[Clemmaster]

If you STOP the playback, windows will be able to play sounds. If you PAUSE it, jRiver will keep exclusive control over the playing device.

 

[Steph86]

If you STOP the playback, windows will be able to play sounds. If you PAUSE it, jRiver will keep exclusive control over the playing device.

mmm, I think this is the same for Foobar also.
 
Clemmaster do you also use ASIO for output?

 

[Clemmaster]

No I use WASAPI.

JRiver had (and probably still has) an option to disable the exclusive access on the device, which allows to have the windows sounds at the same time (at the expense of sound quality, probably).

 

[ciphercomplete]

I downloaded the new driver yesterday but I haven't got around to trying the various modes yet. The improvement isn't as drastic as the last driver update which was amazing but I did notice a little better focus. The BS Deck has been out since the last update and its absence is probably the reason behind the improvements.

 

[ALRAINBOW]

Nothing I have tried ever has made the M7 bass as tight as it needs to be. It really nice tones and good clarity it's only issue to my ears is the bass is a bit over the top but also not as detailed as it needs to be. . I have tried the offramp and the ap1/pp. The new driver /firmware helps this but does not resolve it all together. .
Al

 

[ciphercomplete]

Nothing I have tried ever has made the M7 bass as tight as it needs to be. It really nice tones and good clarity it's only issue to my ears is the bass is a bit over the top but also not as detailed as it needs to be. . I have tried the offramp and the ap1/pp. The new driver /firmware helps this but does not resolve it all together. .
Al

Yeah, and I think that is a weakness of the dac chip itself.  I have owned a couple 1704UK dacs (non audio gd varieties) and while they were no where as good as the M7, the bass had that same sort of looser characteristic.  Its definitely the M7's Achilles heel. 

 

[ALRAINBOW]

As I am glad you agree we will both be bashed shortly hahaha. It's shame it's a great dac for headphones . There is a dac called the trinity big bucks and it uses the same 1704 chips. I have tried anything I could think of to solve it.

Honestly I think the problem may be in the PSU for the dac itself. I are done all there is to it . Rj45 with an offramp , the HDMI with an offramp. A i7 CPU with SS drives win 7 PPA USB PCI x and linear PSU and the PPA red USB cable. Of I knew how to add on a better PSU I would try it. .
Al

 

[ciphercomplete]

As I am glad you agree we will both be bashed shortly hahaha. 
Al

 
I hope not, its an honest assessment. Overall this is still the best dac I have personally owned just not the best in the bass category.  Fortunately I have diy speakers that use servo subs to handle everything below 200hz and I can adjust the dampness on the sub amps to make the bass tighter allowing for at least some of that obscured detail to be heard.     

 

[krumme]

  Yeah, and I think that is a weakness of the dac chip itself.  I have owned a couple 1704UK dacs (non audio gd varieties) and while they were no where as good as the M7, the bass had that same sort of looser characteristic.  Its definitely the M7's Achilles heel. 

I understand what you both hear and yes i also think it can be attributed to the 170x, but you interprete it wrong imho. The roundness vs dryness is more correct vs real live non amplified sources imho. I think its a general ladder vs streaming technology characteristics. 1 bit dacs never have the needed roundness to the tone imo, but they have other qualities like perhaps a musicality-sweetness to the midtone.

 

[mowglycdb]

I feel the bass is fine and tight but I haven't heared other sources on the same level. The tone of the Master-7 is one of it's strengths at least putin thinks that way. I enjoy it a lot for some genres but for others it's not that great, soundstage is too big and looses intimacy.

 

[ciphercomplete]

  I understand what you both hear and yes i also think it can be attributed to the 170x, but you interprete it wrong imho. The roundness vs dryness is more correct vs real live non amplified sources imho. 

That may be the case, it probably is just a personal preference thing.  I am nitpicking in complaining about the M7s bass.  Its just to my ears the bass performance doesn't quite match how great the dac performs in the other frequency ranges. FWIW I am certainly not rushing out trying to buy another dac. 

 

[mowglycdb]

the PPA card fixed my BSOD problems WOOOO!!

 

[ALRAINBOW]

Good I am happy for you .
Al

 

[decapitate85]

What is your buffer setting from Asio control panel with the new driver?
 
I tried with 5, but with DSD files after 5 or 6 songs it began to slow down and stutter (in Jriver I put 25 milliseconds).

 

[drez]

If you STOP the playback, windows will be able to play sounds. If you PAUSE it, jRiver will keep exclusive control over the playing device.

I turn windows souns off. Who needs them?