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Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2020 16:21:42 GMT -5
I'm not as familiar with MACs, but are there BIOS settings underneath like in a PC? If so, run through your settings to see if you have any Virtualization options and disable them. I have recently found that my older X58 motherboard's virtualization tech is incompatible with Windows 10. I was getting some stalls and such on my PC. I disabled this stuff and everything is much smoother now. It's worth looking at or Googling. Secondly, in my opinion there is just something wrong here. It doesn't take a tremendous amount of hardware or bandwidth to stream music. Macs are PROFOUNDLY not like PCs. The BIOS settings are not user definable, although one can "hack the bios" via the "Terminal" app. But if you get a typo, that app can have a different meaning! The good news is that Apple (providing BOTH the hardware AND the operating system) already KNOWS whether your hardware can handle their newest operating system upgrade. If your hardware isn't up to minimum requirements, the new OS simply won't install. That said, one CAN tinker with the operating system to a lesser degree through Apple's graphical interface. I've Googled several different "Speed up your Mac" pages and verified that my system is "running lean." That said, I agree that SOMETHING is wrong - it should NOT take more hardware OR bandwidth to stream music without dropouts. That's what is making me suspect (more and more) that the problem is NOT with the computer at all, but with the SATA hard drive and cradle. I've rooted around in my spare parts closed this afternoon and unearthed two other SATA drive cradles. I'll try the both of them with the drive (reverting deliberately back to USB-2) and see if there's still dropouts. If not, then I'm concluding that the problem was drive-cradle incompatibility. If the dropouts remain even in a different cradle, then I'm swapping in a "packaged" external USB drive (I think I have both a Seagate and a Western Digital laying around). For the future, there IS room in this Mac Mini for a second internal HDD. Were I to install a large, internal SSD, I'd completely do away with the whole USB issue... The Samsung SSD 860 EVO 4TB 2.5 Inch SATA III Internal SSD goes for less than $700. Just curious, is there USB type of saving power mode on your Mac? That is, a power saving vs power mode etc like Windows? I've had network devices drop because of such settings in an attempt to save energy. I dunno whether USBs also have this type of option. Same for SATA, there's energy saving modes which put devices to sleep and power modes which keep the devices alive. I realize this is most basic so excuse me for asking!
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Post by Boomzilla on Jul 14, 2020 16:31:25 GMT -5
Hi @shimei -
No, there are no user-defined power management settings in a Mac for USB. However, they DO have an automatic "overload switch." If your USB devices are drawing too much power and the USB voltage is about to sag (or, presumably if its regulator is getting too hot), the Mac will pop up a message on the screen and automatically "load shed." The entire USB system (however many ports are on the machine) are then incapable of putting out maximum wattage again until the computer is shut down and rebooted. I've run into this before when using multiple USB accessories simultaneously on my business machine. I therefore now buy only self-powered USB hubs, and have never had that problem again.
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Post by megash0n on Jul 14, 2020 17:05:47 GMT -5
Forgive me if you have tried this, but what happens when you copy the music local to the MAC and not being accessed from the external sata drive? Secondly, I did a quick Google search and it appears many have issues with audio dropping out on MACs due to certain updates or installed software that needs to be updated, etc. I'm sure you have searched near and far for these things, but thought I'd mention it anyways.
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Post by Boomzilla on Jul 14, 2020 21:15:34 GMT -5
Yes, megash0n - Many companies (and Roon specifically) give very delayed software updates for their Mac products. This has led, in the past, to Roon users having to do completely without their bought and paid for Roon service because Roon drug their feet in being ready for the new Mac OS. I expect the same to happen in the future. However, the latest OS-X version (Catalina) now works with the latest Roon edition, and I've turned off automatic updates of OS-X to avoid future interruptions. I've also avoided loading ANY software on that machine other than Roon and Chronosync so that other software won't interfere with the box's function either. But thanks for saying it - other Mac / Roon users may not have been aware! Boom
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Post by megash0n on Jul 14, 2020 22:16:33 GMT -5
Yes, megash0n - Many companies (and Roon specifically) give very delayed software updates for their Mac products. This has led, in the past, to Roon users having to do completely without their bought and paid for Roon service because Roon drug their feet in being ready for the new Mac OS. I expect the same to happen in the future. However, the latest OS-X version (Catalina) now works with the latest Roon edition, and I've turned off automatic updates of OS-X to avoid future interruptions. I've also avoided loading ANY software on that machine other than Roon and Chronosync so that other software won't interfere with the box's function either. But thanks for saying it - other Mac / Roon users may not have been aware! Boom The joys of our hobbies! Everytime MS releases and update, I fear I will lose my HDR on my HTPC. You definitely have an issue that I'm sure there's a solution for thru vigorous troubleshooting. It isn't logical that you are pushing the hardware too far. The bitrate of HD audio is minimal and should not be causing an issue with any hardware developed in the past decade. There's some hardware or software incompatibility that is causing your issue. I would remove everything I could to minimize hardware and software until I found something that worked. Then, start adding things back. I'm not sure what other software you have, but JRiver has a free trial. I'm sorry, but after 20+ years in IT, I know very little about Macs. All of your hardware, spec wise, has more than enough capability to do this hundreds of times over. Good luck on figuring this out!
