Might switch from Linux to Windows 10

[Vincent3]

Is there anything about Windows 10 I should know before switching from Linux, both in terms of audio and the OS in general? I've been using Linux since MS stopped supporting Windows XP. As much as I appreciate Linux being free and relatively secure, I'm tired of dealing with its compatibility issues. I do use Windows 10 at work, but that's as an end user of Outlook, Office, a few databases, and IE. I don't have to administer it like I would my home system.

 

As far as audio goes, my system is fairly simple and budget-oriented. I have an MITX motherboard with a video card, so I don't have space for a sound card. I'm going to get a Schiit Fulla 2 or a Modi/Magni stack. I use Sony MDR-V6 headphones and am going to replace my old 2.1 multimedia speakers with powered stereo speakers. My music is mostly rock/pop ripped at 192 VBR (I know FLAC is preferred, but I switched to MP3 when I saw how quickly FLAC filled up my hard drive). I'm planning to go back to Foobar and EAC.

 

As far as Windows 10 in general goes, I was at first concerned about it installing updates automatically without letting users opt out. Have you had any problems with this? Is the current version of Windows Defender sufficient for reasonable security?

 

Thanks!

[crenca]

Is there anything about Windows 10 I should know before switching from Linux, both in terms of audio and the OS in general? ...As far as Windows 10 in general goes, I was at first concerned about it installing updates automatically without letting users opt out. Have you had any problems with this? Is the current version of Windows Defender sufficient for reasonable security?

 

Thanks!

 

Well, the short answer is not much in terms of real issues. I run both (and have administered both in IT settings for years - different gig now) and both Windows and Linux have there pros and cons from a general OS (and general end user experience) and from a computer audio standpoint. The simple fact is for the "average" computer user Windows is in the end easier, but then Apple is a bit easier still (though IMO Windows is almost there). You still have annoying hardware/driver/software compatibility issues with Windows, but fewer (though they can be just as annoying to solve/work around).

 

Windows as a security nightmare was solved by Windows 7 (really, with Vista - thought the memory of MS virus/malware vulnerability still lingers in the minds of most) and Windows Defender just works. I have been pleasantly surprised MS's ability to roll out auto updates with a minimum of problems (I vividly recall the Service Pack days). What problems I have read about (let alone experienced), have mostly fallen into the annoying but minor category though bricked machines of course get all the press...

[lmitche]

Don't do it! Stick with Linux! It would take me days to list all the reasons that Windows is unacceptable for music playback. With the last remaining issue (native DSD) almost fixed, there is nothing Linux can't do better.

[fragoulisnaval]

I went from Windows XP to Linux (Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Debian), then to Mac ( I still love my mac mini late 2015) and now I am on Win 10.

 

At first, I have been reluctant with the transition but at the end, Win10 just sounds better than the rest ( to my system). Defender just works, after three years I have no virus at all.

 

Updates can be annoying to the point that when you do not expect it, the machine after booting will have to run the update and usually when this happens, it is when you need to do something urgent with the PC.

 

Music software under Win10 is superior to that of either Mac or Linux.

 

Stability is improved too, o blue or black screens so far...

[EuroChamp]

For audio only I can recommend Windows Server 2012r2, which is not very different to use than say Win7 or Win10.

Win10 is a really great OS with good stability and performance. But I do not accept the way, they push their updates.

This is, why for home office I switched to MAC, which was a good decision. For audio I use the Win server OS.

But linux I great, my home (file) server has Ubuntu installed.

 

For audio, why do you want to switch from linux. Once it is configured, you do not have to touch it again?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Computer Audiophile

[Vincent3]

Thanks for the replies. I switched to Windows 10. This is on a recently built PC that is still using the onboard ALC662, and I'm listening with MDR-V6 headphones. My music sounds quite different than it did when I was running Linux. I don't know if the difference is in the drivers, or in how the operating systems process sound.

 

I compared Windows Media Center to Foobar, and I prefer how WMC displays albums. Unfortunately, the default settings allowed it to "correct" some of my metadata, but I turned that off and fixed the metadata without too much trouble. I'm also going to try JRiver

 

As far as Windows 10 itself is concerned, I noticed right away how it pushes toward online integration that can sometimes be intrusive (e.g. the updating of my metadata). Of course, it also raises privacy concerns. Whereas Linux felt like a product that you installed locally on your PC, Windows 10 feels more like it wants to be a front end for cloud service. We already saw our first virus get past Defender, so I installed another security package. So far Windows 10 gets the nod, but I can see the potential for things to develop away from that. If that happens, I'll reinstall Linux.

