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Windows AIR 3 sound quality observations
#11
For good order and completeness on this thread, I have compiled the actual sound quality observations from the AIR 3 beta for Windows thread, as follows:

I did install it on Win10, works fine. SQ seems to be better.

No golden ears here, but I installed it directly on my NUC which runs Roon, and to me it sounds at least as good as the Mac AIR3b to which I had previously been RAATing.

And, the initial listening on DSD64 materials is fantastic! Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits is into another level of clarity and definition with AIR3.0b.

I have not had a huge amount of listening time with Windows AIR 3, and only tried redbook. However, first impressions is that is sounds very similar to Windows AIR 2.1.3. I am not hearing the giant leap that Mac AIR 3 users have claimed fairly consistently. Some moderate improvements? Too soon to say for me.
I perhaps do have the advantage of having recently done AIR 2.1.3 vs mR + Mutec comparisons. So I can now do AIR 3 vs mR + Mutec. There were some tracks I thought sounded much better with the mR + Mutec rig. (Very Melco N1Z / Aurender N10 like) Doing the same tracks back to back but with AIR 3, I still favour the mR +Mutec rig. I am sure any differences, if any, are quite small. Early days though!

Sound quality seems excellent too.
I had really written off AIR, but I now think it sounds now better than the USB I had been using.
1000 Pro - KEF Blade - iFi Zen Stream - Mutec REF10 - MC3+USB - Pro-Ject Signature 12
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#12
Not many Windows AIR 3 sound quality observations recently!  Maybe all Windows users are on holiday? Shy  Maybe there are not many of the breed left!  Anything to report folks??
1000 Pro - KEF Blade - iFi Zen Stream - Mutec REF10 - MC3+USB - Pro-Ject Signature 12
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#13
(08-Aug-2016, 21:27)Confused Wrote: Not many Windows AIR 3 sound quality observations recently!  Maybe all Windows users are on holiday? Shy   Maybe there are not many of the breed left!  Anything to report folks??

Well - here is an abbreviated report. 

Let's use a Mac mini powered by Linear power supply using a microRendu, all connected via ethernet going to D400s. Mac mini running RoonServer. Music stored on NAS.

Sound quality superb.

Next we swap out the microRendu, use the Mac AIR3 Beta and release candidate.

Sound quality superb.

Now we swap out the Mac mini, and replace with a Dell laptop running Windows 10, again connected via ethernet. Again running RoonServer.

Sound quality superb.

The microRendu left the building after the experiments with AIR3 on the Mac mini.

The Windows 10 laptop is still in the system as I continue to test it out. As an added bonus I can play DSD files using DoP with the Windows 10 system, which I cannot on the Mac system ( need to convert to PCM due to an AIR3 issue ).

So short summary is the sound quality is superb. Very happy.
Roon ROCK on Intel NUC6i5SYH/Ethernet | VPI Avenger | Devialet 440 Pro CI | Vivid Audio Giya G3 | Auralic Aires Mini | Synology 1812+ NAS
SXSW, US
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#14
Plus the usual commentary - I can hear babies cry, crickets chirping, musician's breathing, rosin being wiped onto the bow, chairs creaking, low hum of the guitar amps, and the sound of a guitar pick scraping the strings....
Roon ROCK on Intel NUC6i5SYH/Ethernet | VPI Avenger | Devialet 440 Pro CI | Vivid Audio Giya G3 | Auralic Aires Mini | Synology 1812+ NAS
SXSW, US
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#15
Ha! I wasn't quite sure to make of that post, but thinking about it, I found Windows AIR 2 very similar to the microRendu, and Windows AIR 3 much the same as Windows AIR 2. And yes, they are all superb!

That's more or less agreement then!
1000 Pro - KEF Blade - iFi Zen Stream - Mutec REF10 - MC3+USB - Pro-Ject Signature 12
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#16
Yes, I should have been more clear. Bottomline, I am thrilled with AIR3, and it replaced a microRendu and a Regen/expensive USB cable before that, and any desire on my part to tinker with the input components to my D400s.

Very happy to only have the ethernet connection to the D400s, no USB cables, no USB widgets.
Roon ROCK on Intel NUC6i5SYH/Ethernet | VPI Avenger | Devialet 440 Pro CI | Vivid Audio Giya G3 | Auralic Aires Mini | Synology 1812+ NAS
SXSW, US
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#17
Well, I was thrilled with AIR 3 beta since it was released, right up until last night when it dumped into white noise that sounded exactly as 2.13 did.  But for me, AIR 3 has proven far, far more stable than 2.13 ever was.  But - the white noise was certainly a disappointment.  

In terms of SQ... I bought a microRendu when Sonore first released it because AIR 2.13 had become far too much of a headache.  At the time, I felt that the microRendu sounded a good bit better than AIR 2.13, but then, I was also extremely annoyed with AIR so there may have been some expectation (exceeded ;-) bias in favor of the microRendu.

AIR 3.0 seems far more similar in SQ to the microRendu.  In other words it sounds fabulous!   I feel that the microRendu may convey a tad bit more bass punch and definition - great on rock - but AIR 3 seems slightly more open and relaxed - most noticeable on well recorded jazz.  The difference is slight and not heard on every recording.  I'm thinking that it could very well be the difference between the Devialet USB input and ethernet input.  Or it may just be me - no blind testing here.   

Either way, AIR 3.0 beta sounds great.   Now if they can just completely eliminate the white noise, I'll be one happy Devialet owner.
Devialet 440 Pro (two 220s)- Oracle CD transport - Kuzma Stabi S/Stogi S turntable - Von Schweikert VR-35 speakers - JPS SC3 SCs - PI Audio power conditioning -
Triode Wire Labs ICs and PCs - Roon on NUC 8i7beh running ROCK
Durham, NC USA
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