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Post by Boomzilla on Jul 15, 2020 2:01:00 GMT -5
It's the SATA implementation of the raw drive conflicting with the SATA chip in the cradle. I can run video off other drives, but not that one.
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Post by Boomzilla on Jul 15, 2020 10:20:59 GMT -5
Second pair of Emotiva T2 speakers should ship to me this week. When they arrive, I'll try a bipolar arrangement with my current pair, and then stack them, wiring in series and in parallel to see how that sounds.
(backordered) Schiit Loki should ship tomorrow.
Lots of fun!
Anyone heard the SVS Ultra tower speakers?
Thanks - Boom
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Post by monkumonku on Jul 15, 2020 10:54:59 GMT -5
Second pair of Emotiva T2 speakers should ship to me this week. When they arrive, I'll try a bipolar arrangement with my current pair, and then stack them, wiring in series and in parallel to see how that sounds. (backordered) Schiit Loki should ship tomorrow. Lots of fun! Anyone heard the SVS Ultra tower speakers? Thanks - Boom Do you mean you or the speakers?
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Post by Boomzilla on Jul 15, 2020 12:38:25 GMT -5
Why monkumonku - I had no idea you were kinky! LOL Oops - wrong "bi..." I don't think I'm bipolar - what you see is what you get. But the bipolar speaker arrangement (the opposite of Magnepan's "dipolar" arrangement) will output the same phase from its front as its rear drivers. In other words, when the front driver moves "out" into the room, the back driver does the same. But you knew that already...
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Post by brubacca on Jul 15, 2020 18:24:17 GMT -5
Boomzilla,
Weren't you getting a Jolida Wifi Tube Dad? Did I miss your impressions?
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Post by Boomzilla on Jul 15, 2020 18:36:11 GMT -5
Boomzilla, Weren't you getting a Jolida Wifi Tube Dad? Did I miss your impressions? Jolida is now "Black Ice Audio." I bought that DAC. The preview is here: hometheaterhifi.com/news/product-previews/black-ice-glass-fx-dac-wi-fi-dsd-dac-preview/The company is moving away from the "Jolida" name, and will be offering new, modified, and enhanced designs for many of their former products soon. OTOH, one MAY be able to purchase some of the discontinued Jolida stock at closeout prices? I don't have any inside information on this, but am merely speculating...
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Post by Boomzilla on Jul 18, 2020 4:59:03 GMT -5
Anyone heard the new Yamaha NS-5000 monitors? From a marketing standpoint, I can understand their homage to the classic NS-1000M speakers, but I'd have thought that, this being the 21st century, Yamaha would have paid a bit more attention to phase-coherence and maybe to mounting-board diffraction. But pretty is as pretty sounds, and maybe they've got some crossover tricks up their sleeve? I know that their materials are "space age" (ZYLON), that they've moved on from beryllium, and that they've abandoned the ubiquitous MDF construction for white birch, but how do they sound? And bring some WATTS - these puppies are rated at 86dB / 1W / 1M and manufacturer's specs are most often optimistic! I also noticed that Yamaha, disappointingly, cheated blatantly on their frequency response specs. Instead of using the conventional frequency response limits of "X to Y - plus or minus 3dB, anechoic," Yamaha published their specs without drawing attention to the fact that their publicized 26 Hz. low frequency cutoff is actually a MINUS 10dB spec! So what's the ACTUAL LF response? Probably somewhere in the vicinity of 60 Hz. or higher? Yamaha doesn't say, so you don't really know. I'd expect this type of foolishness from someone selling speakers out of the back of his van in a parking lot, but to see this deceptive specsmanship from an established company such as Yamaha is profoundly irritating. It's deliberately deceptive and Yamaha knows it. They should be ashamed. No excuse!
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Post by audiobill on Jul 18, 2020 7:37:05 GMT -5
And little resale?
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Post by Boomzilla on Jul 19, 2020 15:22:15 GMT -5
AMEN, brother - a floor standing speaker with the low frequency response of a mini-monitor? What were they thinking?
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Post by Boomzilla on Jul 25, 2020 5:07:40 GMT -5
Having "de-corona-cootiefied" in the back of my minivan for the past three days, I'll be hauling the second pair of T2 speakers inside today and setting them up.
