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Try these Audio Registry Changes in Windows

93.109.86.64

Posted on January 3, 2017 at 11:38:56
fmak
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[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\Multimedia\SystemProfile\Tasks\Audio]

"Scheduling Category"="High"
"SFIO Priority"="High"
"Background Only"="True"
"Priority"=dword:00000001
"Clock Rate"=dword:00002710
"GPU Priority"=dword:00000002
"Affinity"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\Multimedia\SystemProfile\Tasks\Pro Audio]

"Scheduling Category"="High"
"SFIO Priority"="High"
"Background Only"="False"
"Priority"=dword:00000001
"Clock Rate"=dword:00002710
"GPU Priority"=dword:00000005
"Affinity"=dword:00000000

and post what you hear.

You do so at your own risk. Save your registry entries before you try, and save the whole registry as well as insurance. Do not do anything unless you are comfortable with registry changes. To engage the changes, logout and then login again. Change one item at a time and play music before and after.

 

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    ...
Fortunately..., posted on January 3, 2017 at 15:07:03
E-Stat
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I don't have to make such arcane changes when using a high powered server used only for file access and FLAC decoding. The dedicated streamers are already optimized for audio playback.

I do, however, optimize priority for LMS (which also affects the FLAC processes) with a simple menu based option on the server. While running Task Manager, I select the LMS process, right click and set priority to "High".

 

+1 Agree, posted on January 3, 2017 at 15:32:36
AbeCollins
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...but some folks enjoy hacking the registry and tweaking their computers to the brink of crashing.

Most of us don't need to. ;-)

I generally disable a handful of unneeded processes, give priority to my player, and let the OS scheduler do it's job. Not a problem for most reasonably capable modern computers.


 

RE: +1 Agree, posted on January 3, 2017 at 15:53:34
E-Stat
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...but some folks enjoy hacking the registry

I'm quite familiar with using REGEDIT, but mostly to strip superfluous programs from spawning at boot.

 

optimized, posted on January 3, 2017 at 21:47:37
fmak
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How? On who's say so? What is the reasoning?

There is no such thing as optimisation in the engineering sense unless you know what you are 'optimising'.

 

Pay attention, posted on January 3, 2017 at 23:58:33
AbeCollins
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He already told you the what, how, and the reasoning. Try reading the post again, and pay attention this time.

As for your comment, "On who's say so?"

I don't think he needs anyone's 'say so'. Are you suggesting that he needs your permission?



 

This further demonstrates, posted on January 4, 2017 at 02:29:19
fmak
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Posts: 13158
Location: Kent
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that you have NO valid concept of audio, computers, and optimisation.

I asked him how and why he chose to state that his system is 'optimised'. Let him answer.

You are just trolling yet again. If you want to contribute, stick to what I said in my posts.

 

RE: Try these Audio Registry Changes in Windows, posted on January 4, 2017 at 04:52:07
SBGK
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requires that the playback software tells MMCSS that it is audio or proaudio, usually pro audio is for 96 khz and above playback. Think background=true is preferable - "Indicates whether this is a background task (no user interface). The threads of a background task do not change because of a change in window focus.". Can also set background priority. GPU priority is not used so any difference heard with that is false. For priority - "For tasks with a Scheduling Category of High, this value is always treated as 2.". The clock rate 2710 is 10ms, MS audio engine tries to do thinks in 10ms chunks, so presumably the player buffer sizes should also be 10ms.

Could also try disabling MMCSS for a more relaxed sound.

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms684247.aspx

http://mqnplayer.blogspot.co.uk/

 

Too funny, fmak!, posted on January 4, 2017 at 06:08:16
E-Stat
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How? On who's say so? What is the reasoning?

That would be my question for your suggesting to *optimize* the Clock Rate to "dword:00002710". Please explain the rationale for integer value 2710.

"Try these changes and see what you hear?" Are you shooting in the dark? What do you hear?

