[Solrighal]

I can't seem to open the user manual. What file type is it? Is it print or just pictures of print? I only ask because I'd like to read it before trying again to use the software. Hoping Ref.4 might be a little easier to get up and running.

As far as I know it's a PDF but it doesn't have the '.pdf' suffix attached.

https://sonarworks.us9.list-manage....555d53d896887bac90&id=5c52c20466&e=a22d12b877

 

[MattTCG]

The upgrade does include system-wide.

 

[Solrighal]

The upgrade does include system-wide.

Indeed, I've only just found that out. I went ahead and upgraded to Reference 4 and it does indeed include Systemwide.

All's well that ends well.

 

[Roll]

It is worth it to upgrade to Reference 4 just to get Systemwide as a package
If you bought Systemwide and have Reference 3, it is a free upgrade Reference 4 'code'.
If I read correct, the old codes still work if u ever want to go back..

So far I have no problem after doing a fresh install, when I deleted all the 'old' Reference.. and True-Fi

The only problem I need to solve - not updating my headphone latest profiles

https://sonarworks.com/blog/reference-4-now-supports-101-headphones/

 

[Solrighal]

It's worth it for me to get the Systemwide functionality. Interestingly though, Ref 4 does something different to my HD 650 when compared with Ref 3. Perhaps they've tested more samples and so the target average has changed. Whatever the reason the difference now between using SW and straight-through is no longer night & day.

 

[groovyd]

I missed the memo too Matt. Luckily I've just upgraded to High Sierra and now SW Ref 3 no longer works in Vox. I contacted support and they got back to me tonight suggesting I try SW Ref 4 and see how that goes.

It's working fine and I like the Systemwide aspect too, although I'll have to wait for daylight before I really try it out on my speakers. One odd thing is that the difference between SW Ref 4 on & off is much less obvious than it was with SW Ref 3. Something has changed in the profile. I'll be damned if I'm not hearing more detail now though & the bass seems to slam just that wee bit harder. That could be me though.

The only thing is I think they're going to charge me for this & I don't know if I'm entirely comfortable about that since I was perfectly happy with SW Ref 3.

My Ref 3 also quit working after OS upgrade. It appears the license codes and calibration files are in some way attached to the machine id or some OS id that it is running on. Deleting the calibrations folder and re-installing the license gave me new files that work again. So basically you cannot 'migrate' these files across machines and sometimes OS it seems.

 

[groovyd]

This upgrade procedure is a mess. As far as I can tell upgrading from Ref 3 to Ref 4 + Systemwide should be free but when I put in my Ref 3 license key it's asking me for €19. Getting tired of this crap.

Edit - I get it now. I'm actually expected to pay €19 to retain exactly the same features I had before my OS upgrade. An unscrupulous company might use the OS update as an excuse to dig more money out of their loyal customers whereas what they should really be doing is ensuring their existing customers are able to continue using a product they bought in good faith.

to be honest (and i am a tough nut) i think they did a commendable job simplifying the licensing and install in Ref 4. One license now covers everything and is all handled at once. At least for me 'it just worked' and Ref 3 was a good fight. Unfortunately a few tools I use don't seem to be able to read and use the new plugins not sure if they are AUv4 or something newer format then what some software likes?

My impression on sound is that Ref4 is a little lighter touch on the correction in a good way. Feels ever so slightly cleaner sounding across the spectrum. Latency values reported by the filters though are in fact higher now then they were under Ref 3 but it was verified to me by support that in fact Ref 3 was mis-reporting those latency values lower then they actually were and that bug was fixed. Regarding zero latency that is mostly marketing hype as theoretically a zero latency filter does not exist without being able to predict the future.

 

[MattTCG]

Would anyone still using ref 3 plugin please pm me?

 

[techboy]

Ref 4 doesn’t sound as good as Ref 3 with my HD 650.

 

[Solrighal]

Strange, my experience is the complete opposite. Whereas Ref 3 stripped the body out of the mids in search of neutrality I'd say Ref 4 retains the character of the HD 650 mids far more accurately.

 

[canali]

Dar did a review on Sonarworks Tru-fi just recently.

The search for headphone truth with Sonarworks’ True-Fi
by John H. Darko


http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2017/11/the-search-for-headphone-truth-with-sonarworks-true-fi/

 

[Solrighal]

I didn't like True-Fi at all to be honest. I thought it sounded rather anaemic. Ref 4, on the other hand, is fabulous with my HD 650's.

 

[castleofargh]

is there some secret sauce to each apps? slightly different curve? different filter? I must admit I thought they were about the same stuff just bundled as a VST for one and as an independent computer wide DSP for the other. and that the price difference had to do with maybe the speaker calibration stuff. I remember reading stuff on the Sonarworks website, but it really did nothing to clarify the differences for me. and I wonder if I'm just really dense as I can be sometimes, or if most people are like me and there is a little PR issue with that new product.

 

[514077]

is there some secret sauce to each apps? slightly different curve? different filter? I must admit I thought they were about the same stuff just bundled as a VST for one and as an independent computer wide DSP for the other. and that the price difference had to do with maybe the speaker calibration stuff. I remember reading stuff on the Sonarworks website, but it really did nothing to clarify the differences for me. and I wonder if I'm just really dense as I can be sometimes, or if most people are like me and there is a little PR issue with that new product.

Frankly, I found their website confusing and unclear. And I've tried the VST route with this and one other Audeze piece of software, with bad to frustrating results. Until they can build something that can be simply used in FB2K, I'm not interested.

 

[Solrighal]

is there some secret sauce to each apps? slightly different curve? different filter? I must admit I thought they were about the same stuff just bundled as a VST for one and as an independent computer wide DSP for the other. and that the price difference had to do with maybe the speaker calibration stuff. I remember reading stuff on the Sonarworks website, but it really did nothing to clarify the differences for me. and I wonder if I'm just really dense as I can be sometimes, or if most people are like me and there is a little PR issue with that new product.

I initially used the VST component of Ref 3 in JRiver and then switched to Vox and used the AU plug-in. The sound was pretty much exactly the same. I've now switched to the AU plug-in supplied with Ref 4 and the sound is very different. To my mind it's better but it's interesting that it's different at all. I thought neutral was neutral but apparently that's not necessarily the case.