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Maybe VAC is 'not as clean' because it's using ASIO4All instead of a real ASIO. However, on 'bit perfect', I am a believer that 'not all bit perfect are the same', based on personal experience. I used to have a Weiss DAC2, it was able to detect whether a set up is 'bit perfect', I recall I was able to get foobar, cplay, stealthplayer with ASIO/WASAPI/Kernel Streaming, a combination of these players with a combination of workable protocals (also with different buffer settings), for the DAC2 to say they are all bit perfect. However, they all sounded differently. (Please, I don't want to have a debate over why 'bit perfect' can be different, I am just sharing my experience.) :-)

I understand your point Caleb. I'll give it a try sometime. I suspect it will sound similar to using the Virtual Audio Cable method. I may be wrong though. Thanks.

Thanks ccclapp. I think it's similar to the standalone convolver method I linked to the Audiolense usergroup. In addition to that,in a separate method, I was able to use Orpheus1 to replace the virtual sound card and do real loop back. i.e, plays through SPDIF Out, loop back into Orpheus1's own SPDIF In, run convolver on PC1 (with SPDIF in as input), output with Orpheus1's own DAC to analog pair. This way, I use only one PC, and only one Orpheus. However, I guess due to the PC needing to run too many things at the same time, the sound is not as good as my 'complicated 2-PC' set up. People talk about optimizing windows, minimizing processes, also using Fidelizer, I do hear a difference on my system. Hence, I am trying to as each PC to do as little as possible. Thank you for the link anyway, I enjoy reading it. Best, Peter

Dear All, I am using two computers to play music (I will elaborate later) because I use DRC filter generated by Audiolense. I understand DRC filter can be processed by JRiver, HQPlayer, CPlay, and Foobar, and I've tried them all. I also am able to use Virtual Audio Cable to build a Standalone Convolver for all different players. (http://groups.google.com/group/audiolense/browse_thread/thread/5fee01390ae33d00/508ffb54840961e4#508ffb54840961e4) I also spoke to a gentleman today at MiniDSP to inquire about their OpenDRC-DI product, it turned out it cannot process Audiolense' filter, which has 65536 (60K) steps. But the Standalone Convolver method doesn't sound as good as what I am doing now (to be elaborated later.) Further, I'd like to have the freedom to use other players such as JPlay, Korg Audiogate, and Stealthaudioplayer. In the case of JPlay, it's impossible to run a standalone convolver on the same PC under hibernate mode. Hence, I came up with the following configuration, and I like the sound the most: PC1 (runs player software, for example: JPlay) -> Firewire -> Prism Orpheus1 SPDIF_Out -> Prism Orpheus2 SPDIF_In (also clocked by Orpheus1) -> Firewire -> PC2 (runs DRC convolution software) -> Firewire -> Prism Orpheus2 SPDIF_Out -> Prism Orpheus1 SPDIF_In -> Prism Orpheus1's DAC to one of its analog output pairs Now, this takes two Orpheus'. I only have one of them, I borrowed the second one from a friend, to compare with a EMU 0404USB (to be used similar to above, in place of Orpheus2.) The Orpheus2, even though using only its digital portion, sounds much better (real, natural) to me, than the 0404USB, even though I use both only in its respective digital portion, and they are both clocked externally from Orpheus1. So, I know I don't need the analog portion, I also assume I don't need a good crystal. However, I really don't want to spend so much money on an Orpheus2 just to use its digital portion, and to be clock sync'ed externally. Does anyone know of a cheaper (but of good quality) digital interface solution to do only digital SPDIF In/Out, can be clocked externally, with ASIO? I'd greatly appreciate any pointers. Thank you! Peter

I have happily paid for Jplay. If you go to its website, to the Buy section, you 'd realize you pay to get both 32 and 64 bit versions, with your name, and 1) can be used on ALL your windows machines, no further licensing requirement for each machine, and 2) all future upgrades are free. I think that's pretty generous. Kind regards, Peter

