MQN

[sbgk]

Trying out the R2 beta optimizer from Audiophil just very little time to do this this week. Headed straight to Oscar Peterson the usual massive atttack bass track and Corcavado and all sounds very nice. Can't say I was expecting it to be worse. The optimizer as is the norm now works like a dream. Phil has introduced 4 digital settings in the set up. I picked the default and still using sound sig 4.

For those who don't have 2012 R2 normal or optimized boot up is really fast. R2 is more user friendly in Gui mode than the 2012.
Sbgk has posted info today about the new release of windows and it seems whatever microsoft have done recently it is aiding audio playback.

he was asking about MQn closing down in the optimiser, apparently taskkill doesn't work, do you have any issues stopping MQn ? He said some of his users had reported good results using MQn with the optimiser, wonder if he will have a go at getting wasapi working in core.

[taggart]

Can confirm that stopping MQn doesn't work after using Audiophile's Optimizer. It deactivates a service that is needed by taskkill command (but don't know which, so far). If pressing X in MQnControl.exe this Executable is terminated, but MQnPlay.exe is not.

[nige2000]

Can confirm that stopping MQn doesn't work after using Audiophile's Optimizer. It deactivates a service that is needed by taskkill command (but don't know which, so far). If pressing X in MQnControl.exe this Executable is terminated, but MQnPlay.exe is not.

whats it sound like?

we will need to be able to stop playback

[Sligolad]

I ran the Audiophils beta optimiser tonight on my r2 preview edition of server 2012 and it would not run, turns out it does not support preview editions of server 2012 R2!!!!!!
I will be really pissed if he stops supporting preview editions forcing people to buy a licence to hear the optimiser.

I have started work on CADs (Scott) script trying to find the service which is shut down in the latest version of his 2.6a optimising script which stops MQN from working.
I have narrowed it down to a bunch of services so hopefully by the weekend I should have the script optimised to kill a load of services and optimise server 2012 R2.
Will be interesting to see if I see an improvement in sound.
Cheers, Pearse.

[sbgk]

Can confirm that stopping MQn doesn't work after using Audiophile's Optimizer. It deactivates a service that is needed by taskkill command (but don't know which, so far). If pressing X in MQnControl.exe this Executable is terminated, but MQnPlay.exe is not.

what I suggested to him was to run taskkill in a cmd window and see if there was an error.

MQnControl uses TaskKill /F /IM mqnplay.exe

am thinking 2.59 8 4 16 16 8 and 4 are not the final version ( 4 too bright and 8 too bass heavy) so going to try 8 4 16 4, so there might be another version. It sometimes takes a few days to realise there is something wrong with the balance.

[tony]

SBGK[/quote]

he was asking about MQn closing down in the optimiser, apparently taskkill doesn't work, do you have any issues stopping MQn ? He said some of his users had reported good results using MQn with the optimiser, wonder if he will have a go at getting wasapi working in core.[/quote]

Played a complete album and then two separate tracks but will go back tomorrow evening for a longer listen and maybe try some of the other new beta's. Script worked fine for me. MQn did give an unusual message in command prompt which I will report next time I try it. But it played fine so I didn't pay any heed to it. Just for completeness using a kingston usb stick fed by anker battery pack,zuma, batteries fed by maplin linear supply.

[sbgk]

Can confirm that stopping MQn doesn't work after using Audiophile's Optimizer. It deactivates a service that is needed by taskkill command (but don't know which, so far). If pressing X in MQnControl.exe this Executable is terminated, but MQnPlay.exe is not.

what I suggested to him was to run taskkill in a cmd window and see if there was an error.

MQnControl uses TaskKill /F /IM mqnplay.exe

am thinking 2.59 8 4 16 16 8 and 4 are not the final version ( 4 too bright and 8 too bass heavy) so going to try 8 4 16 4, so there might be another version. It sometimes takes a few days to realise there is something wrong with the balance.

went back to 2.60 8 4 - seems to have a more realistic sound and lots of incidental detail.