Since all of those registry values relate to server based audio tasks, they are irrelevant for me since mine doesn't do any audio processing. Do you understand that?

My change increases what is called the "nice" value on Unix based systems. It tells the scheduler to assign more CPU time to decompressing the files and sending them to the players. Empirically, CPU usage runs under 1% for all processes including a single audio stream. Increasing that to supply independent streams to two players runs barely over 1%.

Don't know about you, but I'd say that pretty much ensures virtually real time processing for those tasks. :)

 

It seems debatable, posted on January 4, 2017 at 06:47:06
fmak
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Posts: 13158
Location: Kent
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what the 'best' settings are. The SQ also varies with the particular OS used ie 8.1, 7 or Server (2008 to 2012R2).

Changing the various settings and observing the changes in SQ just goes to show that there is no such scenario as a universally best set of settings. Most of us cannot deal clearly with 7 factorial combinations, let alone the many combinations of settings under 'audio' and 'pro audio'. Thus the claim of a universally applicable optimal setting seems bogus.

Below there is a post claiming that the poster has an 'optimised' high power system playing FLAC!

For what it is worth, I find the best SQ with changes to the 'Audio' registry alone whereas there is good balance between clarity and bass quality, even playing 176/192/352k files. This is for one system only and likely to change with others. I prefer engaging MMCSS on this system.

 

Too deliberatly obtuse, posted on January 4, 2017 at 06:55:10
fmak
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You haven't laid down any basis for your 'optimisation', which has no subjective or objective target except for your say so. From your posting history, I don't believe you.

If you don't want to take part in what I suggested, that's fine and just butt out.

 

Too clueless, posted on January 4, 2017 at 07:19:11
E-Stat
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Clearly you are unable to explain the rationale behind your arcane registry edit suggestions. And still don't understand that my server doesn't do any audio processing - thus (at least for all the rest of us), realize there is no need for any such changes in my environment. Which is why I don't use a general purpose computer for playback in the main system.

Then you complain that I haven't laid out any basis for increasing the CPU's scheduling priority for the two LMS tasks! Time to look in the mirror. :)

Just hilarious.

 

I don't, posted on January 4, 2017 at 07:49:53
fmak
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Posts: 13158
Location: Kent
Joined: June 1, 2002
care what your servers do. You did not explain your setup and responded obtusely to my post on something else.

Unless you can explain rationlly how your system is optimised and why it is optimal, you are just posting nonsense. Playing FLAC by itself is not optimal except for hardline ITrists.

 

RE: I don't, posted on January 4, 2017 at 07:54:55
E-Stat
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You did not explain your setup

Try this, fmak. Click the "A" beside my name. Then follow to my system details. Just like everyone else does to find system details.

Unless you can explain rationlly how your system is optimised and why it is optimal, you are just posting nonsense.

Apparently, you don't understand operating systems. Understood.

Playing FLAC by itself is not optimal

According to exactly whom? Not that you will actually provide any substantiation for that assertion. You are incapable of explaining anything you'd posted. Naturally, none of us expect that you will answer any of the questions I've asked of you.

Clueless and surly.

 

Drivers and other software sometimes already create these settings themselfs, posted on January 4, 2017 at 08:25:24
I experimented with these MMCSS settings when I still used a WEISS AFI1 on a windows PC.
Changing these setting when using the Weiss AFI1, I could not hear any audible difference in my setup.

May be this was because the Weiss ASIO driver already had activated MMCSS settings too protect and/or too give priority too the audio thread.

From what I understand drivers, recording & mediaproduction software, playback software, etc can set / apply for MMCSS priority.

Sometimes with confusing / conflicting results.
See for instance:
https://www.forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=17575
https://www.forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=3131


For what is worth:
SBGK's tip for giving the windows audio service it's own process made a tinny (!) little difference (!) in my setup.
May be inmates should try this also.
open a cmd window in admin
type the command below (note space after = sign)
sc config Audiosrv type= own


Mark

 

RE: It seems debatable, posted on January 4, 2017 at 09:21:04
AbeCollins
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"Below there is a post claiming that the poster has an 'optimised' high power system playing FLAC!"

