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Thoughts on AUDIOPHILEOPTIMIZER?


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Looking at revamping the Audio PC with a fresh install / upgrade to Windows 10 and was looking at what is needed to be configured / Not installed / optimised within in the O.S. Will be running Roon Core or Jriver (currently running an old version of Jriver). I've had a look at the documentation that the website provides for the 'Audiophileoptimzer' software /scripts and it looks very comprehensive. Just wondering if anyone has used against Windows 10 and what the results were like and is it worth the investment?

 

Kind thanks

Mark

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Thanks. I've just essentially gone through the OS and removed a whole bunch of unnecessary applications and Services.

One tip with Audio PC’s disabling all unnecessary components in the BIOS; like Soundcards, WIFI, other NIC’s that are not required can make a difference.

Out of interest I’ll investigate Audirvana as an option.

Cheers

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I use AO on a Win Server 2012 R2 with Fidelizer 8.3, Jplay 6.2, and use old JRiver 19 to manage, trigger files, etc.

 

Each piece of software (except JRiv) does a little to either quieten OS or smooth out digital hash. Better bass, quieter backgrounds.

 

After PC, its important to have great USB filter, and re~clocking to remove jitter etc.

I get a sound almost indistinguishable from analog.

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3 hours ago, Flamenco_diego said:

I use AO on a Win Server 2012 R2 with Fidelizer 8.3, Jplay 6.2, and use old JRiver 19 to manage, trigger files, etc.

 

Each piece of software (except JRiv) does a little to either quieten OS or smooth out digital hash. Better bass, quieter backgrounds.

 

After PC, its important to have great USB filter, and re~clocking to remove jitter etc.

I get a sound almost indistinguishable from analog.

Hey Thanks for the input Flamenco_diego Yes Ive invested in the following about 6-7 years ago SotM Sata Filter, SotM USB card and a Red Wine Audio battery powering the PC and the USB card. This was more about the O.S and making that as efficient as possible either by way of manually removing applications, services, and registry tweaks or with a 3rd party scripting tool like AO. Just wondering if anyone had achieve the same thing without the AO. Thanks again for your feedback.

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How many services do you have running still?  Havent used AO for a few years but I think it used to be able get the services on windows server down to about 13.  Stripping unwanted apps and services is what its very good at ( and what youre paying for).  I tried fidelizer and it wasnt a patch on AO

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8 hours ago, gypr1961 said:

How many services do you have running still?  Havent used AO for a few years but I think it used to be able get the services on windows server down to about 13.  Stripping unwanted apps and services is what its very good at ( and what youre paying for).  I tried fidelizer and it wasnt a patch on AO

Hi Gypr1961,

 

About 40 services concurrently running on Windows 10, so it may well need a further review of the services running. The thing with Windows Server is it s is a little more modular then Windows 10 and more applications are installed by default in the desktop version Windows 10 as opposed to Server O.S. 

 

Thanks

Edited by MJJW
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  • 2 weeks later...


Or a good USB to SPDIF converter which does the jitter (and noise) rejection. The clock(s) in them will drive the DAC's clock if they don't have reclocking and buffering.

I'm partial to this one:

https://www.matrix-digi.com/en/products/314.html

ASR "measurements" to add to your knowledge. It's quietest when self powered via the USB cable instead of having a fancy separate linear PSU.

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/review-and-measurements-of-matrix-audio-x-spdif-2-usb-converter.6597/

Then you can go nuts with what interface to use, and if you are cable inclined, then you can fiddle with 2 sets of cables instead of just one! (I'm not, I use cables that meet standards only and not audiophile brands for digital data.)

Edited by Ittaku
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  • 2 weeks later...

AudiophileOptimizer is great for that final tweak to a Windows operating system in a dedicated audio server.

 

You can already do a lot to optimise an OS manually, like disabling services in the registry until there's 10 or so essentials only, not to mention a heap of other manual registry tweaks / group policy edits etc. AudiophileOptimizer goes further, and in Windows Server Core mode (headless) it really comes into its own. But before spending $200 on an OS tweaker there are FAR more important factors to address - bios settings, and of course hardware!

 

In the bios, adjusting RAM timings, CPU clock rates and disabling all non-essentials is mandatory for a good audio server. 