[Peter Stockwell]

I do have MC19 too, and Naim DAC-V1/Nap100/Harbeth P3ESR's. To me the difference is obvious, and I'm not even thinking to go back and listen JRiver, but I do use GUI to locate music in it.

Are you using Memory playback in JRiver MC 19 ?

Yes I do, and I almost do not hear the difference comparing to streaming it. Even JRiver is stating the same, there is no SQ difference.

I felt the implementation of memory playback in MC19 an audible improvement over MC18, a few on the other channel felt the same.

MQn changes the game, that even my wife who's not that picky, doesn't want to listen JRiver any more. The reason why I had to implement HotKey thing, to call MQn.bat, was actually her. Everything becomes more open, more details, especially the background instrument, more air between the instruments, more texture on base, but voices... sometimes I think they are singing live in my leaving room.

Listened to Charles Lloyd's "The Water is Wide", last night. Effectively, I found the acoustic space to be very present, more the sense of the woodiness of the piano's sound, very real sounding. OTOH, my wife, who can hear a cable damper (Steven Toy's acrylic accessories) change is not getting it. I keep thinking of my old cousin Charlie, and his "nice tone" comments :- MQn definitely has a nice tone!

A few nights ago we were listening an old Elvis's album and we just looked into each other, wow. The other big difference is the low volume presentation. For the first time I can say that computer (including CD player - I used owe Naim CDS, one of the most "analog" CD players) playback doesn't feel "digital".

When I started with MQa, I was running a few tracks around to test different versions of MQn. Recently, I listen different music, and I find so much new coming from every album that I just can't believe. Naim+Harbeth has a lot to do it too. I used owe 3-4 time more expensive equipment (I already wrote about it), but this little system with MQn just kills it. Naim just nailed it with this DAC-V1 and NAP100, amazing little combo (SBGK may not like Naim, so what, I do...lol). P3ESR's are well know as very precise and accurate speakers.

Digital is very sensitive to get right, IMO. Much of the "nastiness" associated with digital playback is to do with RF nasties on the incoming mains. Naim CD players being particulary sensitive (all IMO, of course). I have a 72/110 combo, not in use at present, that is really very good, so I'm a naim (Olive/CB at least) fan. Would love to hear those harbeths. My Audiums are nearly full range, maybe a bit limited in HF extension, very coherent from say 200Hz up to 8Khz - no crossover in that range.

I just use my ordinary Dell LapTop with Win8, and I made only one optimization so far. SBGK explained it on CA thread, but I will post it again.

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Multimedia\SystemProfile\Tasks\P ro Audio]
"Scheduling Category"="High"
"GPU Priority"=dword:00000008
"Affinity"=dword:00000000
"Clock Rate"=dword:0000b568
"SFIO Priority"="Normal"
"Priority"=dword:00000008
"Background Only"="False"

Haven't tried the registry change, and I'm running Win7.

[Peter Stockwell]

I think noise level is somehow down comparing to the other players which brings more .... I will let other experts to measure it and to figure out what exactly those bits are doing under SBGK's control.

Tantamount to saying that the bits is bits are cleaner bits, somehow ? Less noise getting to the dac ? Be nice, if someone could show/prove that.

[taggart]

Can confirm that stopping MQn doesn't work after using Audiophile's Optimizer. It deactivates a service that is needed by taskkill command (but don't know which, so far). If pressing X in MQnControl.exe this Executable is terminated, but MQnPlay.exe is not.

whats it sound like?

we will need to be able to stop playback

To me it sounds very, very good. I've been beta tester for Audiophil's Optimizer for several weeks now and think that finally it has reached a really professional level.

But of course, we need to be able stopping playback! I've talked with Audiophil about this issue and I'm sure he will find out the relevant service(s) and consider them with the next version. Furthermore it would be possible to replace the taskkill command with something that works better.