[audio_1]

Thanks, would you do me a favour and get back to me either way? Might be my laptop, might not be.. the WASAPI driver is fine..

BTW I’ve just switched my Sublime+ subscription to the Studio sub. Same hires streaming, £100 cheaper, but no discounted downloads. I’m more than happy as I rarely buy downloads - and when I do it is usually stuff that Qobuz don’t stream

Will do. Must check out the Studio sub too.

 

[Nik74]

What was once a mix of instruments, vocals etc before, are now clearly audible and seperate from one another, instead of needing to fight through a mix of stuff to pick up something in particular.

In some songs, I can hear background vocals that for 25+ years I didn’t know even existed.

Qobuz undeniably offers grerat sound quality. The one thing that makes me wonder how it is processed within the app is that on the iOS app the inapp volume control is not possible to bypass. Practical as it can be, it sort of implies a level of digital processing within the app which may be less important when you have an M-Scaler but maybe still means that it is not bit perfect? It's just a small question mark for me.

They also work really well with the M-Scaler / DAVE. Exactly what you described. I was planning to sell my HD800 after I got my AB1266, but decided to give them a last listen through the M-Scaler / DAVE combo.They really do shine now, I will hold on to them.

I d be very interested to hear how you would compare the AB with the HD800- bass being a huge difference notwithstanding- as the Abyss is the one headphone that I d love to some day add to my modest rig.

 

[TeediuS]

Just listened to Bubbles by Yosi Howikara, was so crystal clear it was like a bunch of people are in my room, dropping ping pong balls on drums all around me.......mind official blown

 

[Amberlamps]

I have the same issue with the Chord ASIO driver and Qobuz. Half or quarter speed when playing higher sample rates and the pitch goes down correspondingly. WASAPI exclusive is fine. J River is fine with ASIO and WASAPI exclusive. The ASIO driver doesn’t show up in Windows Device manager. Reinstalling drivers made no difference.

Now I know this isn’t me, I will raise it with Chord and Qobuz - it would help if other people with the same problem would do the same. They will doubtless blame each other.

i’ve read somewhere that Windows now has USB2.0 drivers - I wonder whether they could be used? Would they have any advantages?

Hmm, well thats a good thing, you also having the same problem, as it rules out a problem at my end. However, Asio does work at times, actually playing 24/96 asio right now, but at times when changing song, it at times goes slo-mo.

I upped the buffer to 30s and changed the import/storage to other drives, thats about it, I think thats Qobuz’s entire option/settings list, cool huh.

Yeah, no Asio driver in the windows 10 audio settings, but I think that is normal, as it’s not an actual device, just a driver. I could be wrong though.

The rest in mine are all hardware related, sound card, video card, monitor, usb mic with a tiny dac and hugo 2. Asio is just software, and my sound card asio driver doesn’t show up either. I have to set asio settings for my sound card outwith those options.

Pretty sure usb 2 drivers are in windows 10 stock, or do you mean usb 3.0/3.1 drivers ? or updated usb 2 drivers ?

To be honest, I’m inclined to think it’s a Qobuz’s problem, rather than chords driver, as that driver works properly in everything else.

I would really like Roon with this, as qobuz gui is bad, Roon runs rings around it and I don’t know how long I can suffer it.

 

[AndrewOld]

Hmm, well thats a good thing, you also having the same problem, as it rules out a problem at my end. However, Asio does work at times, actually playing 24/96 asio right now, but at times when changing song, it at times goes slo-mo.

I upped the buffer to 30s and changed the import/storage to other drives, thats about it, I think thats Qobuz’s entire option/settings list, cool huh.

Yeah, no Asio driver in the windows 10 audio settings, but I think that is normal, as it’s not an actual device, just a driver. I could be wrong though.

The rest in mine are all hardware related, sound card, video card, monitor, usb mic with a tiny dac and hugo 2. Asio is just software, and my sound card asio driver doesn’t show up either. I have to set asio settings for my sound card outwith those options.

