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AIR3.0.1 beta puzzles me
#1
Oh boy...
To me this whole thing is hobby&business at the same time. It's all about SQ in the first place for me.
I've been boggling at my laptop as I was tuning this thing with software and inside hardware over the last weeks and wondered what else has influence on the SQ of Windows/laptop and the like. I was sure that I've never heard a better digital source than this thing and I threw hours of time in it...I bet some of you know!

...and there comes AIR again. I had already given up on this. BUT damn...this 3.0.1 beta works...and it sounds veerry nice.

I'm puzzled here because there sits this time-intensive modified laptop with all this software and configuration on it connected by a nice/expensive 1m USB-cable to the D (everything short and effective as can be)...and then I just wanted to put more effort in it and thought "ok let's give AIR a try while the laptop is on the operating table".

New ETH-Config onto the D, a klick on Win and up we go...and...waiting for the first crackles, but...not one hickup. Instead the D shows a very silky, homogeneous, stage, smooth performance (analog if you want) but also quiet believable 3D of instruments/singer, timings are precise, foot jives ...and all with the insert of a SD-Config and a klick on an EXE-file...effortless...damn. If it lacks in one thing, it might be dynamics but I've to hear more into that.

And what's even worse (or better...depends) the source I'm streaming from is a standard Win7 with no tuning/no AO, jPlay or else running foobar. Foobar is getting its food from HTPC 3 floors downstairs in the basement. Conected via the cheapest ETH-Cabel installation, sending it back to the rooter 2 floors downstairs, throwing it 2floors up again to a netgear switch and on to the D...man, that's way below high end and short/effective.

So Devialet is doing something quiet right with this little AIRthing. Seems to me they managed to wrapp the 0/1s so tight together Big Grin , that nothing else seems to bother the signal...even under worst conditions.

So let's everyone start to compare this Beta-AIR to your best other digital source. It might be surprising.

I'm not done yet. Will do an intensive comparison when everything is set up again...but in the meantime I enjoy my D with AIR.

gui

edit:
Wow, what a stage. AIR 3 seems to give more stage-depth/width. Adele sings at Royal Albert Hall and...goosebumps...it's big, from wall to wall in my listening room and the depth on "Hometown Glory" is spectacular...first the front rows go off, then it's like a screaming wave up to the back rows and up the ranks. I wouldn't have expected that. For sure.
"Oh, you can buy the other. But then it is a cost intensive learning process"
berlin
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#2
(29-Oct-2016, 12:28)yabaVR Wrote: Oh boy...
To me this whole thing is hobby&business at the same time. It's all about SQ in the first place for me.
I've been boggling at my laptop as I was tuning this thing with software and inside hardware over the last weeks and wondered what else has influence on the SQ of Windows/laptop and the like. I was sure that I've never heard a better digital source than this thing and I threw hours of time in it...I bet some of you know!

...and there comes AIR again. I had already given up on this. BUT damn...this 3.0.1 beta works...and it sounds veerry nice.

I'm puzzled here because there sits this time-intensive modified laptop with all this software and configuration on it connected by a nice/expensive 1m USB-cable to the D (everything short and effective as can be)...and then I just wanted to put more effort in it and thought "ok let's give AIR a try while the laptop is on the operating table".

New ETH-Config onto the D, a klick on Win and up we go...and...waiting for the first crackles, but...not one hickup. Instead the D shows a very silky, homogeneous, stage, smooth performance (analog if you want) but also quiet believable 3D of instruments/singer, timings are precise, foot jives ...and all with the insert of a SD-Config and a klick on an EXE-file...effortless...damn. If it lacks in one thing, it might be dynamics but I've to hear more into that.

And what's even worse (or better...depends) the source I'm streaming from is a standard Win7 with no tuning/no AO, jPlay or else running foobar. Foobar is getting its food from HTPC 3 floors downstairs in the basement. Conected via the cheapest ETH-Cabel installation, sending it back to the rooter 2 floors downstairs, throwing it 2floors up again to a netgear switch and on to the D...man, that's way below high end and short/effective.

So Devialet is doing something quiet right with this little AIRthing. Seems to me they managed to wrapp the 0/1s so tight together Big Grin , that nothing else seems to bother the signal...even under worst conditions.

So let's everyone start to compare this Beta-AIR to your best other digital source. It might be surprising.

I'm not done yet. Will do an intensive comparison when everything is set up again...but in the meantime I enjoy my D with AIR.

gui

edit:
Wow, what a stage. AIR 3 seems to give more stage-depth/width. Adele sings at Royal Albert Hall and...goosebumps...it's big, from wall to wall in my listening room and the depth on "Hometown Glory" is spectacular...first the front rows go off, then it's like a screaming wave up to the back rows and up the ranks. I wouldn't have expected that. For sure.