[audiventory]

Thanks for the replies. I switched to Windows 10. This is on a recently built PC that is still using the onboard ALC662, and I'm listening with MDR-V6 headphones. My music sounds quite different than it did when I was running Linux. I don't know if the difference is in the drivers, or in how the operating systems process sound.

 

I compared Windows Media Center to Foobar, and I prefer how WMC displays albums. Unfortunately, the default settings allowed it to "correct" some of my metadata, but I turned that off and fixed the metadata without too much trouble. I'm also going to try JRiver

 

As far as Windows 10 itself is concerned, I noticed right away how it pushes toward online integration that can sometimes be intrusive (e.g. the updating of my metadata). Of course, it also raises privacy concerns. Whereas Linux felt like a product that you installed locally on your PC, Windows 10 feels more like it wants to be a front end for cloud service. We already saw our first virus get past Defender, so I installed another security package. So far Windows 10 gets the nod, but I can see the potential for things to develop away from that. If that happens, I'll reinstall Linux.

 

If foobar used, there better way playback via AISO or WASAPI drivers - without resampling inside Windows driver.

As far as I know, native windows players can't use ASIO.

[Apesbrain]

My music sounds quite different than it did when I was running Linux..

You might want to check that any audio processing is turned off:

 

[audiventory]

It is not all audio processings that do Windows. There also resampling and mixing.

 

Pass by these stages possibly via ASIO.

[fragoulisnaval]

Try MUSIChi Suite for a software player and use wasapi drivers for your DAC.

 

Also from task manager put the software player in high priority

 

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[Sixxfeet]

Thanks for the replies. I switched to Windows 10. This is on a recently built PC that is still using the onboard ALC662, and I'm listening with MDR-V6 headphones. My music sounds quite different than it did when I was running Linux. I don't know if the difference is in the drivers, or in how the operating systems process sound.

 

I compared Windows Media Center to Foobar, and I prefer how WMC displays albums. Unfortunately, the default settings allowed it to "correct" some of my metadata, but I turned that off and fixed the metadata without too much trouble. I'm also going to try JRiver

 

As far as Windows 10 itself is concerned, I noticed right away how it pushes toward online integration that can sometimes be intrusive (e.g. the updating of my metadata). Of course, it also raises privacy concerns. Whereas Linux felt like a product that you installed locally on your PC, Windows 10 feels more like it wants to be a front end for cloud service. We already saw our first virus get past Defender, so I installed another security package. So far Windows 10 gets the nod, but I can see the potential for things to develop away from that. If that happens, I'll reinstall Linux.

I have been running Lubuntu with a low latency kernel for some time now. I have a dual boot to windows with a low latency driver installed and fidelizer. The Linux machine sound wise always comes on top especially for latency. YMMV.

 

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

[bogi]

Updates can be annoying to the point that when you do not expect it, the machine after booting will have to run the update and usually when this happens, it is when you need to do something urgent with the PC.

 

I was able to configure my Win10 Pro in the way that updates are not running automatically. Tutorials can by easily found on web.

[wgscott]

....

[Jud]

Is there anything about Windows 10 I should know before switching from Linux, both in terms of audio and the OS in general? I've been using Linux since MS stopped supporting Windows XP. As much as I appreciate Linux being free and relatively secure, I'm tired of dealing with its compatibility issues. I do use Windows 10 at work, but that's as an end user of Outlook, Office, a few databases, and IE. I don't have to administer it like I would my home system.

 

As far as audio goes, my system is fairly simple and budget-oriented. I have an MITX motherboard with a video card, so I don't have space for a sound card. I'm going to get a Schiit Fulla 2 or a Modi/Magni stack. I use Sony MDR-V6 headphones and am going to replace my old 2.1 multimedia speakers with powered stereo speakers. My music is mostly rock/pop ripped at 192 VBR (I know FLAC is preferred, but I switched to MP3 when I saw how quickly FLAC filled up my hard drive). I'm planning to go back to Foobar and EAC.

 

As far as Windows 10 in general goes, I was at first concerned about it installing updates automatically without letting users opt out. Have you had any problems with this? Is the current version of Windows Defender sufficient for reasonable security?

 

Thanks!

 

With Schiit you'll have fewer compatibility issues using Mac than Windows. But of course you'd have to buy a new computer, and that's probably not happening, right?

[R1200CL]

But of course you'd have to buy a new computer, and that's probably not happening, right?

 

I just wonder, if you have a Mac, you can run windows on it. So why can't you do the opposite, and run Mac OS on HW normally intended for Linux or windows.