Pretty sure usb 2 drivers are in windows 10 stock, or do you mean usb 3.0/3.1 drivers ? or updated usb 2 drivers ?

To be honest, I’m inclined to think it’s a Qobuz’s problem, rather than chords driver, as that driver works properly in everything else.

I would really like Roon with this, as qobuz gui is bad, Roon runs rings around it and I don’t know how long I can suffer it.

Yep, I’d suspect Qobuz, but you know what software is like .. it is always the other guy. So I shall ask them both, hopefully Chord will be able to tell Qobuz what they are not doing, it’ll be a bit that needs set no doubt. I’m not smart enough to understand why WASAPI works and ASIO doesn’t.

 

[Mikey99]

Qobuz undeniably offers grerat sound quality. The one thing that makes me wonder how it is processed within the app is that on the iOS app the inapp volume control is not possible to bypass. Practical as it can be, it sort of implies a level of digital processing within the app which may be less important when you have an M-Scaler but maybe still means that it is not bit perfect? It's just a small question mark for me.



I d be very interested to hear how you would compare the AB with the HD800- bass being a huge difference notwithstanding- as the Abyss is the one headphone that I d love to some day add to my modest rig.

The Abyss has a fuller, richer, more natural sound. Part of that is due to the bass, but present throughout the range. Great precision, speed. While the HD800 has fantastic soundstage, the Abyss gives up little in comparison. More 3D, which is brought out even further by the M-Scaler / DAVE. I notice you have a Qutest. The M-Scaler would be a great step as well. It would help you get the best out of your current HD800 and potential Abyss.

 

[Amberlamps]

Qobuz undeniably offers grerat sound quality. The one thing that makes me wonder how it is processed within the app is that on the iOS app the inapp volume control is not possible to bypass. Practical as it can be, it sort of implies a level of digital processing within the app which may be less important when you have an M-Scaler but maybe still means that it is not bit perfect? It's just a small question mark for me.



I d be very interested to hear how you would compare the AB with the HD800- bass being a huge difference notwithstanding- as the Abyss is the one headphone that I d love to some day add to my modest rig.

The volume control on the app, to be truthful, I really don’t know as I barely if ever use my ipad or phone to listen to music. I use mojo and poly sd card when out, on rare ocassions I will use tidal, but they went all sneaky on me. If the rumours are true, hopefully you can flip apps and use Roon with it’s volume controls instead, fingers crossed it’s true and soon.

Tidal were forcing cell users onto High quality cell streaming instead of allowing hifi quality. For months I used to get Hifi no problem via my phone, then tidal stopped allowing me to grab hifi streams, “unable to get audio stream” or something similar, but the next level of sound quality down worked perfect. Done to save on bandwidth costs no doubt. My cell 4g connection gives me 80mbit down and a good chunk of that up, 24/7, yet everything but tidal HiFi cell streaming works properly.

I fell out with Daniel at tidal support for suggesting I factory reset my router, for a cellular phone query. I was 4 miles away from my house and using tidal on my phone, but he wants me to go home and reset my router. I schiit you not. Sorry for the email daniel.

Anyway, fingers crossed qobuz intergration happens this month or before xmas,

 

[AndrewOld]

The volume control on the app, to be truthful, I really don’t know as I barely if ever use my ipad or phone to listen to music. I use mojo and poly sd card when out, on rare ocassions I will use tidal, but they went all sneaky on me. If the rumours are true, hopefully you can flip apps and use Roon with it’s volume controls instead, fingers crossed it’s true and soon.

Tidal were forcing cell users onto High quality cell streaming instead of allowing hifi quality. For months I used to get Hifi no problem via my phone, then tidal stopped allowing me to grab hifi streams, “unable to get audio stream” or something similar, but the next level of sound quality down worked perfect. Done to save on bandwidth costs no doubt. My cell 4g connection gives me 80mbit down and a good chunk of that up, 24/7, yet everything but tidal HiFi cell streaming works properly.