Quit spreading misinformation based on your misunderstanding. He is not "playing" FLAC. His server is 'streaming' FLAC to a dedicated network streamer. Pay attention.



 

RE: Try these Audio Registry Changes in Windows, posted on January 4, 2017 at 09:26:35
Mercman
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Posts: 6580
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Try AudiophileOptimizer and see what is possible with OS optimization.

 

RE: Try these Audio Registry Changes in Windows, posted on January 4, 2017 at 11:41:41
fmak
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Posts: 13158
Location: Kent
Joined: June 1, 2002
I have, but I prefer to know what I am doing step by step. Really, have you no interest in seeing what you can do yourself?

I suggest you listen to AO with the recommended Server 2012R2.

 

RE: It seems debatable, posted on January 4, 2017 at 11:44:10
fmak
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Posts: 13158
Location: Kent
Joined: June 1, 2002
So what? Why is his system 'optimised'? Or are you so claiming? Then say why.

 

RE: I don't-I did look at your system, posted on January 4, 2017 at 11:50:24
fmak
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Posts: 13158
Location: Kent
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and it has no claim to being 'optimised' as you tried to assert.

I have been talking orange. If you want to talk Apple, this is your business.

 

Sometimes with confusing / conflicting results, posted on January 4, 2017 at 11:54:59
fmak
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Posts: 13158
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This was what I was alluding to!

I spent sometime a while ago, hooked on RME stuff. However, I decided that talk may be the talk, but it is better SQ from others that I was looking for.

 

RE: It seems debatable, posted on January 4, 2017 at 12:28:00
AbeCollins
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The end-point is optimized for dedicated music playback.



 

Why would Windows Audio related services be running at all...., posted on January 4, 2017 at 12:35:35
Posts: 136
Joined: December 29, 2011
on a machine dedicated to quality audio playback?

Both mentioned registry keys pertain to Multimedia Class Scheduler Service, which is only needed, if one of the following output methods is used:

- DirectSound
- WASAPI

I thought that subject of suitability, or rather lack thereof, of either of those for quality audio reproduction was closed a few years ago, shortly after WASAPI was introduced in Windows 7.

Has anything changed recently?

 

RE: Try these Audio Registry Changes in Windows, posted on January 4, 2017 at 12:37:22
Mercman
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"Really, have you no interest in seeing what you can do yourself?"

I don't have the the expertise to do anything like AudiophileOptimzier. What Philipp has developed has taken a great deal of work and time.

I will be trying Server2016 in the future.

On the other hand, I'm sure you derive some personal satisfaction doing this yourself.

 

He is challenged, posted on January 4, 2017 at 13:48:54
E-Stat
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with reading retention and the ability to answer simple questions.

What is high powered is the i7-860 server. Using Cray 2 computational power to decompress FLAC files is quite sufficient.

His server is 'streaming' FLAC to a dedicated network streamer

Actually, what gets sent to and *played* by the streamers are WAV files. But then, such concepts are beyond his level of understanding.

 

I'll ask the question again, posted on January 4, 2017 at 16:31:06
E-Stat
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According to exactly whom? [regarding FLAC]

Can you understand simple questions?

Do you know how to formulate an answer?

What is the basis of your belief?

Do you ever answer questions posed to you?

Is anyone home?

 

personal satisfaction, posted on January 4, 2017 at 21:56:17
fmak
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It's not that, but the purpose has always been to learn what is important and what is not in my own systems, rather than to blindly follow sales propaganda.

 

RE: I'll ask the question again, posted on January 4, 2017 at 21:58:32
fmak
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These are nonsensical questions. Just tell us why your system is 'optimised'.

 

It runs!, posted on January 4, 2017 at 22:57:19
fmak
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Posts: 13158
Location: Kent
Joined: June 1, 2002



On KS even when set in the player and setting affect SQ There is more than meets the eye, or the supposed rationale.

