Sonarworks Headphone Calibration software

[kumar402]

i am facing issue with SOnarworks. The app crashes as soon as there is change in sample rate.
As long as the sample rate is same the app works fine but it crashes as soon as the sample rate changes.
I am using Audirvana + in my MacBook pro and output is to Mojo. Anyone else faced this issue?

 

[Shooter41]

i am facing issue with SOnarworks. The app crashes as soon as there is change in sample rate.
As long as the sample rate is same the app works fine but it crashes as soon as the sample rate changes.
I am using Audirvana + in my MacBook pro and output is to Mojo. Anyone else faced this issue?

Yep, I had the same issue. though I use Pure Music. Sorry to say the only fix for me was to upgrade from True-Fi to Reference 4. It's just a much more complete and "fully-baked" app. The UI is also way better. No issues of any kind since the upgrade.

 

[groovyd]

i am facing issue with SOnarworks. The app crashes as soon as there is change in sample rate.
As long as the sample rate is same the app works fine but it crashes as soon as the sample rate changes.
I am using Audirvana + in my MacBook pro and output is to Mojo. Anyone else faced this issue?

yep, their systemwide is fairly unstable and not much has been fixed on it since it was first released. unfortunate since it is the most valuable component of their ecosystem in my opinion. there was a better 'systemwide' called menuBus Pro and it does still exist however the developer got a job with Rogue Amoeba and they made him discontinue development. It is still the best 'systemwide' available and if you can manage a copy it's highly recommended.

personally, I was really hoping Sonarworks would buy menuBus from the developer and replace systemwide with a variant of it. I actually helped write the engine for it in highly optimized c++. it is bit perfect and bulletproof.

 

[kumar402]

Yep, I had the same issue. though I use Pure Music. Sorry to say the only fix for me was to upgrade from True-Fi to Reference 4. It's just a much more complete and "fully-baked" app. The UI is also way better. No issues of any kind since the upgrade.

They should highlight that as known issue and make buyer informed.
It's an irritating bug and as a result I have stopped using it.
Also it's not a free and inexpensive tool.

 

[kumar402]

They should highlight that as known issue and make buyer informed.
It's an irritating bug and as a result I have stopped using it.
Also it's not a free and inexpensive tool.

They should fix that s issue or must let Mac user know about it.

 

[the finisher]

Systemwide sucks, I'm on Win 10 pro.

I have the full Reference 4 suite.

 

[MikeW]

Been trying out True-Fi.. it's pretty buggy. Exclusive mode does not work with my Schiit Bifrost Multibit. That means it's using directsound and going though the windows mixer. That's no bueno. It also appears to re sample everything to 44.1, this is obvious on tidal master tracks' that don't switch to 96 khz properly.

Apart from that it does sound nice, and it makes me really want a Loki. Something that always works and does not rely on buggy ass software, works with CD players, works without a PC, requires no updates and has no software to crap out. I get most of my music though Tidal Premium and the fact that it lacks built in tone control is super annoying. Loki don't care though, it just works.

 

[groovyd]

DHL managed to pickup my MX4 for custom calibration... measure twice cut once Sonarworks and god speed

 

[groovyd]

And after fighting with Measure for ever since I got it I finally managed to get a clean Ref4 run of calibrations to replace my Ref3 for both my sets of Maggie Minis and 20.7s home speakers. The entire process was much smoother this time now that I replaced my TAC-2 Thunderbolt 2 audio interface with a UniversalAudio Arrow Thunderbolt 3 interface which appears to have much lower latency and a signal less effected by the thunderbolt bus power noise. It appears to be a cleaner all around audio interface with less mic noise, more precise sampling, etc. The issue I was having with Measure never saving my profiles also seems to have been fixed in their latest release v4.1.10 (build 20).

Here is a comparison between the Ref3 (old) calibrations on top and the Ref4 (new) on bottom with the 20.7s on the left and the minis on the right. Surprising how similar they are to the Ref3 taken with the TAC-2 with the biggest difference being the tighter listening spot differences between left and right speakers and a nearly 3db boost above 1k on both. In other words it appears Ref3 was possibly under-estimating the highs (or Ref4 is overestimating them). Incidentally while Ref4 'might' be more accurate I might actually prefer the Ref3 corrections. The Ref4 listening spot adjustment works much better in Ref4 though and i'm guessing Ref4 did do a better job but my ears are just used to Ref3. Ref4 highs seem a bit flat at first audition. Anyone else notice this?

