Better Sound for Mac Users- Pure Music Player

[bixby]

 
Quote:

 
 
How does internet radio work???
 

it doesn't. 
 
Pure music plays files and does not use itunes for anything other than file management and user interface.
 

 

[Student_Driver]

Has anyone tried using an iphone or ipad to control Pure Music? I assume that the Apple Remote application will not work as it controls iTunes and not Pure Music.

 

[bixby]

Pure Music works with ipad as well as touch with the standard remote app.  It may not show the elapsed time unless you check a setting in pm, though.
 
Also, you do not want to press a button while loading a gapless album too soon after you pressed play cuz it may crash the app if the entire album did not load into memory for playback.
 
cheers

 

[gus6464]

Does this support airtunes?

 

[bixby]

Quote:

Does this support airtunes?

nope

 

[mrspeakers]

Been running the demo all day and so-far, me likey.  I have an increasing quantity of 24/96 and 88.2 material, and was rather irritated by the need to constantly switch devices in MIDI and quit iTunes, or just downsample everything, which sucked.
 
The upsampling seems to be interesting.  Normally this has not improved the audio, in my experience, but with "doubling" as the default for me, my ALAC material just magically bumps up to 88.2, and darned if the audio on some tracks doesn't sound better (I noted a bit of extra transparency and air on my 256K material, much more of a difference than with the ALAC source.  What's up with that?).
 
I downloaded this wondering why it would cost anything at all, but it does seem to be growing on me.  A little more listening and I may just buy this.
 
BTW, the scrolling meter stuff on the top is just GROSS UI.  Very NOT MAC.  Sorry to shout, but the UI started it... 

 

[mrspeakers]

It's interesting how few people seem to be tracking the concept of software to improve the source.  I'm hooked on this now, it's quite noticeable on good source material, and the upsampling is nice, and very automatic.  I'm a "silence between the notes" fan, and the articulation of dark space and air the software ads is interesting.  Doubters should try the free 15 day trial.

 

[vuntruong]

I tried it out, and I have to say, What's the point?  it doesnt do anything.  I cant hear the difference.  Better off using Foobar.  Purevinyl is better if u have a turntable.  

 

[bixby]

What do you mean it doesn't do anything?  Did you get it to play files?  Did you read the TXT readme file?  Did you try memory play?   Hog Mode?  
 
Give us some more details so we can help you.
 
Then if you don't like it, you can stick with whatever you're using.  But don't say it doesn't do anything, it makes us think you didn't even hear it.
 

Come to think of it, I don't believe you got it working on your mac!  You know it is a Mac only program right?
 
And you do also know that Foobar does not have a Mac version, right?  At least they didn't the last time I checked.
 
Kinda losing cred here vuntruong!

 

[mrspeakers]

 and while we are at it what type of gear did you connect, how was it connected, and what is the resolution of the device? And what source material?

I find the better the source the omits difference I hear...

 

[grawk]

Given that he says it doesn't work as well as foobar, I'd say it means that it doesn't do anything, because he's running windows, and is just trolling because he's bored.

 

[vuntruong]

Alright,  I am using a MAC.  with VMware fusion to run windows and foobar at the same time.  I have the Mac Connected to PS adudio DAC---> Kenwood 600 amp----> DTQW speakers or Akg K701 headphones.  I like purevinyl because it was useful for ripping Vinyl etc...  Pure music player, I don't get.  I got it playing well.  and yes i got it to run in memory mode, and some crazy upsampling.  It seems to be "fat" like itunes as opposed to foobar.  With foobar i can create UPNP servers, play Flac, and well as Apple lossless.  Hell I can play files located on the MAc to my ipod touch, and then stream it back to Airport express if i want.  So now my ipod touch basically have access to all the files on my computer.  everything is good.  I was hoping pure music was a slimdown Purevinyl.  I was hoping it has really really good Volume controls and attenuation so we don't loose any "bits" or information when the volume is not set at max level.  I was hoping it display the bitrate that it actually send out to the DAc, like foobar.  I was hoping it has better volume controls.  I was disappointed.  puremusic uses too much of my computer's resourches.  The sounds playing through puremusic, well seems like the tremble just got cranked up.  Sound space, seems the same to me.  So really, I can't hear the difference between itunes and puremusic players that much.  That's just my observation.  

 

[mrspeakers]

Well Vuntruong, that's quite different from "hearing nothing."  "Bright" to you may be what I hear on my rig as "more air."  
 
On my laptop (hardly the racehorse of CPUs) this uses 2.4% CPU, which is hardly being a processor hog, and since you have control over memory consumption you choose how much to eat, so why the beef?  Anyhow, it's not your cup of tea, so be it.  I dig the control over parameters, though it's hardly user friendly in the conventional sense.  Geek-toy...
 
I really like this software, and am finding transients are more clearly defined, and that percussion particularly is benefiting from the upsampling.  There's an easy clarity to the music, not at all edgy or sharp, but very liquid.  Listened to some 24/96 classical: woodwinds had a lovely timbre, and on rock percussion really sounded great.  Cymbals have a nice metallic sound to them, and drums you can really hear the impact on the drum head.

I am excited to try this with the Burson.  It will be interesting to compare the DACPort to the Burson 160D's quality with iTunes vs. Pure Music source.  It's supposed to arrive Friday. 

 

[vuntruong]

I'm just saying I expected more.  I have used product from Echo digital Corporation, specifically the indigo IO.  and I have to say that their drivers are top notch.  Well, I've change laptop, and the drivers doesn't work without the soundcard.  Man, I wish one can still use the driver to control all audio input/output.  I was hoping that pure music players was similar to their driver.  Oh well.  Keep at it. 

 

[Bones13]

I have been using PureMusic since version 1.6, and have the current 1.72a, and use it on 2 computers.  They let you use your one license on the computers you use.
 
Used correctly (hog mode, memory play, pre-allocation, +/- upsampling, I find it to be a real upgrade to standard Mac audio via a DAC.  Price is not too bad either.  I have been too cheap to spring for Amarra, and will not usually support any software with that type of copy protection, but I read that it works well also.
 
PureMusic allows you continue to iTunes with all its features, remote controls, play lists, and just replaces most of Core Audio as I understand it.  On my home computer, I play system audio through the speakers in the monitor, and use the USB audio driver for W4S DAC2 to be the sole output of PureMusic.  This is controlled using the Midi utility.
 
To some degree, getting the music to "pop" with PureMusic is similar to how you had to work with Foobar 2K to get true bitperfect out, when its working right, your head starts nodding, the difference really is noticable.