 

RE: It runs!, posted on January 4, 2017 at 23:25:45
internethandle
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For whatever it's worth, here are the full settings recommended by "pkshan," author of the Foobar XA mod, for the MMCSS "SystemProfile" key/sub-keys - this is rather old, however, and pertained to Windows 7 - he's since taken a much more hands off approach to Windows 10, claiming that most changes make sound quality worse (for his particular player, mind you - he's a bit of an odd duck in terms of obsessive Windows SQ tweaking):

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Multimedia\SystemProfile]
"NetworkThrottlingIndex"=dword:ffffffff
"SystemResponsiveness"=dword:0000000a

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Multimedia\SystemProfile\Tasks]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Multimedia\SystemProfile\Tasks\Audio]
"Scheduling Category"="High"
"GPU Priority"=dword:0000001f
"Affinity"=dword:00000000
"Clock Rate"=dword:0000e2c2
"SFIO Priority"="High"
"Priority"=dword:00000001
"Background Only"="False"
"BackgroundPriority"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Multimedia\SystemProfile\Tasks\Capture]
"Scheduling Category"="Low"
"GPU Priority"=dword:00000008
"Affinity"=dword:00000000
"Clock Rate"=dword:00002710
"SFIO Priority"="Low"
"Priority"=dword:00000008
"Background Only"="True"
"BackgroundPriority"=dword:00000008

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Multimedia\SystemProfile\Tasks\Distribution]
"Scheduling Category"="Low"
"GPU Priority"=dword:00000008
"Affinity"=dword:00000000
"Clock Rate"=dword:00002710
"SFIO Priority"="Low"
"Priority"=dword:00000008
"Background Only"="True"
"BackgroundPriority"=dword:00000008

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Multimedia\SystemProfile\Tasks\Games]
"Scheduling Category"="Low"
"GPU Priority"=dword:00000008
"Affinity"=dword:00000000
"Clock Rate"=dword:00002710
"SFIO Priority"="Low"
"Priority"=dword:00000001
"Background Only"="True"
"BackgroundPriority"=dword:00000008

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Multimedia\SystemProfile\Tasks\Low Latency]
"Scheduling Category"="Medium"
"GPU Priority"=dword:00000008
"Affinity"=dword:00000000
"Clock Rate"=dword:00002710
"SFIO Priority"="Normal"
"Priority"=dword:00000006
"Background Only"="True"
"Latency Sensitive"="True"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Multimedia\SystemProfile\Tasks\Playback]
"Scheduling Category"="High"
"GPU Priority"=dword:0000001f
"Affinity"=dword:00000000
"BackgroundPriority"=dword:00000008
"Clock Rate"=dword:00002710
"SFIO Priority"="High"
"Priority"=dword:00000008
"Background Only"="False"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Multimedia\SystemProfile\Tasks\Pro Audio]
"Scheduling Category"="High"
"GPU Priority"=dword:0000001f
"Affinity"=dword:00000000
"Clock Rate"=dword:00005ab4
"SFIO Priority"="High"
"Priority"=dword:00000001
"Background Only"="False"
"BackgroundPriority"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Multimedia\SystemProfile\Tasks\Window Manager]
"Scheduling Category"="Low"
"GPU Priority"=dword:00000008
"Affinity"=dword:00000000
"Clock Rate"=dword:00002710
"SFIO Priority"="Low"
"Priority"=dword:00000008
"Background Only"="True"
"BackgroundPriority"=dword:00000008

I still am unsure if these actually effect Kernel Streaming or not. My W10 build is extremely minimalist and I have MMCSS disabled during playback (done via KS). I'll A/B with MMCSS enabled sometime to see if I can spot a difference.

When the above were first posted over at Tir Na Hifi (I think - have spread my attention over so many PC audio web boards over the last few years it's hard to differentiate at times) the consensus seemed to be that "Clock Rate" for "Audio" and/or "Pro Audio" made a very real SQ difference for most users, but a consensus on a value for those settings never was come to. Changes to the other entries made a negligible difference.