I should also mention these measurements were taken years apart using vastly different audio interfaces and versions of Sonarworks with vastly different measurement processes but the same calibrated mic and so it is impressive to see how 'repeatable' the measured response curves actually are in most places along their entire sweep. Honestly I was expecting them to not even look at all alike especially considering a lot has changed within the room space since then and even the planar speaker drivers themselves are likely changed from deposit of burnt cooking oil and pollution in the air (ie everything else in the room eventually has a coating of crud on it).

I am guessing most of the reason the mini measurements have changed so significantly vs the 20.7s is I recently put the minis up on genelux stands and are now at level with the mic instead of sitting on my desk 8" below it.

Absolutely can't wait until Ref5 is released including phase/impulse correction. That is going to be a huge improvement.

 

[groovyd]

DHL tracking shows the MX4 has landed in Riga... awaiting acceptance by Sonarworks

 

[iFlip92]

Anyone know if they are going to add Mr. Speakerz Aeon Flow to the software?

 

[foreverzer0]

For HD800, this is the configuration I've ended up with liking most:

 

[InAnimaTed]

@MikeW True-Fi has actually worked great for me on Mac. Really like what it does for my old ATH-M50x's but can't justify putting money (79 i think) into it over buying a dac+amp and bitstreaming at hi-res (with headphones having a freq response i prefer).

 

[MikeW]

Yeah, don't get me wrong im a believer in EQ. But i've yet to find a system wide solution that just works without handicaps, particularly bypassing the windows mixer. Equalizer APO is good but it gets mixed, and the WASAPI mode for true fi did not work with my DAC, i just got horrible distortion. There's also other issues of software solutions, like random bugs, things like not working with games, or youtube, or your favorite streaming app... software EQ's just a pain in the ass. Especially for those who run both headphones and speakers and need independent EQ settings for both. I use HD650's and JBL LSR305's and both have their own equalization needs, my room has a sizable bass bump that needs to be delt with.. software EQ again is a big let-down. I've recently purchased a RME ADI-2 and hope to resolve all my woe's with a solid hardware based EQ solution. My primary source of music is Tidal, now that is a real pain in the ass to get any kind of EQ working with. It's really ridiculous, the hoops one must jump though. I've been told you can use Jriver but that's a paid piece of software and I've yet to try it, regardless it's some convoluted setup of routing Tidal to Jriver then applying EQ sourced from a plugin that allows the use of VST software.. what a pain in the ass.

I'll take my EQ before or after windows, were I can truly apply systemwide, source independent EQ. And by the way , the windows mixer does seriously handicap quality. I can easily hear it, so much so that im confident I could Double blind it.

 

[groovyd]

Yeah, don't get me wrong im a believer in EQ. But i've yet to find a system wide solution that just works without handicaps, particularly bypassing the windows mixer. Equalizer APO is good but it gets mixed, and the WASAPI mode for true fi did not work with my DAC, i just got horrible distortion. There's also other issues of software solutions, like random bugs, things like not working with games, or youtube, or your favorite streaming app... software EQ's just a pain in the ass. Especially for those who run both headphones and speakers and need independent EQ settings for both. I use HD650's and JBL LSR305's and both have their own equalization needs, my room has a sizable bass bump that needs to be delt with.. software EQ again is a big let-down. I've recently purchased a RME ADI-2 and hope to resolve all my woe's with a solid hardware based EQ solution. My primary source of music is Tidal, now that is a real pain in the ass to get any kind of EQ working with. It's really ridiculous, the hoops one must jump though. I've been told you can use Jriver but that's a paid piece of software and I've yet to try it, regardless it's some convoluted setup of routing Tidal to Jriver then applying EQ sourced from a plugin that allows the use of VST software.. what a pain in the ass.

I'll take my EQ before or after windows, were I can truly apply systemwide, source independent EQ. And by the way , the windows mixer does seriously handicap quality. I can easily hear it, so much so that im confident I could Double blind it.

menuBus for macOS is the best systemwide there is but there isn't an equivalent for Windows and Sonarworks systemwide really needs some serious work.