OS X Software Players (Audirvana, iTunes, JRiver, Pure Music, etc)

Posted by: Halloween Man on 19 August 2016

Just wondering what people are using and why.

I've been running Audirvana now for a week or so and believe I can hear differences over iTunes. Audirvana seems to have better soundstaging but sounds less forgiving. I also seem to prefer Audirvana audio settings on Integer Mode 2 over Integer Mode 1 (brighter, more processed sound). However, no blind testing done so I'm not sure all of this is in my head as in theory I should not hear a difference. Not quite bit perfect - with Hugo TT OS X playback software will always convert my 16 bit apple lossless files to 32 bit before data reaches dac because Hugo TT driver/audio midi settings only has a single 32 bit option, which is a little disappointing. I wonder if this 16 bit to 32 bit conversion is why i can hear a difference? I know in theory I should not as the conversion should be a trivial padding of 0s which should not alter sound quality but perhaps more is going on in these software players? Are they able to alter sound in some way and yet still output a bit perfect file?

Posted on: 23 August 2016 by Halloween Man

The 32 bit option is for Hugo TT DAC Hd usb input. The audio midi setup will differ depending on your dac

Posted on: 23 August 2016 by dayjay

I've been using Integer mode 2 this week, could all be in my head but it sounds a little more relaxed and integrated to me. When I get back from Wales later this week I will switch it back and see if I miss it at all

Posted on: 23 August 2016 by Halloween Man

next week I'm hoping to take things further and try jriver on OS X. I read that rob watts uses jriver on Windows 10 laptop so should be software you can trust for converting 16 bit files to 32 bit. Would be even more interesting to compare jriver on OS X (driverless USB) to jriver on Windows 10 (chord specific driver with error correction). Rob watts claims the Windows driver should be technically superior. Will be interesting to find out if Hugo tt is recognised as 16 bit capable by Windows chord driver (it is but OS X does not recognise it as such).

Posted on: 23 August 2016 by hungryhalibut

I read that Rob Watts uses only Kleenex extra quilted toilet tissue. Best get some in.

Posted on: 23 August 2016 by tonym

Hungryhalibut posted:
I read that Rob Watts uses only Kleenex extra quilted toilet tissue. Best get some in.

This is confusing. At a recent seminar he mentioned he was leaning towards Kleenex Cottonelle Ultra. Said it wiped the floor with the Extra Quilted.

Posted on: 23 August 2016 by dayjay

Halloween Man posted:
next week I'm hoping to take things further and try jriver on OS X. I read that rob watts uses jriver on Windows 10 laptop so should be software you can trust for converting 16 bit files to 32 bit. Would be even more interesting to compare jriver on OS X (driverless USB) to jriver on Windows 10 (chord specific driver with error correction). Rob watts claims the Windows driver should be technically superior. Will be interesting to find out if Hugo tt is recognised as 16 bit capable by Windows chord driver (it is but OS X does not recognise it as such).

I tried J River on Windows before I got the Mac. To my ears A+ and Mac are better although it was a bog standard PC to be fair. Not too keen on the Kleenex which, for me, is no better than Tesco's own at best

Posted on: 23 August 2016 by hungryhalibut

Bog standard. Nicely done.

Posted on: 02 September 2016 by Halloween Man

i had a chance to try some other software players. i just had a quick try and listen of each try free version. heres my subjective thoughts.

jriver, i thought it was bloated for my simple audio needs and could not hear much difference between it and itunes.

bitperfect, i liked it. very simple and integration with itunes worked well. couldnt hear much difference to it and audirvana.

pure music, way too complicated for my needs and didnt like the interface and as such didnt really bother to listen.

so i decided on sticking with audirvana as for me it sounds as good, if not better, than anything else, its simple, does not require itunes to be open, works like clockwork, great remote app and interface, and syncs with my itunes library, its bit perfect, and is well supported.

i aksed the developer of audirvana why mode 1 and mode 2 would sound different (im not 100% sure i can hear a difference) and he replied that the difference is in the way mode 1 and mode 2 stream data, they are both bit perfect and there is no signal processing. im intrigued the method of streaming bit perfect data can alter sound. perhaps this difference may not be audible on a fully isolated platform of tt usb and macbook running on batteries.

Posted on: 02 September 2016 by tonym

Hi Halloween Man, I guess you didn't try Amarra Symphony? Not sure how the basic version compares with Audirvana+, on a par I would guess, but it does offer iRC Dirac room correction, that I found very beneficial. The latter's available as a 30-day trial but you do need a microphone to set it up.

Posted on: 02 September 2016 by Halloween Man

hi tony i idid try amarra but wasnt happy with the security warning i got from os x so i decided not to install, didnt recognise as a trusted developer. can it be controlled by iphone app? the room correction version is hugely more expensive and im not sure i want to know my room is less than perfect! also not sure i want to process the original sound to suit my room, would prefer to acoustically treat room.

Posted on: 02 September 2016 by Halloween Man

ps. will be sticking with audirvana integer mode 2 as i prefer it for some reason, seems smoother though not fully convinced there is a difference.

Posted on: 02 September 2016 by dayjay

Halloween Man posted:
ps. will be sticking with audirvana integer mode 2 as i prefer it for some reason, seems smoother though not fully convinced there is a difference.

Agreed, I also prefer mode 2 and agree it is smoother. I did try Amarra, and every other free to try option across PC and Mac platforms, and much prefered Audirvana although I wasn't using room correction and I only use Audiirvana in non IIunes mode