DSS+Windom, Foobar+DSD plugin, maxed out=Incredible!

Try Foobar2000 with the SACD/DSD plugin, everything maxed out. On a DSS running Windom. I think you will not believe what you are hearing! I nearly messed my pants! It is already approaching the best DAC’S in the world like this. I cannot imagine what the TSS brings to the table then! You will need one heck of a PC to be able to run this though. I am running an overclocked I9 Extreme 18 core.

@2chan4ever:

An ignorant question for you if you don’t mind –

I run JRiver Media Center and Roon Core as my two, primary library management and network streaming software. The programs run on my desktop (iMac), which is in the kitchen office area on one floor of the house; and I “stream” (via Wi-Fi) my files as well as Qobuz and Tidal internet content (in the case of Roon) to a router on a another floor of the house where the router feeds (via Ethernet) my dual 7.1/2.1 “big rig”.

To my question – would you know/say that Foobar2000 is analogous to JRMC and Roon and could be used in my system or is it more PC/computer (USB) centric?

I have kind of eliminated USB as an option for the main transmission line for “digital music” and have a bias agains having a computer directly connected and/or co-located to/with the Hi-Fi rig. Maybe I should reconsider.

Sorry for not researching Foobar2000 before pestering you… I’ll do some work on the inter webs pending your (hopefully) reply.

Regards.

foobar2000 is definitely nerdware, and further I wouldn’t recommend it if you are primarily a Bridge user. It also has a medium to large learning curve, but starting with someone else’s skinned version that looks sort of like something you like can help a lot. Don’t mention anything about what you hear on its support fora, Hydrogen Audio doesn’t take kindly to that.

But it’s amazingly customizable, reliable and (for me) has much better searching.

The PC version is much more solid than the other versions (unless things have changed recently.)

1 Like

Thanks, Ted.

SEE

Are you correctly calling me a nerd??? Dang, if I had $1 for every time I tore apart my computer and upgraded it, or reconfigured it, I could buy up Donald Trump and all of his properties. And, if you don’t have a PC, forget it now. I don’t think they have updated anything BUT for at least five years. Now, I almost exclusively use Roon. Ted, what is your honest opinion on Roon, IF you have one???

Sorry, I’m not a Roon user. When I tried it last (a while back) it couldn’t integrate all of my metadata nor any of it for my 100s of SACD ISOs. I like having the info Roon provides, but if I can’t do ad hoc queries on my own metadata too it’s not for me. For all I know these shortcomings have been addressed.

I converted all my SACDs and iso files into dsf files. So, that isn’t a concern for me. But, I’m retired, and have all the time in the world to do that. For you, it might not make sense, and I totally respect that. Some people swear by JRiver, and I bought it, gave it all the chance in the world, and couldn’t put up with it. To me, and the way MY mind works, and MY ears hear, Roon was a God Send. But, that being said, you, and no one else is me. That is why there are numerous programs that various people swear by. Different strokes for different folk. God made us all different for a reason (and for those who don’t believe in a God, Mother Nature), and I will never judge another’s choice (but put me down for mine, and I might go ballistic!). Nirvanic Notes to all, however you achieve it!!

Again I do not mean to speak for Ted himself. But I think he likes this self proclaimed “nerd ware” best as do In it’s ability to tweak and tailor the sound to no limit. As well as the GUI. Hence, which is exactly what I have done here. In fact, you may think that it sounds horrible! Everyone hears differently. The point of Foobar being I was able to “shape” the sound to the point it was nearly mimicking my MSB Select II DAC. I wanted to achieve that, set out to and was quite impressed with the final result. It was not actually the DSS doing all the work per say. I just fed it such a signal as to get it to behave that way. Furthermore. Roon,MQA and remote access DLNA all that is not possible. It sounds like it is certainly not for you. My PC is not in the same “room” either. It is on the opposite of he wall in a closet with a 16’ USB cable. The maximum length of the specification without adding remote power to the line. Even then it will not go more than 50’. It’s cataloging ETC. may be a steep learning curve for some as well, with little documentation provided. Jriiver is much more intuitive in that regard and consumer centric. I praise Jriver in that it is extremely robust software for a small price. However, you will not be achieving the pallet of sounds one may obtain with Foobar. At least not as intuitively from a coders point of view but perhaps maybe as a consumers. I am not sure about that. I do not have enough experience with it to know if it has available as robust a DSD decoder plugin. Nonetheless It sounds as if it does in fact fit your needs much better than Foobar. Regardless of what type of sound one may obtain with it.

Any of those iso happened to be DSD 256? :cowboy_hat_face:

Then we have faith with hope.

All SACDs are DSD64…

1 Like

I use Roon with HQPlayer Embedded and get better sound than I ever got with JRiver, foobar, Audirvana, or Roon by itself.

There is no way I would ever use any PC attached by USB to my DAC or to the Matrix attached to my DAC (If I did, I would never use a 16 foot long USB cable). There is way too much noise coming out of any PC powerful enough to be a music serving platform.

Instead, I much prefer the server/endpoint model with endpoint being a purpose-built ultra low noise device. In my case, an ultraRendu. Ethernet with UTP provides quite a bit of noise isolation.