[Ken Pachkowsky]

   
Hi Ken, it's great to see a manufacturer answering questions in these forums!  I followed all the instructions and it seems I am using the right ASIO component.  Is there any way to get WASAPI to work instead though?  I prefer the way it operates, muting all other programs and with no glitches - although glitches are very rare on my desktop.  Foobar lets me select the Concero under Wasapi (iirc) but then the program refuses to play; it immediately stops itself whenever I hit play so no sound comes out.

 
Stormfriend
 
I am forwarding your message to our head software engineer. Stand by for a reply.
 
My understanding is they are both "supposed" to be bit-perfect
 
Respectfully,
Ken Pachkowsky

 

[M-13]

  One thing--you  don't need ~~ "High worker process priority" checked in FOOBAR to use WASAPI for the Concero.

Can you explain more?

 

[whatcomfalls]

   

The appropriate Output device in foobar2000v1.3 beta 5 for me is "WASAPI (event): Speakers (3-Resonessence Concero Audience)" .
 
"High worker process priority" box applies to ASIO drivers only---one of which listed is the RUSBaudio, and another being a Jplay asio driver I'm trying out. But no WASAPI drivers are listed

 

[whatcomfalls]

 
Can you explain more?

This is a follow-up to my earlier mistaken explanation---where I hadn't looked under "Advanced" for the subject box you referred to regarding WASAPI. Sorry.
I never had to go the Advanced settings to successfully run the Concero in WASAPI nonetheless.

 

[Stormfriend]

   
Stormfriend
 
I am forwarding your message to our head software engineer. Stand by for a reply.
 
My understanding is they are both "supposed" to be bit-perfect
 
Respectfully,
Ken Pachkowsky

 
Thanks Ken.  Under ASIO I do get the right sample rate output, as far as I can tell, as the colour on the Concero's front panel changes from magenta to blue when I'm playing a 24/88.2 file.  Yet somehow I get VLC sending out a signal to the same device at the same time and that's just a low bit-rate YouTube video.  I will need to double-check that happens alongside 24/88.2 as it was a day or so ago now and it might have been whilst playing a 16/44.1.  Wasapi normally mutes VLC regardless, which is why it surprised me.
 
In case it matters I have to use Windows 8.1 on the desktop due to driver conflicts with the SOtM card.

  Another reason to get an SD player (or a MBP)...
 
Edit: the driver conflicts were getting Win 7 working with the SOtM PCI-E and a HiFace EVO, though after struggling for ages I found the SOtM card was no longer recognised itself even with a clean install.  I got the pair working with AP Linux, but Fluxbox couldn't mount my second SSD and I couldn't live with it as a main PC.  I then got Win 8.1 which works fine under the hood, but TIFKAM is utterly awful.  I'm investigating Classic Shell and its kin, but the Aune (or Resonessence equivalent) will hopefully let me go back to Win 7.

 

[project86]

Stormfriend - you might investigate eBay for some more SD card payer options. They seem to be more popular in Asia than the USA, and there are plenty of models to choose from. Surely there is something that would fit you better than the Aune which doesn't even handle FLAC. Granted, the Aune is cheap, but that appears to be all it has going for it. 
 
BTW, my review of the Concero HP is POSTED if anyone cares. 

 

[belisk]

oooh wall of fame, a deserved rank indeed and 100% agree review.
theres an update for the HP now, 2.5, which turns the spdif into an output

 

[project86]

oooh wall of fame, a deserved rank indeed and 100% agree review.
theres an update for the HP now, 2.5, which turns the spdif into an output

 
Thanks! Yep, I already had my copy in to Tyll when the 2.5 update came out. No biggie - I love how they keep adding functionality through updates!

 

[jexby]

   
BTW, my review of the Concero HP is POSTED if anyone cares. 

 
Now if only we could get the same in-depth reviews about the Herus, the new Resonessence line evaluation would be complete!
when oh when?
 
1.  Herus temps me and less power hungry headphones.
Although I don't know if my iPhone/iPad would be dead if it powered the Herus all night long once I fall asleep listening to it?
 
2.  love my Concero HD, and the tech and quality delivered by Resonessence engineers.
but I do feel they split their new Concero products almost on "too fine a line", not wanting to deliver an HP also with RCA outs seemed to be saying:
 we don't mind making the customer "give up" one functionality (internal amp) over another (external amp)
or
 we must fit within the original (square) size of the original Concero come he-ll or high water.
or maybe it truly was:
 it can't be a USB powered device if we deliver BOTH headphone amp and RCA outs?
 
anyway, the HD sounds great also.

 

[Ken Pachkowsky]

   
Stormfriend
 
I am forwarding your message to our head software engineer. Stand by for a reply.
 
My understanding is they are both "supposed" to be bit-perfect
 
Respectfully,
Ken Pachkowsky

 
Stormfriend
 
I got a reply as follows:
 
"Perhaps it has to do with selecting the Concero device as the default windows device.  Users that want to use the WASAPI interface should try making sure that the default sound and default communication device is NOT set to the INVICTA/MIRUS/CONCERO/HERUS."
 
