I have been playing with J River and I see in playback there are two options - Direct Sound and ASIO.

Is this the same ASIO as the ASIO4ALL download or is it different and should I still do the download of ASIO4ALL?

I also see the option in J RIver with these two playback options to set to output 16 or 24 bit or 44 or 96khz?

Any thoughts on what settings work better with your BC DAc 3 or just leave it as 16/44 because the USB won't support it anyway. I see that Empirical Audio Off Ramp or Freeway might support this, but if you have a great upsampling dac, does this become a moot point?

Thanks Jim,
Bill

I have been playing with J River and I see in playback there are two options - Direct Sound and ASIO.

Is this the same ASIO as the ASIO4ALL download or is it different and should I still do the download of ASIO4ALL?

Good question. In the ASIO settings there is a selection which enables a notification window to pop up when starting the ASIO… check it and see what the version is… the current version of ASIO for all is 2.8.7

…of course if you’ve already downloaded and installed it… juset try it… if it beeps ever 30 sceonds that’s it.

I also see the option in J RIver with these two playback options to set to output 16 or 24 bit or 44 or 96khz?

Any thoughts on what settings work better with your BC DAc 3 or just leave it as 16/44 because the USB won't support it anyway. I see that

Right. I leave it at the 16/44.1

Empirical Audio Off Ramp or Freeway might support this, but if you have a great upsampling dac, does this become a moot point?

Ask Emperical that one.

I have a theory for life… if you like what you are getting, keep doing what you’re doing… If you don’t, change what you can.

I’m pretty happy with what I’m getting right now. Going to another type DAC just for the sake of change isn’t likely to happen ‘round here for a while.

The only changes that interest me now are some tweaks… here or there… and maybe new power cords for my amps… but in all, just minor stuff IMO. As I’m pretty OK with what’s going on here now.

One item I’m considering now is another sound card… just to see if there is a diff from changing or up sampling the signal for true with HDD Files.
I went through the ASIO4ALL thing and couldn't get it to function at all. I ended up with XMPlay and used a plug in which enabled WASAPI - much better sound. The only thing you may not like with XMPlay is that it offers a basic interface - some use 'Album Player' as a front end though which makes it look pretty with album art etc. If ASIO4ALL works for you, great; however XMPlay and WASAPI is a good alternative

Thanks.
Hmmm... No success with ASIO FA huh?
I used the JR Media center... my visual adaptive software just about eliminates the use of the video portions of the MC12 but the audio w/wo the ASIO driver was night and day different, to the gooder.

Had some troubles configuring things and getting used to JR MC 12, but in the end I'm extremely happy with the output and especially the fact it plays the 'purchased' protected files from iTunes too.

Now I'm wondering mostly about USB cables.

Anyone tried different USB cables and find any in particular better than Wal Marts, Radio Shack, or Belken?

Sure would like to know about this USB CABLE bit.