Interesting comments re; Adele at the Albert Hall. I've always found her album releases to be very flat. No dynamics and overly compressed - A disappointment. I shall check this live album out though.

Not tried the latest 3.0.1 Beta. I've been using 3.0.1 windows with on a few minor issues changing source - really happy with it.
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#3
I can fully agree to your finding, the new AIR beta 3.01 is really a major improvement in SQ. I was using an optimized PC with a Mutec MC-3 USB which gives a very good SQ, the old AIR versions sounded like MP3 in comparison.The new beta is on the same level of SQ. Very happy with it.
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#4
(06-Nov-2016, 17:35)Vivialet Wrote: I can fully agree to your finding, the new AIR beta 3.01 is really a major improvement in SQ. I was using an optimized PC with a Mutec MC-3 USB which gives a very good SQ, the old AIR versions sounded like MP3 in comparison.The new beta is on the same level of SQ. Very happy with it.

Nice. I'm glad there is someone else. Did you stream AIR 3 from the same optimized PC? Perhaps one can try a direct ethernet cable from PC to Devialet with fixed IP? May be the optimal AIR configuration SQ wise.
Now as my laptop is back up I must say USB is superior to AIR 3 again...BUT I did not compare from the same PC. So it is for sure no valid comparison.

One question:
Is it possible to have a direct ethernet cable to the Devialet from PC and use a Wifi connection as remote for the software player on the PC?
If possible I need a "how to". Any link?

gui
"Oh, you can buy the other. But then it is a cost intensive learning process"
berlin
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#5
Is there anything changed in the 3.x beta? I'm wondering whats holding them to make it final...
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#6
(06-Nov-2016, 19:14)yabaVR Wrote: Nice. I'm glad there is someone else. Did you stream AIR 3 from the same optimized PC? Perhaps one can try a direct ethernet cable from PC to Devialet with fixed IP? May be the optimal AIR configuration SQ wise.
Now as my laptop is back up I must say USB is superior to AIR 3 again...BUT I did not compare from the same PC. So it is for sure no valid comparison.

gui

yes, I'm using the same PC. The optimizations are jplay, Fidelizer (free) and ProcessLasso. I'm not sure if the improvement I hear is only from the new Air version or if also the new pro platform makes a difference. The Mutec was the big step up in my setup, it really surprises me that Air has fully closed this big gap.
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#7
(06-Nov-2016, 21:00)Vivialet Wrote: yes, I'm using the same PC. The optimizations are jplay, Fidelizer (free) and ProcessLasso... The Mutec was the big step up in my setup, it really surprises me that Air has fully closed this big gap.

If your optimized PC is dedicated to audio only I can strongly recommend to try out "Audiophile Optimizer" in conjunction (...better a basis)  to your other software optimizations. AO kicks a.. Your PC's SQ gets to a whole new level.

I have to try something like the Mutec though, but as I'm writing, I never heard a digital source sounding so precise w/o bothering in any frequencies at any volume level. It sounds so 3D...so natural and authentic ( well, I assume everyone says so when tuning his system to new horizons he's never been  Big Grin  )

Summing up all the clues others have found, we'll all get a profound system in the end.

Would this be worth a new thread in means of Streaming/Software/Setup a PC?

gui
"Oh, you can buy the other. But then it is a cost intensive learning process"
berlin
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#8
my PC is not dedicated to audio only, but there is not much other software installed. Without using Air SQ really depends on the player used, Bug Head is considerably better sounding than foobar e.g. Now with Air it does not make a difference...so I'm not really sure if AO makes a difference for AIR. USB Audio is a real time transmission, Air is a network protocol using packages, it seems that previous versions of Air "forgot" to send some of the music...
The PC should not have any impact on a packet based protocol, which seems to be the case now.
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#9
Just to nudge this thread back onto the original point posted by yabaVR. Has anyone else tried AIR 3.0.1 and found the other source beating sound quality improvements that yabaVR has found? For me, I did not find a significant difference between Windows AIR 2 & 3. Although I have not tried AIR 3.0.1 yet. (there is little point my trying anything like this at the moment as I have not yet got used to my only been run for about 6 hours amp!)
1000 Pro - KEF Blade - iFi Zen Stream - Mutec REF10 - MC3+USB - Pro-Ject Signature 12
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#10
Hi Confused,
I also did not hear any improvement from Air 2 to 3. Only Air 3.01 is doing the magic for me. A friend of mine with a 400 has also confirmed that 3.01 is significiantly better than 3.0. We both use fimware 10.0.5 btw., not sure if that also has any impact here.
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