 

But none of this means anything if you haven't addressed hardware components. An audiophile computer has linear power supplies, carefully chosen mobos and CPUs, noise filters etc. 

 

Back in the real world, I reckon it's far more realistic to dual boot into an audio-only OS, optimise the hell out of it, install JPLAY or Audirvana and spend money on something worthwhile like an IFI usb filter or good USB-SPDIF converter. 

 

 

 

 

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I have been using AO for the past 5 years.   I run a dedicated headless music pc.   I have just moved from WS 2012 (core mode) to WS2019 (GUI mode) using AO 3.0 and Fidelizer 8.4.    
 

I have run the PC into assorted DAC’s without a problem.   
 

I have zero other experience to compare AO with but I have found the AO service and documentation hard to fault.    It does come with a learning curve so if you are not IT savvy maybe give it a miss.    AO does what it says it will do, which is improves PC SQ on a dedicated music system.

 

Regards Cazzesman

Edited by cazzesman
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  • 4 weeks later...


1 hour ago, realysm42 said:

It is good as far a polishing a turd goes (I own a license) but Snakeoil OS beats it hands down.


Oh yeah and it’s free.

So you install snake oil os on a pc or Mac?

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PC, it’s a Linux distro, especially for audio.

 

I don’t know anything about Mac, but if you create a partition on the storage I can’t see why you wouldn’t be able to use it there either.

 

I used AO, Fidelizer and Process Lasso on a Windows 10 pro install and they did improve it, but Snakeoil is better than all of them combined, I’d never go back now. 

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On 16/03/2020 at 6:36 PM, realysm42 said:

PC, it’s a Linux distro, especially for audio.

 

I don’t know anything about Mac, but if you create a partition on the storage I can’t see why you wouldn’t be able to use it there either.

 

I used AO, Fidelizer and Process Lasso on a Windows 10 pro install and they did improve it, but Snakeoil is better than all of them combined, I’d never go back now. 

Hi Realysm42,

 

Had not heard of Snakeoil before, have had a look at it, essentially it's a Ubunto distribution no doubt with just the bare minimum services running from the start. I guess the great part of most Linux distros is that they don't have a lot of the bloat that Windows Desktop O.S's have, like other services that are not required. The only draw back maybe some of underlying interfaces are not as user friendly as say Windows is from a Desktop O.S.. 

Thanks for your input, I may run this up and have a play

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15 minutes ago, MJJW said:

Hi Realysm42,

 

Had not heard of Snakeoil before, have had a look at it, essentially it's a Ubunto distribution no doubt with just the bare minimum services running from the start. I guess the great part of most Linux distros is that they don't have a lot of the bloat that Windows Desktop O.S's have, like other services that are not required. The only draw back maybe some of underlying interfaces are not as user friendly as say Windows is from a Desktop O.S.. 

Thanks for your input, I may run this up and have a play

I just looked at it as well.  From what I can see, it doesn't support a whole lot of hardware.  My humble Topping D10 isn't listed.

Edited by aussievintage
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6 minutes ago, aussievintage said:

I just looked at it as well.  From what I can see, it doesn't support a whole lot of hardware.  My humble Topping D10 isn't listed.

Yeh you may have to inject the drivers into it in a manual fashion.  Although most hardware manufacturers provide linux drivers these days.

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5 hours ago, aussievintage said:

I just looked at it as well.  From what I can see, it doesn't support a whole lot of hardware.  My humble Topping D10 isn't listed.

It will probably work regardless, (easy to test off a usb) but if it doesnt, agent Kith (the developer) is happy to set up the drivers for you.

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14 hours ago, frednork said:

It will probably work regardless, (easy to test off a usb) but if it doesnt, agent Kith (the developer) is happy to set up the drivers for you.

 

This - part of the beauty of the system is it operates driverlessly and if it doesn't work, Agent Kith is responsive, capable and helpful, he will make it work for you.

Edited by realysm42
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First off I ran Jriver then graduated to Roon on a PC but easily the best has been  Rock on a nuc....  makes life much easier and there is no issue with other services, updates , etc etc. Then you can spend all your time listening to music!

Edited by Toyboyo
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