I fell out with Daniel at tidal support for suggesting I factory reset my router, for a cellular phone query. I was 4 miles away from my house and using tidal on my phone, but he wants me to go home and reset my router. I schiit you not. Sorry for the email daniel.

Anyway, fingers crossed qobuz intergration happens this month or before xmas,

Qobuz were supposed to be launching in the US this autumn - that doesn’t seeem to have happened either. Maybe they don’t want to launch without roon, Who knows.

 

[Nik74]

The Abyss has a fuller, richer, more natural sound. I notice you have a Qutest. The M-Scaler would be a great step as well. It would help you get the best out of your current HD800 and potential Abyss.

Thanks for that. I expect a good upgrade with the M-Scaler similar to what people get with Hugo2. It is probably coming before the Abyss, given that the latter will also require a big step up in amplification and might mean I have to give up on my valves

 

[Amberlamps]

Qobuz were supposed to be launching in the US this autumn - that doesn’t seeem to have happened either. Maybe they don’t want to launch without roon, Who knows.

Has it not happened yet ?

Damn, I thought it happened a couple of months ago.

I think when it does, it will be at the same time it gets released in Roon, both at the same time, because without Roon intergration, how likely is it that a french music streaming service will survive in an American dominated business, and in their backyard without Roon intergration ?

Probably 99.8% of music lovers in the states use apple music, tidal, spotify etc, how likely are they to jump ship to a french owned streaming service ? I think it will need audiophiles to help get a foothold in america. French shouldn’t have anything to do with it, but it will in the headlines, website reviews etc.

Thats how I see it, I’m probably wrong though.

 

[simorag]

After about 2 weeks of use, time to post some impressions here.

I’d start saying that it is the first time that an upgrade of my system has a so holistic impact on its signature, that it eludes my usual tendency to break down analytically the modifications in terms of the various typical audiophile parameters.

The HMS has, simply put, transformed the sound of my rig into a different – better – one. And for “better” I mean that the sound just seems more “real” to my ears. As I mainly listen to acoustic music, for “real” I mean that the timbre is more right, the timing, decay, resonance of harmonics is improved, presence and ambience are improved.

All this, combined to a significant reduction of non-natural artifacts like glare, brittleness etc., produces an overall more physically consistent and way less fatiguing listening experience.

The music just flows better. When I plugged on the HMS my very first impression was that the music I used to know well seemed slightly slowed down, like a slight bpm reduction ...

The extent of the effects of the M Scaler varies depending on recording quality, type of music etc., but it is quite dramatic in the majority of tracks I have (re)listenened so far.

I have initially taken notes about what I was hearing on a track-by-track basis, but soon the picture has become so clear and consistent that I stopped that, since any new song gave me the same impressions of what the HMS has brought to my audio system.

Some highlights.

Acoustic vocals: they are so much truer to the flesh and the vocalists are so much present with the HMS in place. Previously heard sibilance and glare are nearly eliminated.

Guitar (especially classical) and violins: much richer harmonic structure, easier to follow the attack and decay, less strident / metallic timbre.

Low-level details become at the same time more obvious and natural, i.e. not portrayed with a hyper-realistic / over analytical / distracting character.

Depth of field, ambient cues readability is improved with respect to solo DAVE.

Applauses from a crowded attendance or hand clapping in a flamenco or jazz track (one of my benchmarks for naturalness, while not being directly part of the music) become less shouty, harsh or one-noted and reveal the human nature of the sound source

I struggle to identify a single drawback after the HMS took place in my rig, perhaps I am still under the spell of the new toy syndrome, who knows ...

 

[Mikey99]

After about 2 weeks of use, time to post some impressions here.

I’d start saying that it is the first time that an upgrade of my system has a so holistic impact on its signature, that it eludes my usual tendency to break down analytically the modifications in terms of the various typical audiophile parameters.

The HMS has, simply put, transformed the sound of my rig into a different – better – one. And for “better” I mean that the sound just seems more “real” to my ears. As I mainly listen to acoustic music, for “real” I mean that the timbre is more right, the timing, decay, resonance of harmonics is improved, presence and ambience are improved.

