MEASUREMENTS: Audiophile Sound and Operating Systems. (Windows 8.1, 10, Fidelizer, JPLAY)

Well folks, now that Windows 10 is released, I bet a number of audiophiles are wondering *yet again* whether the OS will make things sound different...
Will jitter change?
Will there be noise with processor load?
Will I need to install stuff like "Fidelizer" to optimize the OS for sound?
And I have a look at that JPLAY software again...

Here's my take on the matter. With a return of the DiffMaker tests
http://archimago.blogspot.com/2015/08/measurements-audiophile-sound-and.html

Enjoy the summer everyone!

 

^^^ Nice work, as usual! Thanks for thorough in-depth review.

 

LOL, you didn't even listen to it? How did it sound? Did you ever think that science has yet to properly account for all physical properties that effect digital sound via USB packets while streaming, thus we are unable to measure it. But we sure can hear the auditory differences. Thus I find your work meaningless.
But I'm sure you already knew that, otherwise you wouldn't post such dribble in order to entice a response.

 

Wow, who peed in your cereal. Nice thread crap.

 

Good piece, thanks. Very useful.

Still wondering how all these folk that cock a snook at measurements and science in general would get by without it.

 

It would be nice if folks serious about measurements would help to determine why we are hearing differences and look for ways to explain and measure it, instead of ignoring what is heard. You have to trust your ears first as an audiophile. Science comes second.

 

Yeah, I was a little rough, but at least I don't beat around the bush. Just come out and give an honest opinion.

 

Bull. Let's call that what it is.

Try finding agreed terminology and common descriptors that everyone can use. That's the biggest difference in this game. One person's night and day is another's hardly any change.

 

Actually, although I tend to be more an "ear" person than a "science" person, when it comes to computer related audio - specifically the operating system, operating system settings and playback software, I find measurements are pretty much all that matter. I say this because it's long been my experience that when those particular things measure well, you are a good way to achieving every good sound even with relatively inexpensive peripheral hardware. And the converse is true as well - you can use amazing gear but if the OS and playback software don't measure well, you are never going to get good sound that you can live with for very long. In any case, I'm not really interested in listening impressions except when it relates to actual audio hardware. Given that obviously there are massive numbers of hardware combinations that can be used with Windows and JPlay, in this case listening impressions are almost irrelevant or at best incidental and of passing interest only. So for me, measurements matter here and not a lot else.

 

I plan on implementing the AO (audiophile optimizer) come the roll out for Windows 10. After having great success and audible results with the Uptone Regen, I realize there is more to do with the PC to try and optimize my digital audio stream.
Here are a couple good recent articles on AO.
http://soundstageultra.com/index.ph...c-audiophileoptimizer-computer-audio-software

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/652-audiophile-optimizer-raises-bar/

 

Incidentally, I abandoned JPlay a few years ago because try as I might I could never get a satisfactory sound via Kernel Streaming. I went to XXHighEnd instead and I am very happy with it. I do not have the ability to make accurate measurements so it is interesting to see the 24 bit problem with JPlay. It's quite possibly the reason I never liked the sound no matter how much I tried to tweak it.