 

consensus on a value for those settings never was come to, posted on January 5, 2017 at 01:45:11
fmak
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That's right, but inmates pay hundreds of dollars for multiple 'optimising' suites that modify not only the default OS but presumably each other. One inmates used 3 together for 'best' sound.

On a working PC, there can be 2 million files. When some are modified, who knows what the actual outcome will be for certain processes.

I personally would avoid dynamic programme that alter the OS as it runs audio or anything else.

 

RE: I don't, posted on January 5, 2017 at 04:28:26
SBGK
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Posts: 444
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decoding flac to memory so the whole track is available is optimal, then playback can be event driven with no extra processing.

If decoding flac during playback then there will need to be extra processes to do the decoding, extra buffers to hold the flac data and decoded data, data alignment issues between the decoded buffer and player buffer, checks to see if more data is required to be decoded etc

If it makes no difference then it's not an issue either way.
http://mqnplayer.blogspot.co.uk/

 

Exactly, posted on January 5, 2017 at 05:49:57
E-Stat
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Latency-free delivery of a WAV file to the microRendu player.

 

You can lead a horse to water, posted on January 5, 2017 at 05:51:42
E-Stat
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but cannot force him to read - or understand and retain what he's already read.

Others here, however, experience no difficulty. :)

 

Blowng your trumpet on, posted on January 5, 2017 at 06:47:39
fmak
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a falsehood seems to be the order of your posts, no assertions that have no basis.

 

Try turning it off, posted on January 6, 2017 at 08:20:07
Posts: 3040
Location: Atlanta
Joined: December 15, 2003
and hear what happens.

 

RE: Try these Audio Registry Changes in Windows, posted on January 7, 2017 at 06:38:13
theob
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Nice SQ pop Fred. Thanks. Btw I am using Windows10 with HQ Player.

 

RE: Try turning it off-I already had, posted on January 7, 2017 at 07:23:15
fmak
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Posts: 13158
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better with it as I posted

 

RE: Try these Audio Registry Changes in Windows, posted on January 8, 2017 at 16:52:52
AbeCollins
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According to your profile you have:

HP intel Quad I5 processor -> Hq player naa -> MicroRendu -> Vinnie Rossie dac

You heard a sound quality improvement editing your Windows 10 Registry with the playback chain described in your profile?



 

RE: Try these Audio Registry Changes in Windows, posted on January 9, 2017 at 04:55:16
theob
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yes

 

RE: Try these Audio Registry Changes in Windows, posted on January 9, 2017 at 20:40:18
AbeCollins
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Ok, if you say so. ;-)



 

RE: Blowng your trumpet on, posted on January 9, 2017 at 20:41:52
AbeCollins
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I understand perfectly what E-Stat was talking about. You seem to have a comprehension issue, but we all knew that. ;-)



 

RE: I personally would avoid dynamic programme that alter the OS as it runs audio or anything else. , posted on January 18, 2017 at 10:30:03
JBen
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Yup. It is ironic that so many folks spend tons of money in "damaging" their audio systems by activating rather than deactivating or at least reducing unneeded activity. And randomness is even worse.

Sure, some of the best-sounding systems are so minimalist that it is actually hard to keep them as easy to use as one wished. Still, I keep a dedicated (XP "bareboned/optimized") audio PC that is isolated from the world. Furthermore, when I want it doing its best, I manually defeat most "services" after bootup. It is several minutes of work after a bootup...but then I can listen for many hours. A musician friend of mine once laughed until we compared, using 3 DACs and 2 other PC's (Win7/10). In good spirit, he then said that his own Teac USB DAC wanted to buy my "scruffy PC" :))

Naturally, most folks need a higher level of convenience than what is consistent with the best sound. Then, many just throw money in and...we are expected to believe that solves the issue as easily...

 

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