Hi Erin, Cplay and Jplay both want us to use powerful CPUs, the philosophy is very different from Chris' C.A.P.S v2.0 server which uses Atom CPU. (Please correct me if I am wrong.) I went something similar to Chris' route with a low power CPU with this mother board "ASUS E35M1-M PRO Fusion AMD E-350 APU (1.6GHz, Dual-Core) AMD Hudson M1 Micro ATX Motherboard/CPU Combo", at http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131697. Therefore, the starting point on hardware of mine is different from the Cplay author's recommendation, but I did built an XP system based on the tweaks he recommended (to the extent allowable). Let me call it partition XP. I have another partition using Win7, tweaked down to less than 30 process running. 1) Partition XP, with Cplay, maybe because my CPU is not powerful, doesn't impress me at all. To be honest, I didn't try it too much (only listened for about 15 minutes and didn't really want to continue.) Note Jplay doesn't run on XP. So can't compare Jplay and Cplay on XP. 2) On optimized Win7, Cplay is fairly good, but I still much prefer Jplay's full hibernate sound. English is not my native tongue, so I cannot come up with all the fancy words for description. Let me try here, instruments, vocals are more 'real' with Jplay. (I listen to classical music only.) Had there be no Jplay, I would actually prefer another memory player called Stealthaudioplayer (http://andy-audioplayer.blogspot.com/2011/07/stealthaudioplayer-stage-is-set.html#comments) even more than Cplay. Another good player I like is Audiogate at http://www.korguser.net/audiogate/en/index.html. But there is Jplay now, I am finding I listen to Jplay exclusively and the other players occasionally but still come back to Jplay very quickly. This is just a music lover's view, not related to theory at all. Also, could you share with me how you optimize for Cplay under Win7? Thanks.

Thanks Firedog, sorry I didn't make myself clear last time. What I meant was: install Brutefir on Vortexbox to process convolution filter generated by Audiolense. on a second PC, run Jplay, to access, through LAN, Vortexbox server which is the first PC. is that possible? thanks. Peter

Hi Firedog, I am using Jplay and loving it. I know how to use it to play files stored on my NAS server. I am curious, are you able to use Jplay to play music on your Vortexbox? If so, could you elaborate a bit how this is done as I have no experience with Linux nor Vortexbox. If so, that will be great! Because I will then be able to run my convolution filter generated by Audiolense on the Vortexbox server in my tiny server room, and use Jplay in my other dedicated PC in the media room. Thank you! Peter

Hi Elp, This is about Jplay. If you don't mind, I posted my way of using standalone convolver at Audiolense' Google user group below: http://groups.google.com/group/audiolense/browse_thread/thread/5fee01390ae33d00 Best Peter

I will answer myself here, with the latest Jplay version 3.4. I can successfully run a separate convolver, and my CPU manages it fine. Computer: Macmini with Bootcamp, Win7 32bit, SP1, 4GB.

Hi Marcin, With so many people praising Jplay, I am thinking about getting my hands wet with Jplay! Since I am deeply attached to using convolver with VST in my system, and Jplay doesn't support it, hopefully, yet :-) I am considering using VAC (Virtual audio cable) to run VST. I am not sure if I will be successful figuring out how to get it done. Question for you, running VAC is something I imagine to be adding stress to my PC, even if I successfully figure out how to use it to run VST, hosting a convolver, do you think the outcome of sound into my DAC will be affected, in a negative way, due to loading the PC further? I appreciate your help. Best, Peter

Thank you Murray for the reply on Fidelizer. I will contact you offline. Best, Peter

Thank you Miska! I appreciate that! One more question, does HQPlayer support Cue + Flac, do I need to convert all my Cue + Flac into individual flacs? Thanks again. Peter

Dear Murray, I see you mentioned me anonymously in Jplay's forum, so I am writing this post here. I hope you nor Miska will mind. I've been playing with Audiolense XO for about half a year now, still in the process of tweaking the target curves to my likings, I think I am almost there. I currently use a self-built pretty quiet PC, running Win7, all connectors and speakers are from Puresilversound, Prism Orpheus as DAC and Pre-amp, and then into a "capacitor replaced" Krell KSA200, then into a pair of ProAc D100. I've tried the Macmini route, including purchasing Puremusic, with convolver plugin, I'd say the sound is descent, but since I have tons of Flacs, and I don't want to keep on adding the Flacs to into Itunes, so I am coming back to the PC world. I am currently running CMP + Cplay, through Flacs on my ReadyNAS NV+ server. What I did was strip down the OS according to Blackviper's recommendation, and run Fidelizer in audiophile mode, then launch CMP, then run Cplay. I am getting pretty good results (I prefer this sound to my MacMini with Pure Music setup, also prefer the sound to JRiver.) I know you've compared HQPlayer with CMP/CPlay. When you have a chance to try the Fidelizer route, could you do another comparison? I greately appreciate that. (I cannot try HQPlayer as my test run has expired before I knew how to separate Audiolense' filter into two mono channels.) Also, have you found a way to run convolver with minimalist players such as StealthAudioPlayer or Jplay? Thanks! Peter

Dear Marcin, It seems you have a very nice sounding piece of software, I am eager to give it a try, but have not done so because I don't want to waste the precious trial period yet. 1) I use a Prism Sound Orpheus as both Preamp and DAC, it works with ASIO only, has its own ASIO driver. (I haven't figured out how to use WASAPI yet.) Does JPlay support ASIO? 2) I also use convolution .wav file for room acoustic correction, using Audiolense. Is Japlay compatible with any VST plugin? Many thanks! Peter