All this, combined to a significant reduction of non-natural artifacts like glare, brittleness etc., produces an overall more physically consistent and way less fatiguing listening experience.

The music just flows better. When I plugged on the HMS my very first impression was that the music I used to know well seemed slightly slowed down, like a slight bpm reduction ...

The extent of the effects of the M Scaler varies depending on recording quality, type of music etc., but it is quite dramatic in the majority of tracks I have (re)listenened so far.

I have initially taken notes about what I was hearing on a track-by-track basis, but soon the picture has become so clear and consistent that I stopped that, since any new song gave me the same impressions of what the HMS has brought to my audio system.

Some highlights.

Acoustic vocals: they are so much truer to the flesh and the vocalists are so much present with the HMS in place. Previously heard sibilance and glare are nearly eliminated.

Guitar (especially classical) and violins: much richer harmonic structure, easier to follow the attack and decay, less strident / metallic timbre.

Low-level details become at the same time more obvious and natural, i.e. not portrayed with a hyper-realistic / over analytical / distracting character.

Depth of field, ambient cues readability is improved with respect to solo DAVE.

Applauses from a crowded attendance or hand clapping in a flamenco or jazz track (one of my benchmarks for naturalness, while not being directly part of the music) become less shouty, harsh or one-noted and reveal the human nature of the sound source

I struggle to identify a single drawback after the HMS took place in my rig, perhaps I am still under the spell of the new toy syndrome, who knows ...

Thanks for the review! Your setup is close to mine, Looks like we have gone down the same path. Indeed, timbre of instruments, realism, presence and ambiance are all enhanced as I A/B - which is so easy to do with the M-Scaler. When I go to pass through it feels like a veil is thrown over the music, and a dimension is compressed or lost.

 

[penguin69]

I know the Tidal v Qobuz topic is kinda hot, but for MScaler owners, Qobuz have lowered their 24bit upto 192khz streaming plan to £25, just £5 more than Tidal.

So much better than Tidal, I have now dumped my Tidal account for the 30th time

Even the same sample rate files of 44.1khz on Qobuz sound much better than tidals, granted Qobuz’s is 24bit, but still it’s much much better quality, and for a £5 increase it’s a no brainer.

I've recently flipped over. Now running Qobuz off the phone, streaming over wifi to a Neet AirStream box (20 quid), running optical into my Dave. Cheap as chips front end, which delivers.

Anyone in the UK received their fixed black HMS yet? Ordered mine the day the order book opened, as previously mentioned. Waiting patiently.

 

[Jawed]

All this, combined to a significant reduction of non-natural artifacts like glare, brittleness etc., produces an overall more physically consistent and way less fatiguing listening experience.

There's no reason to have these sound quality problems with just DAVE. A brittle or fatiguing sound is normally a problem with the equipment that feeds DAVE, which DAVE will ruthlessly reveal.

 

[Amberlamps]

I've recently flipped over. Now running Qobuz off the phone, streaming over wifi to a Neet AirStream box (20 quid), running optical into my Dave. Cheap as chips front end, which delivers.

Anyone in the UK received their fixed black HMS yet? Ordered mine the day the order book opened, as previously mentioned. Waiting patiently.

Fixed HMS ?

Is this the ir window problem or something else ?

I was in contact with Chord the other day and was keen to find out if my unit has the thick window. I was told since mine was hot off the rocks last week or so, and which the serial number is in the 30-40’000s it’s very unlikely that mine is affected.

But as usual, the person behind the email address that I have, and who probably wishes I never got hold of it in the first place, was 100% ready to help if needed.

Listening to Pink Floyd, The Division Bell, HiRes, I have never heard it so good, absolutely stunning, it’s so good that I actually want to listen to my old albums again to see what they are like.

Juggling back and forth between Qobuz and Tidal, tidals stream is noticeably inferior, even though it is also HiRes.

For the first time I can understand all of David Gilmour’s piss taking lyrics, where he lays into Roger Waters.

I’m gunna have a magic weekend listening to all of my old albums.