Does Windows 10 make a difference?

[panditji]

I am running Windows 7 on my dedicated Dell i3 laptop with 4 GB RAM with J Rivers as the only software installed on the machine connected to a Chord 2Qute DAC which has galvanic isolation...

I read somewhere that Windows 10 has a lot of positive changes in the audio processing.. Will changing my operating system to a Windows 10 machine make any difference to the sound? Is it worth experimenting?

 

[sound_cycle]

I am running Windows 7 on my dedicated Dell i3 laptop with 4 GB RAM with J Rivers as the only software installed on the machine connected to a Chord 2Qute DAC which has galvanic isolation...

I read somewhere that Windows 10 has a lot of positive changes in the audio processing.. Will changing my operating system to a Windows 10 machine make any difference to the sound? Is it worth experimenting?

first win10 works fine. I don't think you will have any issues. How do you connect to your DAC ?

I have had to rethink a whole lot of my ideas recently.

"Player does not matter". I discovered roon + tidal rocks in SQ and other departments ( I have compared with *my* f2k setup (which I am trying to tweak and get right) and have forum reports vs other players such as JR)

in process: "USB is for printers". USB rocks (if you have USB5/ Eitr that is).

If the forums are to be believed (CA, HF, SBAF) the Schiit Eitr does not care what is upstream of it and improves SQ over PC cards (including Juli@), Sonore microrendu etc. It reportedly trashes all the decrapifiers such as the Regen. It is also allegedly better than board header optical SPDIF. Eitr completely isolates* (The USB5 implementation which can fit inside Schiit DACs is identical, except that it is internal while Eitr is an independent dabba) [This is reportage so do not shoot me ]

While I have some reservations, I was sufficiently interested to vote with my wallet, and am waiting to hear for myself.

ciao
gr

* https://www.head-fi.org/threads/wha...n-robert-hunter.784471/page-263#post-13637628

The situation is that the Eitr is isolated electrostatically and electromagnetically. NOT some totally meaningless term such as trash can plating "galvanic" isolation such as some deekhead wrote a wiki about which has nothing to do with isolation cited in proper undergrad and grad school textbooks. Because of that, there is no, none, nada electrical connection between the input and output USB and coax, respectively. (In fact, there is double isolation two rubbers just to be through.) What still exists, however, is capacitance. This is the stuff that gives you a shock in the winter when you walk across the carpet and touch the grounded doorknob. Even when there is no shock building up, the capacitance still is there.​

 

[panditji]

I have been following your thread very keenly sir and am intrigued about Roon and the substantial upgrade in sound quality....

I connect the 2Qute DAC to the USB in the laptop as the DAC is galvanically isolated and is asynchronous. I have Windows 7 installed on the laptop with J River the only software and therefore the machine hardly uses any processing power... I do have an external hard drive with music files attached to another USB port in the laptop...

Since the Roon offers substantial upgrade in sound assuming everything has remained the same in your computer, will changing the Windows operating system to Windows 10 offer any increase in sound? The OS change will not cost me much and therefore I ask if the shift is worth it or not? Has anybody experienced a change in sound quality when moving to Windows 10?

 

[sound_cycle]

Since the Roon offers substantial upgrade in sound assuming everything has remained the same in your computer, will changing the Windows operating system to Windows 10 offer any increase in sound? The OS change will not cost me much and therefore I ask if the shift is worth it or not? Has anybody experienced a change in sound quality when moving to Windows 10?

I updated to Win 10 early on. Too many things have changed and it was too far for me to make any comments on SQ based on direct experience.

The Roon recommendation is Windows 7+ (10 recommended)" so I'd hazard that the OS is not a factor in your case. What doe the Jriver forums say ?

Roon is fortunately one of those things you can audition in your rig in your room painlessly, so do take the trial. The Eitr sadly is not in that category.
ciao
gr

 

[panditji]

Is Roon a software to play music or is it an operating system change? Can I install Roon on my Windows 7 laptop and use it to play my music files?

Sorry if it is stupid question...

 

[jls001]

Roon is like JRiver. Only it's on steroids, or so claims those who have heard the latest iteration

 

[sound_cycle]

Is Roon a software to play music or is it an operating system change? Can I install Roon on my Windows 7 laptop and use it to play my music files?.

It is a software and ecosystem. Download and install as you would any other s/w. The trial will need a CC number but you are not charged if you discontinue within the two week trial period

ciao
gr

 

[Nikhil]

I read somewhere that Windows 10 has a lot of positive changes in the audio processing.. Will changing my operating system to a Windows 10 machine make any difference to the sound? Is it worth experimenting?

Yes, Windows 10 has made a sonic difference in my setup.
In addition to Win 10 I also use Fidelizer Pro to clean things up further.

As always ... YMMV.

Regards.

 

[vijwilso]

panditji - I think windows 10 makes sonic improvement when compared with Win-7 . I recently tried a all-in-one win10 desktop to the DAC and it sound more rich and denser compared to the Windows 7 Laptop. It was not a side-by-side comparison .

I always prefer MAC for the computer playback , and IMO it is better compared to Windows .

 

[panditji]

I did consider the Mac Mini before buying the laptop but I am very comfortable with Windows and have no experience with any Apple product except an Ipad mini which I use as a remote for JRiver.....

It would make sense for me to optimise the laptop with a Windows 10 and maybe Roon later than buy another hardware....

I will change to Windows 10 and report if there are any positive changes to the sound quality...

 

[Nikhil]

Welcome to the club!

You may also find this useful:
https://support.focusrite.com/hc/en-gb/articles/207355205-Optimising-your-PC-for-Audio-on-Windows-10

It's nothing fancy but some simple house keeping to keep Win 10 basic and functional for audio.




.

 

[prashant121]

We are all familiar with various operating systems, I recently tried a all in one window 10 desktop to the DAC and it sound more rich and denser compared to the Windows 7 Laptop.

 

[panditji]

Thanks Prashant and Nikhil... I still have not been able to change to Windows 10 but will plan and do so during the year end holidays..