Is there a difference in sound when you go down to Redcloud and then reinstalled Windom? Just wondering.
Upgraded to DS last night. I did about 20 mins of listening prior to the upgrade to Windom. Smooth install. I did notice a small benefit previously upgrading to Snowmass- but very small. I was expecting a similar improvement.
A previous comment here was that it was noticeable in 10 seconds… I would have to agree. Playing Melody Gardot was even better than I could have hoped for. Totally captivating!
The best description was blacker backgrounds coupled with a level of richness/solidity not previously heard… anywhere! Even running the TV through it sounded better. More heft/guts in voices.
It was the type of change I might have expected if I had a power plant.
I have also reverted to the output on the dac to 100. My BHK Pre now sitting at around 35 for most music.
This release is quite an upgrade where we will go through the round of re-listening to our music again.! Certainly an equipment level upgrade.
The DS Dac… (one of my best purchases… along with my BHK Pre & BHK 300s and B&W 800 Diamonds!)
Thanks Ted for your work and thanks Paul for recognising talent and being able to bring the DS Dac to the market!
Kevin
I wish I heard what most of you hear. I always liked Snowmass.
I went back and forth today and now I’m back on Snowmass. It just seems more musical to me.
Over the weekend, I’ll try Windom again. But so far with carefully matching volume levels of dac and pre, and listening to the same tracks, I’m happier with Snowmass.
I too have noticed a significant improvement in TV sound with Windom - voices are much clearer, even when watching the local news.
Oh, I thought you didn’t like your initial Windom install thus went back to Red Cloud and installed Windom again. That your first install of Windom was unsatisfactory and thus you did it again. Was that incorrect?
Do you mean as opposed to Huron???
I went from redcloud and it sounds very nice.
Yes correct. Windom did not work so i put cloudmass back on and after a suggestion i went to redcloud and then windom
I suffer the same melody in my left ear but still love music and appreciate as much as ever have.
Try going to redcloud then to windom…a world of difference !
Watching Netflix now and there send to be an improvement
I had Snowmass 3.0.5 running on my DSD since the last release after testing it against the various flavours at the time. I updated to Windom and did a long run in (switched it off and on a few times as well).
I can certainly see what others are saying about the imaging. Personally, I’ve switched back to 3.0.5 for the time being. I know that the Snowmass firmware is lowering noise but for some reason the 3.0.5 sounds more detailed to me on a subjective level. Things are more explicit with 3.0.5 whereas imaging is more a wall of sound (think electrostatic speakers) with Windom in my system. Maybe Snowmass 3.0.5 has a bit more edge to sounds. Bass is a bit less rounded in 3.0.5 to me and I listen to quite a bit of electronic music so a crisper (sharper?) bass is a big deal for me. Both firmwares offer similar bass extension in my system. Now I’m not criticizing Windom and I appreciate that its charms will work in most peoples’ systems. It’s just in my setup and to my taste, I prefer what sounds to me like a slightly more pinpoint imaging from Snowmass 3.0.5. Just me 2 bobs worth. Then again, Windom would be the firmware you’d want to use if you favoured relaxed listening and struggle with tinnitus. It’s good to have choices! 
OK, here’s my input. The Boss has ears, of that I have no question.
“That’s a really good recording. Who is that?”
“Holly Cole. It’s the same recording but this is the new DAC firmware.”
“That’s remarkably good.”
So when there is an sizable improvement in the sound she picks it out, unprompted. This way I am assured that it’s not just my excitement over a new “toy”.
So I put on some Over The Rhine. Los Lunas, from the Love and Revelation album. Karin Bergquist has a devastating voice. I really can’t describe it any better than that, just devastating. I have a good reference, having heard her many times on stage and in person at their home. She’s had a rough year full of loss and she has brought me to tears several times recently, performing in the presence of her mother’s hospice nurses. So there I sat tonight, bawling like a p*$$y upon hearing that voice. Something in the character of the new firmware just made it that much more real and caught me off guard. We listen to them all the time but this was a different experience tonight. I probably shouldn’t tell that story but, oh well.
Windom is good, real good, and a sizable jump in quality to my ears. It’s like getting new glasses and being surprised at what you had been missing. I find it to be very focused and not in any kind of analytical sense. It’s much more satisfying than that. Ted, you have done it again. Bravo.
I want to make a friendly reminder that haunted me in one long ago update. If you are using an existing USB stick, power off from the rear and eject the USB stick. Load the stick onto the computer and drag all files to the Trash, then EMPTY the TRASH. Then load the Windom files onto the empty USB stick. Before, I didn’t empty the trash, and the files were still on the USB stick and invisible because they had not been deleted. Emptying the trash then installing the new files worked. Also once the new files (Windom) are loaded, I shut off the unit on the back, and eject the USB stick so that the next startup doesn’t reload the firmware again that is already in the DSD. As others have said before, mine also started out at a volume of 25L, which was 25 low gain. I switched that to 100 high gain because I’m going into a BHK preamp and controlling the volume in the BHK. First Impressions were very good, but I lost track getting immersed fully into the music and playing Air Guitar on the SACD of Friday night in San Francisco, then Birds of Fire (Mahavishnu Orchestra, also SACD) and I lost track of time until my wife arrived home and made me turn it down. That’s what it’s all about to me, making me a part of the music, not bit clocks and 1’s and zero’s timing. Great job Ted and Paul, now I’m going back to the music.
I actually had an email out to TJ about not being able to update from Snowmass 2.0.1 to 2.0.2, but then summer happened and I didn’t even have my system on for several weeks in a row, and I totally forgot to reply back to him to follow up.
So there had to be some glitch in 2.0.1 that caused all of this. No big deal, as it only takes a few minutes to load up Huron, then load up Windom immediately after. But it does get frustrating, as you know you have a good USB drive and are following the same instructions you’ve used in the past…and yet it’s not working. That has happened so much to me over the years that it’s not a big deal, and often, the problem is easily solved.
Thanks @tedsmith. I think your comment on relative volume is worthy of a separate thread to explain your thoughts. Will follow your instructions.
I tried Windom a few times - thinking I must be nuts. Maybe I am- but Snowmass for me is a keeper.
Mmm i be interested in hearing those thoughts as well…
I think the new update might be a little system dependent. The highs on Snowmass rings more clearly with more air and Windom is more muted. Snowmass has sharper edges and Windom is a little thicker with more rounded edges. If your system is more warm sounding, Windom might not compliment it as well as Smowmass.
Me too…to a Tee.
I felt the same way until I loaded Redcloud and then Windom…much much better.
Try if you haven’t.