 

Or even do it virtually...?

[Jud]

I just wonder, if you have a Mac, you can run windows on it. So why can't you do the opposite, and run Mac OS on HW normally intended for Linux or windows.

 

Or even do it virtually...?

 

 

 

Doing it virtually may make the CPU work harder, typically not what you'd want.

 

 

In my younger days I might have been adventurous and gone the "Hackintosh" route, but it takes some doing to get going in the first place, and could require keeping up with potential breakage of drivers that are essential for running the computer in Mac OS. Therefore not something to be undertaken lightly.

[gridlock74]

If bit perfect output is used, wasapi or asio for windows, and pulse disabled or uninstalled from linux and the direct hardware addressed through alsa, then there shouldn't be any real difference in sound between the 2. I think it just comes down to usability and how you like to do things. I play with new versions of Windows when they come out but don't see anything that would make me change from Linux, but I'm very comfortable in the command line.

[Paul R]

I just wonder, if you have a Mac, you can run windows on it. So why can't you do the opposite, and run Mac OS on HW normally intended for Linux or windows.

 

Or even do it virtually...?

 

Of course, you *can* - just not legally.

 

The reason though, is that Apple certifies every piece of hardware it sells to work flawlessly with MacOS. Disks and Flash memory just work. Keyboards connect and mice scribble all over the screen. Video resolution works. Network cards are never unknown. Wireless networks just work. And so on and so on.

 

Microsoft does not certify hardware for Windows on any hardware save the Surface. (Ever wonder why a surface runs so well? There's your answer.)

 

You pay a little bit of a premium for that, but you get to spend the time listening to music, not fiddling around with incompatible hardware, or translating chinese instructions to English only to find out it says "does not work with Windows 10!"

 

By the way, you pay the same premium cost for the Surface you would for Apple equipment. More actually, in some cases.

 

-Paul

[audiventory]

I just wonder, if you have a Mac, you can run windows on it. So why can't you do the opposite, and run Mac OS on HW normally intended for Linux or windows.

 

Or even do it virtually...?

 

As far as I remember, by license agreement Mac OS may be launched on Apple branded hardware (as example, on virtual machine on Mac) with some other limitations of using.

[beautox]

A useful thing to do on windows 10 setups used for audio is to prevent the pesky automatic updates, by putting windows 10 into test mode.

 

Here's how:

 

To enable Test Mode on Windows,

 

open an elevated command prompt (Press Start->Search->cmd then right-click on it and click Run as administrator)

 

Enter the following command: bcdedit /set testsigning on

 

and reboot after running the command above

 

To disable Test mode, open an elevated command prompt as above and enter the following command:

 

bcdedit /set testsigning off

 

and also reboot after running the above command.

[esldude]

Hey supposedly you won't need special drivers for higher than 96 khz audio in windows. They'll finally have native USB 2.0 support. Reported due out in an update in April or possibly May for Windows 10.

[audiventory]

A useful thing to do on windows 10 setups used for audio is to prevent the pesky automatic updates, by putting windows 10 into test mode.

 

Updates have security reasons. Otherwise in one moment a virus may damage something.

 

Currently virus protection is very actually.

[Sixxfeet]

If bit perfect output is used, wasapi or asio for windows, and pulse disabled or uninstalled from linux and the direct hardware addressed through alsa, then there shouldn't be any real difference in sound between the 2. I think it just comes down to usability and how you like to do things. I play with new versions of Windows when they come out but don't see anything that would make me change from Linux, but I'm very comfortable in the command line.

They should sound the same.... But they don't.

 

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[beautox]

Viruses won't attack a computer behind a firewall - they need help from a human. Nealy all viruses are transmitted by human actions like 'doing something in a browser' or opening email attachments, etc. If you don't do that on your audio pc then you are hardly at risk from them. Anyway, there's this thing called backups that everyone should do anyway, that can protect you from this.

 

Of course, it's entirely a matter for the individual, but my audio pc is in test mode and I don't have any issues, (and I speak as someone who's been in the IT industry, mostly as software designer, for 40 years.)

[Sixxfeet]

Viruses won't attack a computer behind a firewall - they need help from a human. Nealy all viruses are transmitted by human actions like 'doing something in a browser' or opening email attachments, etc. If you don't do that on your audio pc then you are hardly at risk from them. Anyway, there's this thing called backups that everyone should do anyway, that can protect you from this.

 

Of course, it's entirely a matter for the individual, but my audio pc is in test mode and I don't have any issues, (and I speak as someone who's been in the IT industry, mostly as software designer, for 40 years.)

Totally agree.

 

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