Hope this helps?
 
Respectfully,
Ken Pachkowsky

 

[Stormfriend]

  "Perhaps it has to do with selecting the Concero device as the default windows device.  Users that want to use the WASAPI interface should try making sure that the default sound and default communication device is NOT set to the INVICTA/MIRUS/CONCERO/HERUS."

 
I'm pretty sure I tried that after seeing it on your FAQ, but with no luck.  I couldn't get it to work when demoing in the store on their laptop either.  The salesman tried and failed too, so I used their JRiver software instead which was set up with ASIO.  I'll try it again once I've finished running the unit in with the spdif input.
 
Talking of which I have an issue with the spdif: I'm feeding the Concero from an Oppo BDP-103, which is using a USB pen-drive on the front panel.  Whenever a new song starts, whether cycling through the folder or when I hit skip track, the next song fades in rather than starting normally.  Instead of "I AM THE GOD OF HELLFIRE!" I get "____THE GOD OF HELLFIRE!", which doesn't quite have the same punch.

  It affects every track although quiet classical often starts softly and isn't as obvious.  I don't notice it when using my old Micromega T-Drive, but that takes a second to wind up the CD at the beginning and at the start of each track it says P.04 and counts down before playing anything, so I suspect the player just isn't fast enough. 
 
When playing multiple HD tracks in a row on the Oppo I see the blue display (on the Concero) flick back to mauve briefly before going blue again (with a filter set) - if that helps.  The Concero is using the firmware that was available for download last Saturday evening.

 

[tomscy2000]

   
I'm pretty sure I tried that after seeing it on your FAQ, but with no luck.  I couldn't get it to work when demoing in the store on their laptop either.  The salesman tried and failed too, so I used their JRiver software instead which was set up with ASIO.  I'll try it again once I've finished running the unit in with the spdif input.
 
Talking of which I have an issue with the spdif: I'm feeding the Concero from an Oppo BDP-103, which is using a USB pen-drive on the front panel.  Whenever a new song starts, whether cycling through the folder or when I hit skip track, the next song fades in rather than starting normally.  Instead of "I AM THE GOD OF HELLFIRE!" I get "____THE GOD OF HELLFIRE!", which doesn't quite have the same punch.

  It affects every track although quiet classical often starts softly and isn't as obvious.  I don't notice it when using my old Micromega T-Drive, but that takes a second to wind up the CD at the beginning and at the start of each track it says P.04 and counts down before playing anything, so I suspect the player just isn't fast enough. 
 
When playing multiple HD tracks in a row on the Oppo I see the blue display (on the Concero) flick back to mauve briefly before going blue again (with a filter set) - if that helps.  The Concero is using the firmware that was available for download last Saturday evening.

 
AFAIK, when any of the Conceros switches from filtered mode (mauve) back to bit-perfect mode (blue), it will do a fade-in effect on the song. Perhaps especially so for the [original] Concero, as they leave (3 dB?) of digital headroom when processing the IIR/apodizing filters, so there is a difference in volume between filtered mode and bit-perfect...

 

[Stormfriend]

  Stormfriend - you might investigate eBay for some more SD card payer options. They seem to be more popular in Asia than the USA, and there are plenty of models to choose from. Surely there is something that would fit you better than the Aune which doesn't even handle FLAC. Granted, the Aune is cheap, but that appears to be all it has going for it. 
 
BTW, my review of the Concero HP is POSTED if anyone cares. 

 
My search-fu must be lacking; I can see plenty of SD walkmans and players (I very nearly got the AK120 instead of the Concero HP as it happens) but I can't see any dedicated transports with coax spdif output.  I also wanted the simplest device possible (that allowed navigation) to reduce electrical activity and battery consumption, so I avoided those with DACs built in.  My Micromega transport is incredibly simple and almost always bests my PC despite being 20 years old, although that may just be its linear psu working better on my dodgy mains.  The Micromega sounds lovely with the Concero.

 

[Stormfriend]

   
AFAIK, when any of the Conceros switches from filtered mode (mauve) back to bit-perfect mode (blue), it will do a fade-in effect on the song. Perhaps especially so for the [original] Concero, as they leave (3 dB?) of digital headroom when processing the IIR/apodizing filters, so there is a difference in volume between filtered mode and bit-perfect...

 
That may indeed be the reason, but about 98% of my collection is 16/44.1 and it fades in on every track, which is a bit of an issue!

 

[tomscy2000]

Perhaps that's something specific to SPDIF, in which case I wouldn't know --- I've only used the HP exclusively with USB, and in-between tracks, unless it's switching between filtered and bit-perfect (red book and high-res), I don't hear the fade-in effect. Personally, I like the fade-in effect, but I can see how it could be distracting if someone listens to a continuous album.