The first setup will be in bipolar configuration and at equal volume with the front-facing pair (a "pseudo-omnidirectional" effect?). To do this, I'll need to verify the phase between the Emotiva PA-1 amplifiers and the Ashly FTX-2001 amplifier, and then use the gain pots on the Ashly inputs to match the gain of the PA-1s. I'll listen in this configuration, take notes, and then take measurements.
Second setup will also be in bipolar configuration but with the rear-facing speakers set to a level of -6dB from the forward-facing speakers. This is typical level matching of commercial bipolar speakers including brands such as Definitive Technology. Again, I'll listen, take notes, and then take measurements.
I may or may not bother with a third setup... If I do, I'll set the speakers to a DI-polar configuration with the rear-facing speakers out of phase with the forward-facing ones. Levels would be matched between the speaker pairs. This would be "Magnepan-style," but without the planar drivers.
After those two or three experiments, I'll stack the new speakers atop the original ones & see what happens. And finally, I'll try the stacked rig with my Airmotiv S15 subwoofers.
This will probably take about a week and I'll publish the results (and measurements) when I'm done. Are any of these options going to be "keepers?" I'm very curious to know.
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Post by Boomzilla on Jul 27, 2020 13:10:21 GMT -5
Improvements that I think would help my system:
1. Quit using an external USB HDD for music storage and instead, install a large-capacity SSD drive internally to the server computer's case. This will "unload" the USB bus, and allow faster data transfer directly from the SATA internal bus.
2. Try out J-River software again and see how it stacks up against Roon
3. Try out the TOSLINK optical output of the Mac Mini and see how it sounds compared to the current USB output.
4. Get an active subwoofer crossover. Choices are unbalanced (Dahlquist DQ-LP1), or balanced (JL Audio CR-1 or a "pro" crossover)
5. Get some subs that can go happily to higher frequencies with flat frequency response than the existing S15s
6. Add absorbers to the room to reduce slap echo
7. Replace the T2 speakers with phase coherent and/or point-source-radiating models
8. If the latter, try out "near field" listening to reduce room echoes
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Post by Boomzilla on Jul 29, 2020 3:42:10 GMT -5
I got the 6.8dBA fans installed in the two Ashly FTX-2001 Series III amplifiers. To do so, I had to install a transformer / rectifier to convert 115VAC to 12VDC. But all's well that ends well & it all works.
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Post by cwmcobra on Jul 29, 2020 15:19:44 GMT -5
How did the fans work in the Ashlys? Is the fan noise tolerable? Or closer to nonexistent? Or still not quiet enough?
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Post by Boomzilla on Jul 29, 2020 15:34:04 GMT -5
How did the fans work in the Ashlys? Is the fan noise tolerable? Or closer to nonexistent? Or still not quiet enough? Absolutely nonexistent! You have to put your hand at the fan outlet to tell if the fan’s even running. The spec on these is 6.8dBA. Yet the airflow is identical to the original fan. $13 and change from Amazon - BUT - unlike most power amplifier fans, that run on 115VAC, these Noctua ones require 12VDC. So you’ll either need to run the wiring outside the amp case and use a wall-wart, or else add a transformer and rectifier inside the amplifier’s case, as I did.
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Post by Raven on Jul 29, 2020 15:53:09 GMT -5
Anyone heard the new Yamaha NS-5000 monitors? From a marketing standpoint, I can understand their homage to the classic NS-1000M speakers, but I'd have thought that, this being the 21st century, Yamaha would have paid a bit more attention to phase-coherence and maybe to mounting-board diffraction. But pretty is as pretty sounds, and maybe they've got some crossover tricks up their sleeve? I know that their materials are "space age" (ZYLON), that they've moved on from beryllium, and that they've abandoned the ubiquitous MDF construction for white birch, but how do they sound? And bring some WATTS - these puppies are rated at 86dB / 1W / 1M and manufacturer's specs are most often optimistic! I also noticed that Yamaha, disappointingly, cheated blatantly on their frequency response specs. Instead of using the conventional frequency response limits of "X to Y - plus or minus 3dB, anechoic," Yamaha published their specs without drawing attention to the fact that their publicized 26 Hz. low frequency cutoff is actually a MINUS 10dB spec! So what's the ACTUAL LF response? Probably somewhere in the vicinity of 60 Hz. or higher? Yamaha doesn't say, so you don't really know. I'd expect this type of foolishness from someone selling speakers out of the back of his van in a parking lot, but to see this deceptive specsmanship from an established company such as Yamaha is profoundly irritating. It's deliberately deceptive and Yamaha knows it. They should be ashamed. No excuse! I've heard them on last year's Toronto Audio Fest. They was sounding very good, I really enjoyed their sound
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